[Chris Byler]

Originally posted by Blitz:

quote:

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I can't think of a single other Pretender that is available to 14 of the land races, with the sole exception being on the grounds of 'theme'

I guess you don't play Marignion much. Even as a blood race, they were not allowed to use the VQ, obviously a thematic choice as Marignion ARE a blood race. Marignion cannot use any undead pretenders. I believe the Lich and Archlich are available to ALL races, even underwater ones... Except Marignion. They are the only race that could use neither the VQ or the GK... leaving them with second tier SC choices of which the best are the Virtue and the Lady of Fortune. Neither of these are comparable to a post-nerf VQ or GK. Don't feel bad for Ermor.

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Standard Marignon (and I believe also FotF, not sure about CotS) has an undead/demon-damaging capitol site, creating the potential to spectacularly shoot yourself in the foot if you take an undead pretender and *don't* take Diabolical Faith. Also it's inappropriate for *any* Marignon theme to take an undead pretender - even DF, the whole reason they made deals with the devils was to gain power to destroy the undead.

I think it would be nice if pretender availability could be restricted by theme instead of by nation, but currently it can't, so if a Vampire Queen shouldn't want to rule AE/SG Ermor (who would she eat?), BE Ermor can't take her either; and if CW Pangaea needs undead pretender options, normal/NE Pangaea get them too.

The VQ doesn't have the same thematic problem with Desert Tombs (which, like Broken Empire, has the living side by side with the dead), but arguably does with Carrion Woods. But Ermor is often AE/SG, while Pangaea is rarely CW, so until theme-by-theme restrictions are implemented (if ever), the current arrangement is the best available fit.

Also, in response to the original question, I think the blue dragon is available to every land nation except Abysia (but, IIRC, the red dragon is available to every land nation *including* Caelum). There's an obvious thematic reason why a blue dragon, with cold immunity, powerful water magic, and frost breath, is inappropriate for either theme of Abysia. (The red dragon is just as inappropriate for Caelum and Jotunheim, and the blue dragon possibly for Machaka as well, but those are probably oversights.)

The VQ's unavailability to Ermor is just more noticeable because there has been a lot of discussion on this board of specific VQ/Ermor strategies, while nobody would really want to take a blue dragon for Abysia (or indeed, a red or blue dragon for any nation of the opposite temperature preference).