[AreaOfEffect]

Understood, the Talmai are less efficient to buy, but Gregstrom was referring more to the upkeep cost then the initial cost. If you go back to the Sages, the gold/RP is about 29. Not the best by any stretch, but not the worse either. The point I think people make about their research is that it is simply good enough that it isn't a weakness. People often feel you should trade early game power for late game power. Ashdod doesn't do this by having average research. Plus there are the little things, like the lack of old age and near immunity to remote killing spells and such. Also, once they have the research, their mages are capable of a lot.

I will agree that fear can be a greater killer then your enemy, which is why Don made this post in the first place. His advice is that turtling is not a valid tactic to use against them.

P.S.: Mictlan can only make jaguar warriors at home in the middle age.