Wow, Gandalf!
The second idea makes me feel a newbie ... I've never think at some nasty tricks like this ... This makes me think that, even after two years of (almost) only Dom3 play, I just use about 10% of the possiblities of the game. Sob!
Meanwhile, I have a question on your first suggestion: is transform spell don't supposed to remove magic abilities from your commander ??? (I never used it too ... as I say, only 10%. At most.) I thought it turns your commander in another random unit, and if that unit is not a mage, then ... Poof! You had a Naiad, then, now it's a nice little Hoburg warrior!
I even thought that you could lose your commander state and be turn out in a simple unit... But, as I say, I never try it out, so I surely am seriously wrong...
By the way, same question about the Lycanthropos Amulet...