What are the strongest summons?

[Endoperez]

In fact, you don't wish for a pretender, you wish for troop of rather special type. He MIGHT have become a pretender, but didn't. But so what, that Nataraja-prophet could still be an awesome super combatant...

[HJ]

Maybe not the strongest (haven't really compared the stats), but tarrasque is really something. Its sprite is also great.
And considering the low cost (high magic requirements though), tartarian titans are also awesome. Through that spell, you in fact get other pretenders, only that they are dead and decaying...

[Taqwus]

For real gratuitousness, wish for a (stealthy) Lord of the Night, give him a Black Heart and some better gear, and now you have a size-6 flying assassin.
As for Gift of Reason... interestingly, when you get a Vastness and GoR it, you find out that it's an Astral-3 mage (good AND bad; bad if you're planning to use it against nations with lots of astral power...).
In terms of building a front line, I like the Wight summons; you get 20 well-armored non-fatiguing non-eating skilled undead warriors for 30 gems. Enliven Statues can also build a decent front line.

[Particle]

Bleh! Abomination is still my fav!

[Nagot Gick Fel]

Originally posted by Endoperez:
that Nataraja-prophet could still be an awesome super combatant...

I'd wish for a Void Lord instead of a Nataraja. You get one less attack (the Void Lord gets an extra life-draining tentacle), but the extra misc slot, better protection, better magic resistance, fear(+5) aura, underwater ability and immunity to eye loss more than make up for it IMO.

[Humer]

Vastness. Definately. You CAN'T beat movement of 10 (flying). After Gift of Reason, the V can zoom 10 provinces, easily beat local defence (Gotta love Blood Curse, sp?), set taxes to 200 and move away!

Yestereve got 3! Vastness' in 3 turns! So... I GoR'ed one and put the other 2 on tow and started taking provinces from the map at random.

BTW, Vastness really has Astral-3. GoR and see for yourself. Cast Luck and you have sacred ethereal creature which avoids 50% (from luck) of 25% hits (from etherealness) and on top of that, opponent who actually manages to land a hit must beat a magic resistance roll against Blood Curse (+2) or take the hit itself. But 0 prot and 'only' 76 hp makes it vulnerable to magical damage and as it is now hip, pop and on top, magic duel.

What's not to love?

- Humer

[Shael]

owning astral magic can be so bad
mind duel anyone ?