Most Usefull Research Path...

[Frostmourne27]

PsiSoldier said:
It also depends on what size map you are playing, If you are playing on a very large map then Alteration is Hands down the best choice. Just create a pretender with huge astral skill, Do everything you can to find Astral sites and start Wishing for whatever unit or artifact you want and wish for strength and more magic power.

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Plus you get a few descent globals like Fata Morgana and Mother oak, though you couldnt use Utterdark to your advantage unless you were playing LA Ermor in which case you would own even more.

Wish is overrated, except for gems and maybe magical power. What unit is worth more than four abominations? If you have the artifacts already, units like natarajas might be worth it, but noramlly there are superior options. Yes, there are a few wishes worth making (chalice, mage bane etc,) but it isn't really spammable, unless you need gems of ALL paths, and massing acashics might be a better path to diversity, since it will turn up path boost and mage recruit sites as well. Alteration boost sites also change things quite a bit.

Utterdark is not totally limited to LE Ermor. Any nation that has darkvision could make fair use out of it. Remember that commanders never desert. If you have all the mage you want/need, it can quickly deal with troop centred nations, especially if you get it early.