Spells/Mage question.
 

I'm playing a whimpy Mage for the first time and so far so good. You save alot of $$$ with a Mage since he sits back and hits. My question is, how many spells can I learn, not carry in my book, but learn. I don't want to find out later that I can't learn that great Hypno spell because I'm over my limit on learned spells.

There is no limit to the spells you learn, only to the scrolls you can carry and still be able to buy new ones.
For the first time learn all spells so you can play with them. In advanced games learn only the spells you need because crystals might be a problem.

thanks man.

Not might, will. I can't stand playing against the Demonesses who can just transport your ranged troops into the middle of the opposing melee fighters regardless of leadership. So, mass Magic Shackles is the ticket - as long as you have those 20 crystals to spare. Just a small example. :)

Early game with the whole dragonfly wings trade, it's easy to get a feeling of abundance. But late game the crystal supply don't follow the cost increase of spells. So far when I'm not sure if I will need a new spell, I keep it as a scroll in my spellbook, as anyway you can learn it during a battle.

If I remember correctly you need 50 crystals to upgrade Armageddon from lvl2 to 3. It the most expensive I met so far.

save the crystals
 

I ran out the crystals late in the game. So make sure, do NOT scribe or upgrade unnecessary spells. For me, I did not get the "resurrect" spell until at Murok. And by that time, I didn't have enough crystals to upgrade it all the way to level III

Spells that are good to upgrade:

Fireball
Ice Snake
Firestorm
Sheep
Blind
Hipnotyze
Ressurection
Sacrifice
Slow (optional)
Pain mirror (optional)
Battle Cry (optional)

Also you need around 80 mana on impossible only, the rest should be bonuses from items, in the end you should have like 140 mana(with items) +6 regeneration each turn

This list is a bit limited, I'm feeling it's the best magic system I ever seen in term of balance, meaning that ton of spells are great to use in some cases.

When playing a mage a priority could be the Alchemy skill, when it is at the top it half the cost of crystal that's huge in comparison with other hero classes. I definitely second the care to have about crystal use, but with Alchemy on max asap I'd suggest more: Learn all spell at level 1. Don't learn all spells at level 2 but only good selected choice. Learn only few spells at level 3.

My own list of spells that are my favorite candidates for level 3:

• Resurrection (target units level 4)
• Demon Slayer (mass) keep for later game
• Hypnosis (target units level 4 and bigger pack)
• Magic Spring (for the best efficiency for this handy spell)
• Haste (mass) if you plan use some slow army
• Magic Shackles (mass)
• Precision (mass)
• Bless (mass) worth more for some troops to have an idea of the gain don't compare the min and max but average and max.
• Weakness (mass)
• Gift (target units level 5)
• Battle Cry (mass)
• Blind/Sheep/Pygmy (target units level 4) all 3 are quite close and get one or two is handy. Sheep costs much more mana but disable the troop and make it easy to attack, Pygmy cost less mana and can allow kills much more, Blind cost less mana than Sheep but don't change unit type.
• Lightning (the point of this attack spell is that some items increase its power unlike other attack spells and if I'm not wrong unlike fire/poison/cold no units has a special protection against it. The negative point is that at level 3 you can't always use it without to hit your own units so you need at least one other attack spell to the max)

Clearly all are optional and many other worth to be increased to level 3, as already mentioned you need restrain your choice. those I listed are only my favorite candidate to be perhaps increased at level 3 with a mage with at least int 15 (to have spells duration increased by 1).

About the mage hero mana level, 80 for impossible? Then I wonder how low at normal. For a mage the Higher Magic skill is an incredible skill but it requires ton of mana and then a good option seems to pick mana very often during mage level up.

bah al u guys forgot the spell TRAP
this spell is great:)

and slow is very good too

and furthermore FEAR is total ownage:)

it's cheaper than sheep
(sheep cost like 40 mana IIRC()

while fear would be like 20(IIRC)

Yes Slow is a must, since I get a fight where I regret deeply not have it I take care get this one asap. But I don't feel it's a so good choice for level 3 spell, level 2 should be fine. But level 3 is an interesting option anyway.

Fear description focus on its limitation, and that make me underestimate it, it has a quite lower mana cost and quite longer time length, I'll definitely look at it closely. Typical example is two huge pack of opponent low level units, cast on one, level 3 last 4 turns and cost 10 mana. Excellent alternative even for level 3 spells.

For trap, I see it quote so often, but I feel it a little frustrating when you fail make a good prediction (if you don't replay the fight) that I'd temper it. In fact its good point is less the damages than stopping the opponent unit. In this point of view, even level 1 spell could be enough and mainly in some very limited case where you know you setup a tempting attack for the AI.