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[evictedSaint]

In other news, it's a damn good thing we didn't invade the mountains. By the sounds of things, they've set up their frost tower (which is clearly a National Effort) in the mountains this year. I dread to think what the mountains would be like if they were even colder than usual.

Actually, that was them preparing to assault the Desert by setting up the tower as close as they could.  I suppose I didn't make that very clear.

[Devastator]

Make the anti-magic so it eliminates carried magical gear as well, given that we don't have any and they have lots.  Then we can charge into the melee and watch the enemy weapons vanish.

[NUKE9.13]

Make the anti-magic so it eliminates carried magical gear as well, given that we don't have any and they have lots.  Then we can charge into the melee and watch the enemy weapons vanish.

That was my thinking with Weaken Magic; we don't need to completely dispel their magicrystal for it to be useless, just make it weaker than mundane materials.

[ATHATH]

Fools! Fools, I tells you. By conceding the eastern seas, they open up their home waters to assault! Let no ship flying the Arstotzkan flag travel unharassed.

Anyway, time for some counterspells. Though let's not get too ambitious. My vote is for

Tubikh Rrahim (AKA Merciful Rebuke, AKA Weaken Magic): After a wizard has spent a month in solitary confinement, studying the sacred texts, and meditating on the nature of magic, he is finally ready to perform this holiest of spells. Invoking nine names of the most merciful god, blasphemous magics are weakened in the targeted area. As the sacred light descends upon them, enemy mages will find their fireballs weak and feeble, their summoned weapons dull and brittle, their mists sparse and translucent.
Tubikh Rrahim is expected to be Very Expensive, and reduce the effectiveness of most enemy spells. It may also weaken our own, but hopefully we can target areas with sufficient accuracy that our own mages are not unduly affected.


In other news, it's a damn good thing we didn't invade the mountains. By the sounds of things, they've set up their frost tower (which is clearly a National Effort) in the mountains this year. I dread to think what the mountains would be like if they were even colder than usual.

+1

If this goes well, spending our expense credit on it could win us the war.

[NUKE9.13]

I approve of anti-magic, but allow me to offer an alternative;:

Anti magic amulet - A holy symbol,  blessed and anointed by an imam before being enchanted using our knowledge of the Holy Scripture. This item will counter any spell targeted at or near the bearer. This will probably apply to our own magic too, but that's something we can fix later.

I have several concerns:
-Few of the enemy spells actually target our troops directly. Even fireballs, cast at a distance, might not be dispelled by this.
  -One particular kind of spell we would like to counter is their magic weapons (crystal axes and lances), which requires our anti-magic targeting them, not us.
-I fear completely countering a spell may be too ambitious, hence why I'd prefer to just weaken magic.
-We have no experience enchanting items. We can make wands, which mages then cast with, but I don't think we have the knowledge to make items that 'cast themselves', as it were.
-Our baseline cost for anti-magic is a National Effort. For these amulets to be effective, we'd want them to be Expensive at most.

[Kashyyk]

My intention with the charm is mainly to give bearers resistance to fireballs by having the magical heat dissipate in their vicinity. Your points regarding crystal weapons is valid though.  I also see your concern with the enchantment issue, but I don't think the step from "item that lets you cast a spell" is that far from "item that maintains a previously cast spell".

[S34N1C]

Nuke's plan has my vote

[Devastator]

We do have the bonus due to spending two actions on it, and we have the expense chit if it comes out too expensive.  Lets go for a bit of a bigger solution.  Especially if it ends up being a national effort or very expensive.  Having something that doesn't do much means we've blown two design phases.

[Happerry]

+1 for Tubikh Rrahim.

[evictedSaint]

Design: Tubikh Rrahim [2, 6!+1, 2]

Magic is tied to the divine.  This much is obvious from the very nature of the magic; miracles wrought on earth through Allah's blessing, used by the righteous to strike down the wicked.  The Arstotzkans have perverted this gift from God, and it is our duty to stop it.

Tubikh Rrahim is our solution.

Imams carefully select the most pious of our mages for this process and prepare them for the spell.  Since piety isn't restricted by experience, it's not uncommon for apprentices to be selected.  It is a great honor and ceremony for those blessed with Allah's will.  After a period of solitude, prayer, and reflection, these individuals are ready to cast.

The spell is every bit as absolute as we could have hoped.  Magic fizzles in the area so long as the mage holds the spell, which they can do for up to a day at a time.  It is the absolute iron fist of Allah, binding all magic in his merciful hand.

Unfortunately, this means our own mages are unable to cast as well.  The spell requires an hour of preparation before casting, and doesn't dispell existing enchantments.  Even worse, the spell consumes those who cast it - though they are physically unaffected, they can never use magic again.  Still, this is a powerful weapon that clearly demonstrates that the will of Allah is with us. [Against all odds, Normal Cost.]

[NUKE9.13]

How large is the area of effect, roughly? Can a mage standing behind our lines prevent mages standing behind their lines from casting fireballs?

[evictedSaint]

It shuts down magic for an entire theatre. It negates magic in an area big enough to cover a skirmish.  Since it is a spell and mages who use it are no longer able to cast, it can only be used once by whoever we teach it to.

al-Mutriqa knows this spell, but will not use it without grave, extreme reason.

[NUKE9.13]

An entire theatre?
...uh, wow. I guess tapping into Divine Energy was a good idea after all.
An entire theatre. With a normal cost spell. That's insane.

...but is it usable? Does our magic provide a bigger benefit than theirs?

Spoiler: Our Magic (click to show/hide)

Teletalk! Very important. Provides a big bonus to everything.
Detect Ambush; quite important. Provides a bonus to skirmishes.
Lucky Strike; quite important. Provides a bonus to archers.
Detect Thoughts: moderate importance. Provides a bonus to skirmishes. Could be more useful with a revision.

Gust of Wind: minor importance. Primarily used to counter their spells, which would be unnecessary.
Cyclone Shield: quite important. Prevents their snipers from taking out our mages and commanders.
Storm Strike w/ nested Clear Skies: quite important. Provides a bonus to defence.
  Hammer of Allah: quite important. Provides direct damage against their heavy infantry.

Spoiler: Their magic (click to show/hide)

Summon mists: all but completely countered by Gust of Wind.
Summon insects: Ditto.
Summon webs: Moderate importance. Provides a bonus to skirmishes and routs.
Summon caltrops: Moderate importance. Weakens our cavalry charges.

Crystal lances: Moderate importance. Strengthens their cavalry. They have less than us, though.
Crystal axes: Moderate importance. Strengthens their officers.
NOTE: The wording of Tubikh Rrahim's effects suggest these would NOT be dispelled.

Fireball: Very important. Gives their mages an excellent way to damage our troops.
Firewall: Some importance. Provides a bonus to defence.

Frost Tower (?): ? importance. Has only been seen in action once, and did not provide enough of a bonus to swing the tide.

...I may have missed some.

I think that our magic is actually more useful than theirs. In its current OP form, we shouldn't use Tubikh Rrahim. I wonder if we could revise it to be as focused as we want it to be with a single revision.

[Detoxicated]

Glory for Moskur. You said we must learn to beat their magic weapons. ..
how about aiming  mindwash at them or something like peace of allah that turns enemies into pacifists.
That would nullify magic weapons.

[evictedSaint]

Er, sorry - looking back a theatre is too large of an area.  It's reduced to the size of a skirmish to maintain balance.

The biggest issue is that it completely burns out the mages who ise it, followed by negating friendly magic, followed by not dispelling existing enchantments.