How to use Assassins

Glowing Fish · Post by **Glowing Fish** » September 17th, 2006, 6:48 am

And by "Assassins" I am not referring to either the Orcish Assassin line, or the Assassin unit. I am referring to any unit that is used to kill your enemy leader while his army is engaged elsewhere.

Assassination is an important skill. It used to be just about the only way to really win two scenarios in "Heir to the Throne". It does come up in multiplayer, although I have really only played Multiplayer against the AI.

I don't really know that much about Assassination. But I find it interesting that it isn't discussed more. Does anyone have any tips and tricks about how to sneak in and kill an enemy leader?

appleide · Post by **appleide** » September 17th, 2006, 7:06 am

On a large map (eg Forest of Fear), it is possible to recruit 2-3 Gryphons and aim them towards their leader.

Glowing Fish · Post by **Glowing Fish** » September 17th, 2006, 9:52 am

The problem with gryphons is that they only have two attacks...making it somewhat of a gamble that they are going to hit. Of course with three of them, you have a bit more of a chance.

Post by **Yogibear** » September 17th, 2006, 10:33 am

I guess assasination is really only an option against the AI. Sometimes on a bigger map you are able to lurk enemy forces away from their leader and then throw some fast units at him.

The "Silver mage delta force" is another approach to do that.

In multiplayer, there used to be "the saurian rush", an assault for the enemy leader with saurian skirmishers. They pass enemy lines, ignoring zoc and then go for the leader. They are pretty fast and cheap, too. However they have been toned down to no longer make this a safe way to win if your opponent is not prepared for it.

The only time i remember a successive leader assasination was against an elvish longbowman, who already was wounded, had about 20 HP left and stood on grass. I managed to kill it with a suicide attack of saurian augur and then slipped through the lines with two skirmishers who finished it. It still was a bit risky and if your opponent takes a little care, you won't even get the possibility to do it. Maybe my opponent didn't know about skirmishers.

So for multiplayer against humans: No, this is not really an option, only if the enemy is careless.

Oreb · Post by **Oreb** » September 17th, 2006, 11:42 am

Assassination is very hard to do unless of two cases, one is leaving an ambush unit on one side of the map, while luring the main enemy force to the other side.

Other than that, doing the medium flank to the weak side, which in turn he will send the majority of units to their. Then follow up with a heavy to the other side.

Xandria · Post by **Xandria** » September 17th, 2006, 5:26 pm

The horseman is an excellent assassin, moreso his advanced versions, the knight and the lancer: during the day, a single round of combat against a careless leader can result in an easy win. While you are gambling with the second most expensive unit in the game, the suicide horseman can turn the tide, kept hidden behind the lines, charging when the boss joins the fray. Even if the leader is in a castle hex or picknicking on a mountain, you have a 2/3 chance to land a blow - a decent gamble, with a fencer being able to add a few badly needed points of damage... be sure to use the fencer first if this is the case, though, as to allow the horseman to ride down his foe in one strike.

maliciouskorean · September 18th, 2006, 1:00 am

yes, horsemen are really good for assassination, even though they are expensive. if you are playing a map that has 4+ players, and you control most of the map, sending three horsemen after a leader could just be worth it. i say 4+ players because this means there is usually one player adjacent to you that you arent going all out against, and three horsemen can usually slide by the few enemies on the map and kill the leader. this works very well on forest of fear

kshinji · Post by **kshinji** » September 18th, 2006, 9:52 am

Its halfway to OT, but ill just mention it:

in my faction of Arachnoids (which might some day befinished, but might not

) there will be unit that will be all the time invisible and a skirmisher. It will have hp lower than 0lvl, and would be rather costly, but nto too much, because it have got small chances to reatreat after killing enemy unit.

The purpose of the unit would be to give your army a turbo which opponent isnt aware of, the assasination of the leader is one of possible uses. But not the one i really think as best.

As i written the above i noticed that there is other aspect of assasinating you forgot - killing units that are uncovered, without any hitback.

Oh and about assasinating the leader, thats very common to attack enemy leader with your leader, and then both players are trying to act in such way to kill enemies leadetr, not to break the frontline.

Post by **Thrawn** » September 18th, 2006, 4:58 pm

the best way to assassinate an enemy leader is to pwn his troops first!

No really, it depends on the player and the map. And whether oyu are using fog/shroud or not. In FOW, I'd imagine it mucheasier to accomplish, especially with skirmishers, ambushers and quick units. A way for no fog games is to break a hole somewhere, slip some elusive units in, and then as the enemy is distracted rush their weakened fronts. (okay, that isn't really an assassinaton attempt as much as it is a feint, but...

jaywalker · Post by **jaywalker** » September 18th, 2006, 10:18 pm

i think my leader had been assassinated by a bunch of mermen in blitz map, while i was wondering why the heck he didn't have enough elves... and then boom i lost.

joshudson · Post by **joshudson** » September 21st, 2006, 2:21 am

The best leader assinations I've pulled off requred two ulfs. One to punch a hole through the main line and the second to badly hurt or kill the enemy leader.

It kind of helps if the enemy leader is range-primary.

Post by **Thrawn** » September 21st, 2006, 8:52 pm

joshudson wrote:
It kind of helps if the enemy leader is range-primary.

merliin · Post by **merliin** » September 21st, 2006, 10:33 pm

I find that wounded troops are great for this, although I guess it is more of an all out gamble, as should you fail you loose.

You can suicide a chain of wounded troops (0 levels work too) into their leader. They all hurt him a little before dying. And they have to die to free the spot, which normally isn't too hard against a leader. You could consider it an expensive multi unit version of ulfs. If you don't have enough weak units supplement with a heavy hitter of some sort one you have weakened them enough.

I find this to me most successful on small maps against non-neutral factions. The change to night/day time tends to leave your troops a little more weakened. Smaller maps also make players bring out their leaders especially if they have leadership.

MERLiiN

Post by **Becephalus** » September 29th, 2006, 9:29 am

Occasionally if you know your opponent you can lure him away from his army with one weakish unit. I have successfully done this a few times early in games against semi competant opsitions. 2 wolves and an assasin make a great assasination force.

CuddleFish · Post by **CuddleFish** » October 5th, 2006, 4:01 am

stay away from ulfserkers.

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