[fantasma]

ok, I just play Marverni in my first MP game and heve played them a lot in SP. They got my love on day 1 of my dominions career.

As with Baalz, I cannot reveal all that they have going for them, but some things are really nice about.

First, their troops have shields. Second, they may lack armor but they have high defense. The troops have map move 2, the cavalry 3. The Slingers are really nice with the protection you face in EA for their cost.

In short games, or when you fear rushes, use E9N9 boar warriors. They cost 30gp, have 14hp, regen 3, 20 prot, 17 attack when they go berserk and a shield. Send a dozen with a gutuator and take whatever indies. Even heavy cavalry is no problem. A forest father is the cheapest for that, I think. The N9 is also nice on the boars you can summon. I don't know how fatal

But you do not really need to go bless with Marverni. What you need regardless how you play them are ridiculous amounts of gold. Use order 3! Patrol with your starting army. They are excellent for that, at 170% taxes unrest stays at 0. If you need, alchemise the earth gems.

Research like mad! Take magic 1, at least.

If you do not bless, recruit a lot of the ambitate nobles, they are decent fighters. For 14/17 you have a mobile, prot 12, att 12, def 15, 13hp unit. Did I mention that the troops have shields?

What you need to do is expand fast! I had like 15 provinces at turn 10 and 3 fortresses (maybe the third was still in construction, I don't remember). But then I found an iron mine on the first conquered province.

Recruit as many mages as you can and research!
Thaumaturgy is the most important for early mind hunt, sleep, panic, site search. Then go evocation. Then construction. At what level you switch depends on what you face.

I use hornblowers to boost morale of the unarmored troops (9), sometimes. I place then in the squad and set them to guard commander. Maybe that isn't the most efficient way but they die too easily otherwise.

I haven't been rushed myself, so I don't know if it really works out.
Elephants are best countered by hordes of javelin throwers (def 14) and slingers and mindhunt/panic.
Against vans, poison, mind hunt, sleep and bladewind when available.
Against niefel, you may rush for soul slay, maybe.
Always field chaff with slings and javelins in the numbers! They lack in protection but not in combat skills. Divide them into small squads because they break easily.

Use the best of diplomacy to demonstrate that you are not the easy target they mey think. The point is that you may still lose but that it will be a costly and drawn out defeat. Especially having at least two forts deters the rusher, hopefully. Forts are cheap, a big plus for the nation.

Later, use communions to their best! The stargazers unfortunately are very slow, so you may rely on the 1/4 gutuator as reinforcement slaves.