First newbie game: first impressions!!!

[lillumultipass]

Ok so as to the "going under water problem": if I don't have a 3N mage, I have to empower him till he's level 3 to forge the item is that right??? But then I need a lot of nature gems...I guess there's a spell that allow to go under water, no???
As to the number of units: yes, i have seen that there are a lot of units (thanks to the 17 nations) but I felt that each nation individually didn't have much; well, they have a few, but they are not that much different; I guess that as you said the really "sexy" units are made with rituals.
But I guess these are high costs spells...