[PvK]

I think you probably just need to get more play experience. The things you are describing can be very very effective, if used in the right ways and numbers, against the right foes. For example, I don't know how mass soul slay can be ineffective, unless fighting things with high MR or that don't have souls or have tons of hitpoints or something. Communion is great with Pythium because of their cheap communion slaves. Basically you want a bunch of them, and they will allow your mages to cast more powerful spells with tons of fatigue to spare.

PvK