[Ironhawk]

This is what makes a skilled Dominions player, in order of significance:

1) Diplomacy: Without question the single skill which has the most dramatic effect on the result of a MP game. It can make a weak nation strong when used right and a strong nation weak when ignored or used poorly.

2) Strategic Planning: Picking a nation, design, and overall strategy is the foundation of a strong empire. Adapting to what dominions offers you, be it geography, gems, and most importantly sites (a single good site can change the course of your empire). Lastly knowing yourself, the nations opposing you, and the diplomatic situation well enough to know who to strike and when.

3) General Dom Concepts: Focus on the key concepts of dominions rather than memorizing the minutiae. The way one unit class fares against another. Boosting your mages magic paths. The interplay of armies vs battlefield magic/enchants and research. Building and killing SCs. Beyond this there is only a little to memorize - some key summons, very dangerous spells, SC chasis, and perhaps a couple of signature or sacred units.

4) Tactical Experience: You need to know, at a glance, how your forces will fare in a battle against a (mostly) known enemy force. What tactics you can use to improve your odds and what tactics your enemy is likely to use given thier forces. Its also quite helpful to be able to accurately predict where your opponent will move thier armies and when they will engage or retreat.