Best/Worst Races and Personalities for Age 54

[Twyla]

Just to get a general feel for things (and perhaps help guide less experienced players), I think it'd be worthwhile to discuss what we feel are the best and worst of the Age 54 changes. Just to get the ball rolling:


Attackers:
Hands down, Orcs will rule in Age 54. 9-point Elite (which trains with Credits) and +20% Gains make them downright devastating in and out of war, but the real kickers are losing the -10% BE and gaining Reflect Magic for extra defense against offensive Spells. While the penalties to Magic and Thievery were increased, they only affect offensive damage - which most Attackers aren't concerned with anyways.

Though Undead remains a strong contender, the harsher Science penalty and losing War Spoils (negating their Ambush immunity) make them far less desirable next Age. While Plague, No Food, free upgrades to Elites, and 50% offensive losses are still great attributes for an Attacker, Orc's gains, Spell Book, and lack of Science penalty trump Undead.

Dwarves got a much-needed boost (improved Elite and losing the TpA penalty), making them viable Attackers once more. Though their BE bonus was reduced to +15%, it remains a boon in light of high Draft rates. Furthermore they retained their Free Construction and Using Credits to Raze abilities, virtually eliminating all expenses to land management and making them the easiest Race in the game to rotate strats with. No land management expenses also frees up loads of cash to invest in Sciences and Military (or extra Mercs), Quick Feet is almost as good an Attack Time bonus as Tactician, and Clearsight gives them extra defense against enemy Thievery.


Tactician is one of the best options for Attackers - Orcs in particular, as they can use the extra 50% credits for more free Elites. The -15% Attack Times combined with 20% Rax (@90% BE) give Orc and Undead 8-hour Attack Times in War - or Dwarves (w/Quick Feet) 9.2-hour Attack Times with no Rax at all! The 100% accurate intel during War allows them to optimize their attacks, avoiding bounces and potentially allowing an additional attack. By far the best option for anyone anticipating fast, steady growth.

Despite losing the +50% Honor bonuses and casualties modifiers, Warrior gained an extra General to turn it into something of a juggernaut! The +15% OME stacks with Honor, Wages, and TG bonuses (plus the extra General) for an easy +25% net mod to OME in War - making it easy to bust even the most robust of turtles. Excellent overall offensive Personality, in and out of War.

Cleric lost the extra General, but gained a permanent Animate Dead effect - making them all the tougher to chain down. The 50% casualties makes for a strong economic modifier, eliminating the need for Hospitals and reducing troop expenses. Not much to offer growth-wise, but still a solid choice for a Province in a Kingdom serious about War.

Even with the nerfs, Sage remains a solid option for most Attackers. +30% Science Effects give a strong boost to Alchemy, Tools, Housing, and War Sciences. Though Crime and Channeling are of lesser importance for Attackers, modest investment in these gives excellent returns to help protect against hostile Spells and Ops. With War Wins now awarding 100 Books per Acre, the extra +30% Effect becomes an even stronger incentive for those who actively war.


Hybrids:
Faery pretty much goes without saying. Though their WpA and TpA bonuses were reduced, they gained damage bonuses to both disciplines as well. The NW of their Elite has been lowered, giving them a bit more RPNW protection, and the 3-point Ospec makes it easier to stockpile Dragon Chow without seriously inflating their overall NW. Losing Meteor Showers hurt a bit, but the +50% duration mod for Mystic makes a worthwhile option in regaining it.

By retaining their 6-point Dspec and gaining +50% WpA, Elves are even better as Mage/Attackers. Though their Elite shifted one point from Offense to Defense (a 14.3% reduction), their 20% space-saving offered by their Dspecs (as well as the +50% WpA) allows enough space for Elves to be viable Attackers.

The +30% Spell Damage bonus Dwarves received, combined with their BE bonus and no land management expenses, make them viable as Attacker/Mages. In essence, most of Elf's Age 53 traits migrated to Dwarf - 7/3 Elite, +30% Spell Damage, and Clearsight - making them nearly as strong as Elves were this past Age. Not super, but reasonably formidable.

Avians lost a lot for Age 54 - their Dspec lost 1 point and their Elite lost 2 DP, as well as losing Clearsight and Fanatacism. Mystic Aura grants some resistance to hostile spells, but it's a one-shot deal - so not great unless your activity is near-hyper. On the plus side, the OpNW of their Elite is now second only to Orc and Undead - unfortunately, the loss of their 6-point Dspec makes it difficult for them to run enough Thieves to take advantage of their +40% Thievery Damage modifier and still maintain respectable offense. Viable, though by far the most difficult hybrid to pull off.


With Meteor Showers now being Mystic-only, Mystic is a must-have for at least several Provinces within a Kingdom. The +50% Duration offers beautiful synergy with the +WpA bonuses for Faeries and Elves, as well as with Faery's or Dwarf's +30% Spell Damage.

Despite the changes, Sage remains one of the best Personalities for Hybrids - offering tremendous and relatively inexpensive boosts to both Magic and Thievery in addition to the +30% Effectiveness to other Sciences. Again, the new rewards for War Wins combined with the increased Effectiveness bring the net effects up almost to par with how Sage was this past Age.

Rogue remains relatively weak for any except a Pure Thief, though the Double TDs effect can make Avian Rogue a viable A/T. Still a respectable option for Faery, with the +Stealth Regen combining well with their +TpA and +Damage.


The Misfits:
Humans don't have much going for them in Age 54. They've lost their Income bonus and reducing their Elite to 5/5 makes for one of the hardest nerfs to come about. Their +50% Damage with Spells and Ops appears nice, but it'll be a challenge for them to maintain sufficient WpA and TpA to truly take advantage of them. The only thing they really have in their favor (apart from their Spell Book) is their 6-point Ospec - offering the least expensive and highest OpNW option for any Attacker. Even with the +10% Population, they'll be hard-pressed to do more than fill a single role - despite having bonuses to all three.

Losing their Population Bonus and 100% Intel while retaining their Birth Rate Penalty has pretty much eliminated Halflings from consideration for anything apart from Super-Thief - which is useful for a Kingdom, but they rarely need more than one. At least they gained +50% TpA, though this is the main consideration which keeps them from being a complete write-off. This might be enough space saving to still allow them to run Rogue a/T or Warrior A/t, though they'll most likely be weaker in this role than they've been this past Age.


Just my view on the matter, for what it's worth. I'm sure others have quite a different perspective on the options for Age 54.

[Palem]

Avian - garbage
Dwarf - very good
Elves - ok
Faery - Will be the biggest mistake of the age for people
Halfling - Garbage
Humans - I'll say fun, risky though
Orcs - Bananas
Undead - Completely unnecessary

[ElusiveWitch]

I'll play!!

Avian - not impressed much
Dwarf - cool .. but so out of character. It's hard for me to see them equal or rival Elves for magic.
Elves - Good but afraid they gonna have a rough time against rogues.
Halfling - Race I'm slotted to play this age ... Pray for me?
Humans - I still don't know wth they suppose to be so *shrugs*
Faery - Uhmmm ... I'll just leave that alone and keep comments to myself on that one.
Orcs - OP again ... still ... yet.
UD's - My poor guys :( ... my go to attacker race just keeps getting picked at and picked at loosing something every age while Orc gets the Motts.

[Palem]

You skipped one ;p

[DDodge]

faeries still need a big time nerf. way too overpowered again. ****s getting old

[Palem]

LOL!

That's cute DDodge.
How about removing Honor? Is that a sufficient Faery nerf? Because it seems to be the only thing that people are complaining about with Faery that's actually legitimate (and funny enough, has very little to do with Faery)

[Demascus]

Faeries are strong, but not OP this age and even less so next age. But their perks do make them rather good at obtaining honour, which stacked with the bonuses of sage make them seem OP.

Is there still gonna be a Faery Circle next age Palem?

[I_am_Spartacus]

In order of superiority for kds with some organization or greater.

Orc
Dwarf/Elf/Faery(TM)

Everything else is in the dumpster aside from Human Merch cows.

"Faery - Will be the biggest mistake of the age for people"

Disagree, still best TM and can easily sit on .75+ dpnw / 160dpa+

[ElusiveWitch]

I honestly have to say I just don't get it. Orcs are gonna be owning the server. Should just rename it Orctopia or something and call it good. People STILL yappin about faery's *shakes head*.

[Ethan]

Faery: gains +30% damage, losses a bit of space efficiency and MS. Dang, now they are worthless. Cause that damage thing is *way* overrated, right?

I just don't get it. So many people claiming it took a huge nerf, when it looks mostly the same but with damage buffs. Sure, the thievery isn't a huge deal unless you go rogue and propaganda, but +30% damage on spells is a pretty big deal. And it even got a little NW drop to help keep it's defense good.

Also, while orc is clearly the standard other attackers should be measured against - it isn't *that* much stronger, and it's got some pretty big penalties. Like the whole ambush thing. Since my kingdom tends towards longer wars anyway, I'd pick a dwarf over an orc - the dwarf clearly has more staying power, even if it can't hit as hard.

Agree UD seems to be just a worse orc, unless it spreads plague. Hard to use that well though unless your kingdom is super active and can chain on a dime.

[nooblet]

Avians - garbage
Dwarf - Hidden power race of the age... so flexible, doesn't have the major penalties that the main attacking races suffer from. Granted, orc's -75% t/m gains doesn't normally matter, but in unusual circumstances where an orc could get a t/m advantage, they can't use it. Third-best attacking power behind Undead and Orc, with good durability, some useful buffs, and arguably the best economy, depending on how seriously humans can be taken this age. No real big penalty aside from not being able to rushbuild, and that isn't so great. +30% mage damage is mostly ornamental, but the little extra oomph doesn't hurt when they can get spells through.
Elves - Difficult to play well, potentially good in capable hands as long as they avoid massacre and thieves. Only solid mage option that can attack.
Faeries - They're Faeries... they do their job extremely well, nothing really new to expect.
Halflings - Super-thief is the only role they play well.
Humans - Super-cow, cheap armies. Their t/m bonuses are tough to utilize. Lots of players will probably play them wrong. No idea what the top kingdoms will do with them.
Orcs - Damage output attacker, just like this age except better. Somewhat of a glass cannon. Best race overall due to its overwhelming attack advantage. Dwarf might be able to compete through BE and their spellbook, but they would have a very hard time against a good Orc kingdom.
The Undead - Best peak military numbers by a hair, lags economically. Good tank province, but outclassed by Orc. Plague can be a nice asset if it connects, but that's a big if. Has some potential to run thief and mage ops in a drawn out war now.

Merchant - Still the go-to option in whoring kingdoms, but not the only option any more. Dwarves and Humans will use it well, for sure.
Sage - Overrated by noobs for the wrong reasons, but a decent whoring pick.
Rogue - Nothing changed. Still a playable t/m once Meteors is assigned to another province.
Mystic - Verging on overpowered with all of the buffs it's been getting. The go-to option for t/ms in the ghetto for meteors.
Warrior - Ridiculously good in warring kingdoms. No one is going to want to fight a war against a warrior-heavy kingdom this age if they can help it, and that kind of intimidation can be turned into a powerful asset outside of war.
Tactician - Overrated by speed freaks, but still good with Orcs.
Cleric - Good in long wars where the casualties start piling up, but purely defensive
War Hero - Complete and utter trash, nub trap.

[ElusiveWitch]

Ethan - IMHO with the special credits being gained in war (wins) and the right corresponding personality with virtually NO penalties. Orc is a no brainer. And Ambush? Yes it hurts but it hurts UD's too so it's not a penalty to just Orcs. UD lost war spoils so nothing gained there. They got their sci nerfed even harder, etc. You put those two together and the ONLY thing going for UD is the random chance of plague. So to say Orc isn't that much stronger, IMHO is a big stretch. It's a whole LOT stronger when you look at them side by side.

I will agree with you 100% that Dwarf can be considered a nice choice and probably one I'd consider myself.

But to be quite frank, if folks are so darned worried about these big, bad, scary and overpowered faery's, then make an Orc and beat them into the ground. Shell them out before war starts then take their land at your leisure. It will be easy enough to do.

[UtopiaKarateKid]

That's agreeable, with the lost of WS from Undead, I have lost the interest and wont consider to play it at all.

Orcs won't be necessary to rule the next age, as it is more than obvious the recent ages changes are swifting more towards to the era of t/ms and the strength of attackers have been taken away a little by a little every ages. Orcs may have a strong offence but with the bonuses of mage and thievery given to a lot of races out there, to say you will be able to rule the war with pure strong offence does not have a strong stance to support it.

Dwarfs, actual speaking I never thought the development team would give CS to the race. It is the CS that makes the race desirable, not because of its BE or whatever, that's what I always thought of. The natural playing styles of the utopian players still maintain a similiar pattern. That "whichever" race enables them to turtle more effectively is naturally will be listed into their choices of consideration.

About the personalities for attackers, imo it is not hard to see the diffferences. There are 3 major personalities that share some similiarity.

1. Strong offensive side
- Warrior

2. Balanced offensive and defensive side
- Tactician

3. Strong defensive side
- Cleric

Warriors bonuses are focused heavily on offensive, OME, one extra general, and even conquest is been given to them, this is designed for the pure offense lovers. My wild guest is this will be the favourate choices for the Undeads.

Tactician is rather belong to the attackers who are more rational and attacking-wise. With accurate intel every offence they sent to break a target counts, none of them will not be wasted. While the extra building and spec credit are income-wise, which enables they to endure longer in heavy long wars, a defensive measurement. The -15% attack time are offensive measurements, which enables them to make more unique attacks.

Clerics is without a doubt, a tanker ability. The players who pick this personality naturally hold the beliefs that whoever can protect its offence the longer in war, they will win wars. About saying the animate dead is the biggest advantage of Clerics, this point regretfully I have to disagree on that.

Most of the Cleric attackers naturally have to work together with the Guard Stations for themselves. That means whenever you saw a Cleric personality in the SoTs you gained from a kd you wanted to war with, it is expected that you will see Guard Station in his Survey afterward as well. For the effect of the animate dead is eventually a weakness for a chain target, but not an advantage. Since your military casualty are converted into soldiers every time, thus this means whenever a Cleric is been picked as a chain target, losing acres fast while maintain almost the same amount of military in your prov = faster deserting of you troops due to over population. Tanking is an art of defensive that mess with the effectiveness of the unique attacks of an opponent kd. I have seen in the forum some even refer tankers as evils as they swift the hits to other kdmates in their kd :p

Lastly the War Hero, this is a personality that confuse a lot of people. Imo, it does have its reason why it is confusing, as the measurements and reasons of picking this personality at the first place, is rather belong to a kd-wise plan, rather than for an individual preferences. Honour itself, is a symbol that represent the strength of an entire kd. Often high honour rank provs can be noticed within a lot of top kds. Ghetto kds rarely have high honour rank provs. And this brings a message to the others that a certain level of skills and activities is guaranteed to be found within the players in such a kd.



About the misfits, the part of Hafling being nerfed I disagree on this. Often people notice the lost of bonuses from the race but seldom notice that the development team can actually mess with the other bonuses to keep it hidden and harded to be noticed. As well as you can view Elf's def spec as saving population slots for def, why can't a Halfling increase in 6 of its elites defence be the same? Eventually every new soldiers that comes in offer another extra +1 defence. This all contributes to negate the lost of its population bonus, through the enhanced quality of its defence military units. A lot of spaces can be saved up for more Tpa to be builded.



The only race that is overpowered, nevertheless is no one but the Elfs themselves. That's why from 10 posts evaluating the race changes, you could see 9 of them indicating the Elfs as "no problem". For just a small example like if the Faery is having +30% spell damage while the Elfs don't, it doesn't matter, as if you view it from the "quality of each of its mana", (3 mana * 1.3 = 3.9 mana per tick), so naturally it just means even from the first glance Faery is only having 3 mana in "default", but its 30% spell damage makes it having 3.9 mana per tick "in actual", that's all. So even the Elfs do not enjoy any +30% spell damage doesn't really matter, as its +1 mana already negates it and makes it equal to +30% spell damage in another meaning. A lot of other changes can explain why they are overpowered but I dont think it is necessary, as personally I believe the development team put this changes on Elfs must have their own reason which I am unable to understand yet, and as the age progress maybe I can figure out what it is.

[Twyla]

About the misfits, the part of Hafling being nerfed I disagree on this. Often people notice the lost of bonuses from the race but seldom notice that the development team can actually mess with the other bonuses to keep it hidden and harded to be noticed. As well as you can view Elf's def spec as saving population slots for def, why can't a Halfling increase in 6 of its elites defence be the same? Eventually every new soldiers that comes in offer another extra +1 defence. This all contributes to negate the lost of its population bonus, through the enhanced quality of its defence military units. A lot of spaces can be saved up for more Tpa to be builded.

True, but there's a rub...

With the +50% WpA and decent Channeling Science, an Elf (non-Sage) only needs 3.33 raw WpA for 10 mod WpA - not quite enough to break Faeries, obviously, but enough to make quick work of most Attackers.

A Halfer with Crime Science has the same mods, but needs more TpA - 5 or more raw, 15 or better mod. Even with the high TpA, Clearsight and Watchtowers can still stop them dead in their tracks with considerable losses; and even successful ops can inflict casualties. With Halfer and Rogue combining to double Stealth regen, they'll likely run twice as many ops in a given period of time - with double the casualties. Should they opt for TDs to cut down on losses, they've lost a good chunk of the land they need for offensive buildings in order to function as Attackers.

On the plus side, at least, their Elites are 4.35% more NW efficient than Dspecs - though they're still stuck with 45%-70% the offense per unit of mainstream Attackers and only 83% the OpU of Elves and Humans. When they had +10% Population, they had the raw numbers to compete as Attackers or A/Ts. Now, they either go Full Attacker (still weak, and completely ignoring most of their Racials) or Full Thief.

At least that's how I see it.

[nooblet]

Any halfling that's not picking Rogue and playing super-thief is doing it wrong. Your halfer damn well better have superior tpa to anything.

Only problem is finding a use in a kingdom for a superthief that can't securely defend its acres, and getting your allies to MV clear sight + destroy watchtowers so that the halfer can do their job. Then, you're hard pressed to ask why a Faery/Rogue can't do the same thing to most attackers. HA/Rogue is only particularly good if it can op a Faery, which it probably can't... otherwise all the tpa bonus in the world is just overkill.