[Xietor]

Depends on who i play. With Pythium, i took 2 growth and in start raised taxes to get some quick hydras. That because my pretender, while an sc, was sleeping, and on turn 1 you have no idea who your neighbors are.

As Pythium, 5 hydras is a great deterrent to being rushed. And they can clear provinces even if your are not rushed. Expensive though. If I had an awake sc pretender i would just expand with infantry.