Re: Pretender Design
 

Good overview for most of it Omikron, just a couple of minor points I'm not in complete agreement on.

Rainbow pretenders don't need high dominion, so I don't see why you say this counteracts their low starting cost, since you only need to bring it to 5 or 6, not 9 as you do for SCs you want Awe for. Having low dom is a con, certainly, but this is a choice the builder can make if they need the points.

Also, don't dis the Ghost King, he fulfills both of his functions quite well when properly designed and used, he just takes a bit more finesse than a cyclops smash-fest (as well as a bit of finger-crossing the first few turns if you expand with him right away.) Due to cost concerns you'll generally want to skip a full rainbow with him and go for important non-national and cross-path access. His main drawback is that he's horribly expensive, not that he is bad at his functions. He can also teleport, which is incredibly useful for a combat pretender (and then stealth away from any retaliation.) I've used him a bunch and have always been quite happy with him.

Re: Pretender Design
 

I'd just like to mention that good ol' cyclops benefits greatly from Air. Level 0 research gives him access to air shield, which basically takes care of one of his big drawbacks when you try to expand early with him; projectiles. He still has issues with heavy calvary, and I wouldn't send him in against dark vines (or undead), but otherwise he can take on most anything.

It also gives him access to cloud trapeze, mistform, and resist lightning, meaning that he only needs a ring of frost to be elemental immune.

Jazzepi