[Samhain]

Here's my AAR. Just to warn you, the turn numbers are in many cases just rough estimates.

Turns 46, 59, and 63 are attached - I think.

PRETENDER
Physical: Divine Serpent
Awakening: Imprisoned
Magic: F4E4N6
Dominion: 9
Scales: T3P3C1D1L3M1

While basically doubling the available magic paths this pretender provides a fantastic bless for both Unmarked and Kings. It's not so good for Morrigans. But, once I get Cons 6, a decent gem income and a competent team of forgers I plan to rely much more on my Kings. It's not like they'll be leading armies around to buff with Fog Warriors or support with Dance of the Morrigans in a limited magic game anyway.

As for scales, I always take Turmoil/Luck when I can. I just find it fun. Production 3 is nice as it gives a good boost to income, helps crank out more Unmarked to help with expansion, and lets me go lean later in the game then pump out large numbers of Firbolgs when and where I need them. Though, the latter advantage won't be as useful in a game without the high level battlefield buffs. Death should boost my death gem income and won't hurt my mages one bit.

Fomoria proved to be every bit the strong choice for the game conditions that I expected it to be. Recruitable SC's in a game without high end magic is a big plus. The map was big enough for Fomoria's mobility to be a factor but not so large for its capital dependency to be crippling. And, with neither a water nation nor Agartha on the map, I had a distinct advantage to taking the water. This advantage got a further boost as I happened to get one of the two caps bordering the larger of the two collections of water provinces.

TURN 12
Expansion goes well with a respectable but not too alarming 18 provinces with 3 forts either complete or nearly so. Unfortunately, in the second of two games I find myself bordering Lanka. And, as in the other game, I resolve to attack as soon as possible. Lanka is never an easy opponent. But, when I can, I prefer to get it started before it gets a blood economy going.

TURN 19
I see Caelum and Lanka, who is nearly at 30 provinces now, are already at war. I figure this presents me with an excellent opportunity to attack Lanka as well.

I also note that Lanka has entered the cluster of 8 water provinces. I've got Cons 4 and am researching Alt 3. Soon I'll kit out my first Fomorian King SC and send him under the waves. Hopefully he has better luck than my site searchers.

Meanwhile, Hinnom is gobbling up my neighbor to the East, Ulm. Hinnom is fielding an army of Melqarts, many already Hall of Famers, with an F4W4E10N6 bless. It's like having a biker gang move in next door. Yay.

I'd like to grab the fort Ulm put up two provinces from my cap, but don't really want to go start anything against Hinnom, not with that freakish army of Melqarts. Maybe someone else will take note that he has 25 provinces but only two forts and no research and start that one for me too.

TURN 20
Attacked Lanka.

TURN 30
Lanka is going down the tubes. Fortunately, he had a weak bless. In another 10 turns or so its over.

TURN 40
My armies don't rest. They march over the last of Lanka and right into Hinnom. At first, everything seems ok. At my cap, I start building an army of Morrigans and Nemedians while researching Alteration as quickly as possible. I have two Hero's with D4. So, either just needs a skull staff to cast Darkness, a real weakness for a Hinnom army without demon accompaniment.

TURN 42
Caelum's army doesn't take a break either. But, it travels right into Fomoria. That's just what I need, an opponent with a completely different profile to force me to go in two directions at the same time.

TURN 46
It's the big battle between my Forces of Darkness and the mass of Melqart's along with some assorted big, Hinnom backup troops. The replay shows a stunning Fomorian victory. The map and messages show a phenomenal defeat. Oh how I wish the replay was right and the evidence of my being massacred a bug rather than the other way around.

TURN 50+
I do my best to hold my ground, cloud trapezing Kings around trying to hold back both opponents where I can while I build a gang of SC's to counter Caelum and a new Army of Darkness to counter Hinnom. The latter will use kitted out Bane Lords this time as my Kings are too busy to hang around summoning Morrigans. Bane Lords also have the advantage of later getting shock protection gear for use against Caelum.

TURN 59
Two major victories. The best armies of both Caelum and Hinnom are defeated in the same turn. For Caelum, it had to have been crippling. For Hinnom, it was mortal. Dozens of kitted out Melqarts were dead.

TURN 60
With SC's coming out of my ears and loads of battle trophy gear, a period of rapid expansion over Caelum and Hinnom commences. I begin to consider opening a third front.

TURN 63
The game is over.

FINAL SCORE TABLES

Nation Provinces
Ermor 4
Ulm 0
Sauromatia 25
Abysia 1
Caelum 22
Tir na n'Og 24
Fomoria 65
Hinnom 11
Independents 3
Lanka 0

Nation Forts
Ermor 0
Ulm 0
Sauromatia 3
Abysia 2
Caelum 9
Tir na n'Og 6
Fomoria 13
Hinnom 1
Independents 0
Lanka 0

Nation Income
Ermor 82
Ulm 0
Sauromatia 1605
Abysia 13
Caelum 2016
Tir na n'Og 1840
Fomoria 3672
Hinnom 580
Independents 12
Lanka 0

Nation Gem Income
Ermor 5
Ulm 0
Sauromatia 43
Abysia 10
Caelum 60
Tir na n'Og 61
Fomoria 125
Hinnom 24
Independents 4
Lanka 0

Nation Research
Ermor 607
Ulm 618
Sauromatia 6675
Abysia 4091
Caelum 6330
Tir na n'Og 9228
Fomoria 4807
Hinnom 2528
Independents 0
Lanka 2168

Nation Dominion
Ermor 16
Ulm 0
Sauromatia 167
Abysia 213
Caelum 333
Tir na n'Og 488
Fomoria 850
Hinnom 233
Independents 0
Lanka 0

Nation Army Size
Ermor 45
Ulm 0
Sauromatia 1376
Abysia 116
Caelum 1248
Tir na n'Og 2018
Fomoria 1775
Hinnom 173
Independents 510
Lanka 0