Unless you are using another strategy. A strong bless plan isn't *needed*. There is Blood Giants with Nifel that work very well. As well as a few others.

Nature 9 is what you would like to assume since it makes the already strong units stronger; but I don't like playing the assumptive theme/races, just because they fit very well means that people think of that as a standard or norm.

Try Neif with 9 Fire pretender; that's fun