The Bogarus Problem

[sector24]

We can agree to disagree, but try a build like this:

Awake PoD
5 Death
4 Earth
Dominion 10
Order 3
Sloth 1
Cold 3
Growth 1
Luck 0
Drain 2
13 points remaining

Bogarus prefers cold 2 and they are arguably the best nation to take drain with. Their research is insane, and most powerful magic is done with communions so you are in control of your own fatigue situation by using more slaves.

Your starting national troops can only take the easy strength 5 independents. You will probably be supplementing that army rather than building a 2nd expansion force, so all you can hope for is 1 province per turn. If someone sees that you are their neighbor and they take a look at the score graphs, you are dead. An awake PoD doubles your expansion rate, and unlike a cyclops it can fly and pick provinces where the chance of afflictions is lower.

Bogarus' mid-game and end-game are already secure. They just need to survive the first 20 turns, and part of that is convincing your opponents that you're not the easiest target on the map (which you are).

Maybe you're a silver-tongued devil and you can convince your neighbors to leave you alone, or maybe you'd prefer getting knocked out on turn 9 if you can't win the whole thing, but if either is the case Bogarus doesn't sound like your cup of tea anyway.

[chrispedersen]

I think an undead pretender is a poor choice against a powerful priest bless strategy.

My own submission follows = )

[Renojustin]

Undead pretenders aren't vulnerable to priest banishings as such but can be suspectible to nastiness if the opposing nations have some Death.