Fellowship of Leaves Guide

[Ribusprissin]

One of the first things I'd mention about High Priests of Leaves is that they can no longer cast Vitalize, so if you're playing Feryl or Arendel you only get 1 unit who can cast that spell (Yvain). Although Feryl's adepts can easily pick up Scorch or Spring on the way to Illusion school, depending on who you've already vassalized.
Edit: sorry, apparently Archmages and Liches with Nature 3 can also cast Vitalize.

 

[Cinnabar]

Of course, there's always luck. I just discovered FfH, and I've started half a dozen games just to get the feel of things, but this is the first I'm really planning to play through. So I should get the beginner's luck bonus if anyone should (is it somewhere in the code and I didn't see it?).

Random selection gave me the Svartalfer, and I was peacefully expanding when the Khazak leader suddenly declared war against me, and sent a largish stack to my nearest city. I was looking at my situation and considering whether I needed to send in units from other cities... when I saw a unit I didn't recognize. Yes, it was a Treeant (I didn't know they existed before that). And that one unit was enough to wipe out the stack before it returned to the woods (the "fortify until healed" option was available, but I didn't use it ).

So yes, the very first time the very first hostile made his very first step into my forests, the 5% chance came through. I dropped by here to see whether it's something I might be able to expect in the future, but clearly not. Too bad.

 

[Senethro]

Fastest tech route I've been able to work out for the Svartalfar.

1: Check for a Calendar resource that increases commerce. e.g. Dye, Incense. If present, research Calendar and go to 4, otherwise go to 2.
2. Do you have some kind of food bonus? Corn, Wheat, Rice, a couple of Flood Plains? If yes, then go to 4. Otherwise, research Agrarianism and go to 4. Wait, you have fresh water right? Because if not, go to 3.
3. You're screwed and the mapscript hates you.
4. Research Ancient Chants.
5. Education --> Mysticism --> Adopt God-King and Apprenticeship, build a Pagan Temple and start a Priest --> Exploration --> Hunting --> Way of the Forests --> Lightbulb Hidden Paths with Great Prophet and adopt GoN --> Cartography.

Svart are the only civ I use God-King civic in. I conducted about 6 different games from starts edited with the Worldbuilder to determine whether researching Calendar before FoL beelining was a good idea.