I was Gath. Also no experience before this game (however, after it started I was really impressed by them and took them in Sharivar). I don't want to tell all the details now as some of them can be used against me in Sharivar, but after Constr 2 and 4 I started equipping Gadols as thugs/SCs and they were my main force after that. I was bordered by Mictlan and Tien Chi and decided to attack Mictlan first before he had tons of jags, even before I had Constr research done, and we had some nice battles, including tele-fragging his Dagon with my god in neutral dominion, after which I managed to take his second castle and siege his capital. In the process Tien Chi took some of my lands, but I was able to stop him moving further and he fought with Utgard after that. Mictlan was able to break my siege with his tons of sacreds, but my Gadols were able to retreat and regroup and sieged him again, and now they were all set to preach as breaking the Mict capital seems as tough as Pangea's. I reached Constr8 and forged many nice stuff including Chalice, Gatestone, Magebane, The Summit, Boots of Planes and some other arts. Finally Mictlan was preached out (our war was 40+ turns long I think), and I started invading TC who finished with Utgard at the time. He made no attempt to retaliate at all but I was overcautious and lost some time here too. All this time I had almost no nature (2-3 or so for the first 40+ turns and 4-5 in the end) so I had no clams and fetishes, but in the end I started spamming Bloodstones, unfortunately it was too late.
Midgard was climbing the graph but I had no access to him (except teleporting on some of his rear VP with astral gadols and Gatestone, which I was planning) but he did it first, I equipped all teleporting forces last turn with all I had and threw them in the final battle, but they had absolutely no chances.
So, all in all, it was rather interesting game for me and I hope I will join the sequel
