James – Level 1

Creatures:

Manahoar (All Gods Creature)

Soul cost: One

Mana cost: One

Special ability: None

Innate ability: Mana Channeling

Overview: The Manahoar is singularly the most useful Creature in the game. Since it costs but one Mana and one Soul, you can summon one in even the direst of situations. Manahoars cannot attack, but are reasonably quick, and have good health and defense. The Manahoar has one use and one use only: Its innate ability, “Mana Channeling”, does exactly what it sounds like: it channels Mana from your Manaliths to themselves, and makes them essentially portable Manaliths. Also, the more Manaliths you have, the more Mana the Manahoars will channel, so if you have two to three Manaliths, the Manahoar will produce more Mana than any one of the Manaliths, making it not only a moving source of Mana, but a more time efficient one than an Alter, Shrine, Manalith, or Manafount. I always keep at least three, preferably four, Manahoars around me at all times. Although the Spell recharge time is still the same, you will regenerate Mana within a few seconds of casting even the most powerful of Spells.

Trogg (Basic Melee)

Soul cost: One

Mana cost: Three hundred

Special ability: None

Innate ability: Meditation

Overview: The Trogg would be a good unit even without its innate ability, but with it, it is VERY good. The innate ability in question is “Meditation”, which causes the Trogg to be completely immune to all damage done by Magic! This feature makes it an outstanding Wizard hunter, as the Wizard in question will not be able to defend itself without help from Creatures. Troggs also have very high attack power for a Basic Melee Creature, and good HP as well. Their defense, like almost all of James’ Creatures, is also relatively high. The Trogg is best used in large groups, in order to overwhelm the enemy Wizard with sheer numbers and raw strength. They are especially very effective in the first fifteen minutes or so of a game, if you can manage to get a good number of them to the enemy Wizard before it has a chance to summon an army to protect itself. Believe me, entire games can be decided in the first five minutes by just one Trogg-happy Wizard.

Earthfling (Basic Ranged)

Soul cost: One

Mana cost: Three hundred

Special ability: Rockform

Innate ability: None

Overview: A standard basic Ranged unit, except for its special ability: “Rockform”. “Rockform” transforms the Earthfling into an un-suspicious looking boulder, which regenerates health and has VERY high defense, but cannot move. Giving a “move” or “attack” command to an Earthfling in “Rockform” causes it to revert to its normal form, and then carry out the given command. The Earthfling also has very good speed and attack, and pretty good defense as well. Large groups of them can level most low-power armies in just a few seconds. The boulder of “Rockform” looks exactly like a regular map boulder, and positioning a few Earthflings around real rocks makes for a good sniping group to attack passing enemies, then revert back to “Rockform” again before they can react. An Earthfling in “Rockform” cannot be targeted or identified as anything other than a rock until it reverts.

Gargoyle (Basic Flyer)

Soul cost: One

Mana cost: Three hundred

Special ability: None

Innate ability: None

Overview: This unit has the most damage output of any Basic Flyer Creature. Also, like the flame of the Spitfires, the rocks that Gargoyles spew do area damage. It also has very good HP for a flyer, and pretty good defense as well. Like all flyers, it is quite quick moving. A small group of Gargoyles (5-10) is a formidable foe indeed. Their strength is complimented greatly by their mobility, and they are powerful units no matter what Spellbook level you’re at. The only problem with them is that, aside from their unusually high stats, they have no special or innate abilities, meaning that some Creatures can defeat them with tactical play, as, especially in Sacrifice, tactics usually are more important than raw force.

Spells:

Speed Up (All Gods Spell)

Mana cost: Three hundred

“Stander” Spell: No

Overview: “Speed Up” is one of the most useful spells in the game. You can target any allied Creature, Sac Doctor, or Wizard, and it speeds up its movement speed for a length of time, which is different for every target. It also recharges in about three seconds, so it’s ready to use again long before it wears off. It’s good for charging into a fray (or ex-fray, as is more often the case) to collect blue Souls, or for just generally speeding stuff up. Also, it is good for getting slow Creatures to their targets before they can be killed by enemy ranged units.

Rock (Basic Attack Spell)

Mana cost: Three hundred

“Stander” Spell: No

Overview: “Rock” is just another average attack spell, nothing special. It has quite a good damage output, and although it doesn’t do splash damage, it is large enough to hit a few things at once, if they are grouped tightly enough. This spell also has an acceptable recharge time. The problem with the boulder it hurls being so large, is that if it whacks into anything in its flight path (likely, considering it’s size), it will smash as though it had hit the intended target, and you’ll have to wait for it to recharge all over again.

Heal (All Gods Spell)

Mana cost: Three hundred

“Stander” Spell: No

Overview: Restores the target’s HP. It can completely heal most Creatures, and only the most powerful entities will need to be healed more than once in order to be restored to full health. It is equally useful during and between battles. You can use it in battle to heal your minions and yourself while fighting, and you can use it between battles to refresh before the next skirmish.

Manalith (All Gods Spell)

Mana cost: Eight hundred

“Stander” Spell: Yes

Overview: “Manalith” constructs a Manalith over targeted Manafounts. A Manalith makes it so that only you and your allies can gather Mana from that Manafount. It also ignites your and your allies Manahoars. Any Manafount you see should have “Manalith” cast on it immediately. A Manalith can be destroyed if it takes enough damage, but it quickly regenerates health, so it is hard to take one out without using Creatures.

Guardian (All Gods Spell)

Mana cost: Three hundred

“Stander” Spell: No

Overview: “Guardian” can be cast on any Creature near one of your or your ally’s buildings (Manalith, Shrine, or Altar). It tethers the Creature to the building via a glowing red magic beam. This has its advantages and its disadvantages. It raises the Creature’s defense, and causes it to regenerate health VERY quickly, even if it’s a Charnel creature. Unfortunately, it also stops the Creature from using its special ability (if it had one) and keeps it from moving too far away from the building. Any damage done to a building with guardians is re-distributed among its guardians.

Convert (All Gods Spell)

Mana cost: Eight hundred

“Stander” Spell: No

Overview: The “Convert” Spell can be cast on Heathen Souls. It summons a Sac Doctor, who will spend some time re-injecting the Soul(s) into the dead Creature, then it will carry the creature in a floating magical sphere back to the nearest allied Altar or Shrine to be sacrificed, which also takes some time. Once the sacrifice is completed, the Creature’s Soul(s) are added to your stockpile. If the Sac Doctor is killed while re-injecting the Soul(s), the Soul(s) will pop back out. If the Sac Doctor is killed while carrying or sacrificing the Creature, the creature will fall back to the ground, alive, but with only 50% of its total HP. You should immediately cast “Convert” on any Heathen Souls you come across.

Desecrate (All Gods Spell)

Mana cost: One thousand

“Stander” Spell: No

Overview: This Spell is the only way to defeat your opponents. Target one of your Creatures while near an enemy Altar and a Sac Doctor will come down and pick it up. Then it will take it to the Altar and begin to sacrifice it. During the desecration ritual that the Sac Doctors perform, a portal, just like the ones that Sac Doctors come out of, will float in the air above the owner of the Altar. It will attack its victim with a bolt of energy that drains HP, Mana, and experience from the Wizard. While the experience bar will slowly regenerate when not being attacked, it will not go above the point where it was when it was drained. The HP and Mana drained by the bolt will not regenerate automatically. If the opposing Wizard is killed during the desecration, their Altar is destroyed (revealing a Manafount beneath it) and all of its Creature will fall dead. Any structures erected over Manafounts by that Wizard, that is to say, Shrines and Manaliths, will stay, but can still be destroyed. If any one of the Sac Doctors performing the desecration ritual are killed, the Creature being sacrificed will fall back to the ground with 50% maximum HP, and the desecration will end. If the desecration is successful, the Souls from the sacrificed Creature will be added back into your stockpile.

Teleport (All Gods Spell)

Mana cost: Eight hundred

“Stander” Spell: No

Overview: This is a VERY underused, VERY useful Spell. “Teleport” lets you target any one of your or your ally’s buildings, I.E., Manalith, Shrine, or Altar, (mini-map targeting comes in useful here) and instantly transport yourself and any of your nearby minions to that building from anywhere on the map. This is good for retreating from a losing battle, protecting your Altar when you get the “An enemy Wizard is approaching your Altar!” message, and launching surprise attacks on any foe passing or attacking your buildings. If your opponent casts “Death”, one of Charnel’s Wrath of the Gods Spells, I find it quite amusing to teleport away and laugh as they try to fend off the Grim Reaper as it slaughters all of their units.

James – Level 2

Creatures:

Basilisk (Bug)

Soul cost: Two

Mana cost: Six hundred

Special ability: None

Innate ability: None

Overview: Incapable of doing damage on its own, the Basilisk must rely on Wizards and other Creatures to protect it. However, even though it can’t directly hurt the enemy, it is still a good Creature. Why? Because of it’s only defense: The Basilisk can fire rays from its eyes that temporarily turn it’s victims to stone! This feature has a plethora of uses, such as stopping an enemy Wizard from collecting Souls during battle, stopping an enemy Wizard in the middle of casting a powerful Spell, freezing pursuing or retreating forces, and temporarily putting a super-powered Creature out of commission. Basilisks also make very good building guards, turning the foe to stone as the other building guards pummel it while it can not retaliate. The time it takes a Basilisk to recharge between rays, unfortunately, is several seconds, so it is best to use them close in to avoid missed shots while defending them with other Creatures or Spells. The Basilisk can take quite a bit of personal punishment, with unusually high defense for a Bug Creature. Of course, it is a denizen of James’ realm, and all of his Creatures are known for high attack and defense. The Basilisk, unlike most of James’ other Creatures, also has good speed. The only problem with this unit (other then the ray recharge time) is the fact that when units are turned to stone they will have higher defense until they go back to normal. Of course, since they can’t react to being hit, it is only fair that they would take more of them to be killed.

Spells:

Skin of Stone (Shield Spell)

Mana cost: Four hundred

“Stander” Spell: No

Overview: By far one of the best Shield Spells, “Skin of Stone” turns you to stone, although it still allows you to move freely. It also is the longest lasting of all Shield Spells. Unfortunately, it also has the longest recharge time. Even after the shield itself wears off, which takes a very long time, it will still have more then two minutes of recharge time. This shield isn’t just long-lasting, though. It also raises your defense by an unbelievable amount, and is the closest thing to “Ethereal Form” that still takes damage. Between its duration, and its defensive power, “Skin of Stone” is my favorite overall Shield Spell.

James – Level 3:

Creatures:

Taurock (Brawler)

Soul cost: Two

Mana cost: Seven Hundred

Special ability: None

Innate ability: Vengeful Defense

Overview: This Creature has very high attack and defense, along with good HP, but is one of the slowest moving Creatures in the game. “Speed Up” is definitely recommended for the mobilization of this unit. Luckily, “Speed Up” lasts for quite some time on the Taurock. The special ability of this Creature compliments its strengths quite well. “Vengeful Defense” causes the defense of the Taurock to rise even higher (as if it weren’t high enough already!) as its HP falls. This makes the Taurock one of the most resilient of all Creatures during battle. The more damage it takes, the less it will take from the next blow. Even when it has almost no health left, the Taurock keeps on kicking for quite some time. Additionally, its attack power is pretty high, and it can take out most Creatures very quickly, assuming that it can catch them. Another unusual thing about the Taurock is that it has increased damage output against buildings, meaning that even a single Taurock can be relied upon to destroy a Manalith, for example, while your other Creatures stave off your foe’s army.

Spells:

Soul Mole (Soulcatcher Spell)

Mana cost: Fifty

“Stander” Spell: No

Overview: I like this spell for its cheapness, fast recharge time, and unbelievable range. “Soul Mole” targets a blue Soul from very far away, and sends a rock that protrudes halfway out of the ground to retrieve it. The rock travels faster the further away you are, so casting it from a short distance away then using “Teleport” to go back to your Altar makes it move at rocket speed back to you. Anything that it bumps into is knocked over, and it can float over ravines, meaning that it always takes the shortest route to and from its target (a straight line). This spell is very good (obviously) for snatching the Souls of your fallen Creatures while retreating from a battle (or running for your life). Also, it recharges almost instantly, so you can cast “Soul Mole” multiple times in quick succession to clear a battlefield of blue Souls, even while running away. Be wary of the location of enemy Wizards when casting “Soul Mole”, however, as when it picks a Soul, it gibs the body, turning the Soul blue to all players, meaning that if an enemy Wizard strays into the path of the returning “Soul Mole”, the Wizard will absorb the Soul it is carrying. Some people will deliberately chase down “Soul Mole”, trying to get the Soul for themselves, so you want to make certain that they are far enough out of the way that they won’t be able to catch it before you cast it.

Shrine (Building Spell)

Mana cost: Eight hundred

“Stander” Spell: Yes

Overview: A Shrine works just like a Manalith except for three differences: It does not ignite Manahoars, it provides less Mana then a Manalith or Manafount do (it provides about as much as an Altar), and, most importantly, Sac Doctors can sacrifice Creatures at Shrines. Because of this, you usually want to cast “Shrine” on Manafounts that are far away from your Altar, so as to cut the travel time of your Sac Doctors. Obviously, is doesn’t do to have a Shrine right next to your Altar, when it provides less Mana and Sac Doctors would only have to travel for mere seconds more without it.

James – Level 4:

Creatures:

Flummox (Artillery)

Soul cost: Three

Mana cost: One thousand

Special ability: None

Innate ability: None

Overview: One of my favorite Artillery Creatures, and also the earliest one available (the others aren’t available until level six), The Flummox has only one weakness: It is one of the slowest-moving Creatures in Sacrifice. Thank goodness it also has quite a long range! To attack, the Flummox hurls a massive boulder through the air, which does a pretty good amount of damage to its target (with splash damage, of course), and causes a massive tremor in the ground in a wide area around where it hits. This knocks down all land-based Creatures and all Wizards in the area. This makes the Flummox very good at disabling Wizards during casting. Along with the wide range that Flummoxes have, it also makes them very good for casting “Guardian” on.

Spells:

Erupt (Disruption Spell)

Mana cost: Eight hundred

“Stander” Spell: No

Overview: A very useful Disruption spell, Erupt causes a small hill to grow in the targeted area, and when it reaches maximum height, it bursts, sending any units that were standing on it flying, and causing a shockwave that knocks down anything for a ways around it. This is great for stalling and confusing an approaching (or retreating) enemy army. The shockwave caused by “Erupt” doesn’t just move through the ground – it also moves through the air, knocking any flyers in the area out of the sky for a second or two.

James – Level 5:

Creatures:

Ikarus (Bomber)

Soul cost: Three

Mana cost: One thousand

Special ability: Sticky Bomb

Innate ability: None

Overview: One of James’ only two flyers, the Ikarus is a Creature of high attack and defense (a by product of its James-ness) but very low speed for a Bomber Creature (ditto here). It would be quite unremarkable, not bad mind you, just unremarkable, were it not for it’s special ability, “Sticky Bomb”, which launches a spray of glue-like substance at the targeted area, which significantly slows the movement of anything it hits. This can be used to slow pursuing or retreating foes, and for stalling an enemy Wizard from picking up Souls during battle. Not spectacularly useful, but not worthless, either. The main weakness of this Creature is it very low health, which is unusual for a James Creature. This makes the Ikarus a rather poor front-line fighter, but their high attack power makes them quite good for destroying buildings, especially if they’re far away. Remember, though: Keep them in sight, because if they run into any trouble with a Wizard, they’re doomed.

Spells:

Halo of Earth (Advanced Attack Spell)

Mana cost: One thousand

“Stander” Spell: Yes

Overview: A very good Spell, “Halo of Earth” summons six rocks out of the earth, which float in a ring above your head. Every time an enemy comes within range, one of the rocks will fly off after it, pursuing it until it hits, or for several minutes, after which it will explode behind the quarry. The rocks do a considerable amount of damage as well, and casting this Spell in the midst of combat will pick off several foes at once. It is quite fun to use the “Fireform” Spell in conjunction with “Halo of Earth”, then running pell-mell through a tightly packed group of foes, igniting them while the rocks zoom off after them. It’s also quite useful for frightening off enemies that are beating you up. Nothing scares off a bully like half a dozen enchanted rocks orbiting above their victim.

James – Level 6:

Creatures:

Boulderdash (Sniper)

Soul cost: Four

Mana cost: One thousand one hundred

Special ability: None

Innate ability: None

Overview: Flat-out the best Sniper unit in the game, the Boulderdash has incredible range (close to that of a Mutant), very high attack power, and the ability to hit up to three foes at once. One of the best Altar guards in the business, they can shoot flyers out of the air like they aren’t even there. A Boulderdash launches a large rock in a straight line at the target, which splits into three smaller rocks about 2/3 of the way there. The rocks can either all hit one target, causing massive damage, or they can hit the target and then hit two things on either side of it, causing less damage, but hitting three things at once. The Boulderdash also has high HP and defense. It’s only weakness is rather slow speed, although as far as James Creatures go, it’s relatively quick. This is probably my favorite Creature in the whole game, and is definitely a force to be reckoned with.

Spells:

Wall of Spikes (Wall Spell)

Mana cost: One thousand two hundred

“Stander” Spell: Yes

Overview: My favorite overall Wall Spell, “Wall of Spikes” causes a line of stalagmites to grow out of the ground. If anything gets too close to them, a stalagmite will pop out of the ground underneath it, impaling it for good damage, and knocking it over. This makes it almost impossible to get out once you’re too far in, because every time you stand up, another stalagmite comes up and knocks you down again. This wall is great, because it not only slows the victim down, but it damages it as well. Interestingly enough, Creatures and Wizards hit by the stalagmites will also move much slower for about twenty or so seconds after being hit, which means that even after they manage to escape the wall, their progress will be temporarily impeded. Remember, though: Like all other Wall Spells, except Vinewall, it effect applies to both friend and foe.

James – Level 7:

Creatures:

Jabberocky (Heavy Hitter)

Soul cost: Four

Mana cost: One thousand three hundred

Special ability: Quake

Innate ability: None

Overview: Although it’s extremely slow, the Jabberocky is also extremely powerful. The real trick is getting it to move quick enough to reach its target. Even with “Speed Up” cast on it, the movement speed of the Jabberocky is just barely acceptable, and “Speed Up” wears off of it in about three seconds. This means that you must carefully micro-manage this Creature, lest it be left far behind you. Its special ability causes it to rear up on its hind legs and slam into the ground, making a massive tremor pulse through the ground around it, and knocking over anything near it. This is useful for stalling the foe for just long enough to escape or move in with your minions. The Jabberocky also has very high defense and HP, but its slowness can really cause problems.

Spells:

Bombardment (Rain Spell)

Mana cost: One thousand five hundred

“Stander” Spell: Yes

Overview: This Spell sends huge boulders flying out of the ground, which arc through the sky and crash down in the target area. They fly out of the ground around you, so they also serve as a protection of sorts, since they can hit things on the way up. The boulders cause quite a good amount of damage when they hit, and also cause small tremors in the area of impact, which may knock things over if they are close enough. The boulders also roughly aim themselves at Creatures and Wizards in the area where they have been sent, and can cause a lot of damage to a large army. “Bombardment” is best used to disrupt an attack on your position, as it can cause a lot of mayhem while your foe tries (usually futilely) to dodge your falling rocks.

James – Level 8:

Creatures:

None

Spells:

Bovine Intervention (Wrath of the Gods Spell)

Mana cost: One thousand eight hundred

“Stander” Spell: Yes

Overview: One of my personal all-time favorite spells, “Bovine Intervention” summons a massive cow that flies out of the ground, zooming WAY high into the air, then doing a ten point swan dive onto the targeted Creature, Gibbing its Souls, and causing a tremor around its impact point that knocks things down and does a small amount of damage. The best thing about this spell (aside from the instant killing of any Creature you wish and the ability to pick up its Souls as though they were yours) is the fact that your opponent can’t tell what exactly you have targeted until it’s too late, and they don’t know which one of their minions to stay close to, in order to gather its Souls when it dies. A favorite saying of mine describing this effect is, “they can see the cow, and they can fear the cow, but they can’t tell where the cow is going until it’s already hit the ground.” A great surprise tactic during a hard fight, especially when your opponent is bragging about the “super-powerful Creature I just summoned that’s going to slaughter your army!”

Bore (Wrath of the Gods Spell)

Mana cost: One thousand eight hundred

“Stander” Spell: Yes

Overview: A very good mass killing Spell, but only if you can deal with the permanent loss of Souls. “Bore” makes a little rock (like the one from “Soul Mole”) draw a spiral pattern from the inside out (starting with the target area), and about halfway through finishing, the ground begins to fall away, following the pattern. It even keeps falling out for a short distance outside the actual spiral. Anything that falls into the hole created by this Spell stays fallen, including its souls. It is very useful to combine this spell with Stratos’ “Frozen Ground” Spell. First cast “Frozen Ground” to freeze a whole area, then start casting “Bore”. With any luck, the unlucky foes will fall before they unfreeze. Gremlins and Serephs work well, too. Have them ensnare several of your opponent’s fleeing Creatures, and then watch them fall. Of course, the ground destroyed by this Spell regenerates shortly after its completion, from the outside in. Also, the ground around structures is not affected. This means that a slow (but smart) enemy can tell his minions to go hug the nearest tree when they see you start casting “Bore”. Of course, they’ll be stuck there until the ground regenerates, so you can just take pot-shots at them while they can’t escape.

James – Level 9:

Creatures:

Rhinok (Titan)

Soul cost: Five

Mana cost: One thousand nine hundred

Special ability: Halo of Earth

Innate ability: None

Overview: My favorite Titan by far, the Rhinok is a veritable tank of a powerhouse. It has such high defense and HP, that it is nearly unkillable by anything other than Wrath of the Gods Spells and other Titan Creatures. Its attack is so high that it can kill most foes in one blast. Its speed is so high that it can beat a snail that’s running backwards in a footrace. Okay, forget about that last part. Super-powerful, yet slower than dirt, the Rhinok has three legs, on which it rears up and then slams into the ground, causing a line of stalagmites to rise out of, and then fall back into, the ground, in a wave. When the wave reaches the target, it then bursts out in a wide circle around it. The stalagmites do a huge amount of damage to anything they hit while en route, and are powerful enough to kill almost any Creature below level four in one hit. This means that the Rhinok can level an entire army, given that the Creatures in it are weak enough, in one fell swoop of its arm. The stalagmites also knock over whatever they hit, so they can stall whatever they haven’t already killed. The Rhinok’s only weakness is that it cannot attack flying Creatures, but its special ability, “Halo of Earth”, takes care of that. It summons six boulders, just like the ones in the real “Halo of Earth” Spell, to float above its head, which is great for taking out flying attackers. Between its attack and its defense, both of which are the highest in the game, not to mention its great HP, the Rhinok is a force to be reckoned with.

Spells:

None