[Tuidjy]

> And why do you feel you need N4 on a pretender when you can build a thistle
> mace and the +1 nature bracelet?

The attached file is an non-staged shot of one of my current games, and these are
the actual wizards that are leading the assault of an enemy's capital. Notice
something sad?

When your really good mages are old, they will pick up afflictions, and sometimes
diseases. A disease means that in six months, one of your most valuable mages,
maybe the guy around whom your whole tactics revolve, will be dead. Note that in
that game I have a growth domain. It helps, but not enough.

Yes, there is the Chalice, and Gift of Health, but you cannot rely on that. Two
things available to everyone are Rings of Regeneration and Hydra Skin Armours,
and I'll admit Man is quite well prepared to forge these. But a Shroud of the
Battle Saint is much cheaper (5S vs 10N and 3S vs 7N quite soon) and if you have
at least Nature 4, it will convey regeneration. In addition, when your army is
in the field, rush shipping rings of regenerations to the front is quite hard.
But bless at the beginning of a battle will still see your mages healed up to
their max. And finally, MA Man has some heavily armoured sacred troops. They
have OK hit points, and can survive a few good blows. With regeneration, they
will pick up fewer wounds, and survive much longer.

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As for late game strategies, Man is limited. Basically, it's whatever your God
and the Treelords bring to the nation. With a good start, it can be enough.