[Endoperez]

Astral is NICE. Even one point. Starshine Skullcap or Crystal coin is enough to let you start making Skullcaps en masse, and you already get Nature-2 mages to get Thistle maces...

I view Couatl as a quaranteed way to give you access to Astral-2 Shamans if everything else fails. It is expensive, but you don't really need more than one or maybe two Couatls: one equipped with Starshine Skullcap and Moonvine Bracelet (it was +Astral, not +Nature, wasn't it?) is very nice Astral 5 if you are after that, and the same equipment with some Nature boosters given to one of your Shamans or Astral Sauromancers/ Marshmasters lets them to forge more Moonvine bracelets. Aand after THAT you have access S3 mages able to cast Acashic Record without need for more Couatls.

Shamans are not something to build a strategy for, but I think C'tis does better with them than without.