How interesting, I just quit a game of S&A for today...
I pulled a sleeping Red Dragon who has Fire 9 Air 4. I've been mostly using national troops backed up with evocations. I've expnaded quite nicely I think.
The shield/spear/linen armor infantry is suprisingly good at the front. Back them up with archers. I put the sacred warriors you can recruit on the sides or a bit back from the spearmen and then blessed them with my prophet. They can dodge, they can hit...but when they are hit they can't take it. Air shield made the more useful again missiles troops though, and their attacks could eath through enemies.
I also used the Noble chariots.
The summons are excelent but I never quite had the gems to mass them. I'm partial to the Celestial Hounds though. Flying, lightning immune, two attacks.