Apachean elders/wisemen and piety

A quick trawl through the forums shows that posters think either wisemen never get above 3 piety to declare a warpath because they can't add to their rating by converting or killing heretics, or that they can but it takes forever.
I had the same problem as most posters in that my high piety wiseman snuffed it after only 2 warpaths and the others were never good enough to take over. Around 1610 I flooded Florida with around 20 wisemen to undermine the French authority in that area, meanwhile eliminating the French by 1620 (hope they won't be back anyway). Around 1625 I noticed that 5 out of 8 wisemen left on the peninsula were elders and had 5 piety, as well as 2 who had gone to Mexico and had 4 piety but no elder rating. Woohoo, warpaths galore!(between appropriate rests)
So does raising the Great Spirit rating of a province by a certain amount earn a piety increase, more so the longer they stay there? Indeed has anyone figured out the mechanics of this at all?

This is the same as with priests. Spreading the word let them gain piety. Send them to an place with the wrong faith and let them do their job. This will increase their piety.

They work like priests so the basic rule with priests applies here too. Use them in groups; Converting squads. That way they convert a big percentage fast and thus gain good traits and piety.

- Guru

And since Apache are the only one that worship great Manitou so no one will help you and you have 80% of map for converting by yourself.

Hmmm, so the game starts in 1521, and a hundred years later I get another competent wiseman..... in fact 7 at once! Needs fixing.

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Originally Posted by Tora

Hmmm, so the game starts in 1521, and a hundred years later I get another competent wiseman..... in fact 7 at once! Needs fixing.

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If you have higher level temple/church/wiseman teepee's they seem to come out with better stats more often. Also, just send them around in pairs, or 3's, or 4's if necessary, and don't keep em in any place too long, you want them out spreading the word in fresh areas and ones with no opposing religious men mucking up your conversion rate.

Priests get bonuses for converting 8% or more in a turn so large groups are the best. IIRC they also have a chance for a bonus when your religion goes over 90%