[Ironhawk]

1) SCs and Thugs are both single units which either via buffs (spells targeting the caster) or equipment are so powerful that they can defeat many foes. I think of SCs as units capable of defeating entire armies, whereas Thugs I use more for cleanup work like taking out PD.

2) This is one of the key points of the game and its difficult to give general advice like this. Best thing I can say is its better to pick an Overall Strategy before you build your pretender. Will you rely on your national troops and mages? Perhaps then you need scales. Will you be using a bless? Then you need a some level 9 magic on your pretender. Are your mages weak? Then perhaps you need a rainbow pretender to pick up the slack.

3) Magic is the key to the long term dominions game, yes. But you don't always need massed spellcasters on the battlefield. That is only one path of magic use. You could alternatively cast Artillery Spells (like murdering winter) from a distance at your enemies army. Or summon SCs to destroy them.

4) Again, it depends on your Strategy. I would say this: you should look at what spells you need your pretender to cast. And then make sure he has all the magic power he will need to do that (or close enough so that he can boost with equipment later on). With the exception of the rainbow mage, this likely means that you will be concentrating on only a few paths of magic.

5) If you have a recruitable H3 priest, many people like to prophetize one so you can get access to the H4 spells. Other than that, units with no holy are popular because they turn into instant H3 priests. If your nation has very strong national commanders they are sometimes prophetized so they can be turned into Thugs.