There are ways to get rid of afflictions on your Manticore.

1. Keeping him from getting them! The best and simplist way is to not get hit (High Protection, Defense, Spells). The second is Regeneration. You are less likely to recieve an affliction when regenerating.

2. Gift of Health (for you, but note some other nation/themes have some other options). This is a Nature spell at Enchantment 5.

3. Magic Artifact, the Chalice. Hard to get, but it will take away afflictions.

4. Kill your God and Call him back. He'll be less powerful magically (-1 to all magic paths) but he will come back fresh as a daisy (sometimes he'll have a minor affliction, but most of the time he'll be all good)

As for commanders, I usually will not have a commander who is commanding a squad fight, unless he is qualified as a 'super combatant'. Because if your commander dies you won't be able to command them unless you have one who can command the men in his place. Though if you have replacements, you can do so without fear.

This is not the case with the "Super Combatant". These usually have alot of survivability and are pretty well protected, though they may rout or die too so don't think they are invulnerable . Most supercombatants are Pretenders and Summoned creatures.

With Ulm your magical 'combos' are pretty limited. For casting spells these are some of the better.

(As Alex noted) Summon Earthpower, Legions of Steel, Strength of Giants. Blade Wind, Magma Eruption, Earth Meld, Weapons of Sharpness

For items. There are so many it's hard to say unless you are asking what type of 'supercombatant' you are trying to equip. I wouldn't equip any normal commander with anything except maybe a Horn of Valor (to combat some of Ulm's Morale issues).

Edit: Changed the commander routing portion.

[ January 14, 2004, 06:10: Message edited by: Zen ]