[Irishmafia2020]

I mostly play Ashdod, and they are very powerful in contrast to some A.I. nations. However, I usually play with the $$ and resources at 75% of normal, and the giants are expensive in that case. I can't recruit my biggest guys until I have captured the provinces surrounding my home city, and by then I am usually expanding with mercs and AOR chaff. That suggests to me that the easiest and most balanced way to nerf Ashdod is to increase their big units initial price in resources/money. That way the player must make an early game choice between a SC strategy, or a more conventional strategy. A good player could still be very successful with Ashdod even so, since they have some excellent units otherwise. Their scouts are giants, and they can be outfitted with a crown of command (50 command) an ethereal robe, a skeleton necklace (skeleton spam) a decent weapon, a magic boosting item, and boots of the behemoth (trample) to go with their army of 50 woodsmen each and literally wreak special-ops havoc behind enemy lines. Don't even get me started on how dangerous their Uber-mages are (the 400 gold guys) with their guaranteed level 3 magic + 1, 80 unit leadership, and 50 HP....