[thejeff]

Isn't 10 average MR? It's the best many nations get on basic troops. Are they all helpless against R'lyeh? Kings & Mages can easily be boosted to draw some of the fire as well.

Having low mr troops available doesn't really matter. You just don't use them against R'lyeh. Save them for when you need cold & fire resistance.

I haven't used them against R'lyeh. Maybe I'm being overly optimistic.

Would Pillars be too strong if made non-capital? You still wouldn't be able to rely on them for early expansion. They'd only be available in the water and they're slow on land. It would be different to have a strong non-rush bless nation.