A year ago, when we started this game, I still hadnt played a lot of Dom4. Looking at ermor, and seeing a nation with a broad level of low level caster support, i figured that I wanted a pretender that augmented those casters. Eventually i selected a 4A/4E/3N gorgon - all were there to allow for boosters in their respective paths, and AE were there for the major lategame spell support, as well as the staff, which would bring the perfect tool for boosting my elemental-pathed flamen. The gorgon chassis was mostly there because it fit the paths, allowed for a reasonable dominion(7), and order, productivity and luck scales…also, it could fly and is a pretty good combat chassis if necessary (though I didn’t plan to use it that way).
For ermor, the opening years were idyllic. I didn’t have any close neighbors, i had a huge swath of room to my south and 3 distinct chokepoints that served as my borders. Here is ermor at the end of the third year:
We have Kailasa to the southeast, Ulm to the south(later replaced by Fomoria), Ctis to the west and southwest, Machaka to the northwest, and Arcos to the northeast. Strangely (and still to the end of game), i never figured out why Ermor was allowed to get so much water territory. Here, in year 3, with help of some neutral Ichtyids, you can see Ermor testing the waters - and in another year or so, ermor would claim all of the water through until the area north of Ctis. Diplomatically, things seemed good - Arcos, Machaka and Kail all seemed satisfied with the natural borders assumed, and so my choices for expansion seemed to the south and to the west. Ctis and I bumped a bit, particularly when i targeted the southwest throne (2 pt, Astral throne with misfortune) and shortly afterwards ran into his forces. Looking at the map then, i realized what a crap position Ctis had drawn (that is really stupid the game would put him there with only 2 connected land properties) and decided I his position in the south was tenuous and I had good opportunity for a limited offensive. Later when dfs left the game, i negotiated with the new Ctis player, ceasing hostilities in exchange for all territory east of Ctis’ capital neighboring swamp province - this caused a bit of static with my alliance partner Arcos who was attacking Ctis from the other side, but considering the troops and losses i would sustain attacking Ctis’ southern fort, it was a price well worth paying.
Even at this stage, certain trends were emerging. 1) Ermor had no native scouts - not one of the provinces I had taken produced scouts. Even in the late game (lol, even at end game), i still didn’t know where Pan’s capital was. The only scouts ermor ever produced were from its forts. 2) Ermor had next to no death income. Ermor’s death strength was what i was thinking of in end game - this all went to pieces when i never found any death income - 3/4 gems a month were all ermor ever had - and most of these were consumed for forging. 3) That nature throne was bugged. I think we all saw this, but particularly in the early days of the game before it got patched, the thone was out of control. I had growth 2/3 everywhere. I was getting lumber constructs and various other ‘woody’ creatures. I had so many wolf events and various other things related to it.
