What's so great about...

[Boron]

1. Yeah the Tactical AI is sometimes very obscure .
My main Gripe is still that if you have either Death or Air after the 5 scripted actions you get almost only Raise Skeletons , Raise Dead , Ghost Wolfes , Phantasmal Warrior and False Horror .

2. Yeah i find IDs very inferior towards good Pretenders or AQs or WQs and even to Wraith Lords and ADs . Furthermore they get Heat-Dependant Boni/Mali on Attack/Defense iirc .

Their main weakness is their lack of etheralness . So you need either a Wraith Crown or a Robe of Shadows . Both not really good Items . The Wraith Crown is very expensive and hard to forge . The Robe of Shadows is a waste of the important Armor Slot .
Without etheralness you can get wind rided and good troops , especially tramplers can kill you rather reliable .
With etheralness you have rather low Protection and it is worth nothing vs. other SCs or Nations like Caelum .

In Short : The ID is only the average warrior like a banelord . The higher level Summons like AQs or ADs are much better though .