[llamabeast]

Cool, glad there's a new version coming out.

I've been thinking quite a lot about the balance of Ulm Reborn and Vaettiheim. I think they're well balanced against each other, but compared to the vanilla nations they've both got a major weakness in one area - they have no recruitable-anywhere mages of any strength. I've been looking through all the other LA nations, and I think all of them have a reasonably strong recruitable-anywhere mage capable of some good battle magic. Hmm, wish I had dominions here so I could give some examples. But check out any vanilla nation.

In the early game and on small maps it isn't too important, but I think playing either nation against almost any vanilla nation on a large-ish map you'd ultimately be doomed, because you'd eventually be out-magicked. Ulm Reborn in particular has the problem that your only real mages, the white priests, are not only hard to come by but also very easily killed off by Magic Duel.

I wonder if you could change the mage lineup to be something like:

Archivist: Same as current White Acolyte
White Acolyte: E2 (50%)S
White Priest: As current White Priest

If the white priest had 1 less hp than the white acolyte (as is the case I think with Pythium?), he wouldn't be targeted by magic duel until after any white acolytes with astral, I think.

I'm sorely tempted to suggest giving the White Priest a (FAES) random - that would be great, even if it was just 50%. But they're not meant to be a nation of strong mages I suppose, so that would probably be over the top.

What do you think?