Let me get this right, En Forcer...
Rather than spend 20 gold on a scout every 9 rounds [the scout has 10 hp], which costs 2.22g/round and paying upkeep 20/15 = 1.33g/round - for a total of 3.55g/round, you are paying 50/(2*15) = 1.67g/round for the priest AND 10 nature gems for a ring of regeneration AND allowing any enemy to harvest fever fetishes and rings of regeneration by performing hit and runs by attacking non-fortress provinces where your priests are out in the open, preaching, unlike the fever-fetish scouts which are usually stationed safely inside fortresses warded with domes...
Of course, if you want to match the fire gem production of a scout, you need twice as many priests (as one miscellaneous slot is used by the ring of regeneration), which will gost you 3.33g/round and 20 nature gems.
I think I will forego the priest strategy and just recruit a few more scouts to huddle inside my fortress (if I don't have access to undead, that is), thank you very much
...Oh, the Ruby Eye is an artifact. You can only have one.
[ March 24, 2004, 19:32: Message edited by: Peter Ebbesen ]