Massing Scouts
 

Adequate scouting is huge in Dominions. My question is how do you get critical scout mass when you don't have any provinces that produce scouts?

Re: Massing Scouts
 

Black Servants (D2 and Conj 1) are likely your best bet. Or just bite the bullet, and accept that one fort has to produce scouts rather than mages (note this is rarely the best option, but sometimes it is your only one). If you don't have national scouts, then the Black Servants are your only sensible option for a scout unit.

You can also think about a spell. Astral Window (S2 and Thau3) lets you spy on a province remotely. Or do what a lot of players do, and forge Stone Spheres (E1S1, and IIRC, Con4 (or maybe Con6)). And this lets any commander unit cast the Astral Window spell for free.

Re: Massing Scouts
 

Black Servants are one option I use. Unfortunately, I am playing Caelum in this game and do not have any death income yet. Astral spells are nice, but I don't have the astral mages to cast the spells, or they have other things they need to be doing.

Also, I do not have Con4 yet, due to being in mid-year 2 and having other research priorities.

Re: Massing Scouts
 

As Caelum in that situation I'd dedicate a cheap fort (without lab/temple) to make scouts. Caelian scouts fly so cover much more ground and can quickly move where you need better intel. On top of that they have 12 prec IIRC so make good platforms for bows of war and peircers etc.