[CUnknown]

Tuidjy -- I agree about making the regular Master Smiths younger. Let them not die of old age, it's a little silly.

Twan admitted that the rainbow strategy was weak against rushes or on small maps. On that kind of map, Ulm really does need the Prince of Darkness build or something like it.

To say that you are guarenteed to be attacked in the first 20 turns if you take a rainbow is just not true.. there's never a guarentee about anything. I agree that it makes it more likely that you will be attacked, how much more so is impossible to say.

Yet, even if you are attacked, you're not defenseless. I know you disagree, but arbelests are actually effective in dealing with people's SC gods. With the CB mod you can have your smiths cast Blindness also in the early game. I think you are seriously underestimating Ulm's power in the early game, especially with the new changes to Guardians. And the +1 morale! That is key.

Although even before, it was not hopeless. With Production-3 and the Ulm production bonus, you have a serious edge on troop production. Black Knights are one of the best non-sacred cavalry out there, and Black Lord thugs are very effective if given a magic weapon. Ulm also has a edge on the mercenary front, given the huge supply of cash they can save up in the early turns.

Elephants can ruin your day, though, no doubt.

Twan - I have a build very much like yours, except for a couple points. I prefer the Great Enchantress, because I think the +1 astral pearl per turn is far better than the research bonus. Also, I don't think that Ulm needs a 5 dominion, either. But, that is being picky. Another nitpick, I would drop Growth and also drop Heat -- Heat is -5% money, Growth is only +2%. I suppose the pop growth would pay that off eventually, but it doesn't seem worth it, imo. Also, dang... how can you get away with not taking production-3 with Ulm (and also not taking an SC god)? I am baffled.. doesn't that slow your early expansion?

Also, I try to go straight for Construction-6, if possible (for lanterns), and then on to Construction-8 if I'm not being attacked. You are in it for the long-haul with this build, and hoping not to be attacked, might as well go the whole 9 yards if you are allowed to do so.

So, the ideal is that you will build a Ring of Wizardry around turn 25 or so with your pearls you have saved up, then move on to artifacts (Hammer of the Forge Lord!), before you've even researched any other school. Pay people off to make friends, share the wealth.

Tuidjy, I know what you are thinking, that this would never work against good opponents, and maybe against the absolute best opponents in some sort of World Series of Dominions it wouldn't work. But in typical games against typical opponents in non-newbie games it usually works fine in my experience.

You seem very concerned about getting rushed early game, but generally isn't it true that you are either double-teamed or are the one double-teaming your opponent? People die when they are double-teamed and are successful when they double-team someone else. So, being worried about how Ulm would fare in a 1v1 rush is a little beside the point. I think it is best to worry about how to get on the right side of that double-team. And Ulm is well equipped with the forge bonus as a diplomatic tool to be able to do that.

Edit: I wanted to add more thing, Xietor's Father of Winter looks like a great SC god. But, I think this same god would be better suited for another faction. Not taking production scales with Ulm is just.. I don't know.. I mean, was it a random game and you were forced to pick Ulm, when you really wanted someone else?

Xietor, you say that Ulm needs an awake SC to deal with elephants and that's true. But the sort of god you threw out there just seems like the kind of god another faction would take. I think it's an attempt to shore up Ulm's weaknesses rather than a build to maximize Ulm's strengths, which I think is a mistake.

I think if you get elephant rushed as Ulm and you have no allies to back you up you just die. I am content with that and would just start another game where I'd hope to do better. Whereas your build, I think, would get you to the midgame where you'd lose just about every time. But that is just my take on it.