[DeadlyShoe]

Yeah. I don't see a practical method beyond getting Fire on the pretender and hoping to get enougH Fire economy going to forestall a total loss to Salamanders. But I tried Eriu without the Earth Bless and found that the reinvigoration was almost mandatory - I don't like to send thugs alone even against PD, but even in pairs and threes they were racking up huge fatigue. Getting the reinvigoration necklace is another 10 nature gems which doubles the effective gem cost of the thugs (since they're limited by nature gems for the shields.)

I guess I could go balls-out and forget the shield, just spam lots of Sidhe Lords with frost brands ala Storm Generals.

P.S. Is there any reason that Vanheim can't do the exact same strategy as Eriu with its Vanjarls? They are very similar units, and might even pull it off better (shields of the accursed?)