[chrispedersen]

Originally Posted by Redeyes

Have you seen the rephaite sage?
Build anywhere without a lab 6 research for 175 gold; When Ashdod has forests it is the quickest research nation, they get 800g forts in forests.

That plus a native fire (fire has a forge bonus) and death casting for research items with the construction they usually go for early.

Other nations have trouble, comparatively, Arco's mystic needs a lab to be built and is a worse researcher, no nation can rely on cap-only researchers (and Oreiads aren't any better than Ashdod's Talmai Elder)). Bogarus expands slowly and their research usually suffers from it, though they have good potential due to the Master of Names. Shinuyama (who often ends up leading in research for the MA) suffers from having to build both labs and temples and having mostly expensive forts.

Ashdod is a research machine-gun, though of course, that's just spice; they are also giant nation.

Mystics with 3?'s on average are better researchers, not worse, and arco pays half price for labs while its forts are the same or cheaper. Give a small nod to philosophers as well.

However I grant the point about the skull mentors.

Would be interesting if skull mentors were toned down just a little; they are clearly the preeminent research item.