[Scott Hebert]

Originally posted by st.patrik:
I know this is off-topic, but ARE YOU KIDDING? The only more prevalent magic than blood is death. Already you have the nations Abysia (several themes), Mictlan, Jotunheim, Pangaea (base theme), Black Forest Ulm, and Vanheim with blood capability. I think there are *plenty* of blood nations -

Certainly there are a lot of Blood nations, but I don't like almost any of them. Mictlan is a MM nightmare that even in small games gets too involved for me. Also, they're SLOW. Of the rest of the themes, you have Abysia, who in base has no good blood-searcher and in BoH has rather underwhelming nat'l troops. Jotunheim suffers from the base Abysia issue, and Vanheim has actually very little blood capability. BF Ulm suffers from an enforced Death scale.

Something else I've noticed is that Blood tends to de-randomize your picks in your mages, the Jotun Gygja being the only exception. As I've said in the Ashikaga thread, I'd love to have a 'Blood Mystic'.

if there's any path that needs another nation it's earth, which only has Vanheim and Ulm (and a little in Machaka & Pangaea)

There's also Golden Era Arco for certain, and base Arco can definitely get their hands on Earth mages. IIRC, Tien Chi might get some Earth gems as well.

What I find lacking is not so much this path or that path, but the combinations, ESPECIALLY on Pretenders.

Not saying this to try to be an *** - I just honestly don't understand how anyone can think we need another blood nation.

I wasn't offended. My concern with the 'blood nations' currently out there is that they are too focused on 'one aspect' of Blood Magic. Abysia can get Devils and Archdevils, but not Frost Fiends or anything but the Fire Devils. Jotunheim is the reverse. Mictlan is the exception here, but the cost involved is far too high in a playstyle way.

But then, I'm a big proponent of high random picks on mages.

Scott