[Baalz]

Well, here's the more detailed version of my assessment. R'yleh & TC are probably at more or less a stalemate at the moment with neither being able to make big gains offensively against each other. The problem is TC's power has plateaued, while R'yleh's is growing exponentially. TC has no way to grow while R'yleh can attack everybody else on the map. Out of all those castles you're recruiting extremely powerful combat mages and strong troops equally effective on the land or sea. Out of my castles I'm recruiting good research mages with troops that can't do squat underwater. Counting my cap and indie sites I've got 3 good combat mages coming out per turn and no realistic way to bring any real strength to you underwater - it's almost suicide for any troops that try.

As to the mindhunts, I think you underestimate the difficulties for me there. As you say you haven't really played this stage of the game I'll paint you the picture I assumed this would be:

I expensively outfit a few commanders with sea king's goblets, and a few more mages with rings of water breathing and march under water. I make sure to take two different astral mages in case something happens to one of them. I even take S3 mages, which I only have a 25% chance of getting 1 per turn. You've got 3 castles within 1 moves of where I attacked, so while I'm sieging your castle 10 S3-S4 starspawn (a fraction of what's in there researching) attack scripted to magic duel then retreat. If you're unlucky you lose a couple starspawn, I most certainly lose my astral cover. Now, 10 mind hunts drop, killing my commanders holding sea king goblets, and drowning all my troops without a fight. I also saw you snagging Agartha Oracles so in just a little bit once your research catches up earth attacks will also be regularly squishing whatever astral mages I try to bring underwater. Meanwhile you have the luxury of attacking anywhere along my coast, wherever I don't have critical mass. Each fight leaves you stronger as you enslave mind whatever the toughest things I have there are, while mind blasting everything else. Your research grows exponentially as you leverage all those castles and strong mages, so before very long those communions are dropping will of the fates, army of lead & arcane domination (because, you know I was trying to use mindless magic units).

Anyway, I'll keep playing if others think this isn't a foregone conclusion, that's just my take.