I always thought cb was a bit of a nerf. That s1 doesn't help, because air and astral don't complement each other well. If anything, they overlap. But maybe I missed something though, and it is certainly thematic.
For hth I usually put a ring of regen and the best low enc armor I can make - robe of inv is ideal if you have the gems
Boots of speed are good.
For battlefield spell casting, more reinv items, no enc armor.