Superheroes dominating Dominions 3 ?

[Tyrant]

I favor a slow "build and strangle" conservative style of play, and it really hurts me to take death scales, but the more i play the more i lean towards KissBlade's PoV. I know it does not make mathematical sence, but i have been able to see the benefits of growth in games far more clearly than the cost of death. Often i have experienced a pleasant long term trend in my own economy from growth, but not once have i seen an enemy nation decline noticably from their death scale.

Another obvious thing i have recently learned- although growth provides a very noticable protection from the ravages of age, it only helps when you are in your own dominion. In one game i'm playing i was quite disturbed to find nearly half my Marignon mages got hearts one turn while they were out besieging an enemy castle and late winter rolled around.

I can't quite go all the way and say death-3 is a "no-brainer", but experience has pushed me toward accepting death scales against my natural inclination.