Earth and Magic Item strategy?

[Saxon]

I just got a national hero who is a rainbow, all level one. It is right up the alley I want to go, so I will have some fun with him.

Reserach was off to a slow start, but found a library in a strategic location, so lab, temple and fort were all dropped in place. Decent position in the rankings and on the map, so all is shaping up well. I took a Cyclops with earth five and death four. The Lesser fear for the sacred troops is a nice touch, as heavy infantry has to get up close and personal for some time with most enemies. Having the enemy rout a turn earlier is always nice!

I also took order and some magic, as I always find a use for money and research is needed to get the fun toys.

Finally, the Arco leaders tend to have heavy armour, so they are fairly durable to start. If I can boost them up with magic items, I think they are going to do well with this strategy. I have tended to find the gap between SC god and thug commander hard to bridge, perhaps I will learn some tricks.