Yes, the game was great! It's still hard to believe we ended up on top with the amount of pounding I took from Arco and TNN
With regard to what I was using, I started out just testing all the EDM summons (I copied the idea Oreigenes + Mage bane + Aegis from you, Valerius, it was stupendous! I think I would never have beaten TNN if you hadn't switched the gear to the Air Queen that then died, luckily, and allowed me to forge it.) After I snatched Well of Misery from C'tis I switched to Tarts, saving all other gems for the eventuality that sansanjuan would want to go head to head. I agree that Tarts could have been still more expensive.
About what sansanjuan said about my help in the early game, I chose to team up with him because of Zeldor's overweeningly arrogant diplomacy. He made first contact with me by demanding a province I controlled, and demanding and demanding again when I said no, so I attacked him out of pure irritation
I too never contemplated selling sansanjuan out, he helped me so much with items and gems when I lost some big battles against Zeldor and you Valerius.
So, to recap, I think at least 5/6 of the win should go to sansanjuan, seeing how much advice and help he gave me, and also because I had a few periods where my interest flagged a little and I just rushed the turns in. This was only my 4th game on the forums, and I must say I learned a lot (don't cast army of gold + wrathful skies!).
Thank you very much Valerius!
edit, I too had a forge lord pretender, it was good with the hammer of the forge lord. Maybe that's why we won