[Baalz]

So, basically what you're saying is that you have difficulty making the spells useful at a tactical level? This is an art in and of itself, all I can say is that I have many times used these types of strategies against real live players who were not just doing stupid stuff. If those sacred cavalry are going to tear me up then they have to come up and engage at some point. Sure, there's a dance to getting what you want to land on the units you want it to land on, but it's far from impossible.

You keep coming up with situations that are pretty poor candidates for this stuff. I have a hard time thinking of a matchup where numbness would do worse than Mictlan. You agree this is situational, so why don't we look at situations where it does make sense.

If 20 elephants come at you in an early you are way, way better having a few guys spamming bonds of fire or sleep or false fetters than you are having 20% more troops (or whatever).

If 5 E/N blessed niefels can chew through basically an unlimited amount of the troops you have available the difference of putting a couple guys spamming star fires or dessication or lightning bolt is way, way better than throwing more guys at them.

If your guys just can't handle that +2 awe wyrm rampaging around early year one, tossing curse and some decays or berserkers or magma bolts can make a huge difference.

If those 20+ defense glamoured Vans are scoffing at your poor guys, tagging them with numbness or earth meld makes a huge difference rather than a few more guys who keep missing.

Lanka or Eriu dropping mistformed regenerating thugs out of the sky to ruin your day? Spit some flame bolts at them, or mind burn, or....whatever!

etc. etc. etc.

Sure, sometimes more troops are better - its no surprise at all that tangling vines don't help much against a hoard of screaming jaguar warriors. Plenty of times though a few guys casting an early spell is the right tool for the job and is massively more effective than just dumping more troops into the fight.