What? Do remember that even 10 attentive statues (bottom of the line) can do horrible damage to an ocean of chaff. It's no trouble to have 5 golem crafters pump out two teams to be led by a couple Earth Readers. And Mechanical Militia/Clockwork Horrors are able to flesh your forces out, if only they didn't take till C5. They may be a bit weaker, but they don't waste damage on overkill, and they have an amazing set of resistances. With attentive statues, you pay 4 gems to engage one target. With Claymen (Enchant 4, same school of research, different path of elemental magic), and the construction golems, you are able engage about one target per gem you spend.
As regards to "Old age kills these guys off quick, well before you ever get golems". It's true, old age is harsh, but even with drain 1, its possible to get Attentive Statues out by the first year. First, you really don't have much to spend money on. Second, Oracles of the Ancients are nice, but a complete waste your first year. Third, you don't need to search for gems as aggressively as other nations. You can afford to expand slowly and still summon your nationals.
Code:
Hiring Golem Crafters, Drain Two, no pretender.
Spring: 0 + 0 = 0
LSpr: 0 + 5 = 5
ESum: 5 + 10 = 15
MSum: 15 + 15 = 30
LSum: 30 + 20 = 50
EWin: 50 + 25 = 75
MWin: 75 + 30 = 105
LWin: 105 + 35 = 140
ESpr: 140 + 40 = 180
MSpr: 180 + 45 = 225
If you have a Pretender with as little as 8 research (after drain), you can get them by the first year. If there was an observer mode, you'll see I'm the top researcher in my current MP game, jaguar. And I switched to varied commanders after my fourth Golem Crafter. Though in that game, I took an excessive magic scale. There is middle ground to be found.
I will give you thugging, and necromancy, though. A forge based strategy is probably better with EA, who has giant, non-capital commanders.