What does Darkness do?

[Graeme Dice]

Darkness is the first spell I go for when playing AE and SG Ermor. It allows you to turn your wimpy troops into powerful ones by reducing the attack, defense, and precision stats of any living troops on the battlefield. Use it early, and use it often. Put 6-8 death gems on a D4 dusk elder, and script him to darkness, drain life, drain life, drain life, drain life.

You might also want to research up to rigor mortis and have another Dusk Elder cast that one if you expect the battle to Last for a very long time. It's good for keeping his priests on the battlefield so that they can't escape.