Re: Pythium (MA) strategy
 

As for magic scales, I know rather little amount of situations when neutral or drain scales should be taken. I think that it is almost always better to sacrifice something else and take at least magic 1. Pythium has not bad research overall..
As for the questions.
1. I can't tell you what the exact steps in the early game you should follow, because I didn't experiment with Pythium much, but your troops are very good against indies. Recruit alae legionnaires, put them to the bottom on "fire closest" and add two or three replaceable arrow catcher units for each fight. This is a very good army for early expansion, especially with prophet, certainly.
2. Well, the answer depends on what you're trying to reach. Early research is important if you are aiming for something early. For example this may be Const for items or Alt for boosters on SC. It is true for any race and any game. So if you don't need early rapid research, then you don't need ArchTheurgs in early turns. And (it may sound blasphemous) may be you don't need mages at early turns at all, depending on situation. Having no mages at 2-3 turns and a fast expansion with second castle may appear a better benefit then early research. I suggest you to try a build I've proposed for Man here http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/thr...p;o=&vc=1. However, this build definitely needs research as you need reinvigoration on your Earth mother if you want to use her as a good fighter. If you don't rely on her as soon as she awakes, you may search sites for some turns. Everything depends on situation, as I already mentioned.

Re: Pythium (MA) strategy
 

Being a fan of the cyclops, I would suggest him for your pretender.
Dormant, E6N4 and dom5.
Order 3, Misfortune 2, Magic 1 and either Growth 2 or Prod 1 Growth 1(or Dom6 Growth 1).

Research personal regeneration before he gets out and he should kick several kinds of ***. Some minor items, particularly boots of the behemoth, will help him. Getting summon earthpower is also reccomended.

With a crystal matrix, if you can get one, he can also help your communions. With spells like bladewind, creeping doom, panic and living earth all getting boosted by high levels. The high level buffs, like mass regeneration, relief, army of gold/lead and gaias blessing are also avaliable to him. And summon earthpower/invunerability give your communions alot more staying power(with your bless, thats 7 reinvigoration. Add relief to that and they can keep going for a long time).

Re: Pythium (MA) strategy
 

yeah I'm looking at the cycolps too.. especially since the earth mother or whatever was suggested isn't in my reperoire http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

I was looking at almost the same settings as you.. you think the E6 will be better over E4 and higher prod and growth?

Re: Pythium (MA) strategy
 

Maybe not. But it gives easier access to globals like the forge.

Re: Pythium (MA) strategy
 

Which then makes it easier getting rings of wizardry and the like.

Re: Pythium (MA) strategy
 

AFAIK, dom 5 or 6 can be rather hard to maintain as a lot of players will play either awake sc's with awe or mass sacred production. However, cyclops is not a bad choice overall despite I don't understand why you suggest to wear boots of begemoth on very costly size 5 cyclops instead of using much cheaper, trampling, regenerating, size 6 and more hp earth mother with the same magic for the same purpose. I really don't dig it;)

Re: Pythium (MA) strategy
 

Why Cyclops over the Mother? How about 26 protection rather than 11?
Even with trampling and regen out of the box, 11 protection really isn't enough to survive against many troops - even barbarians.

Size 5 can actually be an advantage in some cases - it allows the cyclops to fight with his weapon/s against other size 5 enemies rather than trying to trample them.

Re: Pythium (MA) strategy
 

11 protection should be boosted by Stone and Ironskin ASAP and Invul, so it's not an argument. When the pretender awakes, you should have both. As for fighting size 5 enemies... Well, trampling is really not so good on a combat pretender and it is not a secret. Purpose of such god is not fighting equally tough enemies but killing the hordes of small ones. I don't say that Earth mother is very good pretender, I just say that for purposes of trampling she is much better than cyclops you suggest.

Re: Pythium (MA) strategy
 

a better reason to not take the mother is that you CAN't TAKE the mother...

PS why not just take a cheap fountain or arch mage to get some astral and nature and earth.. and save some points and get more ... growth or something

Re: Pythium (MA) strategy
 

I don´t see a reason for a bless of regeneration. it´s pointless. Even a sling could kill the oldmen instead of hurting them.
Only an earth blessing would fit, maybe a death blessing to the battle magic damage do afflictions.