I though Sauromatia had the challice.
My problem is that I have no real army, unlike you and Sauro, only a bunch of golems and feebleminded tarts, which are recovering now, oh yeah and a million trolls, don't ask me why, don't know myself.
But you're right, the longer you leave me alone the stronger I get,
I started with tartarians only like 2-3 ago, but summoning 5 a turn.
Starting a SC factory with just a pretender takes a lot of time, and I started about turn 40 or so, I actually considered quiting the game at that point.
The thing that really got to me is that the damn water has no gem income.
I had a remarkable 4 water income and 5 astral a turn, including my capital, but 14 damn useless fire gems, which I converted into gold since my upkeep was much higher than income in order to recrut clam holders.
My start was also terrible enough to not being able to take any provinces for couple of turns, and constant indie attacks, as you see from the score graphs.
Until turn 40 I didn't have a single clam, actually I didn't have anything at all, waiting 3 turns to make 1 clam is a bit slow I guess, but everybody seemed stupid enough to trade water and earth gems so I could start the clam factory with the forge.
You were wrong about mind lords, haven't recruited a single one for about 20 turns at least, 420 and not sacred, whoa! It was hard enough to get nature random mages to forge clams.
I really got into power just a few turns back.
Oh yeah, one more stupid thing, you can't cast half the domes underwater, wtf!?
However in my overall experience I have come to the conclusion that water nations suck!