[chrispedersen]

Agree with most of what you said.

But I disagree with taking a drain scale. If you take a moderately positive magic scale, and build castles like crazy, you can dispense with building crones until after you have researched construction for boots of youth. Rather build your cost efficient researchers:

Daughters are 80 for 6rp, mothers are around a sacred 130 for 8?.

So on a rp/gp ratio for upkeep you are talking around 1.1 and 1.6.

Spearmen *are* mapmove 2, along with your longbowman - so have slight utility in those cases you need to reinforce something quickly. Generally, the plan however is build a castle rather than move troops.

I do not believe that gems in the first year are a sufficient reason to keep your pretender awake. I would suggest better scales for more castle production.

Mother of Tuathas is an interesting choice as she significantly boosts your raiding potential. So is the arch druid a man specific choice.

But I think I would probably stick with a
E4D3S4N1B4 Dom3 crone.

D3 cuts the time/gems to get death in play, as no mound fiend is necessary. e4 for dwarven hammers and reinvig on your sacred casters. S4 for eventual entry to Astral. Blood 4 for booths of youth and entry into the blood school.

With ridiculously cheap monks, and cheap temples, man starting with a low dominion is in a better position than anyone but mictlan to control his dominion spread.

As written elsewhere growth + high taxes are your friend.

Finally: Alteration is your first research goal, for wind guide.
After consider alteration again for Oak, especially absent a pangaia player. Otherwise enchantment for flaming arrows, or construction