So, yep, let's share mods and games we've found that scratch fantasy turn based strategy or 4X itch.
My favourite one recently is a Civ4 Beyond the Sword mod called Rise from Erebus (it's built off another mod which is built off another mod which is built off another mod; it basically goes Fall from Heaven -> Fall from Heaven 2 -> Fall Further -> Rise from Erebus). It's got really diverse gameplay depending on the faction you pick, a pretty decent magic system and some really interesting bonus features. I think it's what we should be expecting off of Elemental in terms of gameplay, especially since certain bonus features are pretty similar. (You can select a setting that makes the world the world start out frozen and slowly thaw out.) I'd really recommend it for all TBS fans (at least those with Civ4 Beyond the Sword), as it's an example of what the genre should be - and it's a free mod!
Now, what are all of your recommend games to help tide us over until Elemental is released?
EDIT: Oh, and I do know that Fall from Heaven / Fall from Heaven 2 were the original games, but they're out of date now compared to Rise from Erebus. Still amazing, though.