[Twan]

I've not played Patala sufficiently to have a definitive opinion, and Kissblade probably has far more experience and knowledge of the subject than me, but I find strange not to have a strategy allowing to give their full efficiency to national summons and mages, at least on big maps (if the nagas are not short terms good sacred, having a bless strat or semi bless strat for long term looks better than nothing, on paper at least, when you have access to many kinds of sacred summons including ones with 4 attack in end game). It's why I've presumed the first strategy was only the best for small games.

For sure Patala looks like one of the many nations that may be rushed without a chance by double blessed troops (even after 20 or so turns on a big map). But as relying upon a dormant VQ and mercenaries against vans won't be really more efficient than hoping any other pretender may stop them, why not taking a pretender giving an earth and/or water bless ? Of course like all nations without a great short term efficiency, in a big mp game you need some diplomacy to survive, but then you have access to very good sacred troops and thugs, with clam hoarding to finance the summons. And as you are an earth nation you are one of the most useful allies nations not producing hammers can have, so I think in most games (allowing diplomacy) you are going to find some. So my only question is (and it's a question not an arguement one more time I'm not pretending to know very well this nation) why do you find a bless strategy for Patala so bad (outside of blitzes / no diplo games) ? The way you have answered Daynarr's posts doesn't make your reasons very clear.