[aaminoff]

Mothers as shockwave thugs is a good idea, but it depends on whom you are fighting and when. The critical spells that make a shockwave thug viable - mistform, barkskin, personal regen, constr 2-4 for a vine shield - are considerably lower in research than Mind Hunt and Soul Slay. So there is a window of opportunity for this tactic. In fact, these look a lot like EA Arco's Oreiad thugs, except that they are half the cost and not cap-only. (though the limiting factor will be forging equipment anyway). Or, you might be fighting an opponent with no Astral, in which case no MH to worry about. Like many things, it is a side strategy to pull out when appropriate. Though I would be concerned about the Mothers' lack of a means to fend off handfuls of regular troops: relying on the Vine Shield alone may not be good enough.