Consider this...by spending first 6 turns on recruiting OLD, 0-leadership smiters not only do you handicap your research significantly, but also dont search your lands for magic sites, compromising your endgame viability even further.
And Jim - I know its just my word, but at least you can consider it.
Dom 10 Wyrm, W3E3, drain 2, dont remember the rest. Research to enchantment 1 for breath of winter (simply a must), alt 2 for quicken self, conj 3 for earthpower, alt 3 for ironskin also helps, constr 4 for some items. Later on such pretender can search for magic sites normally invisible to Bogarus and summon Beregini with Nature picks (they can also forge clams). Once empowered with Blood he summons Ice Devils, Father Illearth and forges Bloodstones. Maybe not the best start possible, but at least its relatively safe and offers some lategame diversification.
What I really missed is nature 4 bless, of course... cant have it all.