[Endoperez]

Comments, please. Would this rule work like I think it would?

Gems won't be spent after round 5.

Scripted mages will follow their script, and not spend games after their script ends. Non-scripted mages and mages of AI nations can use their gems to cast gem-expensive spells.


About buff spells:

Banned buffs:

Only when scripted (because these are personal buffs more suitable for thug/sc units):

Astral Shield
Fire Shield
Personal Quickness
Blink
Flight (caster-only)
Breath of Winter
Water Shield
Charge Body
Soul Vortex
Barkskin (for poor Abysia)
Stoneskin (there are units with chill aura and Earth)
Invulnerability (Ironskin should be enough for mages, and there might be earth mages with poison aura)

Preferred buffs:
Buffs mages SHOULD cast, if they can:

Summon Water Power
Summon Storm Power
Phoenix Power
Summon Earthpower
Strength of Gaia
Air Shield
Personal Luck
Ironskin
Mistform

Spells I'm not sure about:
Mirror Image
Resist Magic
Iron Will
Personal Regeneration



Combat spells
Preferably, any buff spells/gem-expensive spells would have higher priority in the beginning, and would drop below direct damage spells of the same priority level in few turns. Thus, mages start by casting Luck/Body Ethereal, then quickly change into mind burn/paralyze or better spells.

Astral:
never unless scripted: Blink, Returning, Vortex of Returning, Solar Brilliance, Astral Healing, Soul Drain, Unraveling,

Priority classes, from lowest to highest. The spells in the same priority should be cast over spells of lower priority, but should be pretty much interchangeable against different armies.

Star Fires, Healing Light, Horror Mark
< Mind Burn, Body Ethereal, Luck, Nether Bolt, Arcane Bolt,
< Paralyze, Solar Rays, Stellar Cascades, Battle Fortune,
Astral Geyser
< Soul Slay, Enslave Mind, Light of the Northern Star, Nether Darts, Astral Fires, Control, Opposition

AI nations should give these high priority, otherwise low priority/never cast. If my suggestion in the beginning would happen to be integrated, these would have fairly high priority.
Doom, Battle Fortune, Will of the Fates, Antimagic, Arcane Domination, Master Enslave, Astral Tempest.



I did this list by going through the manual's list of Astral spells. I'm not that experienced in competitive multiplayer, so please correct me if I'm wrong. If someone would like to help in making similar lists for the rest of the paths, I'd be very grateful.