[Baalz]

A few anecdotal "Hinnom didn't do so good in this game..." is even more pointless than a single "Hinnom crushed everybody in game x!". A weaker player is always a possibility, as is just plain terrible luck and either of those factors trumps anything else. Personally, having helmed Hinnom into a crushing victory I have to say they're even more ridiculously over the top than LA Rlyeh. LA Rlyeh's biggest advantage is being the only water power of the age combined with a nation very much geared towards late game power. Several powers could certainly give them trouble 1:1 early on even in the water, it's just too inconvenient and there are easier targets so everyone leaves them alone until it's too late. Thing is, Hinnom's PD serves the same purpose. It's fricking daunting to attack them and there's always easier targets. But with Hinnom they're not only a powerhouse if left alone, they outexpand everybody else in the first place- not only in provinces, but in gems (best site searching of any nation with no other early need for gems or mages), forts (800 gold forts with no need to put up labs or temples) and research (recruiting their best research mage with no lab!)

I gotta say though, the thing that really brings them from extremely powerful into "too powerful" is the PD, combined with generally good gold flow. They can stop anything short of a very powerful army by spending less than 1000 gold on PD...