Summary
Aerial troops. Cost 4AP. Move 1200p. Combat factors are +6 vs everything.
Cost 6 PIPs to deploy. Disappear on a PIP score of '1'.
If they lose any combat they flee the field from a Magician, God or Cleric.
If they are doubled in combat they are destroyed.

Paul Grace writes:
Gods are a real gamblers' element. You don't know whether they'll turn up and when they do you don't know how long they will stick around for. Any army with a God must make its game plan based on the assumption that they will be fighting without it for the majority if not all of the battle. If / when it does arrive, use it without delay to take on a high value element or the general. On rolling a six, players need to consider whether or not to materialise their God or use those valuable PIPs to manoeuvre their existing units. If kept off table the god remains a potential threat - once it appears it becomes a hostage to fortune (roll a 1 PIP and you've just lost 4AP).

The last game that I played with a god in my army was a Vietnam game with a Cessna Bird Dog (arty spotter/ forward air controller) in the roll of God. It was mid game before I rolled a 6. My grunts had been badly broken up by Charlie. With much soul searching I decided to keep the God off table, regroup my elements and launch a co-ordinated attack - which took out at least one enemy element. I never rolled another six (nor did I roll a 1 - so it would have stayed on table) but I still won the battle.

James Ewins writes:
Gods are probably the element that relies more on timing then anything else. Once they become really useful (everyone's having a scrap) you then need to find room and pips for them at a point where both are at premium. On the other hand, having a sh!-hot element that never recoils arrive near a crowded melee is always a bonus. The best use for Gods that I've found is to go for the weakest elements in the opposing force and grind them into the dirt. This way you may be able to make up the 4AP the god will lose you as it vanishes into thin air in 10 minutes.

Alan Saunders writes:
Being an aerial, though, they are quite good for nipping around flanks and providing extra overlaps, and are more difficult than Fliers to drive off.

The first thing I try to do when I get a god is work out how to get to, and destroy, the enemy general. You may not have much time, so go for the quick victory. If you can't do that, go for as many points as you can; you want to make sure that the god takes out at least 4AP of enemy troops before it vanishes.

I have found that when opposing a god the only viable tactic is to brazen it out and try and minimise your loses, hoping for the inevitable '1' to turn up. They are not much fun to face when they are on a roll, as there's little that can oppose them. Magicians and clerics can drive them off, but have a hard time of it because they can't move into contact. A magician can try to bespell the god, which will drive it off, but the magician is destroyed on a losing roll. Other gods defeat them, but one God is hard enough to bring on, let alone two. No, a god's only natural enemy is a '1'.

If facing a god, make sure your general is covered from attack and can recoil if this is unavoidable. And try to use frontal zones to limit the god's movement. Also be aware that the opponent is going to be doing everything in their power to keep their god useful whilst they have it. Hammer away at the rest of his army and force him to choose between using PIPs there or on moving and using the god.

Steve Price writes:
A tactic that I have seen used very effectively - I came of worse in the exchange - was not to use a God for combat but rather as a blocker.

It is used in conjunction with artillery and/or Mage. Let the enemy come to you. As with all timing is important but the artillery and mage can hold up the enemy whilst you await your God. Once the God arrives is is moved asap to behind the enemy line that is now in range of your long distance shooting, preferably so that it is evenly behind two elements. Then 'Fire !' and watch as enemy elements recoil into your God. If the God is attacked then it is big enough to look after itself.

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