[shovah]

you forgot black servants, they scout and if you give em a lycan amulet, horror helm, some form of black steel armour (even the weak one) and a lucky pendant/vine shield they can slaughter indies. In my last, mega forgefest of doom ulm game i had a prophetised black servant (who, due to enemy dominion had about 12 health) hold a castle gate against hundreads of ulmish troops including multiple priests and loads of arbalests. he has full black steel armour+helm+kite shield, boots of giant strength and girdle of might for strength on lifesteal and an amulet of luck for all purpose. Black servants are cheap, low conjuration thugs and, with ethereal, decent starts, full slots and stealth work great for anyone with even below average forge powers.

I forgot about the - to defence, all carrion critters have atleast 4 attacks (3x sleep vine attacks+a claw/bite) iirc and some have 7 (6 sleep vine attacks). The multiple attacks+mega fatigue works great vrs small elite forces as high defence goes down with the multiple attacks until they are knocked out and killed. carrion woods, if they can get up mother oak and other spells (that one that reanimates dead people as vinemen is good for them) can be a force to be reckoned with and lategame when they have atleast dozens of unholy priests their reanimation numbers often can match those of ermor (since their summoned mages also reanimate) and, in extreme unholy mage hording then can surpase them.