Best way to play C'tis Miasma?

[Graeme Dice]

FrankTrollman said:
Oracle Pretender: You can have your Oracle research quite well. Also it can make its own clams if none of your Marshmasters can do so.

Neither of these will give you the kind of rapid start that you'll want.

The Prince of Death is able to Soul Vortex/Invulnerability/Drain Life as soon as you hit Alteration 5.

If he only has earth magic, then you aren't going to want to send him up against barbarian or or heavy cavalry provinces.

Ctis should be assassinating themselves to stolen provinces as soon as possible, so a Researcher Pretender is actually going to conquer more territory in the long run by allowing you to have more Assassins with Skull Staves spamming Raise Skeletons than a SC Pretender is.

This makes little sense. A Rainbow 2 great sage only researches at the equivalent speed of a couple of marshmasters.