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Pretender design will heavily affect the outcome of your nation and how you play it, making it among the most extensive areas of discussion in Dominions 5. A combination of points must be distributed throughout the categories of scales, magic paths, pretender cost, and time until awake. Several abbreviations are commonly used to make these discussion easier.

Scales The scales, seen towards the bottom of the pretender design screen, can be modified positively or negatively. The categories are referred to by their neutral depiction, with the exception of temperature, which may be referred to as temp or heat. Therefore, leaving order at neutral would be described as O0. Taking any of these scales below neutral will change what they are called, for example decreasing order means increasing your turmoil scale. Some abbreviations are shared between scales, however so long as all scales are listed, it should be obvious which is which from the context. The following abbreviations are thus used when describing a pretender build: Dom 1-10: Dominion O0-3: Order T1-3: Turmoil P0-3: Productivity S1-3: Sloth H0-3: Heat C1-3: Cold G0-3: Growth D1-3: Death L0-3: Luck M1-3: Misfortune M0-3: Magic D1-3: Drain

Magic The 8 magic paths are abbreviated by their first letter, however since Air and Astral both start with A, Astral magic is instead referred to as S.

No abbreviation is needed for the rest of the pretender design, however awake/dormant/imprisoned could be referred to in an abbreviated manner which would be clear from the context. Blesses will be listed as well, generally at the end. Most blesses are not abbreviated, but certain common blesses may be abbreviated as follows: F/C/S/P/M followed by R: refers to Fire, cold, shock, poison, or magic resistance. Example: FR +15 regen: regeneration Fort: fortitude BS: Blood surge BBond: Blood Bond HSkin: Hard Skin recup: recuperation

Example Pretender: Dom 5 03 P3 H0 G3 M2 M3 S4 B4 Imp Fountain of blood with MR+3 and BS This would be a Fountain of Blood pretender taken imprisoned, with Order 3, Productivity 3, Heat 0, Growth 3, Misfortune 2, and Magic 3 for its scales, Astral 4 and Blood 4 for its paths, and Magic resistance +3 and Blood surge as its bless.

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General Idea pretenders are a group of pretenders, with a general idea, which can be run with on a good portion of nations, and not be considered a bad pick.

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Cheap expanders are expanders who can be taken awake, with little to no magic path changes, and be expected to expand. What separates a lot of the awake cheap expanders are cost, military power, natural magic paths and unique traits. What scales you run doesn't alter the archetype, but it's recommended to have scales that allow your nation to function well.

The purpose of taking a cheap expander is to be able to have a expander, while also not dumping your scales. Some pretenders need a bit of extra research, points in earth, or gear to expand. A natural expander who were to take these things were to be even stronger.

Thrice Horned Boar, Earth Serpent, Dragons, Son of Fenrer, Linnormr, Svartalf Master Smith, Great White Bull, Great Black Bull, Wyrm, Myrmecoleon, Drakon, Ormr, Great Mother, Solar Serpent, Serpent of Chaos

Man-Eater

A Rainbow Researcher has to be a awake rainbow, typically the great sage, and produce at least 50 research a turn, and have 2 points in every magic path, to be considered to be in this archetype. A awake bless, that's also immobile, could also fit in the stereotype of a researcher, but not as a rainbow.

The goal of a rainbow researcher, is to give you a early game advantage on research, and then to site search, when it's efforts on research are no longer substantial.

A rainbow researcher is typically ran on nations who, struggle/benefit greatly with early game research, enjoy a decent bless and/or want more magic diversity

Rainbow researchers come in many forms, so you can be creative with them, but here are some examples.

Dom 5, T3, P3, H3, D3, M3, D1

F6, A3, W3, E3, S3, D3, N3, B4

Awe, Major Shock Resistance, Major Cold Resistance, Strength of the Earth, Major Magic Resistance, Undead Command x3, Minor/Major Poison Resistance, Blood Surge

The purpose of this god, outside of stereotypic things for this archetype to cover, is to cast Eternal Pyre

Dom 4, O2, P3, H0, G3, M3, D3

F2, A2, W2, E2, S2, D2, N2, B2

The purpose of this god, outside of stereotypic things for this archetype to cover, is to be cheaper than your standard rainbow bless. Taking advantage that MA Ulm can tank into drain and still have good scales.

Specific God Pretenders are Pretenders who typically have to be the same chassis. But can typically be ran on a decent amount of nations who allow that god.

Note-ably a amazing expander who can blind expand. It can give note-ably give the lightning/fire resist bless or a hard skin bless. It can also cast Riches from Beneath and Earth Blood Deep Well, which are note-able globals.

What makes this god so effective, is that it naturally has 20 protection. Once you hit 3 earth, your earth is added to your natural protection. With earth 5-6, it'll have a protection of 25-26. If you run a hard skin bless with it, it'll have 31 protection in it's dominion.

This god is strong at removing early game pressure, considerably more so with hard skin. And possibly a decent bless for sacreds.

With this god, you get Irminsul, you have it be either awake or dormant, and have it least have 5 Nature. 7 Nature is more recommended to have the regeneration bless.

The entire purpose of this god is to do a few things. To cast Mother Oak, so you have higher nature income. And to give off a bless.

The reason why you have the god to be dormant as worst, is to be able to cast Mother Oak before someone else is able to do so.

Single Player Pretenders are more focused on clearing out the hordes of units that the AI typically likes to recruit. You can run some of these pretenders in multiplayer and have good success, but they are stronger in single player, since they are so focused on clearing out hordes of unorganized units.

http://pretenders5.testingmagic.ovh/ - To help find the cheapest pretender for your desired paths.

https://youtu.be/qmX9Dmt_PtU - To help explain to you, in video, on how to make a good pretender.