Decisions, decisions...

[Zoof]

I'm at a bit of a crossroads. I love my fun and easy tourney and spire points but I'm also at the tail end of the orcs chapter and now I've been told that the thing in the current daily exclusives (Lava Egg) is the best mana generator in the game. I know I've got to eventually move forward, if only because I'm quickly reaching the point where I can max out my remaining AWs and feel as though I can do the same thing to my not-yet-fully-deployed Heros' Forge within a month. But... mana! So my choice is basically thus:

1. Ignore the Egg. Keep it parked in Orcs for as long as I can. No, upgrading the egg afterward just isn't an option. (Unless you can convince me otherwise)
2. Ignore strategy, start moving forward and accept the fact that I might not be able to max out spire/tourney. And get the mana.

Am I going to take a hit? Is my anxiety truly baseless? Am I being silly? Is there any substance to what I'm thinking?

EDIT: Don't look at my city. If you do, keep a wastebasket nearby and be sure you're not eating/drinking anything; you may want to puke after you gaze upon the mess. My citizens are still recovering from FA.

 

[Alram]

Stay where you are if you're happy there. There will always be other mana buildings later.

 

[MaidenFair]

If it helps, the Lava Egg isn't actually the best mana generator in the game, it's just a good one. The Moon Bear (craftable) and Triumph of the Tides both have way more mana production per square, and others (like the Burning Pool that was the first day's prize) are marginally better.

That said, why is upgrading the egg not an option? If you're in a fellowship that does well in tourney, and you're parked in a chapter, you should be raking in the RRs with not many places left to use them, right? I've been collecting mana buildings since December when I was in Dwarves, and I figure I should have enough RRs to upgrade them almost all of them into Woodelves on the very first day with about two month's worth of saving RRs and blueprints, which time I'll need to get through Orcs anyway.

Also, what @Alram said.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Do you fight or negotiate? If you negotiate, then orcs will become required in both the tournament and Spire after you complete the Advanced Scouts at the start of chapter 9. Also, once you start chapter 9, those Festival Merchants in crafting go from crappy supplies/goods to mana generation, and as long as you are in chapter 9 or 10, I think they beat any of the event buildings for making mana.

 

[Alram]

The ch9 genies were pretty good too. They dropped mana quite often, sometimes 27k in one day.

 

[Lelanya]

I think that Manta Rays are the best in early chapters, with Festival Merchants being a close second, and Burning Pool a close third. When you are starting out with mana, you need more frequent pickups. Lava Eggs are good later on, when you need lots of mana in one pickup, and can afford to wait.

 

[crackie]

Remember the Lava Egg pickup is 48hrs instead of 24hrs. Festival Merchants from MA do pretty well for mana until S&D. Then you have to find better mana producers for Halfling+ due to Festival Merchants making seeds instead. The good news is you can build Dragon Abbey at the end of S&D, and then you have mana on demand. Sparkle up your city with enchantments and you're good. I cater half the Spire, but I still rip out all my mana buildings for FAs and let it decay. I have some evolve buildings making minimal mana, but Tiara badges on demand pretty much sustains my mana production. My Unicorn Glade has 1195 days of sparkles left, so a little over 3 years supply of glitter they can snort. My unicorns are also very calm and free of anxiety. I advocate the snorting of white, sparkly, glistening, twinkling glitter for mana.

 

[Iyapo1]

I vote for number 1....ignore the egg. There will be other mana producers. You dont need mana in the tournament or the spire so you have time and events between now and chapter 10 to pick up other shinies!

 

[Huor]

I was worried about mana when I switched to chapter 9. Turns out half the stuff in my city makes mana. Right now as I'm getting ready to switch to chapter 10, I've always had mana when I wanted it. You may be surprised at what you already have.

 

[Linnea Shadowwalker]

I was worried about mana when I switched to chapter 9. Turns out half the stuff in my city makes mana. Right now as I'm getting ready to switch to chapter 10, I've always had mana when I wanted it. You may be surprised at what you already have.

I agree. I have used royal restorations on my evolving buildings to keep them chaptered up. When I entered woodelves, I had half of the mana production that elvengems recommended on day one. Crafting a moon bear that I just earned artifacts for, crafting 2 festival merchants in the MA, and winning 2 burning pools, and I have the total recommended mana production, and I've been in woodelves for only one week.