[chrispedersen]

I quite enjoy playing ermor. And considering I usually enjoy playing bless rush nations - that should say something. Ermor is by no means hopeless; especially if you read my responses on how to play ermor in the other thread (shameless plug).

Ermor has everything you need to defend against a rush.
Glamoured units: slings
High Defense units: One shot gladiators with nets
Elephants: Frighten.

Combine these things with swamp native troops,
(swamps slow the enemy down, make them easier to hit); and add flaming arrows.

And ermor has both death and astral giving you great endgame possibilities. Your expansion against indies is fine.

One of the things that is different for ermor is that a player needs to get good at gauging when to use gladiators. If you are going to take X losses in a fight, you want to arrange to take them in gladiators - rather than in experienced troops.

And transporting gladiators around is a skill in itself. I'm rambling - but gladiators also make pretty darn good siege defenders....