[aldin]

Originally posted by onomastikon:
I obviously am missing something.

Nice to know I'm not the only one with this struggle. Having started with Ulm, my idea of strong magic was crafting unique items and casting Flame Bolts. I'm slowly learning which paths of magic I like and which effects I want to be able to make. One of the hardest adjustments for me to make when I decided to really use battlefield magic was to give gems to my commanders. A lot of the better battlefield spells require gems in addition to fatigue. So, quick comments on what I've figured out:

1) Construction is almost always a good default school - items are just plain useful.
2) Conjuration is another good default school with a mix of Ritual and Battlefield spells.
3) Thaumaturgy has several of the 'site-search' spells at a low level of research.
4) Evocation can turn almost any sphere into a damage-dealer.

That's my experience so far anyway...

~Aldin