LA Ulm, specifically against LA Ermor

[Stryke11]

Hello all! Inspired by a recent post (strangely enough about LA Marignon and Abyssia) that mentioned sample builds for LA Ulm, I wanted the take the chassis for a ride.

I wanted a pretender with enough magical diversity that fully item'd up would be able to summon many things and forge many items that the nationals, by their crappy magic, could not.

I decided on a Master Alchemist with about 3 Blood/Death, 4 Earth/Nature (maybe one of those was a three, I forget) and 1 Fire/Air (because I had leftover points). I had Turmoil 2, Prod 3, Luck 3, Growth 1, and Drain 2. Dom 5 or 6, and finally dormant. Many have liked Turmoil 3, but I need the income, this whole game I have been cash strapped, as the national troops ain't cheap, and I'm not pursuing an all Vampire Utterdark strat. Overall, though it has appreared to me to be a solid build. I have been able to boost enough to summon Father Illearth, Lamia Queens, Arch Devil, and I am loving Cross-Breeding (this is my first blood nation ever).

Ok, enough intro, now questions:

Blood hunting: I have a blood enabled fortune tellers (the counts are researching and summoning, I don't want to waste them on such a menial task)in about 7 nearby provinces. Do people usually have more? Like one in every province? Also, do you build a bunch of labs for this purpose, or do you just move the slaves around alot? Oh, they all have sanguine rods.

Why do Zweihanders get so much good press? Stats wise, it seems the much cheaper regular shielded infantry of Ulm are comparable, and are better against arrows (crossbows?).

I rolled over Marignon and Midgard without much trouble (oh, this is SP by the way) but now, despite being on top in all the stats (but army size), Ermor is throwing unlimited troops at me. I've got a string of provinces that are defended well enough to hold them at bay (I regulary take out armies of ~500 undead without any losses) but if I try to move a force against them I get mauled. I have discovered that the heavy infantry is crap against the undead, so I have made mostly rangers, whose arrows do a lot of damage, a lot of priests set on banish, and some 1st tiers with astral gems and the astral spell that kills undead. Besides priest spam, any surefire counter-undead methods for magic availabilty LA Ulm?

Finally, I am using my Father Illearth and Arch Devil as thug/SC's - that is, I fight with them alone. The AD is naked as of now, but FI has horned helmet, cloak of shadows, amultet of resiliance, earth boots, firebrand, black steel kite shield (I had it around, I know I could do better w. this) and ring of the warrior. Any better suggestions for clothing these two fine gentlemen?

Sorry for the length of the post. It just seems some people here instinctively know how to maximize each nation and I'm trying to develop my mind into that mode, but for now I learn best by trying strategies from the experts.