[PvK]

I'm with Zen.

The latest thread popularity is a really bad indicator of what is good, bad, useless, overpowered or broken in the game. This game is full of tons of stuff. Some of it is very powerful in the right circumstances, but not without costs and trade-offs. I've been playing Dominions since months before D2 came out (playing D1:PPP), and there is still tons of stuff I haven't seen, let alone used or figured out strategies for.

Some stuff can be hugely effective without being flashy. Death and blood magic tends to be flashy and dramatic. When expected, it also tends to evaporate in a cascade of cheap banishment attacks. Nature magic can win battles and wars without even being noticed. For example, getting steamrollered by a huge army... because there were some commanders with nature items allowing many more living/eating units to exist in a single location without starving, perhaps even marching straight through dead Ermorian provinces with no supply problems.

No strong water magic? Hmm... got strong underwater units? Got clams? Unimpressed with my sword of swiftness and boots of quickness?

PvK