[Baalz]

Hmmm, seems like its gonna be kinda hard to spam Kydnids given the cost. The do make a decent summon and one of the few reasonable things to do with your mages, but the numbers you'll be fielding make it kinda hard to have a Kydnid 'strategy'. I guess I feel like they make a capable supplement...but the problem is that there's not much to supplement.

I like your suggestion on the Capricorns, although I don't think it goes far enough. Obviously not everything matches up between nations, but compare the Capricorn to the (arguably) two closest mages to him.

Atlantean King of the Deep. 290 gold. 3W + 2 FWSE + 10% FWSE. Full slots. This gives you teleporting thugs, 5W falling frost, acid rain, boots + summon earthpower, etc. etc. etc. I go on at length in my guide to Atlantis.

MA Pan: 350 gold. 3N 2E + 1 EDNB + 10% EDNB. Generates Maenads and summons national reanimators. Aside from the Maenads you get a solid earth mage and enough death and blood to bootstrap yourself into them. You'll get easy N5 mages to cast and early Mother Oak, and Faery Trod later on.

Capricorn: 350 gold. 3N 2W + 1 WANE + 10% WAFE. No foot slot (fairly significant on a potential E mage). Looses 1 to each path on land and stealth.

So, assuming that the mechanic which makes them lose 1 to each path on land is not going to change, their paths in Air is pretty much useless. They can't remotely site search underwater (not that there are any air sites underwater anyway), and even with your proposed change they couldn't do it on land without a very expensive A booster. In combat they can't boost the path, and again there's not much they can cast underwater anyway. So, no gems for summoning/forging and no combat potential.

Being able to get E2 would help, though as I mentioned having no foot slot hurts a lot. Landing W4 would help to, though they're still dreadfully behind the cheaper Kings of the Deep for Falling Frost. They're on par with the Kings who *don't* get a water random, and 60 gold more.

Given the lack of Maenads, lack of foot slot, and crippling out of water I think it's a mistake to try to make them 1 for 1 the same as Pans magic wise. Given the staggering cost they should be very good underwater and at least useful out of it. Perhaps 3n + 1w + 3 NWEA? This would at least make the A viable (still weak), make them able to cast mother oak/faery trod, and let them summon earthpower/falling frost out of the water without boosters. In the water this would give them a decent orb lighting and a shot at thugging out (mistform + regen + shockwave)