[Rytek]

I prefer EA Pangea over LA Pangea for this strategy for a number of reasons. Blood magic has the heartfinder axe which adds to the beserk bonus and it also has the heart that makes assasins out of your stealthy Pans. Sloth 3 is a no brainer because White centaurs are so cheap resource wise compared to black centaurs and the white centaurs are just as effective vs independents for early expansion.

Also, the thing that makes the above mino thug so great is they are self sufficient. They dont need another along to bless them. That and they have very little encumberance. Finally, not being sacred is great because you are not slowed down by needing a temple to recruit them at a castle.

The one drawback (and it is a big one) you cant get this going until you get some astral mages. I was lucky in my game I started next to a lizard province which is fairly common in early age (another bonus of ea pan over la pan)

By mid game with dwarven hammers built it is easy to pump out 3 minotaur thugs every turn. Recruit 5 regular minotaurs to guard. 1 turn to consolitate. Put the 3 thugs in the front with attack orders. the 15 bodyguards in the middle with guard orders.