[Tifone]

Excuse the question of a poor n00b.

Doesn't a H3 priest destroy an assassin? I mean, he is already set to smite on turn 1 no? And surely he isn't on the front line? One turn, possibly two for the assassin before landing the killin blow, shouldn't he already be smited and gone?

For the main theme, I don't understand why wouldn't both the ways be viable - I think we're used to see nations played in 2 or even more different ways I think. Surely the SC provides more "moral deterrent" then the smiters - but with DrPraetorious' build and scales, for example, and K's strategy, I think you would expand almost as faster but not trashing your mid-to-late game's national advantage of a strong research with a Drain-2...