Thanks for the answers everyone! It's very appreciated.
1) No I didn't have Dominion 10 for Awe... That certainly would account for a lot of what I was seeing! I think I'll stick with with 2 turn expansion when I have an awake combat god, then.
2) I'm playing in Late Age against Ermor. I had expected Shadow Brands to deal some sort of "dark" damage that undeads would be immune to (which in retrospect doesn't exit), but you are correct: From the description it seems that it deals Fire damage. I'll check to see if I can summon anything thug-worthy that's fire immune or if I can craft anything that gives fire immunity (so that the brand doesn't kill my own thug).
Bows of War are an awesome idea! It's super cheap and Air gems are both my highest income and my highest stockpile. It doesn't help with having a strong frontliner, but on the other hand the faster the skeletons die the less time my front line has to hold either way. The poison golem is a bit out of reach for now but Gift of Reason on a Gargoyle and making it trample or something similar is a much closer goal. Thanks for help, it'll be quite handy!
3) That's what I was hoping to hear! Spending so many design points to reach dominion 9 or 10 just breaks my heart so I'm glad to hear that it's not necessary to do so.
4) And that's what I was expecting to hear but was hoping not to... I'll have to be change the plan, then. Back to the drawing board!
