Hmmm. I disagree that the priests aren't sexy. There are 3 Versions, all dirt cheap for their interesting abilities. I think except for arco and marignon, they have the sexiest priests.
(i.e.Harem Time!)
Maybe I'm silly, but I find getting a decent blessing with machaka is way too expensive. Plus the Hunters, as marvelous as they are, are overpriced. (Until they lose their riders, Heh.
)
Fire/blood/death are all almost useless for the hunters. (if you got undead spiders, death would rule, but alas....)
Astral still doesn't get their post-rider MR into the survivable range. Air is potentially nice if you're using massed crossbows, but it seems rather unlikely.
Water and nature are both lovely, but you can't get them without paying through the draconic nose.
(If divine serpent were available... Yum!)
But 274 points is a lot to empower a unit you can't afford until midgame.
I like the Wyrm for a cheap SC or a rainbow with air/water/astral. Machaka is very good at summoning armies and the gems are gonna get used early and often.
Oh and the hoplites are, bar none, the most cost efficient infantry in the game. If not using a hunter bless strat, take a low gold castle (wizard tower kicks tush) and churn them out like the unstoppable death wave they are.
Rabe the Machakan Maven