4 from the start + 4 from the mage upgrade = 8, which is already a very strong stack for the 1st week.
No, it doesn't give a penalty, just like any neutral creature.
The Dragon is much more overpowered than Jelu (who is banned). Spells decide the outcome. And there's extra randomness. As for the Necropolis, they only get stronger when you need to move in a different direction, as I think. Overall, I'm not claiming anything, just sharing my thoughts.
As a fun thing and for a test tournament, it's quite suitable.
I forgot about carrying neutral creatures. I guess I'm a noob.
Even without an army, Jelu will allow you to upgrade a stack of marksmen to snipers, which is really cool.
There was some nerfing of the Necropolis. In the final, skeletons under spell protection won't be able to catch up with anyone. I hope that the percentage will be reduced in the future. For now, it's about reversing the bans on building, which is not bad.
Discord - Xocenk#2473