Early Game, Mid Game, and End Game... What's the goal of each?

[ywl]

The advantage for Ulm, at least for standard theme is 120 free nation points, with no string attached.

Most of the other nations who have free points, such as Abysia or Caelum, requires a strong dominion to avoid income penalty and/or to fight effectively. For Ulm, the drain -3 is optional. It helps your defense slightly but you can live perfectly well without it.

Consequently, you can afford an expensive pretender, and more importantly use a pretender with low dominion strength (e.g. mage or dragon).

This is the advantage in additional to the production bonus and very decent infantries, availability of crossbow (sappper, somewhat expensive with seige bonus). Their smiths have no random pick. But with your better pretender, you can easily get around of that limitation.