Thanks everyone.
Personally, I think you play too cautiously WL. That's something that stuck with me from our former games. I watched every single one of your battle from turn 30 onward. Actually i watched the entire map for quite some time. I had a few dozen crystal orbs and a very extensive scout/spy system going. There was nothing I didn't see.
Also monitoring the rest helped identify you too.
Valerius, apart from the Forge, which I think is the biggest problem, I also would blessing of steel too powerful. A handful of flail infantry had no problem dealing with indea 9 from the start under blessings of steel. Having a 24 protection troop is too much from start I think.
That small amount of diversity with smiths (20% A/S/F) is huge too. Not that I'd suggest removing it, it just opens up a load of new options. New forging possibilities and communions mostly (either with s smiths or trough matrixes).
In any case I'd say Ulm is one of the best MA nation, if not all era nations.
mockingbird, god damn I hated you dude. All I wanted was those two slots for global spells. I just couldn't figure out a way to kill your pretender not to mention breach the fort. It would have taken me a hundred gate cleavers.
Calahan, I noticed instantly that a new player had taken over Svarogia. You even got me scared there for a moment but then I realized there wasn't anything really dangerous in your possession.
As to how Svarogia fell and how I obtained the 3 or rather 4 last VPs;
Shiny cap was the first to go. It was rather easy to take as Shiny had most of his troops in the adjacent fort.
The second fort, Eriu, fell to about 500 teleported troops (gate stone and astral travel) and a few mages and a SC. There was nothing in the fort to protect it and no troops near so it was easy taking.
The other Svarogia fort was Man, which fell to troops, commanders, mages, thugs and SCs. Not too large an army though and it was a tough battle too. Could have lost that one.
The third fort for the win was Al Nadin (C'tis). There was no chance in hell any army could have protected that fort. I had just too many stuff in that army.
And the fail safe capital was Bandar Log. (Van) Also a heck of a lot of stuff in it.
Curious Yellow, and there I was actually thinking on joining the war on your side until Shiny attacked me. Well, rather tried to sneak in troops into my lands which resulted in me attacking him. I even gave him a turns change to withdrew the troops but he moved them further in.
Actually, the only nation I attacked in this game was TC. And that was a hilarious war. I attack TC, Ashdod joins in from the other side and grabs a few provinces. Than Ashdod completly ignores TC and attacks me while I'm still in was with TC. (Note that TC is right in the middle of us). And we spend the next 15 turns fighting around and over TC until I managed to kill him off eventually with superior research.
WL, as per that battle, I didn't expect you to have that many (hidden) stuff there. Especially after losing those Treants and some other stuff the turn before I think?
Anyway, it was a nice battle, and you won it but I think you actually suffered more loses from it than me.
I'd kinda like an underdog nation in the next game.