Considering the initiative of the elven troops, the Meteor Shower (and other mass spells) will severely damage your own units. Empathy is not as useful in this case as "Keen Mind" (the hero's starting initiative is 10 instead of 12.5), but even with it, the hero will most likely move after the Dryads, Dancers, and Dragons.
Posts from Sworn enemy.
And if in this case you try to play defensively, take, for example, Preparedness. It will be dangerous, though, if the opponent has dark magic (although the Elf has plenty of resistance). Or there is an alternative: put Implosion, Frost, Fireball, Stone Skin, Ring of Cold, etc. on the arrow. Although Meteor Shower is the most suitable and most powerful spell.
IMHO
Playing defensively is not beneficial for the Elf. Skipping the first turn (because you are in defense) leads to too much damage loss (which fairies + dancers + uniques + dragons can do in their first turn, with the right hero build and combat tactics, I don't think I need to explain). Good resistance only works when the troops are standing next to the unicorns, and this is an excellent target for the opponent's mass spells (even considering that half of them will not go through).
Against Heaven with its well-fed units and immense defense, this tactic may be useful, but against other races, it is not worth experimenting with (or if you are playing with a friend and you care more about fun than winning).
In my opinion,
it's not beneficial for an Elf to play defensively. Skipping the first turn (because they're playing defensively) leads to too much damage loss (which fairies + dancers + uniques + dragons can inflict in their first turn, with proper hero development and battle tactics; I don't think I need to explain this). Good resistance only works when the troops are standing next to unicorns, but that makes them an excellent target for the enemy's mass spells (even considering that half of them won't go through).
Against the Haven faction with its well-fed units and immense defense, this tactic might be useful, but it's not worth experimenting with against other factions (unless you're playing with a friend and you care more about having fun than winning).
Against the Order faction, I can't even imagine how you could play defensively; I think it's only possible to play offensively. Relying on archers is dangerous; either Blindness, Slow, or Haste will be cast, along with other nasty spells. And those damn new crossbowmen sometimes annoy me with their damage, although their initiative is low. And you can't let the paladins wander around the battlefield too much (especially the alternate paladins).
I think a defensive tactic + Chaos against the strong, heavily armored Necropolis units could work. Against them, it's generally very profitable to stand in a defensive position and bombard them with Chaos spells (Meteor Shower or Ice Blast) until you run out of mana. They are slow, and no one reaches you immediately. Mass debuffs and high-level spells, like Implosion, are effective (the only problem is Haste, which can't be removed with Cleanse; only with Antimagic, although there's a chance of resistance). Therefore, there's a chance to hit them with Chaos 2-3 times before they reach your troops. After that, it's all about the attack of the Elf, the Necropolis troops are battered, and all that's left is to finish them off (if you have mana left, you can take Magic Resistance in attack and use it just before the attack).
I've tested this tactic, and it turned out to be quite effective.
...Damn, I didn't even notice how I strayed from the topic...
I would probably choose Skeletons, Vampires, and Liches. There are many Skeletons, and with Battle Battlements + a necklace, they hit VERY hard even now. Vampires attack without retaliation and drain a lot of health (don't think of anything else :)), they are a very annoying opponent. Liches are good archers and casters; it's best to kill them early. You can't deal critical damage to Necromancers with just archers and druids (and Chaos magic, of course). If Berserk or Suggestion is cast (with upgraded Sorcery, the Necromancer will have time to cast it once or twice), it will be a disaster. With the Light faction, as well as with the "Light Magic" perk itself, you might not be lucky (the chance is only 4% due to the incompetent developers).
It's better to put something on the arrow that hits only one target but reduces armor, slows down, etc. In this regard, Dark magic and Rain (even against Necromancers) will be no worse than Chaos, and you won't have to worry about hitting your own troops in the front line.
I would probably choose Skeletons, Vampires, and Liches. There are many Skeletons, and with Blood Brothers + amulet, they hit VERY hard even now. Vampires attack without retaliation and drain a lot of health (they drain life – don't think of anything else :)), they are a very annoying opponent. Liches are good archers and casters; it's best to kill them early.
I agree with you about Vampires and Liches, but not about Skeletons. Although there are many of them and they hit hard, they are not very fast. Their attacks can be avoided by keeping your distance. I would put a curse on someone more serious, but not on Zombies. Zombies are just too slow. :smile24:
Who would you choose for the Cursed Ones when playing against Necromancers?
Vampires attack relentlessly and drain a lot of health (they drain life – don't think of anything else), they are a very annoying opponent.
Liches are good archers and casters; it's best to kill them early.
There are many skeletons, and with Berserk and a necklace, they hit VERY hard even now.
It's better to put something on the arrow that hits only one target but reduces armor or slows them down.
Yes, we need to clarify what stage of the game we are discussing (quick game or later stages) =). In my posts, I'm referring to a battle at levels 20-25.
I agree about the vampires and liches, but not about the skeletons. Although there are many of them and they hit hard, they are not agile. Their attacks can be avoided by keeping a distance. I would put "Cursed" on someone more serious, but not on zombies. Zombies are just too slow.
Who would you choose as "Cursed" when playing against Necromancers?
Lich - They are not needed in the enemy army:D... with their plague:) and other tricks.
Banshee (is that what she's called?:)) - she is also not needed, but here I would either put "Cursed" on her or on the skeletons, it all depends on the number:).
Vampires hit without retaliation and drain a lot (they drain life - don't think of anything extra)
Liches are good archers and casters, it is desirable to kill them early.
There are many skeletons, and with BB + amulet they hit VERY hard even now
It is better to put something on the arrow that hits only 1 target but reduces armor, slows down, etc. In this regard, Dark magic and Rain (even against Necromancers) will be no worse than Chaos, and you don't have to worry about how not to hit your troops in the front line.



(and if you root them and cast Stone Skin on them)
and
Reduce their armor - take Fire from Chaos, slow them down - use Ice.
Bow down and hear our cry,
Our earthly rulers falter,
Our people drift and die,
The walls of gold entomb us,
The swords of scorn divide,
Take not thy thunder from us,
Take away our pride.
G.K. Chesterton: English Hymnal
Really, a ranger with two magic skills? IMHO, that doesn't work; he's a warrior after all. And there might be problems with leveling up his readiness with that setup.
By the way, it's really fun to play against Naadir:smile20:. His sworn enemies are: Spectres, Vampires, and Liches. With his ability, many stacks of Spectres appear on the battlefield, so we bombard them with a rain of Meteor Showers (or cast something else) and watch an awesome fireworks display (envy, Templars and Wizards:smile13:). I was playing against the computer, but it was still beautiful and, at the same time, brutal (6-7 arrows flew out).
2 Major Vikhry: Actually, the Druids have concrete.
With a sworn enemy, you also need to get lucky. I don’t think you can kill so many creatures of a certain race in 3-4 weeks that you’ll have enough to choose from. In the late game, of course, the situation is different; there are more opportunities for the avenger. But if we imagine that we have an ideal situation and we can add all 7 creatures, then we need to add one meaty, albeit slow, stack. The more attacks there are on it, the more use the ability will find, and there will be no hassle with finishing off ents/hydras/zealots, etc. The other 2 should be given to those creatures that will be attacked first. For example, the vampires of the Necropolis are very dangerous warriors, or the paladins of Heaven. This is my IMHO. :) And also, I think it’s not worth making those with low HP sworn enemies, because they can be quickly defeated anyway. For example, furies and djinns.
Bow down and hear our cry,
Our earthly rulers falter,
Our people drift and die,
The walls of gold entomb us,
The swords of scorn divide,
Take not thy thunder from us,
Take away our pride.
G.K. Chesterton: English Hymnal
But there is no acceleration, right? It was also mentioned. I know about the stone skin of the druids.
You also need to be lucky with a sworn enemy. I don't think you can kill so many creatures of a certain race in 3-4 weeks that you'll have a choice.
For example, Furies and Djinns.
It's not worth making those with low HP sworn enemies, because they can be quickly defeated anyway.
Besides, and you can't argue with this, owners of Djinn are usually more interested in their abilities than in attacking.
What's the point of wiping out units in one go if your hero is a mage?
And if you also use that tactic – Readiness – then you really don't have to fear these fragile, reactive units.
...Why choose Golems as your enemy? It makes sense to use Golems when playing as a Golemancer – what a surprise! Otherwise, the March of the Machines, Devotion, and their miniatures can find much more useful alternative applications, which means there's no point in making them a priority target. Moreover, they don't just not care about your Chaos; it's even beneficial to them – especially for Altars.
I agree about Mages and Rakshasas – they should be added to the list. That leaves only Titans, Gremlins, and Gargoyles. You can add the first, but the second are too weak, and Gargoyles... if you do something wrong, they can accidentally block Archers, which sometimes leads to extremely unpleasant magical consequences. Even if you don't attack Archers, but at least Fairies, Unicorns, or even Ondines, the point is still about Altars. Chaos increased by one and a half times is painful, and "boxes" die very reluctantly. And who even pays attention to them? They take advantage of that.
In general, it's a matter of personal preference. Or rather, not preference?
I agree about Dwarves; the Tier 1 units hardly move, especially those with Altars – they cover the fat bodies of Harpooners and Priests with their own fat bodies, which is very, very helpful. However, Karl has a very, very good anti-magic potential – like Luck.
especially since they don't just not care about your chaos, but it's even beneficial for them - for Altus, of course.
chaos, amplified by one and a half times.
...And regarding readiness, mages only have a 2% chance of having defense, so in most cases, mages sit without defense.