[Endoperez]

It was regarded very weak, but the latest patch might have changed things. It is weak, because 1) all of the good mages are old and 2) because it's so capital-limited. The newest patch gave them more commanders recruitable outside of the capital, the humanbred assassin and assassin-mages are all-new, Fire/Death mages are new in the patch as well.

Construction 6 will help you a lot. Lightless Lanterns will shoot your research through the roof, Skulls of Fire will give cheap +1 Fire to your combat mages, Boots of Youth will keep your mages from aging to death, Starshine Skullcaps will boost Astral, if you've got the paths and gems for it you can start forging Wraith Swords, Hell Swords and Standards of the Damned for Life Drain at melee or from distance... Rods of the Phoenix can also be nice if you can afford them, but they'll be expensive.