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Player's Guide
CHARACTERS
Da Boyz
The basis of mastering Dark Legions lies in fully understanding the game's
characters. All 16 of them have their own strengths and weaknesses, and their
own specific uses, both on the strategic map and in combat. Over the next four
pages we tell you what these qualities are as well as advise you which
characters are best in which situations, taking into account whether you're
playing against the computer or another human opponent. So without further
ado, meet...
Berserker
The humble Berserker is the weakest character in Dark Legions, with no special
strategic powers and just simple sword attacks in combat. However, a Berserker
is far from useless, for one simple reason - it's cheap. The Berserker's low
cost means that even the smallest army can afford several of them, and their
loss in combat is far from crippling. However, the rule book's suggestion that
you should use them as 'trap-finders' should be ignored - with sensible use of
Seers, this is unnecessary. Instead, use a screen of Berserkers as your front
line, to slow down and weaken enemy attackers. In combat, Berserkers should
avoid characters with ranged attacks, as they'll often get killed before they
even get a swing in. However, a large enough number of Berserkers can wear
down, and even kill, the toughest of opponents by attacking in a wave. This is
particularly effective against the computer. When controlling a character
without a ranged attack, the Dark Legion's artificial intelligence will charge
straight at you. Stand still, facing the approaching enemy, and when the
character is still just out of range, begin a Killing Blow move. If you get
the timing right, the opponent will be hit just as it gets within attacking
range, ensuring that you do the maximum amount of damage, even if it then
proceeds to rip your Berserker to pieces.
Conjurer
The Conjurer is the most expensive character in the game, but it's a good
investment nonetheless. Its ability to summon new troops gives your army great
strategic flexibility, allowing you to temporarily replace lost forces,
bolster a weak area of your defences or deal with a particular type of enemy,
by summoning the right kind of character to deal with the situation. Bear in
mind, however, that a summoned creature will survive for only ten turns at the
most, and it'll grow gradually weaker as time goes by. This means that ideally
you should not summon a creature until enemy troops are within sight of the
Conjurer, and preferably not until the summoned character can immediately
attack its target, while it's at its strongest. This poses a problem, because
Conjurers should be protected from combat at all times - even the lowly
Berserker can be a serious threat. Because of this weakness you should always
hide your Conjurers behind a screen of real bodyguards (the stronger the
better) and save enough life-force so that if an enemy does get close, you can
summon a last ditch defender. In keeping with all the magicians in the game,
Conjurers work well in combination with other character types, and should
always have a Templar right next to them. Rings of Life and Rejuvenation
increase their usefulness, and a Ring of Speed allows them to move up the map
faster, bringing their considerable power to bear.
Demon
This is the most powerful fighter available to you - it's difficult to do
anything wrong with a Demon. Against human players their sheer psychological
effect is a useful device, and even the computer knows enough to be wary of
them. Their huge combat ability means that they are very flexible, serving
equally well as assault troops or as a virtually impenetrable wall of defence.
A group of Demons is one of the only forces capable of smashing through the
enemy's line on its own. In addition, their very strength makes them capable
of defeating just about every other character in the game. The only opponents
they should be wary of are: Fire Elementals, due to their ranged attack and
partial immunity to the Demon's breath weapon; Trolls, due to their great
strength (a Troll won't find it easy to kill a Demon, but it can certainly
weaken one severely); and, of course, other Demons. However, the biggest
danger when using Demons is over-confidence - because of their seeming
invulnerability there's a strong temptation to just charge in and duke it out
toe to toe with everything. But remember, Demons can be worn down just like
any other character. The Demon's Sonic Scream, while useful, should only ever
be used when a Demon is right in the thick of it and likely to die, otherwise
you should save its life-force for what it does best - fighting.
Fire Elemental
Other than the brute power of the Demon, the Fire Elemental is arguably the
most dangerous fighter available to you in Dark Legions. Its use in combat
requires a bit more skill, but with practice it's more than a match for any
other character in the game (including the big four-armed red guys with the
horns and serious halitosis problems). Due to their speed and ability to fly
over chasms and water, Fire Elementals also make ideal scouts and roving
troublemakers. The key to using Fire Elementals in combat is range - stay away
from your opponent and pepper him with Fireballs, using the Mini-Nova attack
only as a last resort. Against a slow-moving enemy without a ranged attack,
this is easy, but tougher baddies take a little more skill. Against a
fast-moving adversary, terrain can be your best friend. Hide on the other side
of a tree (or whatever) and wait until the other character comes around it,
then blast them and run away. When fighting something that can fire back,
things get a lot harder, although the computer AI has problems controlling
these characters. Stand still, facing the computer's character, and when it
gets in line with you it'll fire. Immediately let loose your own Fireball and
dodge to one side. The computer will tend to sit there and get hit. As soon as
its missile has passed you, move back into the line of fire and repeat the
process. This can take a while to get the hang of, but it means that you can
often come out of such a fight without a scratch. The same rules apply to the
Nova as to the Demon's Scream, but remember, it kills the Elemental.
Illusionist
The Illusionist is one of those characters whose usefulness is very dependant
on whether you're playing against the computer or another player. Against
another human player, who has no way of telling what is an illusion and what
isn't, Illusionists can be a powerful force. Mixing Illusionists in with real
characters can make a group seem far more powerful than it is, and this tactic
can be used to divert your opponent's attention from a real threat, or scare
him into backing off. In these instances you can afford to create illusory
Demons and Trolls, as their appearance is more important than their combat
ability. Against the computer, which is immune to psychology, Illusionists are
less useful and you should concentrate on creating characters with ranged
attacks - remember that a single hit in combat destroys an illusion. The
greatest enemy to the Illusionist, though, is the Seer. If your opponent (real
or computer) uses these characters well, your Illusionist will be all but
powerless. It's this weakness that really limits Illusionists, and makes them
of dubious use. Unless you're confident in your ability to pick off opposing
Seers, it's probably best to avoid using them. However, if you do decide to
have an illusionist in your army, keep it close to a Templar or two, give it
Rings of Life and Rejuvenation if at all possible (a Ring of Speed might not
go amiss either), and keep it out of combat at all costs.
Orc
In many ways the Orc is just a slightly more powerful Berserker, and much of
the same advice applies - use Orcs in great numbers as a screen for your main
line and in groups to intimidate a human opponent or wear down a tough
character. The key difference between the Berserker and the Orc is in combat.
The Orc's Charge Attack, as well as causing a decent amount of damage, allows
him to close the distance between himself and the enemy quickly (or run away
quickly - you don't have to charge at the opponent, after all). Against
computer-controlled characters without a ranged attack, the Orc can use the
same technique as the Berserker, charging at its opponent as it approaches. In
addition to this, though, the Charge Attack gives an Orc a slightly better
chance against characters with ranged attacks - hopefully getting close enough
to do some damage, at any rate. Finally, the Charge is of great use against
human players, who can often be forced to panic by using it. When you do get
close, avoid the Head Butt - it's too slow to be of much use. Instead, go for
Side Swings with the Orc's Cestii, which are quick and can easily cause a lot
of damage. The ideal attack from an Orc is a Charge followed by two or three
Swings - this'll seriously damage even the toughest of characters before the
Orc dies.
Phantom
The Phantom is a character dominated by its special ability - everything else
is secondary to the fact that the enemy can't see it. And that's the key to
using it effectively. Without its invisibility it's a very average character,
slow moving and of limited use in combat. The Phantom is ideally suited to
being a scout, sneaking past the enemy's front lines to locate its Orb Holder
and other weaker characters. Bear in mind, however, that if an enemy moves on
to the unseen Phantom, combat will still occur, giving away not just its
existence, but its position as well. To avoid this you should be careful when
moving your Phantom - stick to the edges of the map when possible, but if
that's not possible, hide behind obstacles and in awkward spaces - most people
(including the computer) will just move across and down to avoid an obstacle,
so hiding right behind one is a good idea. The real problem with using a
Phantom in this way is its speed - a scout is no good if the rest of your army
outruns it, so Rings of Speed are a must. A Ring of Power or two can also turn
it into a good assassin. As with Illusionists, the Phantom's biggest enemy is
the Seer, who can negate its special ability. Again, only use Phantoms if
you're confident of dealing with enemy Seers before they cause too much
trouble.
Seer
A Seer is one of the most strategically important characters in the game. All
your enemy's cleverly placed traps, sneaky Phantoms and confusing Illusionists
are useless when one of these characters is about. However, Seers do suffer
from the same problem as all the strategically strong characters - they're
horribly weak in combat but need to be close to your front line to do their
jobs, making them prime targets for your opponent. As such, always protect
them with some big, tough bodyguards, preferably Demons. In spite of what the
manual says, Seers are all but useless in a fight, especially against higher
level computer opponents, against which their befuddled attack is worthless,
so if they get attacked, they're as good as dead. Seers really must be
protected as well as possible. Beyond that, there's little else to say about
them. Their powers are always active, requiring no input from you. Just be
careful not to let your front line stray beyond the Seer's range of sight, or
you negate the point of having the character in the first place.
Troll
Despite being second only to the Demon, in sheer destructive ability, these
characters appear far more useful than they really are. The problem with
Trolls is their slow speed, which makes them virtually useless as an offensive
force - it takes them too long to get into the action. You can negate this
with a couple of Rings of Speed, but then you're paying more per Troll than
you would for the far tougher Demon. Where the Troll does come into its own,
however, is in a defensive role. Leave your Orb Holder at the back of the map,
scatter a few Trolls around it and turn them into rocks on your first turn.
Then, even if the enemy does break through your line, there'll be a nasty
surprise waiting for it. In combat the Troll is suitably tough, able to deal
out a satisfying amount of damage as well as soak up a fair amount. When
playing against the computer and faced with an enemy without a ranged attack,
you can use a similar technique to that of the Berserker, but with the Troll's
devastating Overhead Smash Attack. However, ranged attacks can cause the
slow-moving Troll a lot of trouble, especially the pesky Fire and Water
Elementals.
Shape Shifter
The Shape Shifter is a very flexible character, which offers you a number of
options, and makes a good Orb Holder. Its shape-changing ability is completely
free of charge, so you can change from one form to another as many times as
you like without weakening the character, and it gains all of the combat
abilities of its current form. As stated in the game manual, deception is the
Shape Shifter's forte, and you should make the most of its ability to confuse
and surprise an opponent. Because of this ability, the character is far more
useful against human players than the unperturbable computer opponent, which
won't suffer from the same shock when a Demon appears 'out of nowhere' and
rips up its flank. Note: You should be careful when following the advice in
the manual. Pretending to be a weak character in order to lure the enemy close
and then changing into a Demon or Fire Elemental and frying them is a good
tactic, but you've got to be very careful ¦ if the enemy can reach you and
attack in one turn, you won-t have a chance to change forms, and you'll be
stuck as a Seer or something else equally pathetic in combat, effectively
throwing your Shape Shifter away. Be sure to look closely at the ranges of the
opposing characters when trying this trick.
Templar
The Templar is another character of great strategic importance. It can not
only heal adjacent characters at a cost to their own life-force, but by merely
standing close to them it can give them a bonus to their revitalisation every
turn. Unfortunately, while they're not as helpless as some characters in
combat, they aren't particularly strong either, and should be protected if at
all possible. Templars are particularly useful to have around the magician
characters (Wizard, Conjurer and Illusionist), as their special powers burn
life-force at an alarming rate. You should aim to have at least one Templar in
your force for every two magicians, and move them as a group, so that the
magicians receive the Templars' bonuses at all times. The other role that a
Templar can fulfil is as an 'undead killer'. By loading a Templar down with
suitable rings (Life, Power, Stamina, Protection and so on) it can become a
powerful force in its own right. Combine this with the Templar's natural
bonuses when fighting undead (Vampires, Phantoms, Wraiths and Zombies) and you
have a potent force, especially if you time your attacks to occur during the
day!
Thief
Although on the face of it the Thief might seem quite a handy character, to be
honest it's not much use. Provided you make good use of your Seers, you-ll be
able to avoid enemy traps, and by doing so avoid the need for the Thief. Your
opponent can't move over his own traps, so you'll rarely, if ever, be cut off
from an area of the map. The other problem with Thieves is that disarming
traps is dangerous, and often gets the character killed. You have to ask
yourself whether it's worth paying the points for a character whose only real
use is to disarm traps that could just as easily be avoided. These problems
are only compounded by the Thief's lack of combat ability - it's just not very
tough at all. It's a shame, because it has some neat moves, but the only way a
Thief will ever become a force in combat is with a lot of skill and a lot of
rings. If you do decide to use a Thief, it's best to manually disarm traps.
When doing this, remember to look at any symbols following the one you have to
guess, not just the one before. For example, if you've been given the symbol
in the top-left corner, a blank and then the symbol in the middle-right, then
the blank can't be the top-left symbol, or the bottom-left symbol.
Vampire
The Vampire takes a fair amount of skill to use to its fullest potential, but
if you take the time to practise with it, this character can turn the tide of
a battle. The key to success with a Vampire is to create as many zombies as
quickly as possible. Not only does this mean that the Vampire will lose less
life-force per turn (and will eventually start to gain some, if you create
enough zombies), but it also means that you can get the Vampire's life-force
up to a good level. The zombies themselves are also very useful. Not only do
they provide you with 'free' cannon fodder with which to wear down your
opponent, but they also serve as an excellent distraction, forcing your
opponent to divert troops away from the front line in order to deal with them.
Because of this, the Vampire shouldn't be used as part of a formation, but
sent off ahead of the rest of your army, hopefully sneaking around the edges
of the enemy and attacking weak targets to start off with. Rings of Speed are
useful - remember, every turn that goes by the Vampire grows weaker - and a
Ring of Stamina helps in combat. The trick to using the Vampire in combat is
to get a feel for how long the enemy will remain paralysed and withdraw before
it 'snaps out of it', then run away until your stamina has returned.
Wizard
Wizards have all the same drawbacks as the other magician characters - they're
weak in combat, but need to be near the front to be useful, thus requiring
bodyguards, and their strategic power burns off life-force. However, like the
other magicians, they're very useful guys to have around, despite these
problems. More than any of the other 'strategic' characters, Wizards work best
in a group. Two or three of them together with a screen of bodyguards to hide
behind and a like number of Templars to boost their revitalisation rate can be
a powerful force on the battlefield. Their special ability to freeze opponents
in place is very flexible in this situation. Each Wizard can 'hold up' a nasty
monster until you're ready to deal with it, or all can target the same enemy,
usually killing it in a turn or two. Although they are weak in combat, Wizards
at least have a half-decent couple of ranged attacks that give them a better
chance of surviving a fight. Use the first attack to freeze your opponent and
then let loose with the other - even the strongest of enemies will have
trouble defending themselves against this onslaught. As with all the magicians
in Dark Legions, Rings of Life and Rejuvenation are almost a prerequisite for
the Wizard, and a single Ring of Speed will help it keep up with the rest of
your forces.
Water Elemental
They may not be quite as tough as their arch enemies the Fire Elementals, but
Water Elementals have an incredibly useful strategic power - provided that
there's water on the map. By teleporting to an area of water on the enemy's
side of the map you can get instant scouting information and, unless the enemy
has some nearby Water Elementals of its own, you can just sit in the middle of
the water and recover your life energy. This 'hiding in the water' technique
is also useful when you get badly wounded in a fight, allowing you the time to
recuperate. In combat, the Water Elemental's ranged attack isn't very
powerful, but is one of the most rapid in the game, making for an effective
close attack as well. However, the Tidal Wave Charge can do some real damage,
and can be used in just the same way as the Orc's Charge. Because the Water
Elemental has a ranged attack as well, it's often useful to use the Tidal Wave
to get away from an opponent who's dangerous at close range. Water Elementals
are good all-round characters, useful both in combat and on the strategic map.
As such, they benefit from virtually any ring you can give them, although Life
and/or Rejuvenation are particularly useful if you want to teleport a lot.
Bear in mind, however, that a Water Elemental is far less useful on a map
without any water.
Wraith
As the manual says, the Wraith's teleporting ability makes it an ideal
assassin, which is very useful for picking off those pesky characters that are
weak in combat but powerful on the strategic map, and happen to be
inconveniently hidden behind other enemies. Unfortunately, their low starting
life-force means that they are virtually incapable of doing this at the start
of the game. What's worse, unless your opponent is nice enough to provide you
with a few weak targets to build up your energy, the Wraith will end up either
being killed early or wandering around in a useless fashion. To prevent this,
always equip a Wraith with as many Rings of Rejuvenation as possible, and
(unless there are a couple of weak characters on offer) keep them well back
until their life-force has risen to a decent level. When teleporting into
combat, take the time to think of the consequences - is the Wraith going to be
able to survive the inevitable counter-attacks, and if not, is it worth
sacrificing it? With these characters it's best to wait for a good opportunity
when the Wraith will be able to do the most damage, rather than throw it away
early and wish you still had it later. Of course, if you wait too long, that's
just as bad. But no-one ever said that strategy was going to be easy!
STRATEGY
The first thing to realise about Dark Legions is that playing against the
computer is very different to playing against a friend, and so requires
different approaches and strategies. The following guide is split into two
sections (Computer Challenge and Friendly Fun), one for each kind of opponent.
Both sections assume that you are playing with a moderately-sized army (2500
points or more) - much smaller than this and the game stops being as much fun.
Computer Challenge
The computer opponent in Dark Legions is far from the toughest in a modern
strategy game, but the huge advantage it gains in points on the higher levels,
combined with its considerable skill in combat with certain characters, can
still make it a formidable challenge. To beat it, and to beat it convincingly,
it's important to understand its weaknesses. And here they are:
The computer is not very good at fighting with or against certain characters
(see last month's issue for more details on this). It has only a very basic
grasp of overall strategy. It tends to spread all its characters across the
map and charge them down to meet you. It will keep the various magicians in
groups, back from the action, and keep its orb carrier at its end of the map,
but that's about it. It tends to give its orb to a 'weak' character, often a
magician. Even with the extra power granted by the orb, these characters are
far from hard to kill. It has very little ability with breaking through your
lines, or any other coherent plan. It seems to pick its army on a semi-random
basis, just having as many of every character as it can afford. It does tend
to pick a lot of Seers, and push them towards the front. Likewise it tends to
spend a fair number of points on traps, which it scatters around liberally.
Taking Your Pick
Your strategy in Dark Legions begins with the choosing of your army, and when
playing against the computer there are several points to bear in mind. The
first thing to realise is that it's not worth using traps as a destructive
weapon. The computer tends to saturate its forward lines with Seers, making it
unlikely that your traps will escape notice. Although killing off the Seers is
possible, it does mean that you have to divert characters from more important
targets (a Seer is no military threat on his own) and it's pointless once the
traps have been spotted anyway - the computer doesn't seem to forget the
location of traps, even if the spotting Seer is killed or moves away. You can,
however, use traps to block off certain areas. In this case you want your
opponent to see them, and thus the computer's mass of Seers doesn't matter -
the enemy characters won't be able to move through the line of traps, and
that's the point of them in the first place. By using this technique you can
channel the computer's forces into the area of the map where you want them,
and cut down on the number of areas that you have to defend. On a similar
note, Phantoms and Illusionists are of very limited use against the computer
for exactly the same reasons as traps, so it's best not to bother with them
unless you have a specific love of either of these characters. Phantoms are a
bit weedy anyway, and for the extra points it's better to buy a Conjurer and
have some solid help at your beck and call. Do remember to include at least
one Seer on your side, though. The computer really does love traps, especially
at the higher difficulty levels, where it has points to burn and strews them
around liberally. There's nothing quite as annoying as losing a valuable
character without so much as a fight, so it's vital for you to be able to spot
traps early. The other types of character to avoid when playing against the
computer are weaklings, like Orcs and Berserkers. The computer isn't
intimidated by huge gangs of these guys, so it's more efficient to have a
smaller number of tough characters. For the price of four Berserkers you can
get a Demon, and normally it'll take a lot more than four boneheads with
swords to bring down one of the big red guys.
Getting Down To It
The key to beating the computer is to use characters in concert, building a
central formation and advancing it up the battlefield under the cover of
skirmishing groups. Group some Wizards, Conjurers, Templars and Seers
together, then put a solid line of Demons in front of them and slightly to
either side. Give all the magicians Rings of Speed (so they can keep up with
the rest of the formation), Life and Regeneration. Put a couple of Vampires
right at either edge of the board, with Rings of Speed and Stamina, then a
couple of groups of Demons, with whatever rings you fancy, to either side of
the main formation. Scatter some Fire Elementals around, as well as whatever
other characters you fancy. Finally, put a Demon or a Shape Shifter right at
the bottom of the map, and give him the Orb. When the game begins, you just
advance the central group steadily up the map - the Demons will easily protect
the magicians, who should be used as and when needed. Use the smaller group or
groups of Demons as skirmishers, taking out the enemy as they find them, and
use the Fire Elementals to clear the way for the main advance, dealing with
anything nasty or dangerous that might threaten one of the bodyguard Demons.
Advance the Vampires up the flanks at full speed, trying to slip past the
front lines and circle around to the weaker characters at the back. Creating a
few zombies behind the main line confuses the computer no end. Follow this
plan and you should be able to defeat even the hardest difficulty levels. Just
keep your Orb Carrier where he started, and advance slowly with the rest of
your forces, grinding the enemy down. If you're playing on a larger map, with
more points, keep to the basic idea, just form multiple central formations.
Friendly Fun
Mixing it up with the computer is fun, but the ultimate test of your skill
with Dark Legions comes from fighting another player. Human players are
capable of far more intelligent plans and strategies than the computer, and
can be far better in the combat sections of the game. The problem is that it's
harder to give definite guidelines telling you what to do, as every player
will use slightly different ideas, and have their own strengths and
weaknesses. Still, there is some general advice that applies to most
situations. For a start, ignore most of what you've learnt about playing the
computer. You can no longer count on your opponent making glaring errors and
simple mistakes. Many of the hints above are based on the fact that the
computer is relatively immune to deception and psychology. This isn't true of
a human opponent. Illusions, Phantoms, big gangs of Orcs and traps are all far
more useful against another player, for example. The formation idea still
works, but you'll need to more adequately protect its sides and rear from
sneaky attacks by and intelligent player. Most importantly, you can't just
leave your Orb Holder at the back of the map, unprotected. A human player will
normally assume that any character near the back is a potential Orb Carrier
and go for them with a vengeance. However, some things still work. Demons have
an even higher intimidation factor, Fire Elementals are just as effective at
clearing the way for your formations, and sending Vampires up each flank to
circle in behind is even more effective (in fact, Vampires can be one of the
most powerful groups of characters in a two-player game). The real key to
playing against another person is to remain flexible, and keep an eye on
what's going on. Try to maintain the initiative by attacking in several areas
at once, confusing your enemy, and try to predict what he or she is likely to
try next. Most of all, play around, and try new things whenever you can ¦ you
never know what's going to work, so it's best to try everything.
CHARACTERS
Da Boyz
The basis of mastering Dark Legions lies in fully understanding the game's
characters. All 16 of them have their own strengths and weaknesses, and their
own specific uses, both on the strategic map and in combat. Over the next four
pages we tell you what these qualities are as well as advise you which
characters are best in which situations, taking into account whether you're
playing against the computer or another human opponent. So without further
ado, meet...
Berserker
The humble Berserker is the weakest character in Dark Legions, with no special
strategic powers and just simple sword attacks in combat. However, a Berserker
is far from useless, for one simple reason - it's cheap. The Berserker's low
cost means that even the smallest army can afford several of them, and their
loss in combat is far from crippling. However, the rule book's suggestion that
you should use them as 'trap-finders' should be ignored - with sensible use of
Seers, this is unnecessary. Instead, use a screen of Berserkers as your front
line, to slow down and weaken enemy attackers. In combat, Berserkers should
avoid characters with ranged attacks, as they'll often get killed before they
even get a swing in. However, a large enough number of Berserkers can wear
down, and even kill, the toughest of opponents by attacking in a wave. This is
particularly effective against the computer. When controlling a character
without a ranged attack, the Dark Legion's artificial intelligence will charge
straight at you. Stand still, facing the approaching enemy, and when the
character is still just out of range, begin a Killing Blow move. If you get
the timing right, the opponent will be hit just as it gets within attacking
range, ensuring that you do the maximum amount of damage, even if it then
proceeds to rip your Berserker to pieces.
Conjurer
The Conjurer is the most expensive character in the game, but it's a good
investment nonetheless. Its ability to summon new troops gives your army great
strategic flexibility, allowing you to temporarily replace lost forces,
bolster a weak area of your defences or deal with a particular type of enemy,
by summoning the right kind of character to deal with the situation. Bear in
mind, however, that a summoned creature will survive for only ten turns at the
most, and it'll grow gradually weaker as time goes by. This means that ideally
you should not summon a creature until enemy troops are within sight of the
Conjurer, and preferably not until the summoned character can immediately
attack its target, while it's at its strongest. This poses a problem, because
Conjurers should be protected from combat at all times - even the lowly
Berserker can be a serious threat. Because of this weakness you should always
hide your Conjurers behind a screen of real bodyguards (the stronger the
better) and save enough life-force so that if an enemy does get close, you can
summon a last ditch defender. In keeping with all the magicians in the game,
Conjurers work well in combination with other character types, and should
always have a Templar right next to them. Rings of Life and Rejuvenation
increase their usefulness, and a Ring of Speed allows them to move up the map
faster, bringing their considerable power to bear.
Demon
This is the most powerful fighter available to you - it's difficult to do
anything wrong with a Demon. Against human players their sheer psychological
effect is a useful device, and even the computer knows enough to be wary of
them. Their huge combat ability means that they are very flexible, serving
equally well as assault troops or as a virtually impenetrable wall of defence.
A group of Demons is one of the only forces capable of smashing through the
enemy's line on its own. In addition, their very strength makes them capable
of defeating just about every other character in the game. The only opponents
they should be wary of are: Fire Elementals, due to their ranged attack and
partial immunity to the Demon's breath weapon; Trolls, due to their great
strength (a Troll won't find it easy to kill a Demon, but it can certainly
weaken one severely); and, of course, other Demons. However, the biggest
danger when using Demons is over-confidence - because of their seeming
invulnerability there's a strong temptation to just charge in and duke it out
toe to toe with everything. But remember, Demons can be worn down just like
any other character. The Demon's Sonic Scream, while useful, should only ever
be used when a Demon is right in the thick of it and likely to die, otherwise
you should save its life-force for what it does best - fighting.
Fire Elemental
Other than the brute power of the Demon, the Fire Elemental is arguably the
most dangerous fighter available to you in Dark Legions. Its use in combat
requires a bit more skill, but with practice it's more than a match for any
other character in the game (including the big four-armed red guys with the
horns and serious halitosis problems). Due to their speed and ability to fly
over chasms and water, Fire Elementals also make ideal scouts and roving
troublemakers. The key to using Fire Elementals in combat is range - stay away
from your opponent and pepper him with Fireballs, using the Mini-Nova attack
only as a last resort. Against a slow-moving enemy without a ranged attack,
this is easy, but tougher baddies take a little more skill. Against a
fast-moving adversary, terrain can be your best friend. Hide on the other side
of a tree (or whatever) and wait until the other character comes around it,
then blast them and run away. When fighting something that can fire back,
things get a lot harder, although the computer AI has problems controlling
these characters. Stand still, facing the computer's character, and when it
gets in line with you it'll fire. Immediately let loose your own Fireball and
dodge to one side. The computer will tend to sit there and get hit. As soon as
its missile has passed you, move back into the line of fire and repeat the
process. This can take a while to get the hang of, but it means that you can
often come out of such a fight without a scratch. The same rules apply to the
Nova as to the Demon's Scream, but remember, it kills the Elemental.
Illusionist
The Illusionist is one of those characters whose usefulness is very dependant
on whether you're playing against the computer or another player. Against
another human player, who has no way of telling what is an illusion and what
isn't, Illusionists can be a powerful force. Mixing Illusionists in with real
characters can make a group seem far more powerful than it is, and this tactic
can be used to divert your opponent's attention from a real threat, or scare
him into backing off. In these instances you can afford to create illusory
Demons and Trolls, as their appearance is more important than their combat
ability. Against the computer, which is immune to psychology, Illusionists are
less useful and you should concentrate on creating characters with ranged
attacks - remember that a single hit in combat destroys an illusion. The
greatest enemy to the Illusionist, though, is the Seer. If your opponent (real
or computer) uses these characters well, your Illusionist will be all but
powerless. It's this weakness that really limits Illusionists, and makes them
of dubious use. Unless you're confident in your ability to pick off opposing
Seers, it's probably best to avoid using them. However, if you do decide to
have an illusionist in your army, keep it close to a Templar or two, give it
Rings of Life and Rejuvenation if at all possible (a Ring of Speed might not
go amiss either), and keep it out of combat at all costs.
Orc
In many ways the Orc is just a slightly more powerful Berserker, and much of
the same advice applies - use Orcs in great numbers as a screen for your main
line and in groups to intimidate a human opponent or wear down a tough
character. The key difference between the Berserker and the Orc is in combat.
The Orc's Charge Attack, as well as causing a decent amount of damage, allows
him to close the distance between himself and the enemy quickly (or run away
quickly - you don't have to charge at the opponent, after all). Against
computer-controlled characters without a ranged attack, the Orc can use the
same technique as the Berserker, charging at its opponent as it approaches. In
addition to this, though, the Charge Attack gives an Orc a slightly better
chance against characters with ranged attacks - hopefully getting close enough
to do some damage, at any rate. Finally, the Charge is of great use against
human players, who can often be forced to panic by using it. When you do get
close, avoid the Head Butt - it's too slow to be of much use. Instead, go for
Side Swings with the Orc's Cestii, which are quick and can easily cause a lot
of damage. The ideal attack from an Orc is a Charge followed by two or three
Swings - this'll seriously damage even the toughest of characters before the
Orc dies.
Phantom
The Phantom is a character dominated by its special ability - everything else
is secondary to the fact that the enemy can't see it. And that's the key to
using it effectively. Without its invisibility it's a very average character,
slow moving and of limited use in combat. The Phantom is ideally suited to
being a scout, sneaking past the enemy's front lines to locate its Orb Holder
and other weaker characters. Bear in mind, however, that if an enemy moves on
to the unseen Phantom, combat will still occur, giving away not just its
existence, but its position as well. To avoid this you should be careful when
moving your Phantom - stick to the edges of the map when possible, but if
that's not possible, hide behind obstacles and in awkward spaces - most people
(including the computer) will just move across and down to avoid an obstacle,
so hiding right behind one is a good idea. The real problem with using a
Phantom in this way is its speed - a scout is no good if the rest of your army
outruns it, so Rings of Speed are a must. A Ring of Power or two can also turn
it into a good assassin. As with Illusionists, the Phantom's biggest enemy is
the Seer, who can negate its special ability. Again, only use Phantoms if
you're confident of dealing with enemy Seers before they cause too much
trouble.
Seer
A Seer is one of the most strategically important characters in the game. All
your enemy's cleverly placed traps, sneaky Phantoms and confusing Illusionists
are useless when one of these characters is about. However, Seers do suffer
from the same problem as all the strategically strong characters - they're
horribly weak in combat but need to be close to your front line to do their
jobs, making them prime targets for your opponent. As such, always protect
them with some big, tough bodyguards, preferably Demons. In spite of what the
manual says, Seers are all but useless in a fight, especially against higher
level computer opponents, against which their befuddled attack is worthless,
so if they get attacked, they're as good as dead. Seers really must be
protected as well as possible. Beyond that, there's little else to say about
them. Their powers are always active, requiring no input from you. Just be
careful not to let your front line stray beyond the Seer's range of sight, or
you negate the point of having the character in the first place.
Troll
Despite being second only to the Demon, in sheer destructive ability, these
characters appear far more useful than they really are. The problem with
Trolls is their slow speed, which makes them virtually useless as an offensive
force - it takes them too long to get into the action. You can negate this
with a couple of Rings of Speed, but then you're paying more per Troll than
you would for the far tougher Demon. Where the Troll does come into its own,
however, is in a defensive role. Leave your Orb Holder at the back of the map,
scatter a few Trolls around it and turn them into rocks on your first turn.
Then, even if the enemy does break through your line, there'll be a nasty
surprise waiting for it. In combat the Troll is suitably tough, able to deal
out a satisfying amount of damage as well as soak up a fair amount. When
playing against the computer and faced with an enemy without a ranged attack,
you can use a similar technique to that of the Berserker, but with the Troll's
devastating Overhead Smash Attack. However, ranged attacks can cause the
slow-moving Troll a lot of trouble, especially the pesky Fire and Water
Elementals.
Shape Shifter
The Shape Shifter is a very flexible character, which offers you a number of
options, and makes a good Orb Holder. Its shape-changing ability is completely
free of charge, so you can change from one form to another as many times as
you like without weakening the character, and it gains all of the combat
abilities of its current form. As stated in the game manual, deception is the
Shape Shifter's forte, and you should make the most of its ability to confuse
and surprise an opponent. Because of this ability, the character is far more
useful against human players than the unperturbable computer opponent, which
won't suffer from the same shock when a Demon appears 'out of nowhere' and
rips up its flank. Note: You should be careful when following the advice in
the manual. Pretending to be a weak character in order to lure the enemy close
and then changing into a Demon or Fire Elemental and frying them is a good
tactic, but you've got to be very careful ¦ if the enemy can reach you and
attack in one turn, you won-t have a chance to change forms, and you'll be
stuck as a Seer or something else equally pathetic in combat, effectively
throwing your Shape Shifter away. Be sure to look closely at the ranges of the
opposing characters when trying this trick.
Templar
The Templar is another character of great strategic importance. It can not
only heal adjacent characters at a cost to their own life-force, but by merely
standing close to them it can give them a bonus to their revitalisation every
turn. Unfortunately, while they're not as helpless as some characters in
combat, they aren't particularly strong either, and should be protected if at
all possible. Templars are particularly useful to have around the magician
characters (Wizard, Conjurer and Illusionist), as their special powers burn
life-force at an alarming rate. You should aim to have at least one Templar in
your force for every two magicians, and move them as a group, so that the
magicians receive the Templars' bonuses at all times. The other role that a
Templar can fulfil is as an 'undead killer'. By loading a Templar down with
suitable rings (Life, Power, Stamina, Protection and so on) it can become a
powerful force in its own right. Combine this with the Templar's natural
bonuses when fighting undead (Vampires, Phantoms, Wraiths and Zombies) and you
have a potent force, especially if you time your attacks to occur during the
day!
Thief
Although on the face of it the Thief might seem quite a handy character, to be
honest it's not much use. Provided you make good use of your Seers, you-ll be
able to avoid enemy traps, and by doing so avoid the need for the Thief. Your
opponent can't move over his own traps, so you'll rarely, if ever, be cut off
from an area of the map. The other problem with Thieves is that disarming
traps is dangerous, and often gets the character killed. You have to ask
yourself whether it's worth paying the points for a character whose only real
use is to disarm traps that could just as easily be avoided. These problems
are only compounded by the Thief's lack of combat ability - it's just not very
tough at all. It's a shame, because it has some neat moves, but the only way a
Thief will ever become a force in combat is with a lot of skill and a lot of
rings. If you do decide to use a Thief, it's best to manually disarm traps.
When doing this, remember to look at any symbols following the one you have to
guess, not just the one before. For example, if you've been given the symbol
in the top-left corner, a blank and then the symbol in the middle-right, then
the blank can't be the top-left symbol, or the bottom-left symbol.
Vampire
The Vampire takes a fair amount of skill to use to its fullest potential, but
if you take the time to practise with it, this character can turn the tide of
a battle. The key to success with a Vampire is to create as many zombies as
quickly as possible. Not only does this mean that the Vampire will lose less
life-force per turn (and will eventually start to gain some, if you create
enough zombies), but it also means that you can get the Vampire's life-force
up to a good level. The zombies themselves are also very useful. Not only do
they provide you with 'free' cannon fodder with which to wear down your
opponent, but they also serve as an excellent distraction, forcing your
opponent to divert troops away from the front line in order to deal with them.
Because of this, the Vampire shouldn't be used as part of a formation, but
sent off ahead of the rest of your army, hopefully sneaking around the edges
of the enemy and attacking weak targets to start off with. Rings of Speed are
useful - remember, every turn that goes by the Vampire grows weaker - and a
Ring of Stamina helps in combat. The trick to using the Vampire in combat is
to get a feel for how long the enemy will remain paralysed and withdraw before
it 'snaps out of it', then run away until your stamina has returned.
Wizard
Wizards have all the same drawbacks as the other magician characters - they're
weak in combat, but need to be near the front to be useful, thus requiring
bodyguards, and their strategic power burns off life-force. However, like the
other magicians, they're very useful guys to have around, despite these
problems. More than any of the other 'strategic' characters, Wizards work best
in a group. Two or three of them together with a screen of bodyguards to hide
behind and a like number of Templars to boost their revitalisation rate can be
a powerful force on the battlefield. Their special ability to freeze opponents
in place is very flexible in this situation. Each Wizard can 'hold up' a nasty
monster until you're ready to deal with it, or all can target the same enemy,
usually killing it in a turn or two. Although they are weak in combat, Wizards
at least have a half-decent couple of ranged attacks that give them a better
chance of surviving a fight. Use the first attack to freeze your opponent and
then let loose with the other - even the strongest of enemies will have
trouble defending themselves against this onslaught. As with all the magicians
in Dark Legions, Rings of Life and Rejuvenation are almost a prerequisite for
the Wizard, and a single Ring of Speed will help it keep up with the rest of
your forces.
Water Elemental
They may not be quite as tough as their arch enemies the Fire Elementals, but
Water Elementals have an incredibly useful strategic power - provided that
there's water on the map. By teleporting to an area of water on the enemy's
side of the map you can get instant scouting information and, unless the enemy
has some nearby Water Elementals of its own, you can just sit in the middle of
the water and recover your life energy. This 'hiding in the water' technique
is also useful when you get badly wounded in a fight, allowing you the time to
recuperate. In combat, the Water Elemental's ranged attack isn't very
powerful, but is one of the most rapid in the game, making for an effective
close attack as well. However, the Tidal Wave Charge can do some real damage,
and can be used in just the same way as the Orc's Charge. Because the Water
Elemental has a ranged attack as well, it's often useful to use the Tidal Wave
to get away from an opponent who's dangerous at close range. Water Elementals
are good all-round characters, useful both in combat and on the strategic map.
As such, they benefit from virtually any ring you can give them, although Life
and/or Rejuvenation are particularly useful if you want to teleport a lot.
Bear in mind, however, that a Water Elemental is far less useful on a map
without any water.
Wraith
As the manual says, the Wraith's teleporting ability makes it an ideal
assassin, which is very useful for picking off those pesky characters that are
weak in combat but powerful on the strategic map, and happen to be
inconveniently hidden behind other enemies. Unfortunately, their low starting
life-force means that they are virtually incapable of doing this at the start
of the game. What's worse, unless your opponent is nice enough to provide you
with a few weak targets to build up your energy, the Wraith will end up either
being killed early or wandering around in a useless fashion. To prevent this,
always equip a Wraith with as many Rings of Rejuvenation as possible, and
(unless there are a couple of weak characters on offer) keep them well back
until their life-force has risen to a decent level. When teleporting into
combat, take the time to think of the consequences - is the Wraith going to be
able to survive the inevitable counter-attacks, and if not, is it worth
sacrificing it? With these characters it's best to wait for a good opportunity
when the Wraith will be able to do the most damage, rather than throw it away
early and wish you still had it later. Of course, if you wait too long, that's
just as bad. But no-one ever said that strategy was going to be easy!
STRATEGY
The first thing to realise about Dark Legions is that playing against the
computer is very different to playing against a friend, and so requires
different approaches and strategies. The following guide is split into two
sections (Computer Challenge and Friendly Fun), one for each kind of opponent.
Both sections assume that you are playing with a moderately-sized army (2500
points or more) - much smaller than this and the game stops being as much fun.
Computer Challenge
The computer opponent in Dark Legions is far from the toughest in a modern
strategy game, but the huge advantage it gains in points on the higher levels,
combined with its considerable skill in combat with certain characters, can
still make it a formidable challenge. To beat it, and to beat it convincingly,
it's important to understand its weaknesses. And here they are:
The computer is not very good at fighting with or against certain characters
(see last month's issue for more details on this). It has only a very basic
grasp of overall strategy. It tends to spread all its characters across the
map and charge them down to meet you. It will keep the various magicians in
groups, back from the action, and keep its orb carrier at its end of the map,
but that's about it. It tends to give its orb to a 'weak' character, often a
magician. Even with the extra power granted by the orb, these characters are
far from hard to kill. It has very little ability with breaking through your
lines, or any other coherent plan. It seems to pick its army on a semi-random
basis, just having as many of every character as it can afford. It does tend
to pick a lot of Seers, and push them towards the front. Likewise it tends to
spend a fair number of points on traps, which it scatters around liberally.
Taking Your Pick
Your strategy in Dark Legions begins with the choosing of your army, and when
playing against the computer there are several points to bear in mind. The
first thing to realise is that it's not worth using traps as a destructive
weapon. The computer tends to saturate its forward lines with Seers, making it
unlikely that your traps will escape notice. Although killing off the Seers is
possible, it does mean that you have to divert characters from more important
targets (a Seer is no military threat on his own) and it's pointless once the
traps have been spotted anyway - the computer doesn't seem to forget the
location of traps, even if the spotting Seer is killed or moves away. You can,
however, use traps to block off certain areas. In this case you want your
opponent to see them, and thus the computer's mass of Seers doesn't matter -
the enemy characters won't be able to move through the line of traps, and
that's the point of them in the first place. By using this technique you can
channel the computer's forces into the area of the map where you want them,
and cut down on the number of areas that you have to defend. On a similar
note, Phantoms and Illusionists are of very limited use against the computer
for exactly the same reasons as traps, so it's best not to bother with them
unless you have a specific love of either of these characters. Phantoms are a
bit weedy anyway, and for the extra points it's better to buy a Conjurer and
have some solid help at your beck and call. Do remember to include at least
one Seer on your side, though. The computer really does love traps, especially
at the higher difficulty levels, where it has points to burn and strews them
around liberally. There's nothing quite as annoying as losing a valuable
character without so much as a fight, so it's vital for you to be able to spot
traps early. The other types of character to avoid when playing against the
computer are weaklings, like Orcs and Berserkers. The computer isn't
intimidated by huge gangs of these guys, so it's more efficient to have a
smaller number of tough characters. For the price of four Berserkers you can
get a Demon, and normally it'll take a lot more than four boneheads with
swords to bring down one of the big red guys.
Getting Down To It
The key to beating the computer is to use characters in concert, building a
central formation and advancing it up the battlefield under the cover of
skirmishing groups. Group some Wizards, Conjurers, Templars and Seers
together, then put a solid line of Demons in front of them and slightly to
either side. Give all the magicians Rings of Speed (so they can keep up with
the rest of the formation), Life and Regeneration. Put a couple of Vampires
right at either edge of the board, with Rings of Speed and Stamina, then a
couple of groups of Demons, with whatever rings you fancy, to either side of
the main formation. Scatter some Fire Elementals around, as well as whatever
other characters you fancy. Finally, put a Demon or a Shape Shifter right at
the bottom of the map, and give him the Orb. When the game begins, you just
advance the central group steadily up the map - the Demons will easily protect
the magicians, who should be used as and when needed. Use the smaller group or
groups of Demons as skirmishers, taking out the enemy as they find them, and
use the Fire Elementals to clear the way for the main advance, dealing with
anything nasty or dangerous that might threaten one of the bodyguard Demons.
Advance the Vampires up the flanks at full speed, trying to slip past the
front lines and circle around to the weaker characters at the back. Creating a
few zombies behind the main line confuses the computer no end. Follow this
plan and you should be able to defeat even the hardest difficulty levels. Just
keep your Orb Carrier where he started, and advance slowly with the rest of
your forces, grinding the enemy down. If you're playing on a larger map, with
more points, keep to the basic idea, just form multiple central formations.
Friendly Fun
Mixing it up with the computer is fun, but the ultimate test of your skill
with Dark Legions comes from fighting another player. Human players are
capable of far more intelligent plans and strategies than the computer, and
can be far better in the combat sections of the game. The problem is that it's
harder to give definite guidelines telling you what to do, as every player
will use slightly different ideas, and have their own strengths and
weaknesses. Still, there is some general advice that applies to most
situations. For a start, ignore most of what you've learnt about playing the
computer. You can no longer count on your opponent making glaring errors and
simple mistakes. Many of the hints above are based on the fact that the
computer is relatively immune to deception and psychology. This isn't true of
a human opponent. Illusions, Phantoms, big gangs of Orcs and traps are all far
more useful against another player, for example. The formation idea still
works, but you'll need to more adequately protect its sides and rear from
sneaky attacks by and intelligent player. Most importantly, you can't just
leave your Orb Holder at the back of the map, unprotected. A human player will
normally assume that any character near the back is a potential Orb Carrier
and go for them with a vengeance. However, some things still work. Demons have
an even higher intimidation factor, Fire Elementals are just as effective at
clearing the way for your formations, and sending Vampires up each flank to
circle in behind is even more effective (in fact, Vampires can be one of the
most powerful groups of characters in a two-player game). The real key to
playing against another person is to remain flexible, and keep an eye on
what's going on. Try to maintain the initiative by attacking in several areas
at once, confusing your enemy, and try to predict what he or she is likely to
try next. Most of all, play around, and try new things whenever you can ¦ you
never know what's going to work, so it's best to try everything.