caelum

[Alneyan]

The Smoking Mirror (Mictlan) can get four paths at level 8 (three of them are fixed, of course), with no modding involved, and 138 points left. All scales are at -3, of course, and Dominion is left at basic 2. The Celestial Emperor also enters that category, with a mere 118 points left, but Dominion 3.

The Baphomet does the same thing with Dominion 3 and 224 points left after the four paths, effectively allowing to get two more paths at level 4, so we're almost there. Sadly, the Baphomet cannot reach four level 9 paths; it is stuck at three of them, with the fourth one at 8.

So, you *can* get four paths at level 8, and some more magic on top of that. Of course, it's not because you *can* do it that you should use those designs.

[quantum_mechani]

One non-dead nation build with all bad scales that is actually somewhat effective:

Sacred Statue, Pythium

Fire 9, Astral 9, Water 9

Air 4-6, dominion 7-10, depending on if you are using the concept pretender mod.

Of course using this you will at first barley have the gold for a full production run of battle vestals and priests to bless them. But considering 7-10 vestals and a priest have very good chance of taking most independent provinces, you should have reasonable income fairly quickly. In addition, your pretender is an absolutely scary rock that can research like crazy for buff spells and then teleport on problematic enemy armies.

[Alneyan]

That sort of thing can work indeed: a Mictlanese Smoke Mirror with Dominion 2 and Fire, Death, Blood 9 won't work so well, so I gave a generic disclaimer.

Of course, Mictlan can perfectly well use a triple level 9 bless (*Waves at Yellow Cactus*), but it'd better not involved Death and Blood.

[Morkilus]

wow, you can teleport immobile pretenders!? I could have been using my blood fountain much more efficiently; there are about 30 blood spells I never even used

[quantum_mechani]

Morkilus said:
wow, you can teleport immobile pretenders!?

All but the sphinx.

[Alneyan]

And you can only use Teleport on those other Pretenders: Cloud Trapeze will NOT work, and other teleporting spells... well, they may work, but I seem to recall they don't.

So, I guess you could say all other immobile Pretenders can Teleport, but they can't teleport.

[archaeolept]

quantum_mechani said:

All but the sphinx.

hmm, are you sure the mictlan giant head can teleport?

[quantum_mechani]

archaeolept said:

hmm, are you sure the mictlan giant head can teleport?

Yes.

[Molog]

I tried some single player games where I tried to teleport the mictlan stone head on enemy home provinces real soon. Didn't work too well ashamely .

[Vicious Love]

Alneyan said:
The Smoking Mirror (Mictlan) can get four paths at level 8 (three of them are fixed, of course), with no modding involved, and 138 points left. All scales are at -3, of course, and Dominion is left at basic 2. The Celestial Emperor also enters that category, with a mere 118 points left, but Dominion 3.

The Baphomet does the same thing with Dominion 3 and 224 points left after the four paths, effectively allowing to get two more paths at level 4, so we're almost there. Sadly, the Baphomet cannot reach four level 9 paths; it is stuck at three of them, with the fourth one at 8.

So, you *can* get four paths at level 8, and some more magic on top of that. Of course, it's not because you *can* do it that you should use those designs.

Absolutely. But not with the arch-mage. And even if this were possible, it simply doesn't pay to raise more than one path from zero to seven or above, even if one has some sort of rainbow bless stratagem in mind. Six is reasonably cost effective, affords a good blessing, and can usually be boosted to nine or more by the midgame.