Casting first in defence + endgame spells

[Twan]

Even if Ermor had scripted such a spell, it wouldn't have been a sufficient counter as between my undead mastery and his action I had cast antimagic (+4 MR is an huge difference meaning he would have only re-enslaved one third or so of the undeads).

Also to cast a spell his mages had to be alive after my turn (actually only one or two of his human mages survived the rain of stones and attacks by the enslaved troops, when I saved all mine with fog warriors, mass protection and will of the fates -and I just used one rain of stones, when I could have cast several earthquakes too in first round-). Of course he may have cast with tartarians, summoned mages (ethearals or with numerous hp) or given armor to all his mages. But the cost to protect all mages (or use a sufficient number of summoned ones) is so huge it's not really an option.