Let's have a topic where we concentrate all relevant advice about boss fights (the Xoggoth boss fight particularly), describe some mechanics, deny some false urban legends spread among players...
what is a boss
A boss is not a unit with specific attack, HP and resist. It is an entity that cannot be killed. As a result, special abilities of nightmare, dead knight and frost canon have no effect on him.
It has basically only 2 features:
PREPARATIONS
your stats
The alliance that deals the most damage to Xoggoth wins the game. That doesn't mean it is meaningful to improve only damage. Get your regeneration to at least 50 % for each unit type, get high HP bonus, also all kinds of resist. Don't forget that the bigger part of your army can make it through the round A, the more damage you will able to deal in the round B.
units' researches
Some players don't research improvements of basic units, because they think they actually won't use them during the game. They concentrate on researches of 2-3 strongest units and have their army composed of only these unit types in the late game. It really can be sufficient, but only until the last Boss fight begins.
Because if you have enough resources, your training capacities are your only limitation. That means you will very likely train in all recruit buildings. And because the higher the unit type the slower the recruitment, it is the "weakest" units that are recruited in greatest upkeep amounts. That means it is unwise to underestimate their combat stats.
saved resources
The Xoggoth boss fight lasts 3 days. After you lose your army at hand, it is advisable to have some good resource reserves prepared in advance. (Unless, of course, you are unwillingly somebody's farm, without a good alliance to help you defend)
You will get plenty of CPs during the fight as a reward, but not enough by far. If possible, start saving resources days, even weeks before the Xoggoth fight.
saved potions
I personally save almost all my potions for the Xoggoth fight, I am sure it is obvious why. Use your strongest (not only damage) potions in Xoggoth fight, when your upkeep is maxed. (Or have lots of mana and spells ready to cast)
artifact equipment
Be sure to buy /sell all what you need before the Xoggoth fight begins! Because during the fight nobody is able to create an offer. As a result the market gets empty soon.
alliances & membership
You can accept new members into your alliance during (any) Boss fight. You can also create a new alliance.
You cannot kick an alliance member during (any) Boss fight, nor 12 hours or less before it. Also, you cannot disband an alliance during that time. So do whatever you need to do while you still can.
DURING THE BOSS (Xoggoth)
what to do?
Simple: Attack the Boss, then attack him again. Rebuild your army and attack him again, until you spend all your resources, potions and units to the very last. Unless... (see the next part)
encourage and supply weaker players
In my last game a strong player from my alliance asked resources from our weaker, less active members, because "he is able to deal more damage". :shock:
This is the worst :!: :!: thing anybody can do. NEVER ask for resource help from players that have dealt to the Boss less damage than you. If they are active/ organized enough to send you resources, they will surely manage to spend them themselves: recruit some units and send them to the Boss.
Don't forget about Aura of corrosion: the greater the damage dealt already, the bigger the damage reduction. You end up with almost no damage at all, no matter how much resources you have at hand to invest in your recruit buildings. You would do much better if you invested those resources in your weaker alliance members, the guys who are below the "damage-to-the Boss" average line. Their damage hasn't got your reduction yet. Supply them with your extra resources, motivate them to attack the Boss more. Emporea is an alliance game, it's about team work and cooperation. Show your alliance's strength now!
mass attack or single attacker?
There are some minor differences, caused for example by the special units' abilities that have effects on all allies. However, they also will be much smaller, because their power has to be spread on huge amount of units. (That means you can do better if going with your allies, or if going just on your own. It depends on yours and their armies composition.)
In general it can be said that it DOESN'T matter much whether you attack the Boss alone or in a mass attack. But it surely is more fun to do it in a group!
recruit speed
Use your saved Training Schedule scrolls, now it is the time. If you have hero skills Teachings or Orc drill, they are always active. If you want to use your "training speed" artifacts, don't forget they must be active when production of each unit stack starts. That means that they must be always on while you are training units. It is advisable they are equipped during the off-times of Xoggoth Boss fight, after you entered a long recruit queue.
necromancy
Don't expect necromancy to work normally. It won't create as many skeletons back as you are used to. After all, it would be too great advantage for necromancers.
The reason: Necromancy is applied only on losses caused by explosion of anger, it ignores losses done by cloud of death.
So you do not have to report it as a bug, it is not a bug!
magic damage
Aura of corrosion of the Boss reduces magic damage the same way as "normal" damage. If you use both damage types, it doesn't matter in what order do you use them.
Questions? Some advice I have not added to the list?
Comment and ask here! 🙂
