Luck/Turmoil versus Nothing.

[Cammorak]

I tend to favor luck as it eliminates some province dependence and, contrary to the name, can actually be fairly reliable, though not always what you need at the time. I think it's also useful for nations that will look to diversify their magic earlier as it makes bootstrapping much less painful.

Also, it depends upon PD to a lesser extent. Granted, no PD is good, but given the choice between garbage PD and PD That Might Actually Kill Something, most players will attack the nation with garbage PD early. Less reliance upon provincial income/gems makes this less painful.