[Alneyan]

- Magic sites do not require more than 4 in any given path, and most of the sites need 3 and less. However, having a high level of Astral is not a bad idea (quite an understatement here) when playing multiplayer, because of the workings of Magic Duel. I am not sure if the AI can actually do the same.

- Did you give your Pretender a Last order of "Cast Spells" (in the bottom half of the commander orders screen)? Spellcasters may cast poor spells from time to time, but they should definitively not be rushing to the frontlines, unless you have ordered them to do so.

- Since you seem to be outgunned in this battle (25 crossbows against your few weaker archers), you should consider putting all your troops as forward as possible in the battle setup. It will help them get in the fray more quickly, and so avoid losing too much due to enemy fire. You may still have a hard time breaking through the enemy infantry line, however.

- The Wyvern is a flying unit, and can go anywhere in the battlefield in a single turn. It is quite likely she will fly straight to the enemy alone, and so will get overwhelmed by all the defenders there. An order of "Hold and attack Rearmost" (making her wait two turns before attempting to attack behind the lines) might make her more effective, but having a few more Wyverns would not hurt in this case.

- I am sadly not an expert on Machaka, and so cannot give you any actual advice on how to win battles without too much trouble. In fact, I am having a tough time playing this nation, and so you definitively do not want my help on "how to play Machaka".