By the way, balance is far from the only merit of the gameplay. There is also variability, non-linear development, and game realism (the main example of an artificial mechanic is ordering fillings in the new hive consoles — meaning the feature isn't bad, but it looks a bit silly). And across many factors, SoD is undoubtedly ahead.

Due to those same identical armies from the start and 2nd level, we get a grindy first week of development. Is this good or bad? Incidentally, this isn't present on Jebus Cross, so it's obvious that the Jebus template can serve as a kind of flagship for VT. The symbiosis is evident.

P.S. regarding the mirror, I might be wrong; this is more an observation of other players than my own experience.