Ah ha, a MA Pythium question...

[Xietor]

my game is still ongoing, so i cannot tell you much more. Suffice to say i always want my pretender to be able to travel, so that means air or s magic. 6 dominion.

I do not like misfortune, so i actually never take it. Though many good players do.

I tend to mix my hydras with slingers, so that takes care of barbarians. And as long as i position my hydras right, so that they get the 1st attack on mounted units, i have good success.

I buy mages and hydras, but i do not expand until turn 2. i take 2 growth because to afford my hydras i set taxes high and patrol. And I like my capital to recover the lost population.