[Baalz]

I think an air shield gives you reasonable protection from the black bow particularly since hitting a single target with a bow can be difficult even with a good precision. I know that my casters refused to cast either leech or drain life at a golem, I assumed the lifelessness was the cause but I may be wrong on that.

The problem is that stuff you don't care about losing eyes also is stuff that is more or less completely ineffective against most things which get magic shields forged for them. If sending even elite recruitable units in is a red slaughter, and sending in a SC is out....sounds like avoiding melee altogether is the plan.