Round table

Come on, weren't the new Hives/Griffin Conservatories and their guards (not 4-5 identical units, but a mix from a town) interesting? :)

They are interesting until the first wipe)
On the subject, yesterday I asked one good player for their opinion — it's better to cook up a new template than change an old one (this is very similar to Dirty's opinion); a new template should combine the possibilities of different strategies: 1) rush; 2) spreading out to computers and building a fast Mage Guild, leveling up heroes; 3) devouring objects through a solo main. (If you have ideas, help out, add on). Maybe some points will seem similar to some, but I think the meaning is clear to many.
1) Rush — achieved by a large amount of cannon fodder that can break through strong blocks at the start without major losses, a well-leveled hero (preferably with Logistics/Earth/Offense). Options for cannon fodder: external dwellings, a second native hero's entrance, prisons, refugees, pandora's boxes.
2) Spreading out to computers and building a fast Mage Guild, leveling up heroes — presence of normal roads (no one-way paths), presence of resources behind weak guards, ability to get elements (Conflux), mines.
3) Devouring objects through a solo main — well, nothing to think about here, just the ability to run along a road in one direction and collect objects. This will more likely be influenced by zone density, placement of these objects, or just luck.
All this needs to be fit into XL+U. Honestly, I even like the 8xm12a variant, it's just that many don't like that it has few Utopias, weak guards, and so-so treasure zones often, one-way/four-way paths, but the bonuses in the form of a large number of Griffin Conservatories, free resources, and gold are good.
We need to make a template suitable for all these criteria) let's share our experience.