[Baalz]

Rage & Hydrophobia are usually pretty sucky, but in answer to the question if anybody has ever used them effectively I have. Rage, against hydras is pretty amusing. Hyrdas turn out to be pretty good at killing the heads of other hydras, and when they get tangled up fighting each other for a turn or two it really screws with your opponent who was counting on that poison cloud to be out of the way of his troops following behind. It also can be better than useless against low MR thugs in a pinch as it'll occasionally make them attack themselves, which won't win you the fight but might tip the scales in a close one.