[Executor]

Some thoughts on the new CBM,

I think the problem with removing the hammers is that it will make certain items ridiculously overpriced. For example, it will be much easier to forge the Chalice than to forge a ring of wizardry.
I think this will make even wishing or getting access to Tartarians a very demanding task. (not that a harder access to Tarts is a bad idea)
No doubt it will greatly downsize the usage of mid game thugs which already pretty much only concentrates on nations that can utilize their commanders as thugs (Eriu/Van/Jotun...).
I rarely see summonable thugs such as Bane Lords, Firbolg etc... and this will just make it harder for them to use.

Now I suspect all of this can be compensated with games being created with a higher site frequency, but than again, better diversed nations would get much greater benefits from this.
I'm getting off track a bit, so with removing the hammers, some other items need price changing too.

As for brend weapons, why not change the Shadow brend too than? It's the best out of the 3, it's far superior to the water brend which has taken a hit as it seems as, and isn't even AP. And besides, water brend remains still the easiest one to counter with using just a little undead chaff, so I don't see the point in reducing its damage.

And I agree with Valerius about the SDR. Nations like Van already have a much harder time blood hunting with the expensive mages that require both a lab and a temple, and now with removing SDR you're just giving too much power to Mictlan, Jotunheim, Lanka... Maybe giving certain commanders a blood hunting bonus, or increasing paths, or adding a random paths, or reducing blood paths to some other nations.

Infernal disease is still way under priced, any other assassination spell are far more expensive than this one, and even harder to acquire, be it seeking arrow, manifestation, earth attack... 7 blood slaves is still very little, since even with the blood nefr empowering and forging blood booster is much cheaper than for other magic types.

And last, the fire summon Zmey is still pretty much useless it seems.