Oak, Early game strategy help request!

from Demigod Forums

Hi. I'm an Oak player, played a lot offline, only now started to play online. I have my own unique build that I play in multiplayer which starts off assasin-y but develops into a heavy general style. I have no problem late game as by then i just do whatever I want and no-one really can stop me. But at the start I get pasted. And I mean pasted, up until level 8/9 when I pick up surge of faith.

Does anyone have any tips on increase my early game abilities, I.e being able to stand toe to toe with others(mostly UB :P) at the start, I often pick up spirit weapons at the start then penitence at lvl2 and shield at lvl3 before I start deviating into my build.

I don't usually buy items at the start prefering to save money for the mana helm. And I usually choose the health/xp favor item. Anyone want to offer me some help on getting up to speed early in the game? what item i should start out with, favor item?

1,513 views 5 replies
Reply #1 from Demigod Forums Top

Yeah, it would help if you like explained your build? Since its "your own unique build" like you said, and we can help improve it :grin: But with oak, anything goes really, as long as it has maxed penitence in it.

Reply #2 from Demigod Forums Top

I usually buy the cheap mana helm or hp chest at the start, so I can throw penitence on the enemy a lot. Sometimes a penitence followed by a blind charge can scare an enemy DG into retreating. But if they are decent I wouldn't even bother going toe to toe for the early levels, since they are likely too weak to persue you beyond towers.

Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #3 from Demigod Forums Top

What is slowly coming to seem to work for me is a build much like yours--concentrating on DG buffs for the first few-to-several levels, then concentrating mostly on army buffs later on. Like you, the early game is harder than the late game. But what I do about this is--I just lay low during the early game, and try not to get killed. If enemy comes to me and I don't know I can win, I throw pent and run back to my towers. Minions I sometimes throw at him, sometimes throw elsewhere on the map to fight grunts to get me some gold.

If the opponent spends all his time chasing after me, he's getting as little exp/gold as I am so no problem. If he stops chasing me and kills grunts or gets flags, then that gives me time to kill grunts and get flags elsewhere.

This does yield the floor to the opponent a little more than I would hope for, giving him a little more experience than me in general. But once I've gotten to the "building up my army" phase of development, I find I seem to be able to make up for it.

 I don't have a level-by-level description of the build, but the idea is this. I get pent, then shield, then justice. I think the next pent comes up then, so that's when I get it. Then I get surge of faith. Next, soul power. (Yes, soul power. I find it more useful at this point to have the 20 extra DPS for my DG than having the three spirits from spirit ward I. Probably a better micromanager than me would find the spirits more useful.) Then Pent again. Then I follow this rule: Spirit ward, unless a new pent level is available, in which case get pent instead. If neither is available, then get a level of morale. I haven't figured out yet whether it's better to get morale or spirit frenzy at level 15. At level 20 there's one more power to choose, and I haven't decided what to get with it. One more shield just gets you one mor second per cast, which doesn't seem worth it. Adding one more to surge of faith might be worth it, since enemy creeps are more powerful by this point of course. Or you may want to hold off on a point or two of morale, or not get spirit frenzy at all, and instead invest further into the sheild  or surge lines.

Reply #4 from Demigod Forums Top

Quoting Master, reply 3
What is slowly coming to seem to work for me is a build much like yours--concentrating on DG buffs for the first few-to-several levels, then concentrating mostly on army buffs later on. Like you, the early game is harder than the late game. But what I do about this is--I just lay low during the early game, and try not to get killed. If enemy comes to me and I don't know I can win, I throw pent and run back to my towers. Minions I sometimes throw at him, sometimes throw elsewhere on the map to fight grunts to get me some gold.

If the opponent spends all his time chasing after me, he's getting as little exp/gold as I am so no problem. If he stops chasing me and kills grunts or gets flags, then that gives me time to kill grunts and get flags elsewhere.

This does yield the floor to the opponent a little more than I would hope for, giving him a little more experience than me in general. But once I've gotten to the "building up my army" phase of development, I find I seem to be able to make up for it.

 
End of Master's quote

I think we may be playing similar builds :D But yeh, thats what i'm trying to avoid, getting pushed off a flag so easy in early game because i can't hold up to an enemy, I'm thinking of taking a heavy offensive route for the first few levels, picking up the 25wep damage gloves along with totem of war favor item and using the rest of the cash on a small potion for health pot(or maybe the cheap helmet?). Going for Penitence first then Spirit Weapons then 1st rank of wards.

Reply #5 from Demigod Forums Top

first off, maybe i'm misinterpreting your build but i think it sounds like you're taking points in Soul Power that are effectively doing zilch for you because you don't have Raise Dead Banner. please see this guide for more information on how Soul Power works: http://forums.demigodthegame.com/350419

 

Oak is generally quite weak before level 5 or 6. i try to play around this by concentrating on flag caps and creep farming in uncontested lanes until i've got the requisite skills and equipment to start fighting other DGs effectively.

 

there are several ways to achieve this but i'm afraid none of them include the option to save your initial gold. you'll need to be getting either a bunch of Teleport Scrolls, a Wand of Speed, or the Teleport Charm favor item.

 

the other approach is to stock up on combat health and combat mana potions and harass early with Penitence and Shield.

 

you'll be able to make up for the gold in spades at level 5 when your combination of Surge of Faith and Divine Justice allows you to blast through creep waves at super speed. i really can't stress enough how important getting Surge at level 5 is though, if you wait until level 9 you won't be able to farm creeps fast enough to stay competitive.