[fantasma]

For what it's worth, I can tell you my build for the newb game I won as Marverni, so far my favorite nation. Much of it is along the lines of what Baalz says, although the game started before his thread.

Marverni needs gold and more gold.
Marverni needs gems.
Marverni lacks thugs (except golems).
Marverni has good synergy with blood.

That led me to the following build:

Fountain of Blood
B4D3F2
O3L3H1M1G1
Dom 8
I think I set it to sleeping

The luck+order give lots of gold and gems. Also keep the bloodhenge druid save! They forge the jade knives and blood stones you will want to build en masse!
Gutuators with wn and two boosters will forge clams.

The magic is good to get started into death and blood, forge the fire booster, forge the devil summon (soul contract?) item, etc.

Cheap temples + sacrifice = dominion kill

The growth is to mitigate a little the effect of blood hunting the capital.

Now you just need to expand fast (don't overlook standards! regroup and prepare carefully for each battle!) , build three fortresses the first year and research as hell.

Make friends early when you are most vulnerable. Time is playing into your hands. Make sure to diversify!

I hope that helps.


ad Boars: I like the great boar, but it is too late in research and summons only 10% / candle iron boars. That is not too impressive. But the greatest weakness is two misc slots only. I wish it had a head slot at least, but that idea got stamped in another thread ...