[rdonj]

One of the first things you need to do when you're planning your pretender for a game, is figure out what you want your end game to look like. What paths does your nation have? Can it forge all the boosters you need to make full use of those paths? What paths don't you have? How badly do you need them? Do you need to take certain paths on your pretender to open up better late game magic, or can you justify trading/empowering/looking for indies to do the job for you? It's basically imperative to be able to acquire at least one RoW or another +1 to all booster at some point in your game to open up better forging/summoning access. Don't be afraid to pass out boosters, extra gems, or whatever else is necessary to give your mages access to the spells that will allow you to win battles. And make sure your logistics chain is up to the challenge of supporting your gem expenses. Communions are also extremely helpful for opening up more powerful magic.