[ano]

(which is the best and most prevalent source of water)

Not true. Water sites are common on land. Also, having water as your "secondary" path doesn't mean you can't search for other paths. Your team has natural access to all magic but blood and air (or blood and death if mictlan is in). Each team has nearly equal conditions regarding ability to search for sites of other schools.

I'd like to suggest that the Usurper captain be able to pick one of the team to get +4 water gems production on his capital.

You already get +3 from Pythium which results in 23 total income comparing to 20 that everyone else has.

I mean Supplicants - if we start next to the Sanguinarium - don't you want us putting up a fight? Likewise, if we start next to the Children of the Corn, doesn't the Sanguinarium want us putting up some resistance.

Didn't understand this point.

I'd ask my worthy opponents to seriously look at the usurpers available troops and see if they don't agree?

I already mentioned it. Two members of your team have got elephants which is more than enough for bloodless expansion. Mictlan has got wonderful sacreds. Pythian infantry is just very good as well as Ermorian. (However, Machaka's troops are crap but we're not asking for anything) Your team is perfectly capable of expanding fast especially considering Indy 4 setting.

I suggest that its in everyone's interest that troops be fairly balanced.

I'd say that under current settings Children of Crom are definitely the weakest but they don't complain. Agartha is just a crappy nation especially without the Risen Oracle. It's troops are extremely slow and inefficient. Ulm may not be that bad but they're also slow. Marignon... A decent nation. Ashdod is good but that is their only really strong point.
If I was asked who needs some love, I'd definitely say that's the Earth-fire team and by no chance yours (your team seemed weak with R'lyeh but not with Mictlan)

p.s. I don't want to argue, I just say what I think.