The next patch

[Zapmeister]

Why do the magic paths need to be balanced? If water is seen to be weaker than the others, that doesn't mean it won't get used. If your national mages have water, and you get water gems, you'll obviously use them for one of the uses that have been listed in this thread.

The problem arises if one of those uses (clams) is clearly better than the others, and leads to an arguably straightforward, difficult-to-stop winning strategy (clams -> astrals -> wishes).

I believe that this is the case (let's not argue it again) and while I would prefer the nature-1,water-1 solution because I think it would supply the necessary balance, and keep the item on a par with fever fetishes cost-wise, I would also be happy with the water-3 solution.

The main hurdle at this point, though, is that there's no consensus that clams are broken. Jasper, Wendigo and the devs constitute a powerful lobby, by anyone's reckoning.