What's a fantasy game without an army of the shambling undead? In Songs of Conquest, that army is the Barony of Loth, a necromantic horde specializing in legions of expendable skeletons and zombies as well as powerful magic.
Like most armies that rely on magic and zerg rush strategies, the Barony of Loth can either be crushingly powerful or pathetically weak, depending upon the player's strategy and skill. Its units and spells are some of the most interesting in this strategy game, but all of that is for naught if there are a few misplays. Here are some of the most important tips a player needs to know to lead the Barony to victory.
8 Embrace The Risen
The Barony of Loth has some of the best units in the game, but they're also units that are easy to misplay, not eking out every bit of their potential and losing the game as a result. Loth's Human troops are typically ranged units they punish the enemy from a distance and fortify the army's undead melee units.
Victory in battle with Loth against Human enemies results in a portion of the slain returning to life as Risen under the Loth player's command. Understanding and playing around that fact is crucial for Loth players, especially those wishing to lean into their faction's ability to engage in zerg rushes (overwhelming the enemy with numerous weak units).
7 Unleash The Hordes
The Barony of Loth has no shortage of powerful elite units at its disposal, and there's nothing stopping a player from trying to build an army around them. To do so, however, is to overlook one of the most optimal strategies for the faction.
Of all the factions in Songs of Conquest, Loth has the easiest time creating massive stacks of weak, inexpensive units. The two best examples of this are Risen and Rats, both of which can obliterate enemies when the Loth player fields them in large enough numbers. These units are individually weak but powerful and groups, and they only become more powerful when buffed with spells such as Onslaught.
6 Embrace Essence Generation
One of the Barony of Loth's major strengths is its spellcasting, and the main reason for this is its plentiful supply of Essence, the resource needed to cast spells. The generation of Arcana Essence is much easier for the Barony than other armies, which makes casting large numbers of powerful spells a much more realistic possibility for this faction than for others.
Destruction Essence also comes easily to Loth, making the faction deadly with spells, perfect for players who appreciate tricky gameplay. Because it's so easy to build a horde of cheap units with this faction, spells that grant buffs are particularly deadly, since weak units can suddenly be turned into a nightmare for the enemy.
5 Choose The Right Build Order
One of the reasons that Loth can be difficult for new players to pick up is because, unlike Arleon, this faction's build order isn't straightforward. The Barony of Loth has three excellent choices for recruitment buildings on medium-sized build sites, but the player won't be able to pursue all of them while maintaining optimal production.
As with every faction, it's important to factor in the player's starting Wielder as well as the overall strategy that they want to pursue. Toxicologists are a strong and versatile ranged unit, making them an easy fit for any army. Loth players specializing in magic would benefit more from Cultists and Aurelian Scholars. Scavenged Bones and Spectres, meanwhile, are beefy units better suited for punishing melee battles. Ultimately, it's a matter of player taste and strategy.
4 Choose The Right Wielder
Regardless of the strategy the player wants to use, the Barony of Loth has some of the best Wielders in the game. As with any faction, it's important to choose a starting Wielder that is going to compliment the player's plans.
Ambertina, Baron Aldus of Loth, and Wiesh the Returned generate extra Essence for the player, giving them plenty of extra juice for their spells. Wielders like Merkoth and Brother Hillar grant important buffs to units. Doctor Marjatta massively increases the amount of damage done by spells. The player should have a plan in mind for every stage of the game, whether it's early-game build-up or the ability to close things out at the end, and their chosen Wielder should play a role at every stage.
3 Build A Crypt Or Warren
Late in the game, the player can use powerful elites to help dominate on the battlefield, but in the early-game the best strategy for the Barony of Loth is to overwhelm the enemy with a flood of cheap units. To facilitate this plan, the player should either build a Crypt or Rat Warren first in order to start recruiting cheap units.
In general, the Crypt is the better starting pick, but if the player chose Brother Hillar as their starting Wielder, then the Rat Warren is ideal, as Brother Hillar's power directly buffs Rats. Once the question of the first building is settled, the player should decide what medium-sized recruitment building they want well before they're ready to actually construct it.
2 Plan For A Summoning Circle
If part of the player's strategy involves the recruitment of Legions, they'll need a Summoning Circle, and the upgraded version requires the construction of an Aurelian Sanctum in the same settlement. That means planning for the Summoning Circle early is always worth it. The incredible power of High Legions can easily help the player win the game, but only if the player doesn't throw the rest of their game away in pursuit of those potent units.
If an economic boost is necessary in order to get the buildings and units needed, the player has a couple of options. One is to sell a building to make room for an economy building. Another is to wait and build the economy building later when a building slot opens up. Both plans are generally viable.
1 Wield The Right Spells
Spellcasting is a huge part of any successful Barony army. Because Loth generates Essence so easily, it's not difficult to keep a steady stream of debuffs and damage-dealing spells pouring out from the Wielder.
If the player's starting Wielder is focused on spellcasting, then spells like Aggression, Fireball, Ice Bolt, Justice, and Rupture are some of the best choices to deal as much damage to the enemy as possible. No matter one's army composition, the ability to drop the right spell at the right time can always help push the Barony of Loth through a difficult fight to victory. That said, the faction's fast Essence generation means launching spells the moment their available is plausible without exhausting all of one's undead might.