[Fantomen]

I am currently trying this strategy in MP, entering midgame. So far I found it works great, and I'd like to add a few points that showed up already.

The nature death pretender suggested is great, but I tried taking the communion strat all the way instead with an awake lord of plenty. This gives you the gems, crystal shields, hammers and earth boots you need to get artificial communions going super fast. For me this turned out well, I was unlucky early on and would be dead by now if taking a less offensive route like sleeping lich. I'm hoping that easier access to rings and golems will help me withstand the lack of Lamia queens. we'll see.

Intercepting enemy armies with one of those alchemist communions in a province where you simultanously boost PD works great when your troops are elsewhere. Don't forget you can move your matrixes through labs and turn any group of mages into a killing machine at any time.

As cool as finding the perfect setup of is, just throwing matrixes on any mix of mages you happen to have around is often enough, especially when defending. Make sure to have some geomancers in all castles, as precision boosted gift of heavens is a great counter to stuff that your normal evocations can't beat.

If you have spare water gems, which is likely, Naiad warriors are great to beef up your frontline and get you underwater.

Strenght of Gaia+mistform is a good base protection package for your alchemist communions. The regen from SoG ends up at 5hp/turn on the slaves with your boosted nature path, enough to withstand lots of attacks. More nature magic is great as well of course.

Above all, playing such a complex nation is extremely fun!

more later, if I survive my two front war.