[Sandman]

Endoperez and Sindai have both made good points, and I agree with them. Apart from the gold cost, the weaknesses of this race are trivial. Their strengths are equivalent to three normal nations.

1.Flying
2.Scaly
3.Bite
4.Fire Breath
5.Fire resistance
6.Powerful mages of Fire, Air and Astral
7.Decent mage priests
8.The most flexible mage in the game, bar none. Who cares if he's capital only?
9.SC assassins.
10. Almost unlimited searching and forging opportunities.
11. Excellent province defence. Probably.

Their biting ability alone could carry a nation. There aren't that many units with multiple attacks, and they are often expensive or have limitations. These guys have a secondary attack as a racial feature. They're going to chew (literally) through the opposition. And that's just one of their minor abilities.