[EndymionAsleep]

The 14 gems a turn from a capital is huge. Sure there are good sites elsewhere, but there are good sites everywhere.

Taking the capital early wasn't the goal though, the goal was to have a direction I could expand into quickly since it wasn't occupied.

As for the risk: the only cost of the tactic was the cost of the 10dom pretender. I actually had net +1 scales on top of him-- and with cataclysm mod that can be enough if you're willing to embrace the idea that when everyone has ludicrously high gem income scales arn't that important. So the main cost was in that I didn't take an SC that could expand or a rainbow that could use up gems quickly. (Or sage that could help the gem-use.... or a grand alchemist, but sadly that isn't an option)

There is also another hidden strength of Lord of the Night: the assassination ability. Early game this can snatch commander-prophets or non-SC pretenders if the opportunity comes up-- which it almost did. I did attempt an assassination in the capital of Green(On turn 3, I think), but the RNG just gave me a mage, not the pretender. (Note: I'm told immortality doesn't help in the assassination realm, as it takes place in a non-province with no dominion.) Late game, however, LotN can be equipped to be turned into a decent SC.... with assassination.

Oh, anyways, my final "turn" is in... and has been all day. Llama-server is borked though, and hasn't received anything that came in after 17:22 GMT on Thursday December 1st.