Re: Two questions
 

In all honesty, I don't really like SC pretenders as a whole. I was just curious. I suppose Moloch seems like a good deal, but it costs you some versitality in the cost and he seems much weaker in up-front combat. No AoE, weaker attacks, weaker fear, and less HP. Heat Aura and Imps would be useful, though.

And it's good to know shapechangers risk losing items. You'd think something like that would've been ironed out by the third iteration. Thanks!

Re: Two questions
 

I agree that Dragons are now very good, given that there are few (if any) other base F2 or W2 pretenders, plus they're cheap.
Their lack of slots don't make them very powerful in mid-end game, but in the early stages theay can be awake due to not-too-high cost (if single-9), and they're already "equipped" to deal with most indies, that's not necessarily the case with others pretenders.
BTW what's the most cost-effective F9W9 chassis, if it's not a Dragon ?

Re: Two questions
 

Solar Disk.

Re: Two questions
 

OK you forced me to give this up before I could utilize it.

the Arch Mage of Oceania
Not only is it very efficient in gaining that double bless but you also gain 10 extra research points in making great use of all of that magic. And Oceania is able to handle some harmful scales to pay for it.

By the way, for other people reading this we maybe should mention that these are NOT the best pretenders for dual bless. They are only recommendations for a Fire 9 and Water 9 bless strategy. Other bless strategies can make use of some other very useful pretenders.

I also find it interesting that there seem to be all kinds of dual magic pretenders but no fire and water ones. Maybe Kristoffer should make a mental note to keep an eye out for a pretender that would fit that just to fill that hole.

Re: Two questions
 

What GP?

The sheer amount of points on Dominion alone would push you away, along with the fact that you have to push 1 path 8 steps and the other 9.

I must not get your strategy with it.

Re: Two questions
 

It's probably near as good as most other pretenders going for a F9W9 bless simply because the Archmage is really cheap and the new path cost is cheap. I haven't done the math, but I think you'd probably wind up with around the same cost or more with most other pretenders, and in any case it's probably the best choice if you want to use that bless with Atlantis.

Re: Two questions
 

He has it. It seemed to cost the same. It took me -3 -3 -2 scales to get it either with Solar Disc or Oceania Mage. the OM costs 0 to get and 10 to add a magic path so that might be the balancer.

I remember testing blessing strategies in Dom2 and being surprised that sometimes a 0 cost 10 to start pretender was better, and other times a pretender with a head start was better. I might run those experiments again one of these days

Re: Two questions
 

Well no need to experiment, it's not better. It gets progressively worse the more Holy you want as well.

It costs 645 Pts to get Solar Disk to F9W9, with 3 Dominion
It costs 650 Pts to get a Water Archmage to F9W9, with 1 Dominion.

All other Human Pretenders are their 35-55 Pts worse, plus the Dominion stepping they have to get the Holy to where they need to recruit.

Re: Two questions
 

An acid pretender? (that's the only water + fire spells iirc).

Could be that they dont want F9W9 any more popular/powerfull than it already is.

Re: Two questions
 

Yes really. Note I said /one/ of the best picks. There are other good picks. Dragons are available however to all land nations. Dragons can turn 2 solo cheaply. Turn 2 solo is good. Enough said.