Most powerful nation

[Evilhomer]

I'm just curious what nation (in all ages) that people consider to be most powerful. Consider the overall picture just not their early potential. Granted that different nations shine in different situations - but consider a rather large, somewhat balanced map with all nations present (something like perpetuality, but less water provinces perhaps). My top three vote is as follows:

1. Lanka
Good sacreds, can reanimate, cheap blood hunters, strong mages and excellent blood summons. I cannot find any real weakness in this nation so they would be my vote for most powerful (unbalanced nation).

2. LA Rlyeh
Rather safe start in the early game due to water start. They will start to really shine when they reach high level magics. They also can clam and get freespawns. They have a few annoying feutures, like the insanity that hits most of your commanders, but overall I would place them second.

3. LA miclan
Great sacreds, best blood nation (blood is very potent if you know how to use it), good blood summons. Decent mages and even amphibious troops.

(after this I would place EA miclan, LA ermor, EA caelum, LA marignon in some order - unsure which)

Which nations gets your votes, and why ??

[Boron]

Why do you rate LA Mictlan higher than EA Mictlan?

As you say LA Mictlan has the nice amphibic units, but i would nontheless EA Mictlan rate higher because LA Mictlan has one huge disadvantage: LA has 2 nations with popkilldominions.

If Mictlan neighbors one of those 2 nations earlygame they will probably have blood hunting problems.

[Baalz]

Yeah, I have to agree that Lanka is probably the most powerful. In fact, I have a hard time coming up with any that I'd say are definitely stronger than the three you mention. The thing about those three is they all have extremely potent early, mid, and late games.

FWIW, LA Mictlan and EA Mictlan are extremely similar, but LA does edge ahead due to:
Amphibious units who benefit from the strong bless you're already taking
Ability to summon ice devils without needing con-6 (EA needs water bracelets)
A couple of their mages aren't old

[Gandalf Parker]

Thank you for defining the game. That is so often the fault with threads like this.

Well, just to be me, and not put anything that anyone expects. These might not be "strongest" since I dont tend to think that way, but more "strongest for certain player types".

1) Oceania:
Based on tests it seems that Oceania is able to create a great mid-game lead. How well it does after that will be based on how well it can cash-in on that lead.

2) Arcos:
If the ability to win in early game is expansion, and mid-game is armies, and late game is magic (as some experts have said) then IF a research-build Arcos is able to get to late game they have the potential for major damage

3) Neifelheim:
Rather specialized but I think its one of the strongest races for turtling. In a large-map/all-nations game diplomacy might be sneered at but its a big factor. A good diplomat playing defensive and building up for the final battle can make good use of the mistakes of others. I tihnk that the giant nations are built well for turtling.

I think that Dominions is the type of game where specific "strongest" might have more to do with the players we have active at any time. If we get a powerful player who can really use the abilities of xxxxxxxxx then it call could shift. IMHO

[Warhammer]

What is so great about EA Caelum or LA Marignon? EA Caelum is hosed if they can't diversify their magic. LA Marignon appears to be weaker than MA Marignon (to me at least).

[Evilhomer]

EA caelum - rapid expansion due to elephants. Clearly the potential to really screw none lighting immunities in mid game (storm, wratful skies, thunderstrike etc). They can diversify easily through their pretender and their spentas.

LA marignon - Cheap blood mages, good blood summons and access to angels. Good crossbows with easy access to fire arrows. They are also very powerful in both astral and blood - in my opinion the two strongest paths.

[Sombre]

I'll probably give reasoning later, but off the top of my head I'd say:

Lanka
EA Caelum
LA Rlyeh

[Hadrian_II]

I dont think that it is possible to say Lanka is the best nation of all, as it depends on the players preferences.

And i would like to add MA Pangea as a very strong nation as they:

- have usable access to blood (not to play as a real blood nation, but strong enough for forging)
- can make earth stones
- has strong troops (centaurs) and access to earth and nature magic --> if you take some centaur cataphracts, add in relief, mass regeneration, giant strength weapons of sharpness and some more buffs, they can do serious damage.
- can reanimate and the pangean variant of undead is stronger than others.
- has strong mages avilable in every castle, and gets loads of freespawns
- maenads are not strong on the battlefield, but they tear down castles in no time, and can also defend castles very well.

the only thing that is missing, is access to battlemagic (fire, air) and astral but that are things that you can fix with your pretender.

[Rytek]

1)I would agree on Lanka. The only real weakness it has is no Astral on its mages. But that is easily made up for by all its other strengths.

2)I think Sauromatia is a strong nation and would rate it as number 2. Good sacreds, Mages that have high death, some blood and Astral. And the best archers in the game.

3) Really, is any of the Heims.With the right bless they are murderuss.
4) LA Ermor and LA R'leh.

[Meglobob]

I think that since EA Helheim got its nerfs, there is now no single outstanding powerful nation.

Indeed the only balance problem that really exists with any of the nations over the 3 eras is one of being too weak compared to some of its rivals in that particular age. This applies to 2-3 nations only.

There is now a whole bunch of nations who are powerful but really only have a slight edge on other nations.

LA - Ermor/Rlyeh probably have a slight edge.
MA - Probably the most balanced, only Pythium stands out as having a slight edge.
EA - Oceania (if there are alot of water provinces), Lanka, Caelum, Niefelheim.

I think the map/player/diplomacy/site % all have a bigger effect on the game than individual nation choices.

Just look at perpetuality, it was so influenced by the inbalance of water provinces to land provinces.