The blood units are good for defensive purposes, but if you take them marching away from the capital these blood units lose 2 hit points each turn.
Same is true with the commander, but a ring of regeneration should stop the loss of hitpoints for the commander.(theory)
I got the Illithid-producing crater in the beginning of one early-era game and both the Const. bonus and the Conj. bonus provinces on either side of my home province in another game.
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You've sailed off the edge of the map--here there be badgers!