Ulm Beginner Strategy - need help

[Endoperez]

And that's also the reason I don't play MP.

Also, consider this:
nation with Order 3 and Magic 3 to be able to get lots of mages and research fast, all other scales at varying negative levels to get points.

A pretender with good abilities (eg. a Ghost King: ethereal, good defence) and W1/2, F1+, E3+, Air3+, D3+. It researches Alteration 2/3 and Enchantment 1. It goes to battle, casts Quickness, Fire Shield, Stone/Iron skin, Mirror Image, Mistform and kills all independents. Depending on that nation's mages and gem income, it got a weapon like Ice Sword (def+4) or (Full) Black Plate if it has encumberance of 0.
If it already has high enough protection, it will cast Breath of Winter instead of protection spell. If it goes against archers, it casts Air Shield.

It has att/def 17+ (depends on equipment), hits 50+ (if mage-type) or 150+ (if it is a Son of Niefel or similar titan-sized), prot. 15 to 25, Mirror Image gives more defence and protects from hits, Mistform puts all damage it received to 1 until a hit gets through the spell (rare), units hitting it or near it die to Fire Shield/Breath of Winter.

Here is an example from the 10 Turn Challence:

Turin wrote

caelum: (turn11)
pretender: ghostking fire3/air5/water1/earth3/death4
order3/sloth3/cold3/growth3/misfortune2/magic3/dom6/watchtower
Research:55 (conj1/alteration3/const2/enchantment1)
gems: +13 total per turn(no clams yet)
gold:816 income:435 upkeep 122
provinces: 15 most of them searched by high seraphs.

There is also a similar Son of Niefel in that thread. In late game, people summon creatures that have goot stats and hit points and preferably good abilities and equip them with items to give them as much of the rest as possible. Thugs are like SC, but weaker. Imagine 30 hp, 20 prot., life-draining, flying Bane Lord with Quickness. Imagine battling a nation with over 20 of them. And few real SCs.