Need ULM's opposite. :-)

[Amhazair]

I'd say the different Caelums? Apart from having strong magic, they also have great mobility, which is something else that's totally different from the way Ulm plays.

[Burnsaber]

I can second Shinyama. It's a nation that really makes you think. I'll give you a hint, thought.

Darkness: research it, love it, use it.

[Endoperez]

Ulm: slow units, heavy infantry and cavalry, arbalests as only missile troops, only one mage, construction/evocation based research with some buff/debuff possibilities

Pangaea has Centaurs (good cavalry), Satyr infantry (light, fast, stealthy), satyr hoplites (decent, slower); you can choose between Panii and the Dryads, and Nature gives some interesting choices. If you take a Death pretender, or Late Age Pan, you'd also get the national undead summons and mandragora reanimation.

Caelum, as mentioned. Mammoths, flying archers, the well-armored fliers are hard to use well, very good, mobile mages.

Perhaps MA Tien Chi, if you play with the newest patch. They got a bunch of mapmove 2 infantry, they already had good archers, and they have LOTS of different mages. Acid evocations and lots of other fun stuff.

[Taqwus]

Mictlan. Moreso EA or LA.

Normally played with a high bless (not sure how well a scalemonster build would work -- not Mictlan's forte, I suspect), and with mandatory blood magic providing nasty summons. Items are still nice, but power will come from the summons.

Bless strats are a bit rare for Ulm, but with Mictlan, it might actually be reasonable to go berserk with F9W9 Jaguar Warriors, trying to grow your empire while not over-expanding your horribly unpleasant dominion.

[Edratman]

I will also nominate Shinyama. Great magic paths, but I do not like the troops at all.

[Humakty]

Yeah, I tried several times to play Shinu, twas a disaster, the AI did not let me enougth research time, and crushed my non-shielded army.
Must try again, with darkness spell.
True it plays VERY different than Ulm.