Re: Hyborian War First Kingdom From: snake6283@aol.com (Snake6283) Date: Sun, 16 Jul 1995 00:00:00 +0000 This is in response to Baidins@stimpy.eecis.udel.edu 's question on a good first kingdom. You are correct in your assessment of Hyperborea needing to beat up on Aquilonia. They need several pieces actually, and this is extremely difficult. In fact, I've only seen Hyperborea acquire their goals in one game. But they do get a lot of magic, and their wizards are very competent. Zamora has decent mages, no great shakes, but their agents strike fear into most kingdoms of the world. Their military isn't great at all though, and it takes a skilled diplomatic player to keep Zamora in decent shape, especially considering their proximity to two very tough kingdoms: Corinthia and Brythunia. Hyrkania is a decent first time kingdom because of their quick early expansion, but they have a lot of internal problems, and can often have outright revolt in their provinces in the first set of war seasons, killing many needed troops. Plus, their court is almost nonexistent. Stygia is the best kingdom magic-wise. But their military is weak. If given a chance, Shem would be able to destroy them handily. Stygia has some very impressive diplomats though, and if they do allow Shem the opportunity to attack, it is more the fault of the player than the kingdom. Stygia has lots of enemies though, in fact every kingdom they border, and some they don't border, wants a piece of them, so there is that chance that Shem could sneak in. Turan doesn't have internal problems of Hyrkania or Tombalku. It is, I think, the best kingdom in the game. Their problem is the Non Player Kingdom provinces disappear quickly, and they could find they have many enemies quickly, and this could cause them trouble. Since you mentioned you like magic and agents, I'll make some suggestions that I will heartily endorse for any first time players. Kusan is a definite character kingdom. They have some of the best diplomats in the game, so they can peace off all of their enemies, ensuring their survival for more than ten turns. Their Imperial Goals and Victory Conditions are all near and weak early, so you can get a good run at a decent finish in the game. They have some very capable assassins, some of the best in the game, so they are skilled that way too. They are also known to get some decent mages as well. If they choose to fight Khitai, the 800 lb. gorilla in the region, they can accomplish that piece by piece. If they choose to hire out their assassins, they can do that as well. Their military, though by no means a powerhouse, is still a decent military for the area. Probably the best startup position, plus a small kingdom, so you can experiment for less money. The other recommendation would probably be Khoraja. They are very near Shem, but still powerful enough to take on any enemy. They have a decent court, with all of the bases covered, and enough diplomacy to peace off most of their problems. Their goals are nearby, so they can finish that off shortly, and are given something of a buffer zone in Koth, though admittedly not much of one. Up