[13lackGu4rd]

EA Ermor is a very versatile nation with pretty good recruit everywhere mages. it gives you access to all magic paths thus allow for a very interesting game. also since you're fighting the AI you don't have to worry too much about artifact and unique stealing, as the AI barely summons any uniques and only creates a handful of artifacts, and even those will come very late for the AIs... so, since you're in for a long game I'd say EA Ermor. MA Pythium is also an option, similar mages but a stronger nation thanks to hydras(awesome early expansion), a bit better national armies(being MA instead of EA) but having the totally awesome mages cap only. oh and if you like communions than MA Pythium is definitely for you, their communicants don't have magic paths at all but they automatically cast communion slave so they can be used to fuel up massive communions with very cheap commanders.