Total rookie comments

[aldin]

Nerfix,

From everything I can figure, Death Magic, Blood Magic and Underwater Nations all require unique, sophisticated playing styles and are thus unsuitable for learning the game.

Liga,

I don't have a perfect grasp on when to search for sites. I've also used my pretender that way very sucessfully after I didn't NEED them for reasearch or combat. Make sure you get priests out looking too. Highly mobile pretenders (like the Moloch, flying 3) are awesome searchers.

I left out prophets in part because there's another thread going on prophets and in part because I don't think I have a good feel for the best way to use them yet. My current thoughts have me using the prophet on my defensive border maintaining dominion while my pretender is on the active front spreading dominion.

~Aldin

[LordArioch]

I understand why blood magic and underwater nations aren't good for new players, but there's nothing wrong with death magic itself, but just some themes that use it.
Nations to avoid:
Ermor (Any theme, Default is most normal if you must play Ermor)
Pangea default theme
Pangea Carrion Woods
Mictlan
Ctis Miasma
Ctis Desert Tombs
R'yleh
Atlantis
Marignon Diabloical Faith
Caelum any theme

None of these are probably a great choice for a nation to learn the game with. I might have left something out, but all of these have some unique and possibly problematic features.

Also for prophet choice at least, my general rule is a decision based on the nation's best priest level.
Level 2 priest: Commander becomes prophet for sermon of courage
Level 3 priest: Priest becomes prophet for fanaticism
Level 4 priest: Scout becomes prophet. Smite is nice but my lvl 4 priests are usually busy casting fanaticism anyway. The scout can spread dominion outside of your provinces and stealth preach.

[aldin]

Originally posted by LordArioch:
I understand why blood magic and underwater nations aren't good for new players, but there's nothing wrong with death magic itself, but just some themes that use it.

Lord Arioch,

Awesome! Really appreciate it. As you probably guessed, my experiences with death magic were with nations you listed (Ermor and Pangea Carrion Woods I think). I think I'll try some death spheres with my next pretender 'cause some of the spells/items look really interesting.

Also thankful for the prophet ideas.

~Aldin