Looking for a little more on LA Caelum

[Aleph]

I've read the posts in the strategy index, and I've started out a few games with decent success, but I feel like I'm not unlocking the potential of LA Caelum.

Basic Questions
1. Pretender design - what and why?
2. Troops - any decent options besides Mammoths and magical smackdown from leaders?
3. Magic - spell research priorities?

Pretender: I'm mostly running an awake sage S4W3FAEDN1, Order 3 Misfortune 2 Growth 1 Production 1 Magic 1 Dom 4. His paths are chosen to access Hidden in Snow and Naiads for more magical versatility, to have easy access to rings and a lot to benefit from once he gets them, and to maximize his research potential early. I'm having him push to Enchantment 3 followed by Evocation 4 and Conjuration 3 (for raise skeletons, blade wind and thunderstrike, and summon earthpower respectively).

The other option I'm considering is an E4 Dom 9 Wyrm Order 3 Cold 1 Misfortune 2 as an early expander, for easy access to underwater, and for a modest earth bless to buff my excellent sacred spellcasters. Stupid question - if your god dies and comes back, your bless remains the same, right? Certainly I haven't noticed picking up uberblesses with a Wishmage, so I assume that blesses are fixed.

Troops: I love Mammoths, and that's about it for rank and file. I know I have to get a handle on their fliers if I'm going to raid effectively, but I'm not feeling the love. I also am feeling like I have a clunky, powerful army of Mammoths and Corpsemen which is always trying to catch up to my more mobile aspects to support them.
*Melee - Even their melee elites seem to get torn up fast if they have to fight anyone worth a damn - does anyone have any thoughts on Raven Guard vs. Storm Guard vs. Iceclad (besides "hold and attack rearmost")? I tend to veer towards Raven Guard or even Iron Crow since I'm only running cold 1, but that may be my error. Should I ditch Production 1 on the sage and run Growth 2 for more cash and food (or possibly even take Sloth 1, Growth 3)?
*Ranged - Maybe I'm spoiled by playing with crossbow armed nations lately, but I just haven't been impressed by the damage that the Caelite archers inflict. Whole lot of arrows, not much effect. I wish I could have them hold, fly way behind enemy lines, and shoot up the rear while the Mammoths trampled in from the front, but you can't script that.

Leaders:
Well, their Harab Elders are jaw dropping, save that I haven't found great battlefield uses for their W enabled version (they mostly hang and do research). For non-capital I tend to alternate between Harab Seraphs (both for battlefield and for Corpsemen), Caretakers (only with the Wyrm - with bless, boots, and summon earthpower they make decent bladewind spammers), and scouts... I can't ever seem to have enough flying scouts, since I need to raid like mad to make my fliers worth using and you need good intel to raid.