[Belac]

Machaka works like the Air Force. It is weak in hand-to-hand combat but has great artillery power.

Its strength is:

Recruitable-anywhere mages with potential for F2, D2, and N3
Cheap researchers who become very efficient with Magic 1 scale (in a recruitable-anywhere and cap-only flavor), but whose absolute research level is low (so you need a lot from different forts)

If you fear a rush, either get a SC pretender or rush to magic research your mages can spam (I have actually had luck with hoplites in front of mages casting Sleep Cloud--the hoplites force the enemy to stand in the cloud, and often don't die until the enemy fatigues out). Once the rush danger period is over, spam forts and build enough sorcerers to get several of each useful random, then start summoning your armies. If you're not in CBM, fire fetish-->fire drakes is a good way to go.

You also have good access to remote-attack spells. Empower a couple F2 sorcerers, or take a F4 pretender and build fire helmets, to add Flames from Afar to your arsenal to even the score for the big battles. You also have Blight, Locust Swarms, Iron Walls, and a few good Death spells.

With your powerful research, nature, and death magic, you're good in the late game with Tarts too.