The Bogarus Problem

[K]

Micah said:
K- Seriously, no matter how many times you say it taking an SC pretender does not in fact hurt your gold or (generally) even resource availability in the first year.

Uh, so an Awake SC God is worth what.... maybe one province a turn for 10 turns before you hit serious opposition? So, if you can make an extra army early who is capable of doing that, then the effect is exact same.

Seriously, the Smiter strategy works as well as having an SC but you don't have to kill your longterm game to do it. I don't know why people resist the idea.

Micah said:
Your statement that the 6 starets that you start buying on turn 7 after getting exarchs will somehow make up for not having 12 starets by starting to buy them on turn 1 is also nonsensical.

Starets are pretty expensive. With your bad scales and SC god, you won't be able to afford them for long.

SC gods are a short-term strategy, but good scales pay off in both the short term and the long.

Micah said:
Exarchs can't have bodyguards without additional equipment. Having enough research, gems and forge turns to have teleport, battle magic and a fleet of flying carpets on turn 17 after you recruit 6 exarchs to start seems unlikely.

There's nothing at all stopping you from getting some smiters when you have an SC if you have to, but passing up starets for exarchs is a pretty short-term strategy given the amazing research potential of the starets.

Great research means nothing if you don't have the troops to protect your mages. Good scales provide troops, and an SC God is just an investment that ends the instant that someone drops a Thaum 4 Vengeance of the Dead onto him or gets a Fear-based Assassin to cause him to route during an Assassination attempt.

Lets not also forget that a big research bulge and small army bulge makes you a target for other players.

And on a final note, are you seriously trying to tell me that Con4(Carpets of Flying) and Thaum3(Teleport) are not doable by turn 16 with Bogarus? Seriously? Maybe you won't have the gems and need to go cheap with Boots of Flying so that your eparch gets mapmove 2, but the ability to do it is unquestioned. Run a quick test and see for yourself how easy it can be.