The Amateur Linkamancer's Thread

[0beron]

Well, after the brilliant little "King World" turn-ending trick accomplished by a Turnamancer/Thinkamancer/Other? Link, some speculation as cropped up about what Jetstone could accomplish with links involving their own casters. So I felt like taking it another step further and making a whole thread for speculation about the effects achievable from other linked casters.

I guess a good place to start would be links that are known to be "possible" because they involve casters that exist in the comic, but you're welcome to expand beyond that to casters not yet introduced.

~My computer is acting up, so I shall return to the discussion at a later time to post the ideas I had come up with involving Jetstone's casters, as well as the links that have already been shown in the comic.

[TokraZeno]

Hasn't it been established that a link requires a Thinkamancer? I'm sure we haven't been introduced to all of them yet, but Jetstone hasn't been shown to have a thinkamancer yet. If they don't have one, then they can't do a link without employing either Charlie like faq or, much more likely, hire one from the magic kingdom.

I reckon linking Ace and Cubbins could lead to some interesting accessories.

[0beron]

Okay, new theory!

Cubbins dies in Jenga Tower fall.
Wanda Decrypts him, testing (successfully) whether casters retain their abilities.
Links with Maggie and Sizemore to create a mighty artifact called simply "Sh*thead"

*some time later, in an unrelated fashion*
Cubbins becomes a GOD! *evil laughter*

(sorry, I let my personal love of Cubbins get a lil outa hand for a second there...ehhe


*whisper*
all hail Cubbins

OKAY, really done now

[Lamech]

I wonder if Janice the Hippiemancer is really something different than just a florist. If casters can actually upgrade to a full class* they would make ideal linking material. So would Wanda if she looks more in to other areas of magic. Lets see here, Wanda continues her thinkamancy, rhyme-o-mancy, and hat-o-mancy training. Then she links up with Janice. Now we have 7 flavors of casting.

Anyway things to do with links.
Super spells: Combine thinkamancy and rhyme-o-mancy. Both can make spells stronger. The third flavor is super charged.
Living uncroaked: Combine flower power with croakamancy. Hopefully they live and no longer decay. Maybe even have mushrooms growing on them to make rations for other units.
Non-decaying uncroaked: Dollamancy is used in taking trophies? Use that to make the body not decay, but have croakamancy inside. Now your uncroaked don't decay!
Super-items: Dollamancy makes equipment? Slot in a caster with it to let those items have those powers. Now you can make a healing blaster!
Double spells: Combine dittomancy with anything, now its twice as powerful. Give double the bonus to your uncroaked!
Quadramancy: Two dittomancers. Double, double bonues. Caster bonus+artifact bonus+warlord bonus+dance fighting bonus+stack bonus. If GK had that they would probably be up to a +100ish bonus.
Extra Luck: You know how luckamancers steal luck? Double it instead with a dittomancer+luckamancer.
Link-link: Take two or three thinkamancer have them link. Then cast the super-link spell. Now you link three links together. Note: extremely dangerous.

[Saladman]

Weirdomancer + Moneymancer: heavily discounted promotions (weirdomancer extends specials, moneymancer pays to make them permanent, but with a break for being linked to the act). Get knights, other elite unit classes and some warlords at reduced cost. Maybe even promote full casters up from archons or witches for less than an insane cost, but that's speculative.

Floramancer + Dirtamancer: improve or create upkeep-offsetting fields and orchards. Not my idea. Plant golems.

Dirtamancer + Moneymancer: reduce city upgrade costs even beyond a dirtamancer's discount. Create (purely hypothetical) schmucker-making structures like windmills and mine heads. Not my idea.

Turnamancer + Dateamancer: turn units without the normally low loyalty. Best placed in scrolls for battlefield use.

[Mrtyuh]

We know that a Date-O-Mancer was linked with a Hat Magician to make Duncan's laurel, which allows him to pair units. Hat Magicians make magic hats. Dollamancers make raiment and accessories. A Dirtamancer and a Dollamancer might make a spade that allows a unit to tunnel like Sizemore. A Mathamancer and a Dollamancer might make something like Parson's bracer. A Shockamancer and a Dollamancer could make a ring that allows the wearer to shoot lightning like a Sith. A Hat Magician and a Predictamancer might make a hat that would allow a unit to target enemies like Delphie at the Battle of Goodminton.

[0beron]

Rhyme-Think-Croak: In combat enemy units dance themselves to death :p
Turn-Think-Doll: Machine which speeds up unit production, or allows the city to mass-produce Golems independently from it's normal production.
Heal-Think-Doll: Bullet-proof vests, or clothing that revives the wearer when they become Incapacitated.
Fool-Think-Flower: Enemy units are affected as if on Acid lol
Fool-Think-Sign: Create believable spies that the enemy believes are genuinely part of their side.

[Mrtyuh]

It may have required a Foolmancy + Dollamancer link to produce the scounting veil that Haffaton scout was wearing. Of course, given what we've seen Dollamancers produce on their own, I also find it likely that a Dollamancer alone could have produced it .

[Lamech]

Now recall how Sizemore allowed Wanda to work her magic on the volcano even though it normally isn't valid for uncroaking? Think of the things that could do with other caster types.
Turna+Dirt: Turn cities
Wierd+Dirt: Add abilities to cities
Flower+Dirt: Add plants to the terrain, make a forest, or a farm.
Dirt+Change: Change hex type
Dirt+Ditto: Copy Hex features. Like cities. Or magma lakes.

Oh and we can't forget the ultimate combo
Hat+Rhyme: Pull a caster out of your hat. Its more powerful than the link which made it and has all their abilities, and of course can pull out another hat+Rhyme-o-mancer. Eventually you'll get one that can pull a Voom out of its hat, solving all problems.

[0beron]

The recent speculation that Haffaton era Wanda was part of a tri-link with Olive gave me an idea.
We know that Stanley is by no means a genius...yet he supposedly came up with the idea of creating the Eyemancer link. What if that idea was actually given to him by Wanda based on her previous experience? Given Haffaton's size, I think it's totally possible they have TONS of casters, especially given the way they fight I figure they must aim for a high capture rate of enemy targets. Plus Wanda has obviously continued to practice in other schools, which suggests that maybe she has tutelage from casters in those areas.
So (big speculation) what if Haffaton's secret is that it is actually managed by double tri-links using an Eyemancer Table? One Eyemancer link to create and operate the table, plus a Croak/Think/Flower link also using the table to feed extra info to it and to control the Uncroaked/Flowers remotely? I'm not saying all 6 casters are linked directly, just saying that using an Eyemancer Table they may be able to very efficiently share information between the 2 links.

[MarbitChow]

What if that idea was actually given to him by Wanda based on her previous experience?

If that were the case, I don't think we'd have gotten Wanda's grudging respect for his decision to do it.

"Ordering them linked was... the shrewdest thing I've ever known Stanley to do."

Wanda doesn't seem the type to give credit to others if it was her idea or suggestion.

[0beron]

True, it still could have been her idea and she was just acknowledging his wisdom/cruelty in ordering it done (cruel because of the risk and loss of self). However, I think Wanda would readily give credit to someone for an idea that was hers, especially in Stanley's case. She indirectly controls GK, and that is not a fact I think she'd be eager to reveal to Parson, not that soon after he appeared.

[drachefly]

In that case, Haffaton would have found FAQ immediately.

[0beron]

Oh....yup there is the gaping hole I had forgotten about! There are a few explanations, such as a limit on the range of the Table's vision (It was only ever said the table views the entire battlespace...so because FAQ's Predictamancy prevents them from ever being part of Haffaton's Battlespace, maybe the Table wouldn't see them?) or it's of course possible that Haffaton DOES know about FAQ and for some reason has chosen to leave them be (Fate conspiracy mumbo jumbo).
But yeah, I agree you're very right and the 2 ideas I mentioned above are more from me playing Devil's Advocate than anything else.

[Corran132]

Ok, so thought (I have no idea if this would actually work, and I don't think any factions have the necessary casters at this point)

Luck/Think/Predict (or possibly math). Effect: win almost any battle (read below to see how)

Ok, so the basis for this one is solid, but there may be a flaw in there somewhere (possibly in predictmancer choice)
So in book 0, two things have been told.
1- luckcasters can de-buff and buff. I'm going to assume they can de-buff enemies. It has also been determined that it is hard to buff/debuff more than a unit.
2- (just a theory) luck is stolen from somewhere else.

So the predictmancer, if they can, predicts which of the enemies will roll high, and which of the allies will roll low. Each round, the luckmaster then selectively buffs and de-buffs units (which has been established to be easier than whole armies) so that your side has good (not perfect but good) luck, and your enemy has bad. theoretically, if point 2 is correct, this should actually be easier (with practice) because you are not "pulling a 4 out of the air", you are just switching the luck of two dice. What's more, you are not wasting a debuff of enemies who would have rolled poorly anyway, and you don't have to maintain the link after that roll. Essentially, this allows a precision use of luckmancy, using less energy and allowing you to possibly even do it multiple times in a turn.

The upshot is this: your units consistently roll average or better, and their units consistently roll average or worse. short of epic warlord bonuses, this should be enough to swing the fight. If I'm right and not missing something. This, of course, helps you in no way against ambushes.

The real problem is that I'm not sure if this use of predictmancy or mathmancy, and if you need a lookmancer in the link to look that closely at your enemies.

[0beron]

There is nothing wrong with your theory Corran, in fact Book 0 DID say the luck is "stolen" from "nearby". I agree that it would require a Predictamancer, not a Mathamancer. However a Mathamancer being unlinked and advising the link would make it even stronger/efficient by telling the side which armies it already stands a good chance of defeating.

[Whispri]

A Florist/Wanda(has there ever been a mention of other Croakamancers?)/Thinkamancer link might allow the creation of this sort of horror, the uncroaking of plant Units, perhaps even the creation of mobile ones. Horribly nasty poisons that both croak and uncroak. Resurection has been suggested, but I dunno, that seems like more of a Healomancer/Wanda/obvious thing. Flesh Golems, but they could be a bog standard Weirdomancy thing, or a Croakamancy thing if it ever turns out to be more than a one trick pony. If you linked your Wanda with a Dollamancer you might be able to uncroak your dollies and create vampric weaponry... but again, that might be a bog standard Dollamancy/Wandamancy, or even Healomancy thing. Bone/Fossil Golems? Same problem, could be a normal Unit, could be Wandamancy crossed with anything. Forms of undead other than zombies and skeletons? Again, it could require anything.

In that case, Haffaton would have found FAQ immediately.

Not if there's a range limit and Faq happens to be beyond it. Even moving the link from City to City to extend the range might get them missed if no one considers the area they're in to be worth a look.

[0beron]

[If Haffaton had an Eyemancer Link], Haffaton would have found FAQ immediately.

Not if there's a range limit and Faq happens to be beyond it. Even moving the link from City to City to extend the range might get them missed if no one considers the area they're in to be worth a look.

We know that FAQ is smack dab in the MIDDLE of Haffaton. If the Eyemancer Link is limited by a physical range, it is doubtful they would miss FAQ. If however it's limited to the "Battlespace" then FAQ could have escaped notice because their Casters' efforts keep Haffaton from interacting with their units, so FAQ's cities never become part of the Battlespace.

[drachefly]

We know that FAQ is smack dab in the MIDDLE of Haffaton.

No. FAQ is almost surrounded by Haffaton. Given Haffaton's size, that means it's way out on the edge.

Still, Jillian would have been caught a lot more passing through if there were this linkup in play.

Plus, if it was precedented, it wouldn't be so unexpectedly shrewd of Stanley.

[0beron]

Well given Wanda's personality and tactics, I'm not taking her word on that issue. I consider it possible, if not outright likely, that she'd exaggerate or mislead Parson so soon after meeting him.
However your point about Jillian being caught more often is good. It's still something that could be explained away with the "Battlespace" idea, since we get the impression it is rare for her to not act at dawn. But this explanation, as I said before, is more of a Devil's Advocate argument than something I seriously support :p