Are heavy bless strategies the best ones ?

[calmon]

Graeme Dice said:

It's also the incorrect answer. If you want to get a massive early game advantage over every other player, then the only way to do that is to use a dual-bless strategy. Unlike Dominions II where national troops took about 20 turns to become obsolete, national troops are obsolete from the very first turn in Dominions III, as dual-blessed troops can win with a third (or less) of the gold cost spent on them.

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I can agree that a bless strategy can win a game if used by a good player.

But i disagree that this is the only way to get an early game advantage. Building an awe/fear pretender helps a lot to expand from start on, too. You could combine him with a single bless 9 if you want.
The advantage of such a strategy is that you are not forced to use most of your money for sacred troops every turn and normally have better scales than a double bless. You can expand and have gold left for building castles very early.

I wouldn't say national troops are obsolete even by turn 20. What are the alternatives?

However for me its also no question that vanheim/helheim with glamour on sacreds needs some nerf. This in combination with double bless, a good player and neighbours who don't alliance against such a nation will be a powerfull threat for winning the game.