Re: Most powerful nation
			 
             
			
		
		
		
		MA Ulm is a good candidate for the turmoil/luck trick since their troops cost so little (taking 3order/3prod with Ulm give you an almost unlimited supply of gold).  Turmoil/luck provides hundreds of extra gems over the course of a game, and getting 30+ a turn is not uncommon. 
 
Taking 2 Drain, 3 Prod, 3 Turmoil, 3 Luck, and making a powerful SC pretender with many paths, should cover most of your bases with Ulm. 
 
I'm a fan of 9-Path Titan pretenders, but only when you're not sacrificing too much long-term magical diversity.  Since Ulm's problem is almost by definintion magical diversity, your Pretender has to take up the slack, and there aren't any sacred troops to bother with anyway. 
		
	
		
		
		
		
		
		
		
		
		
	
		
		
	
	
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