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***admin*** · 01-31-2023, 04:09 PM

Post your advice for playing this kingdom in this thread.

Thank you for contributing to the collective wisdom on how to best play this kingdom in Alamaze!

**Lord Garth** · 07-03-2025, 11:37 PM

Kings of Alamaze,

I've noticed that a few people have been trashing the Black Dragon kingdom lately as a poor setup and undesirable kingdom. So as current reigning First Runner Up Alamaze Champion, I realized it was incumbent upon me to look into the matter personally. And so I did and quickly decided .... they're right.

There is no real strength in this kingdom. And while some may consider it 'balanced' it is so because it isn't very good at anything. Worse than that, head to head it matches up unfavorably against the Red. So if you wish to play a dragon there really is no reason to choose the Black other than the challenge of it.

Consider:
1) Of course the Red has better Kingdom Named brigades but the Red ALSO has a slightly better reinforcement schedule than the black as well! Companion choices are identical.

2) The speed of the Black Dragon is a myth. After the changes the Red has the same speed as the Black. It's fast, but no faster than the Red.

3) The Black has great agents is a myth. They are good, but the Red is identical.

4) The Red actually has better traits than the Black. The Red has Stalwart, which is great, and the Black instead has 2 foreknowledge traits. The rest are identical.

5) The only advantage the Black has is it's magic at 2 tiers better than the Red and the Black has half the forest penalty as the Red. That's it.

So what to do? Of course the best way to address the Black would be to give it some unique thing that would separate it some from the Red and make it special and desirable to players who want to get creative on how best to maximize their own special advantage. A unique spell like the Ancient Ones, or attribute like 3 princes, a new combat tactic, special ability or companion type. Whatever. But while that would be the best choice, I understand that Unique means tough programming. So I will alter recommendations accordingly.

1) Increase their reinforcement schedule. Black brigades are about 2/3 as powerful as a Red and they have less of them. Don't give them to the Black to start but make reinforcements more plentiful. I would also consider raising companion caps.

2) Make their strength stronger. They are a tier 4 in magic? Make it a 3 or even a 2.

3) Give it "Secretive". Everybody loves a hidden cap.

4) Give it a trait package. Cunning and Spy Network jump to mind. Then it will have some badass Agents.

5) Allow a limited "Monster Summoning" Gargoyles and Manticores only.

6) Allow recruitment of Cockatrices or Rocs.

I would not implement all of these changes of course, but a few items from the list above may give it at least some distinction from the Red and make the Black it's own kingdom instead of "Red Lite". Some of the above recommendations may also make the Black a more viable choice to compete.

For those of you who have brought up the Black over the past few weeks, I'd just like to say, your First Runner Up Alamaze Champion hears you. My staff and I have quickly come up with these few recommendations and will be brainstorming and working over the next weeks and months to come up with more.

Thank you

Lord Garth
2022-2025 2x Consecutive First Runner up Alamaze Champion.

davekuyk · 07-04-2025, 01:57 AM

Excellent writeup. A lot of good ideas here. I particularly like the idea of moving the Black to a tier 2 magic kingdom.

Another advantage the Red has is that it has five groups, compared to four for the Black.

**Lord Garth** · 07-05-2025, 05:52 PM

(07-04-2025, 01:57 AM)davekuyk Wrote: Excellent writeup. A lot of good ideas here. I particularly like the idea of moving the Black to a tier 2 magic kingdom.

Another advantage the Red has is that it has five groups, compared to four for the Black.

Good catch, DK. I forgot about the 5th group and that is no small thing. Another reason the Black should get some sort of buff.

davekuyk · 07-07-2025, 07:35 PM

My thoughts on the Black Dragon:

First, re-imagine them:

Once the arcane elite and noble ruling caste of dragonkind, the Black Dragons wielded immense magical power and governed through wisdom, mysticism, and ancient law. Their dominion ended millennia ago when the Red Dragons—warriors and enforcers—rose in rebellion, casting down their former masters in a brutal coup.

Forced into exile, the Black Dragons vanished into hidden realms, nursing their wounds and preserving their arcane traditions in secret. Now, cloaked in shadow and fire, they return from the long dark with one purpose: to reclaim their ancestral supremacy and reforge the world in their image.

Given this, look at re-schooling their traits:

*Dynasty (fits the "nobles in exile" theme)
*Secretive (exiled away, biding their time)
*Forethoughts (being in exile gives one time to think and plan)
*Foreknowledge (the dragons have their secrets - give them three artifact names)
*Spy Network (operating in the shadows)

In addition:

*Evil (they are still evil)
*Magic Resistance Death
*Magic Resistance Sleep

Magic

Change the kingdom to be a tier 2 magic kingdom (was 4)
Early spells: Cold Darkness, Infuriate Populace, Summon Death, and Summnon Specters (was only Cold Darkness)

Military

Add Rocs to diversify the recruitment pool
Allow them to Summon Specters (flying undead)
Remove forest adversity and change to a movement of 2.5 for all terrain types
Retool the reinforcement schedule to be more in line with other balanced kingdoms: 2,2,1,2,2,1 (same as DA)
Lower kingdom troop defense from "Good" to "Above Average" to reflect that they are not the warriors the Red are

**Strongwill** · 07-07-2025, 08:49 PM

I disagree with you guys… I would love to see the Black become a companion group to the Red, and 7 max per group. And remove them as a player position.

It’s a programming issue on a lot of these updates things we suggest. Could add the witch lord back into the game to replace them

Xerro · 07-07-2025, 09:52 PM

(07-07-2025, 08:49 PM)Strongwill Wrote: I disagree with you guys… I would love to see the Black become a companion group to the Red, and 7 max per group. And remove them as a player position.

It’s a programming issue on a lot of these updates things we suggest. Could add the witch lord back into the game to replace them

I could be wrong, but I do believe the witch king is alive and well with a new name TYRANT. Its flavors and abilitys match well with the old witch king kingdom. I would bet it was renamed in the past to avoid copyright issues.

**Strongwill** · (This post was last modified: 07-07-2025, 11:11 PM by Strongwill.)

(07-07-2025, 09:52 PM)Xerro Wrote:
(07-07-2025, 08:49 PM)Strongwill Wrote: I disagree with you guys… I would love to see the Black become a companion group to the Red, and 7 max per group. And remove them as a player position.

It’s a programming issue on a lot of these updates things we suggest. Could add the witch lord back into the game to replace them

I could be wrong, but I do believe the witch king is alive and well with a new name TYRANT. Its flavors and abilitys match well with the old witch king kingdom. I would bet it was renamed in the past to avoid copyright issues.

Witchking had magic, TY is nil to none.. lol

Olorin · 07-08-2025, 01:09 AM

I cannot imagine what copyright issues there could be with Witch King. The title has been used since at least the 1700s.

**Lord Garth** · (This post was last modified: 07-08-2025, 05:28 PM by Lord Garth.)

Nicely done, Dave

I like this new reimagined Black. And the backstory is great as well. It's a very different kingdom, which is the goal. Nobody wants to play Red Lite.

I noticed you dropped ruthless, but gave it Specters. Nice choice. You also dropped a few other traits while strengthening elsewhere. I wonder how many points this new Black has on your ranking system?

I would recommend leaving the forest penalty as it is. I think it works for a dragon. And I would cut Summon Death.

Great work. This would be a fun kingdom to play and a tough kingdom to play against.

Lord Garth
2x Consecutive and current Reigning Runner Up Alamaze Champion 2022-2025

(07-07-2025, 09:52 PM)Xerro Wrote:
(07-07-2025, 08:49 PM)Strongwill Wrote: I disagree with you guys… I would love to see the Black become a companion group to the Red, and 7 max per group. And remove them as a player position.

It’s a programming issue on a lot of these updates things we suggest. Could add the witch lord back into the game to replace them

I could be wrong, but I do believe the witch king is alive and well with a new name TYRANT. Its flavors and abilitys match well with the old witch king kingdom. I would bet it was renamed in the past to avoid copyright issues.

I always thought the Witch King became the Necromancer.