What is the best pretender for Ulm?

[Sandman]

The Forge Lord is terribly expensive for what you get. Most 125 point pretenders have 2/1 magic, but the Forge Lord just has 1/1. His forging bonus isn't that good; with a dwarven hammer he'll get items for half price, but that's still just one item a turn. Has anyone tried gaming the system and turning him into a clam factory? I tried turning him into a blood item factory for Late Era Marignon, but the discount didn't seem to affect soul contracts.

For nations with powerful, diverse magic that include fire and earth, he might be useful to jump-start item production. Machaka and Shinyuyama come to mind. Unfortunately, they don't get him.