help please with pretender SC's for early expansion

[tinkthank]

It would be helpful also if you mentioned the nation you want to play. (This contextualizes your question both in terms of what troops might be backing your SC up, what starting spells s/he may have access to, and what magic paths may make sense as well as what pretenders are available at all.)

Immortality is always a nice attribute to have very early (turns 1-10), since your SC will likely be nearly naked but need not care within its own dominion. For this reason, a Phoenix could be good for you if you mention Abysia (starting spell: flare), even though it cant melee its way around.