[Valerius]

Originally Posted by Executor

At first look I thought that the national units were meh and kinda Mictlan like, but they are extremely good actually.

Good assessment of the troops. I like the first half of the lineup (ravens, Sganna warriors), not so much the second half.

The archers are ok but with the exception of the stealthy raven archers I don't know that I'd recruit them over indie tribal archers. I wonder if it would be thematic to give at least the ravens forest survival?

The only unit I don't think I'd ever use are the raven warriors. Even if Haida Gwaii had a stealthy commander that could lead large numbers of troops I'd prefer to use ravens.

I was also disappointed that I didn't come up with a way to use the bear warriors effectively. But I think that was partly due to the circumstances of the game. They don't fare well without buffs and I was at peace for a long time (clamming of course) so by the time they could be buffed it was already late game.

Still, like you say, it's not a bad troop lineup. But it's not as exciting to me as the commander lineup - each of whom I find interesting and can find uses for.

Originally Posted by Executor

Now, there's one thing in particular that caught my eye, the bear summons.
2+ for 12 gems, sacred, ethereal, high HP, regeneration, trample! And they're only level 1. So, no doubt about this, I'd spend every single one of my nature gems on these pets. The best option seems to take a heavy nature pretender so get more, and go straight for mother oak to boost your nature income. Than you trample everything...

I have to admit that while I summoned them in a test game to check them out I didn't summon any in the actual game (that thunderbird tunnel vision again ). But this is an interesting idea, especially if a high N pretender can get you large numbers of them early on.

Originally Posted by Executor

Still checking the mages, they seem good, cheap researchers but I'm not sure who to use as my main research force. I'm interested to know which one you used the most?

I opened up turn 50 from Tourmaline and looking over my nation I see row after row of kachinas. I guess at that point I decided it was time to summon thunderbirds en masse because most of them are set to summon allies. I had such large numbers of kachinas in large part with the idea of generating huge numbers of thunderbirds once key research was completed but also because a map move 3, flying, thunderstriking mage is very appealing.

But thinking it over, with my Magic 1 scales I could have gotten over double the research that each kachina provided by using that gold for ravens instead. So I don't think that many kachinas is optimal. Though in fact my research wasn't bad and I see the Chalice in my inventory which iirc was from forging, not wishing for it (I think I was also helped in this by most other nations getting involved in early wars).