Current things I would like to point out.

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Why anyone doesn't mention another 'glorious' unit - SUBJUGATOR?
It's worse in every aspect comparing with previous unit - Wraith Tank. Weaker attack, weaker main stats, cumbersome, more expensive.
Deploy Cerebral Control Collars - isn't a deal really, coz works only vs. infantry (~t1-t2 units), have too long cooldown and needs full action.
Activate Reanimation Collars - reanimate 1 indentured unit with full HP. Once per battle. Seriously?
Project Agony Field - inferior version of normal 'artillery' ability.
Unit needs rework or balancing. Add some more buffs or interesting abilities around indentured feature. Like revive all indentured in 1 range radius. Buffs for accuracy/critical/dmg/whatever for all indentured in stack/on field.

The Subjugator, like all Syndicate units, either serves to bait the enemy or to punish them for taking the bait. In a straight-up fight it will be very meh (as is the W tank, really).

The abilities you're deriding as useless are actually very strong, but require specific conditions to work/be worth it.

I think you might enjoy Vanguard more.
 
The Subjugator, like all Syndicate units, either serves to bait the enemy or to punish them for taking the bait

It hasn't decent power to punish anything. Especially when you have earlier and more powerful Wraith. Actually Wraith is much better at baiting coz it's invisible.

The abilities you're deriding as useless are actually very strong, but require specific conditions to work/be worth it.

Potentially good ability required specific conditions to work/be worth it = Bad in most cases.

I think you might enjoy Vanguard more.

I play all races.
 
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T3 support type units are always super awkward to find a good place for, since their raw stats can't be made high enough to be worth the cost on their own since then they wouldn't be a support, but also if their abilities are too strong that quickly becomes gamebreaking. Meanwhile, they're competing with t2 supports, which are typically already pushing the boundaries of gamebreaking in at least one of their abilities to be worth the investment vs t2 damage dealers

That subjugators are a late game t3 unit that primarily interacts with low tier units really doesn't help it at all. It's not even a particularly gamebreaking synergy when you are taking advantage of it, it's just fairly good.
 
It hasn't decent power to punish anything. Especially when you have earlier and more powerful Wraith.

Does the Wraith have ranged AoE? Can the Wraith steal units? Can the Wraith resurrect units? These are plenty powerful. The reason they seem "bad" is because they're on the slow expensive (relatively) fragile Subjugator. But this doesn't make the Subjugator bad, it just means its power is balanced differently than you're used to. Or rather, unbalanced, in the sense that it's specialized. All the Syndicate units have two features: a situation where they viciously murder the enemy or get a ton of value given the right situation, (arc/psionic damage vs mech/armor, two-action Indentured, Flanker, breach round, teleporting doom, rez/steal), and a good stand-off game for when they don't have those situations, to force the enemy to overreach (ranged indentured, overseers in general, shielding Enforcers, Mirages in general, "shields up" defense modes, overseers in general,).




So when I hear something like this:
Potentially good ability required specific conditions to work/be worth it = Bad in most cases.

well, yeah, what else is new? Playing Syndicate is all about learning to set up and capitalize on those conditions. Baiting and punishing is their entire schtick, even their flavor text talks about it. Did you ever wonder why the Sentinel has Evasion? It's because the thing serves as bait just as much as an artillery piece.
 
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T3 support type units are always super awkward to find a good place for

Prometean Tank is amazing t3 support.

Does the Wraith have ranged AoE?
Yes, it has.
Can the Wraith steal units?
Can the Wraith resurrect units?

Let say clear here. Not units, but only Indentured (t2 unit max). Indentured is cannon-fodder for Syndicate. It's rarely worth to spent 3 action points for this. Compare it with Plague Lords. It has reanimation too, but in reality it can resurrect ANY unit with appropriate mod.
Same for Collars - t2 infantry unit max.

All the Syndicate units have two features: a situation where they viciously murder the enemy or get a ton of value given the right situation

In need of murdering something Wraith Tank is much better.
 
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General Alert protocol. It got nerfed 2 or 3 times at once and became trashy instead of niche. Tiny aoe, huge price, only dvar affected. Dvar today are much more of diplomats then of a self-sufficient race. They lost most things which let them shine. GAP was once a freaking game- breaker, but now there are many much more useful ops: both synthesis mass ops, Promethean mass op, kir'ko mass op are not OP for their price and they all are much more useful then the GAP now.
How fix: 1) make it 3 op, General. 2) make it 1 op, as is. 3) make it 2 op, +3 radius.
 
Nanite injectors. Top 1 mod choice in any case. It is simply very strong for its price. 3 universal defence for 2 tirns and 15 hp heal in addition to 1 armor is superior. Vanguard is all about ranged units, and such defence for them makes them a bit iron-men-ish. Most times in big fights you have to engage Vanguard, because they have many more 7-range units. And the thing is that melee units can't even come close enough to give impact and once they do there come mass nanite and a simple massacre.
Solutions: make it 1 univ. def, 3 tirns/ 2 univ.def, 2 tirns/3 univ.def, lesser heal, 2 tirns.
 
Nanite injectors. Top 1 mod choice in any case. It is simply very strong for its price. 3 universal defence for 2 tirns and 15 hp heal in addition to 1 armor is superior. Vanguard is all about ranged units, and such defence for them makes them a bit iron-men-ish. Most times in big fights you have to engage Vanguard, because they have many more 7-range units. And the thing is that melee units can't even come close enough to give impact and once they do there come mass nanite and a simple massacre.
Solutions: make it 1 univ. def, 3 tirns/ 2 univ.def, 2 tirns/3 univ.def, lesser heal, 2 tirns.
Laughs in Scan: Catalogue, focusing fire/melee, and stacking damage buffs.
 
Nanite injectors. Top 1 mod choice in any case. It is simply very strong for its price. 3 universal defence for 2 tirns and 15 hp heal in addition to 1 armor is superior. Vanguard is all about ranged units, and such defence for them makes them a bit iron-men-ish. Most times in big fights you have to engage Vanguard, because they have many more 7-range units. And the thing is that melee units can't even come close enough to give impact and once they do there come mass nanite and a simple massacre.
Solutions: make it 1 univ. def, 3 tirns/ 2 univ.def, 2 tirns/3 univ.def, lesser heal, 2 tirns.

Bruh. I have gotten massacred before. Nanite Injectors is very nice module yes but it doesn't make them invincible. And even a single Scan can even up the odds. :p The most ideal moment to use nanite injectors is to use it after the troopers lose some hp. And if you don't want to but choose to gain +3 defensive stats to bunch of stats then well, you miss out on the hp heal because of using it while at full hp.

And if it was a truly big fight where you are outmatched, then you would've likely brought in some big bruisers to soak up the fire, a single scavenger don't count xD Even then, the big bruisers would need support otherwise you're just throwing their lives away to be nothing but target practice. Done correctly, they might die but in return I lose the battle. There's too many variable factors :p Such as critting like its the end of world now.

The trick would be knowing when to pounce.
 
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Bruh. I have gotten massacred before. Nanite Injectors is very nice module yes but it doesn't make them invincible. And even a single Scan can even up the odds. :p The most ideal moment to use nanite injectors is to use it after the troopers lose some hp. And if you don't want to but choose to gain +3 defensive stats to bunch of stats then well, you miss out on the hp heal because of using it while at full hp.

And if it was a truly big fight where you are outmatched, then you would've likely brought in some big bruisers to soak up the fire, a single scavenger don't count xD Even then, the big bruisers would need support otherwise you're just throwing their lives away to be nothing but target practice. Done correctly, they might die but in return I lose the battle. There's too many variable factors :p Such as critting like its the end of world now.

The trick would be knowing when to pounce.
This, I abuse the heck out of nanites as Vanguard and even then I still have to be careful with the way I use Troopers/Bikes/etc., plus it's only two turns so they're not tough forever in longer, bigger fights.
 
Didn't u both forget that you re speaking of a single t1 mod?
Please re-read your sayings.
You speak about the strongest and most useful while creeping t1 mod in the game using tips like: "you just need to know when to strike" or "look there is one unit in the game who can mass debuff!"
"Guys how do I counter Purification mod?" "You just need to know when to strike. Use scan: catalogue!"
"Most battles are won in 3 tirns but here we get only 2 tirns of 30% all damage and status chance reduction by a t1 mod, it is not that strong, why don't you get it?"
" Who told you this mod makes you unbreakable while creeping? My units die with same frequency w-w/o it!"
 
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against intelligent players nanites is more or less fine since there's intelligent counterplay you can do, but the ai doesn't understand how to do that so nanites are just stupidly strong in vs ai fights, which i guess ends up giving vanguard a pretty massive economic advantage in pbem games
 
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Didn't u both forget that you re speaking of a single t1 mod?
Please re-read your sayings.
You speak about the strongest and most useful while creeping t1 mod in the game using tips like: "you just need to know when to strike" or "look there is one unit in the game who can mass debuff!"
"Guys how do I counter Purification mod?" "You just need to know when to strike. Use scan: catalogue!"
"Most battles are won in 3 tirns but here we get only 2 tirns of 30% all damage and status chance reduction by a t1 mod, it is not that strong, why don't you get it?"
" Who told you this mod makes you unbreakable while creeping? My units die with same frequency w-w/o it!"

If you wish to fire units at enemy units and forget, I recommend playing different game. Clearly this game isn't for you. Civ5 is much more simpler. Units in there is just base strength vs base strength and then modified by abilites gained by leveling and terrain bonuses and surplus/deficit of resources / happinesses.

Nanite injectors is basically just an small heal at most it helps anyone who gains a vanguard colony and influence them to join them then they too can unlock nanite injectors. Gain a bonus in creeping. Shake off the damage of a single hit.

Many many troopers has died without getting to use their nanite injectors.
Reasons:
1) They got shot at by a strong ranged weapon.
2) They got caught in melee.
3) Misclicked which results in accidently telling a trooper to charge to his death deep into middle of enemy group when I intended to shoot instead. Whoops.
4) Focus Fire.
5) They got critted hard.
6) A hero noticed them and now they're fleeing for their dear lives.
7) They got mind controlled and is now operating for the enemy using the nanite injectors against you.
8) Six of your godly troopers with nanite injectors ready to go just fired at a group of indentured slaves and didn't notice they had static field equipped whoops, now they're all stunned. Then killed by indentured on syndicate's turn. Drat. What a horrific miscalculation.
9) All those Vanguard AIs who bring troopers equipped with nanite destroyers of worlds injectors has been laid low and defeated by me. Not a single one of them could stop me.
10) My Big Brain needs to be nerfed for the AI to stand a chance so they can let nanite injectors carry them to victory.
11) You're unable to accept that age of wonders' manual battle is very awesome and has so many different factors that could change the way a battle could go.
12) There will be always something good, should nanite injectors get nerfed. Purification Field is next.
13) Now that Horrible purification field is nerfed. Finally! Now we can move onto next balance issue.... Fire ammo. its too strong against the growth.
14) Fire Ammo is now nerfed and the growth gets healed every time they get burnt. Finally!
15) AoW is now another mediocre arena death match game that I uninstall from my pc and I go play PSO2 that's coming out in few days as the result of fantastic kneejerk nerfs that's based on gut feeling instead of actual empirical data as battles play out between all factions and their secret techs and nanite injector is only doing it's job of keeping troops earlygame having hp. How dare it do is job, nerf it.
16) Fun Fact, I don't play civ series anymore. Me and Firaxis has divorced after the thing they call Civ6 and their sad tiny as their citizens cry out for my large prosperous happy cities in aow maps.

tl;dr AOW series is fun. Silly nerfs based on gut feeling reduces the fun.

There is plenty of counters to nanite injectors. You just have to use your big brain. There's too many to list and i'd have to write a freaking essay. That's just for the nanite injectors alone. If you don't want to, there's another option, world of warcraft and participate in the pvp there instead. Slap on as much resilience and stats you can and go fight.
 
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If you wish to fire units at enemy units and forget, I recommend playing different game. Clearly this game isn't for you. Civ5 is much more simpler. Units in there is just base strength vs base strength and then modified by abilites gained by leveling and terrain bonuses and surplus/deficit of resources / happinesses.

Nanite injectors is basically just an small heal at most it helps anyone who gains a vanguard colony and influence them to join them then they too can unlock nanite injectors. Gain a bonus in creeping. Shake off the damage of a single hit.

Many many troopers has died without getting to use their nanite injectors.
Reasons:
1) They got shot at by a strong ranged weapon.
2) They got caught in melee.
3) Misclicked which results in accidently telling a trooper to charge to his death deep into middle of enemy group when I intended to shoot instead. Whoops.
4) Focus Fire.
5) They got critted hard.
6) A hero noticed them and now they're fleeing for their dear lives.
7) They got mind controlled and is now operating for the enemy using the nanite injectors against you.
8) Six of your godly troopers with nanite injectors ready to go just fired at a group of indentured slaves and didn't notice they had static field equipped whoops, now they're all stunned. Then killed by indentured on syndicate's turn. Drat. What a horrific miscalculation.
9) All those Vanguard AIs who bring troopers equipped with nanite destroyers of worlds injectors has been laid low and defeated by me. Not a single one of them could stop me.
10) My Big Brain needs to be nerfed for the AI to stand a chance so they can let nanite injectors carry them to victory.
11) You're unable to accept that age of wonders' manual battle is very awesome and has so many different factors that could change the way a battle could go.
12) There will be always something good, should nanite injectors get nerfed. Purification Field is next.
13) Now that Horrible purification field is nerfed. Finally! Now we can move onto next balance issue.... Fire ammo. its too strong against the growth.
14) Fire Ammo is now nerfed and the growth gets healed every time they get burnt. Finally!
15) AoW is now another mediocre arena death match game that I uninstall from my pc and I go play PSO2 that's coming out in few days as the result of fantastic kneejerk nerfs that's based on gut feeling instead of actual empirical data as battles play out between all factions and their secret techs and nanite injector is only doing it's job of keeping troops earlygame having hp. How dare it do is job, nerf it.
16) Fun Fact, I don't play civ series anymore. Me and Firaxis has divorced after the thing they call Civ6 and their sad tiny as their citizens cry out for my large prosperous happy cities in aow maps.

tl;dr AOW series is fun. Silly nerfs based on gut feeling reduces the fun.

There is plenty of counters to nanite injectors. You just have to use your big brain. There's too many to list and i'd have to write a freaking essay. That's just for the nanite injectors alone. If you don't want to, there's another option, world of warcraft and participate in the pvp there instead. Slap on as much resilience and stats you can and go fight.

Resume for those who don't want to read:
"I : sarcasm: my :sarcasm: (some casual 3x game), balance is boring, I play against some silly AI strats and rock hard, while you suck ass. Cheers! Go nerf puri field lol"
Sry for such language, just wanted the plot to be clear.
 
People call me a troll because sometimes I'm willing to be disrespectful when getting a point across but eric ridge is actually sitting here longform claiming that whenever mp players have balance issues it's nothing more than the result of a clear lack of skill on their part

It's about as rude as when mp folk do it to sp players, but seeing the role reversal makes it so much funnier
 
It's not even about PBEM. Yesterday I fought Vanguard Promethean AI, it is rather hard to kill the trooper when you deal 4-5 damage per attack AFTER using scan (I was Amazon, yes) and then the trooper just uses purification mod to live another turn.
 
People call me a troll because sometimes I'm willing to be disrespectful when getting a point across but eric ridge is actually sitting here longform claiming that whenever mp players have balance issues it's nothing more than the result of a clear lack of skill on their part

It's about as rude as when mp folk do it to sp players, but seeing the role reversal makes it so much funnier

Oh dang it. Why did you have to reveal the truth XD
 
It's not even about PBEM. Yesterday I fought Vanguard Promethean AI, it is rather hard to kill the trooper when you deal 4-5 damage per attack AFTER using scan (I was Amazon, yes) and then the trooper just uses purification mod to live another turn.

You'll have to get more practice with amazons in. Amazons is one of the more scary foes for me to fight. I"m able to handle them more better now than I did months ago tho. Valuable experience was gained in process. One of things I learned was to stop running out of city with troopers that had no modules equipped unless I have to. I used to have entire armies with no modules equipped :p Something about having as many laser tanks as possible until I got the clue that it silly to do that and started to apply the modules. xD

But i was able to cap a gold spaceport landmark, only after losing six laser tanks once. :p
 
It's not even about PBEM. Yesterday I fought Vanguard Promethean AI, it is rather hard to kill the trooper when you deal 4-5 damage per attack AFTER using scan (I was Amazon, yes) and then the trooper just uses purification mod to live another turn.

when they pop nanites either shoot someone who didn't pop nanites, or walk away until nanites runs out

ideally, identify which units have nanites at fight start, and focus fire them down in a single turn before they have a chance to pop it (this is why in pvp the heal portion of nanites is kind of a trap that tricks you into not using nanites until it's too late)