[Verjigorm]

Ashdod is actually relatively easy to knock out very early on. Their units are very few in number and can be swarmed easily. Their thugs don't come into power until they can reach 0 Encumbrance--which is what Ashdod, admittedly, goes for first (Construction). If you can tag team them before they get Reinvigoration, they don't do terribly well. Markata swarms (especially enchanted ones) are nasty versus giants without reinvigoration.

You don't need Paralyze to stop giants--just lots and lots of cheap chaff.

In fact, I have found Paralyze, to be only of middling effectiveness since giants have high magic resistance. You have to send a lot of mages to make it effective and that means sacrificing research in exchange. Thus, if you can do the same thing with Fanaticism/Sermon and some chaff, so much the better. Battle fatigue is not MR negates.