Why convert the starting scout to a prophet in turn 1

[Immaculate]

Several times i have seen guides talk of converting the starting scout to a prophet right away.

Why is this? Why not use the scout to, ummm... scout?

Why not save him for something cool like an undead unit or an amphibian unit as a prophet?

Immac.

[shard]

You still can - you kill your scout when hes outlived his usefulness and a few turns or so later you can choose a new prophet.

By converting him into from a scout at the start he can be used to help in expansion. If u'r a giant nation you can even use him to solo some weak indies. Just don't forget to 'move' and not 'sneak' - I keep doing this when I play mictlan to the detriment of my jags....

[Trumanator]

If thats the case why wouldn't you just turn your starting commander into your prophet?

[vfb]

First, your starting commander can patrol your cap on turn 1, so you can raise taxes without having unrest, and hire more units on turn 2. He can't become your prophet and patrol at the same time.

Second, a vanilla scout is not usually very useful for expanding. But if he can smite (and bless), he becomes useful. Depending on your nation, your regular commander may already be able to contribute to the battle by fighting.

[Micah]

I usually opt for the commander myself, but vfb has the proper rationale...the other bonus a scout gets is lighter armor, which can lead to more casts in a long battle since they don't tire out as fast as a commander with full armor and a shield...all of which becomes useless due to critical hits when they get tired from wearing it.

[swapoer]

And also the aby start with a assassin and being a prophet he can take up a province within several turns especially the tough province.

[Squirrelloid]

There are other rationales for prophetizing the scout.

You have a nation for which every priest can reanimate. Making the scout your prophet gives you an H3 reanimator from turn 2 without slowing down your expansion.

You want stealth preaching. A unit with sneak and Hx can preach while hiding, allowing you pinpoint targetting on dominion spread, possibly in a dom-kill attempt. And he gets his prophet dom-spread check as well. Speaking of...

You want the prophet dominion spread check right away (and need to do something else with your commander).

Your scout is your least useful starting or otherwise early unit, and therefore you suffer the lowest opportunity cost by making him take an action to become prophet. (Basically, most people want the H3 caster as their primary reason for making a prophet, especially in the early game. The fact that he is permanently blessed and gets a hp-multiplier/divider based on dominion will be useful much later, but in the early game its not significant). The opportunity cost involved in killing your prophet is also much lower if your prophet was your scout. (Allowing you to more easily accept suiciding him to make some other specific unit a scout).

(Not to say that scouts aren't useful, but they're only useful in quantity - one scout is not very much intelligence each turn. And generally having scouts in quantity means you've found one or more indie scout recruitment sites, so your starting scout is not going to contribute notably to a spy ring).

[thejeff]

I disagree that your starting scout isn't useful as a scout.
Sent off in another direction than your first expansion army, he can identify your nearest neighbors, notice useful indies worth aiming for, etc.
Some of this can be vital to know early on.

Obviously, once you've found indy scouts, he's just one among many, but particularly in the EA indy scouts are sometimes rare.

[Sombre]

Also on NI maps you don't get to rely on indy scouts and you're reluctant to take a national slot unless you really can't use it for a mage or leader.

[Torin]

mainly is for the encumbrance factor.
Your army commander tire fast=few smites till he faints
Your scout can cast several smites
waiting for something better can be useful if you are LA marignon (blood sacrifice x 4 with the high inquisitor)
or LA Ermor i think is a must to wait for a H3 priest to make it H4

Maybe you can wait also to summon an undead commander to prophetize or recruit a tough one (giant) to use him as a HtH (specially with a good bless).

I often use the scout, is usually needed to the fastest expansion possible.

If you dont get a province with indy scouts you are pretty much blind.