[thejeff]

I tend to make site search spells a high priority, but I'm fairly new to MP. It may be an error.

It's a tradeoff. If your mages/strategy is more evocation, battlefield damage based, you may want to push the combat spells first. If you want early SCs/thugs, you're going to need the gems to get them.

If you've got access to the research booster items, finding the gems to start producing them early may actually speed up the research by the midgame.