[Zooko]

Empoisoners equipped Skull Talisman are excellent against independents -- probably greater than 95% success rate at assassinations, and you can start churning them out with no research whatsoever.

Later, when you have higher levels of spells available, you can power them up with empowering items to make them a good threat against other nations.

Here's my idea (but keep in mind that I don't play the normal "Free For All" multi-player style -- I play only multiplayer, but I play only styles in which there is Proper Incentive For War, such as 1 team vs. 1 team or Pentagram).

Oracle, 10 Dominion (oh yes, 10)
+3 Order, +3 Sloth, +2 Heat, +3 Growth, standard luck/misfortune, +3 Magic
Mountain Fortress (oh yes, the Mountain Fortress)
spend the rest of the points on whatever magic you will use to forge items for your Empoisoners

Start with several Empoisoners, making the first one your Prophet. Each one forges a Skull Talisman for himself and then sets about assassinating. (Keep notes about how many leaders you've assassinated from each province.)

Then hire the best researcher you can each turn, and research Construction and Enchantment, so that your Empoisoners, equipped with Death-boosting items, can cast bigger "summon undead" spells during assassinations.

Don't spend any money on troops. Don't spend money on temples unless you've started building a Mountain Fortress in that province. You need a second Mountain Fortress as soon as possible.

Improvise. Have fun.

Thanks to Panther for teaching me some of the flaws of the design that preceded this one... ;-)