Re: Pythium (MA) strategy
 

I was thinking... blood?

Those archtheurgs could become send lesser horror spam machines quite easily.

Re: Pythium (MA) strategy
 

Enough spare commanders hunting and you get enough of a trickle to eventually start empowering. Or, alternatively, if it's late on enough wish for blood slaves, you get plenty to empower and get going. You might get lucky with some indy blood mages, in which case go ahead.

Otherwise you've got two notable problems. Arch Theurgs have severe old age. That means not only do you need to empower them, but unless you've got the Chalice you'll also need to spend a lot of blood slaves rejuvenating them. The second is simply the effort you need to put in if you don't have indy mages: Pythium is a strong nation anyway, and it's a lot of effort it doesn't really need.

Re: Pythium (MA) strategy
 

One of these days, I will actually finish my MA Pythium guide. In the meanwhile, I'll say there are two ways for Pythium to min-max their pretender choice:

1) Play to Strengths: which means very positive scales.

2) Counter weaknesses: which means picking up some magic diversity.

Regardless, the player should rely on Hydras and Princeps for early expansion and rush discouraging while preparing to bring out powerful communion led armies and angelic raiders, hopefully with a useful bless.

The first option is obviously best accomplished with a sleeping or imprisoned immobile pretender, such as the Oracle or the Blood Fountain.

The second option is best done with some type of rainbow chasis and allows for a lot more variability. Keep in mind Pythium only has Astral, Water, and Air Magic covered to any sufficient degree (and some tiny amount of fire).

The first is best achieved with a

Re: Pythium (MA) strategy
 

Then Pythium can also use gladiators for early expansions (by ChrisP for EA Ermor). 100-150g worth of them should be able to take a few provinces early.

Re: Pythium (MA) strategy
 

but you lose them after the first battle.

Re: Pythium (MA) strategy
 

But you can attack an extra province in the 2nd turn without a SC pretender. Their main advantage is the negligible resource cost right when you need it. That means you can take some sloth and not compromise your initial expansion.

I could get well over 20 provinces in 12 months in a test game relying mainly on one hydra party and gladiators.

The other advantage of Retarii is that they can clean out Knight/Elephant provinces.