Sentient Machines - [Game on]

[Baalz]

I'm actually pretty happy with the pretender I picked, but thought it might be interesting to post the potential pretenders that people didn't take and consider how the game might have gone. Here's the Sauromatia you're not going to have to fight:

Awake Vampire Queen F2 W9 E1 D9 B2

Dominion 3
Order 0
Production 1
Cold 3
Death 1
Misfortune 2
Drain 3

Man, I love the bless, that would have been naaaaasty with Sauro's sacred cavalry. Unfortunately they're cap only and a dominion of 3 would make unlocking that potential very difficult. As much fun as having an immortal slugger of such proportions (ironskin, fire shield, quicken self, life drain + fear & high defense) I think I'd spend the whole game lamenting the lack of dominion to use her in. And drain 3! That's not a scale you often see, particularly with heavy misfortune (gem loss events are common...yuck!) which also stacks with the death scale (pop loss events common...yuck!)

Certainly fits the description "AI made beast" to a T!

[Ferrosol]

the pretender you won't be facing from the Arcosphale


Dormant Mother of Serpents A5 W6 D6 N4 B2

Dominion 5
Order 1
Production 2
Cold 1
Death 1
Luck 2
Drain 3

not a bad pretender with access to plenty of buffs to make her a fairly respectable SC by the time she wakes up. Only problem is the bless is not good enough to rely on my wind riders for expansion and the scales aren't good enough to keep me alive long enough to do deal with any of the giant rushers. plus production scales and drain 3 make uncle ferrosols philosophers cry.

[Alpine Joe]

Good thought Baalz, as many people as possible should post their rejects. Mine was

Dormant Crone W9 S9 D9 N6

Dominion 2
Order 0
Sloth 3
Cold 3
Growth 1
Misfortune 2
Drain 3

that's an awesome bless, but with dom 2 and cap only sacreds it would be essentially useless. Tack on misfortune without order and drain 3 on the nation with vaetti hags (and sloth 3 to limit expansion) and this choice is pretty much unplayable. Unlike baalz my other choice isn't great either, but it will service I think.