[SsSam]

Competitive multiplayer is decided by who gets there the fastest with the mostest. While you have to be flexible enough to take advantage of diversity that the map offers you, look to your national strengths and play to those. You've done that with luck and cross breeding. Look for more.

I've found that I would rather have my pretender do one or two things very well than have them spread too thin. I don't see a plan for the paths you've taken or the bless you've constructed. You are "in between" and I don't think that's a good place to be.

If you get a blood economy rolling then empowering a national mage up a level is cheaper than putting it on your pretender. So, that's good advice above. Nightfall also has good advice.

If your main worry is an early rush, how are you planning on funding white centaurs when the rushers come and you are into dryads and revelers and turmoil? Why not turn some of that pretender/blood path into Order for cash to purchase centaurs and minotaurs?

Not having spent a lot of time with Pangea, the dryads with awe look nice, particularly later on with some equipment (and awe and perhaps a suitable bless)

Keeping to the unity of purpose theme....I'm just figuring out that magical diversity for it's own sake is fun, but it is not always a good national goal in a multiplayer game where speed really matters. Back up and read that again. It's taken me too many games to figure that out.

You've got nature, earth and blood...and those wonderful national spells around the carrion woods theme. That's what you can count on. Since you don't have death easily available to your nationals, you want to keep that on your pretender to get into manikins.

I would be looking at what's nationally available, before worrying about rings of wizardry and staffs of storms. EDM gives you Etten's and Treants. Enchanted Forest is available at Conj6....Of course you need a N6 caster to cast it, but then you will have an N5 pan by the time you get to conj6 and I'm guessing Pangea won't have a problem making a thistle mace.


Now, if you're just having fun...pay no heed to the above and have fun.