I also find elmal clans easier than orlanthi clans. I
have at least a few specific reasons:
- in Orlanthi clans, often too many of your best
leaders are orlanth worshippers, i.e. you want an
orlanth worshipper as chief for the extra magic, and
you have one with excellent leadership, but your best
fighter and best magician are also orlanthi, and if
you put them on the ring as well you take a penalty in
magic and on heroquesting
- The Elmal heroquest is one of the more challenging,
but rewarding, quests. Being an elmal clan increases
the odds that you can do it early when it helps the
most. You usually still have a decent orlanthi or
vingan around to do the O&A quest.
- If your chief is Elmali, you have a war god
worshipper on the ring and never have to worry about
carrying dead weight just to get the extra war magic
(in my current orlanth clan my best fighter is a
Barntari, but he is always being upstaged by our Elmal
worshipper)
- Steadfast blessing rocks! (early on you are apt to
be raided more often than you raid), shield is
possibly more valuable than woad and stacks well with
steadfast, and sun and rain are probably equivalent.
So an early temple to elmal is, I think, of more
benefit than an early temple to Orlanth (just build a
shrine for thunderstone!)
Mind you, my greatest successes have come with
Ernaldan clans. Quite simply a strong Ernaldan who
can do the Ernalda quest repeatedly, and possibly the
Uralda one as well, is just incredibly valuable.
These clans often have a lot of trouble with the Elmal
quest I find, but generally do well at the rest of
them. Or maybe that is just how my luck has worked.
--Bryan
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