[Blitz]

If you want to overcome base Van's research problems, why not just play Midgaard (or whatever the alternate is). The astral mages cancel bad events if you are taking misfortune, the Galderman is a cheaper quill forger, not to mention you start with 4 Air gems/turn. Your pretender should have the research clout to power up to construction 2 regardless of scales and then you pay 5 air gems/turn to cancel your drain.

You lose dwarves, valkries, boars and the most expensive van... in return you get a killer communion slave/fortune teller/mind deuler that can be pretty impressive in numbers. Add a Banner of the Northern Star and a big fat communion and yer in business. Not only that, but the Galderman is the cheapest 2-random mage you can buy, regenerates, can cast triple storm powered orb lightnings, and 1/4 can forge both Boots of the Messenger and rainbow armor to get around the drain scale. 1/4 of them are cheaper blood hunters for that nice storm demon/storm power combo.

Take 9/9 Vans, Storm Demons, a big fat (cheap) communion, a couple of Galdermen, a staff of storms, and a few SC Vans and it's good night Irene.