EDIT: The following post was meant as a direct reply to Endropez' very helpful post of a Machaka/BlackHunter/Bless-related thread-links list!
(Somebody here has too much time... 
)
Yes, I probably had
Daynarr's comment and
rabelais' comment from the "Advice on machaka appreciated"-thread in my mind. Only PvK seemed to disagree within this thread, but maybe I got the wrong impression.
Oh, and you missed other threads tackling the issue:
- "Newb Q: Pretender options for Machaka?": Zen's advice for beginners, which continues with "Machaka needs gold"
- "Last question (I hope) on magic learning strategies (Machaka or similar multi-path)?": Here a blessing strategy for Machaka is briefly contemplated as well, but no one really speaks much in favour of it.
Anyway, now that all these threads have been uncovered again, everybody can make up his own opinion what people once thought about it,
for whatever that actually matters today...(Cast ritual: Knowledge of the Ancients)
From my experience I just say Machaka is much more powerful with Order+3, Productivity+3 (Hoplites & Spide Knights are cute) than without but with some bless...