Low level spirit better as a mage in impossible?

[Leind]

I play mage in impossible. I'm level 12 with the spirits level 10/10/7 (so far haven't got Reaper).

The enemy stacks are so big that the damage skills are not very good, except a long Ice ball throw (fun skill. feel like playing bowling).

Now I use a lot more the crowd control skills (armor/wall/etc.) And since these one are good enough at lvl1 (getting 300HP or 100Hp for wall is the same as it will die in one hit anyway), is it a bad idea to level up spirit?

Because I don't want to end up with a wall that cost 30 rage.

As a mage I gain rage naturally very slowly in most of the fight (+1/+2 per attack and my own troops don't get hit very often).

Is it a good idea to make an extra effort to level up spirit? So far I have been doing that by using Inquisitors and potions and chargers (to chains fight without letting the rage drain).

But now I ask myself, isn't it better to keep spirit at low level to keep all the crowd control ability at low rage cost?

[jwallstone]

That's a tough dilemma! Yes, I agree that some rage skills are better left at lower levels. Soul drain is another example, where at low levels you can get something like 20% for 5 rage, but the cost gets to be exorbitant later on. I'm playing as a warrior, so I usually have rage to spare, but if I were a mage (in my next game) I'd probably be careful not to get my rage skills to be too expensive.

[Falaris]

Well, you do get the occassional 'reduce rage cost' levelups, and the rest time reductions that doesn't increase rage cost.

[Leind]

So far I am sticking with the 20% soul drain at 5 rage for Reaper, with low rest, and when I haven't a rest or a cost decrease upgrade I upgrade the black hole ability. Now that I have reaper I use a lot less the other spirit.

[Calinda]

There are only 2 cost upgrades per skill. Also, they require the skill to be certain lvl before they can pop out.