[Wendigo]

Originally posted by Peter Ebbesen:

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And can arrive on turn 2, on turn 30, or not at all. I never build strategies around heroes, it is just too unpredictable when (or whether) they arrive.

It will definitely be none at all with misf3.
Etimmu is one of the best heroes in the game, you shouldn't kill your chances of getting such a free boost. And the free U4 mound king is also good.

Let us just say that I am a compulsive gem-gatherer.

Still, not cost effective.

Additionally, the many L4 paths allows leaders with Shirts of the Battle Saint a large number of useful enhancements (I prefer slapping Rainbow Armour on just about every mage/priest leader but Shirt of the Battle Saint will do in a pinch. The host of minor blessings added to the major fear effect of death 9 [obligatory] also make Wraith Centurions or Bane Lords even nastier SCs)

Shrouds are non removable & replace armor, resulting thus in a decrease in protection. I am not as convinced as you that they should be handed around liberally, even less for undead commanders that ignore encumbrance from armour when fighting.
Who would make all those rainbow armours for you? Only your pretender can & no summoned critter would help there unless you roll a N-A spectre (1/64 chance). With a good economy you just have to look for a jade sorc province.
If you are so fond of Fear, Etimmu is actually the best non pretender chasis to pile these bonuses in the game: with 3D+3U he gets a +6 fear bonus on top of his 'being a wraith' fear.

Until reaching conjuration 5-7, at which point I could easily summon ANY mage to do the rest of the work within his branch of magic.

This is really the only advantage of your set up, and that extra lv for ritual casting is just a matter of an extra booster item, not that expensive (and something that you can get in-game, as opposed to better scales).

Assuming that I get these good independent mages and shamen, which while likely on large maps, is not all that likely on small. As noted earlier, much depends on map size.

Not really. I do not play MP monster maps but rather maps with 10-15 indep provinces/nation. Good chances of at least a couple exhotic mages avaliable in those, plus whatever mages you uncover from hidden sites on top of that pair.

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You will have more, and better troops with a better economy also.

No, I may have that, if I get lucky. A few 1,500g events in the early game, for instance, will vindicate your position completely. But that does not necessarily happen. You can still have your temples destroyed by earthquakes, have your labs on fire, &etc with luck +3.

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You do not need the 1500 events, in fact, I'd rather have a couple gold mines...those are _permanent_ income (and x2 for Ermor).
More forts means more unholy knights & legionaries, & safer gem income...

And you may very well be right, it is entirely possible that, on balance, it is better to take the luck 3 than misfortune 3 and the 240 extra points for magic skills, fortress, pretender, and dominion 10. I am just not convinced of it yet, based on my limited Ermor playing.

I am not going as far as advocating 3luck over everyhting else (you will hate the 'good' militia events for example). But I am pretty convinced that luck is superior to misfortune for dead Ermor.