Re: Short list and exploits
 

Yup, if I remember correctly it works the same and only costs 1 water gem? I don't have the game/manual in front of me so I am working by memory.

Re: Short list and exploits
 

I find air magic useful to the extreme for all the reasons already mentioned in the above posts. However, I want to add one thing I think is the most important: Cloud Trapeze.
Everyone knows the importance of having right commanders in right place in right time. Cloud trapeze is almost like having those commanders all over the map, all the time. In addition, when making big assaults, nothing beats trapezing thugs.

Re: Short list and exploits
 

It's a different effect i think. Rain makes fire ends faster, make fire spell more fatiguing and a couple other things. It does not affect flying units as far as i remember, and im absolutely sure it does not affect "summon storm power" or the power effect of orb lighting and other "spell is stronger during storm" spells.

Re: Short list and exploits
 

Gotcha.

"Rain" is a shower, "Storm" is an all out storm. Does Storm have the effects of Rain coupled with it's own effects, or does it not have the bonus against fire/fire spells?

Re: Short list and exploits
 

dont have the rulebook close, but i think storm is just an electrical storm (So no rain and no fatigue for fire spells and so)

Re: Short list and exploits
 

Same here. Well, I think I may have used it once, but didn't find it that awesome a spell to start with. Fog warriors is an awesome spell, though. As are lots of other things from Air.

Re: Short list and exploits
 

The one thing air does well at all is Air Shield and Mistform. Thats two spells.

Everything else Air does costs gems, and Air gems are not in my experience a common gem type. For example, building both boosters costs 50 gems and requires A4. Cloud Trapeze, Seeking Arrows, Storm, Arrow Fend, Wind Guide, Wrath of God, and almost every other good Air magic costs gems, and when you factor in the price of making boosters against the number of gems you use for rituals, the raw amount of Air magic you use it very small compared to others. I mean, with Fire I can throw some Fever Fetishes on Scouts and cast Flaming Arrows every battle on top of the fact that I don't have to do anything crazy to get a spell booster (Phoenix Power, in this case). Water can do the same with with sea trolls, Astral with Clams, and Earth with Blood Stones.

Thunderstrike is an OK spell, but it has a small area of effect and your mages fatigue out quickly. People who sing its praises tend to say things like "have you ever seen fifteen mages spamming Thunderstrike?" Yes, but fifteen mages apamming any of the good Evocations is impressive. Air mages are just doing it at a higher fatigue price with fewer kills.

Wrathful Skies is only impressive when you have a small army and they have a small army. Against big armies, I'll take any of the other battlefield destroying spells.

Re: Short list and exploits
 

You can have a windstorm without any water.

Re: Short list and exploits
 

Air magic users definitely do not need to do anything crazy to get their spell booster (summon storm power). Just give Staff of Storms for every mage heavy army you have and you're done. Storm is also a very useful spell in itself and worth one air gem per battle, which is pretty equal to the benefit you get from having a fever fetish/sea troll/clam/blood stone with your army.

Re: Short list and exploits
 

Nothing crazy?

Well, it's certainly possible. Requires Construction 6 and a A4 mage to get Staff of Storms, or similar levels for the Storm spell (Don't remember offhand). Compared to the other path boosters, which mostly take only Conjuration 3 and 2 or level in the path.
(Note that's a native A4 mage, since the Air booster items are also A4)

Beyond that, Storm shuts down Flight and archery, which are generally strengths of the Air nations.
Storm is a situationally useful spell. It's great when you're enemy is relying on archers and/or fliers and you're not. Disastrous when it's the other way around.