Seems I just can't stop posting all of a sudden, probably because I'm off of my hiatus and actually have some time to post now. So as you can tell by the title of the post, this is going to be the Top 5 spells that I think get way too much credit and have way too big of a reputation for their own good. All the usual disclaimers with my other posts in addition a little reassurance. Purple Sun and Pit of Shades will not be on here. They're good spells and they can do some really nasty damage and therefore not overrated. So, without further ado, let's begin,
#5: Banishment
Again, I seem to have Empire players sharpening Great Swords and ready to put my head on a chopping block. Let me be a little more specific. This is a great spell if you play Empire. Using this as a bound spell on the War Altar and having two or three casters running around with this can be really really nice. However, if you're anyone else besides this set up, then the spell is pretty much over hyped. Now, keep in mind my opinion of whether a spell is good or bad is based off of what it can do unsupported in the most common of scenarios. By itself, it's just a Magic Missile with a range of 24" that causes 2D6 S4 hits for a casting value of 10+. It can be boosted for an increased range of 48" for an increased casting value of +. The only difference between this spell is three distinct things. One, these attacks count as flaming attacks, cool, but not something to right home about. Two, all successful ward saves made by the targeted unit must be re-rolled, that's really cool. Here's where I have an issue. Any Light Wizard (except the one casting the spell) within 12" of the caster increases the Strength value of the spell. That's great, if you're running 3 or 4 Light casters and a War Altar. The amount of issues with the running the Light Counsel that's infamous because of this spell just seems to create too many problems to justify it for me. However, it is a deadly and powerful spell, so for that reason is it rated at #5 on the list. Is it a spell I would ever intentionally be gunning for (let alone build a whole army around)? No. Do I think that the Light Counsel and the Banishment rape-train are really powerful and usable? Yes. I simply think this spell doesn't deliver enough payoff for the amount you invest in it.
#4: Throne of Vines
Boy, I just seem to be picking on all the popular lores today, don't I? For this spell, it's not necessarily the effects of the spell I think is overrated, but rather the reaction to it that so many people seem to have to it. On both sides of the magic phase too. If you're not familiar with this spell, it's basically the ultimate way to boost the effects of the spells in the Lore of Life. Basically, for a 8+ casting value, you increase the effects of most of the spells in the lore. Meaning you basically need at least a level 4 caster if not a Loremaster of the Lore of Life in order to make it useful. It makes Earthblood give your unit a 4+ Regeneration, Flesh To Stone grants +4T, Awakening of the Wood causes S6 hits, Regrowth brings back D6+1 wounds, and Shield of Thorns inflicts S4 wounds. In addition, as long as the spell is up, you get to ignore miscasts on a roll of a 2+ on a D6. Again, like Banishment I'm not going to deny that this spell is weak. It's not. It's just not as powerful as I think some people make it out to be. First off, none of the spells in Lore of Life except for Dwellers Below can be boosted, so needing a spell specifically to do that seems kinda like a big design flaw to me. Secondly, this spell can be dispelled like any other augment in the game, so if you really want to get rid of it, then just be patient and save up your magic dice. Thirdly, why not let this spell go? It doesn't change the casting value of any of the spells. Let it go and just save your dispel dice to block the incoming spells the Life caster will then use. While not as specific in it's use as Banishment, Throne of Vines does have a few flaws that I think make it hard to truly loose your mind over when your opponent rolls it up. Chiefly among them is the fact that unless you have this spell on a Level 4 it's effectively useless (although that's pretty much the Lore of Life in a nutshell) and that it's still possible to block all the spells incoming after the Life caster puts up Throne of Vines as easily as one would be able to block them normally. Guys who chuck their dispel scrolls at this spell the first chance they get mystify me. Just like Banishment, there's too much relying on synergy (again, the Lore of Life in a nutshell) for me to definitively say that this an awesome spell. It's a good spell with a lot of potential, but just not enough directly measurable payoff to be worth it in my opinion.
#3: The Speed of Light
Now, this is the beginning of spells that are overrated for a reason that I think makes them not quite as good as some people make them out to be because there's a similar spell in either that lore or another one that just seems to be better. Speed of Light is definitely one of them. With a range of 24" and a casting value of 8+, it grants a targeted unit Weapon Skill 10 and Initiative 10. It can be boosted to turn into a 12" bubble for a casting value of 16+. In 7th edition, this was a great spell to have because the initiative of most units (barring some characters) never exceeded more than 5 and ASF was reserved for characters and anyone who took the Sword of Swift Slaying. It meant you were always striking first and hitting almost every time. That's the past, now let's take a look at the present. ASF is almost everywhere now. All Elves have it, all vampires have it, and to make it worse, Light Magic is everywhere now, making Bironna's Time Warp highly accessible. Speaking of the Timewarp, this another reason Speed of Light has suffered a lot. Timewarp not only grants ASF, but it also doubles the Movement and increases the units Attacks by 1 per model. Think of this spell as Luigi and Timewarp as Mario. In a pinch, you'd probably want the latter over the former. Now, WS10 is still a nice thing, but I think this spell has been hurt so much by age and by 8th edition army books, that it just has a hard time making as big of a splash as it used to. Sorry Speed of Light, I still love you.
#2: Pann's Impenetrable Pelt
I think the wider targeted audience of a spell, the more effective it is. Especially where Augments are concerned. That's what kills Pann's Pelt. For an 8+ casting value, you can boost one character (it may be the caster him/herself) within 12" and gives them +3T. It can be boosted to include characters (including the caster) within 12". If you play Bretonnia (which few people do it seems) like me, then this is a great spell. Suddenly your now T7 Lords and Paladins are shrugging off hits from Chaos Lords like they were water balloons. If you play anyone else, this spell definitely looses some of it's mojo. Especially compares to this spell's evil twin brother, The Savage Beasts of Horros. Works the exact same way, but instead add +3S and +3 Attacks. Personally, I prefer that spell, especially since I like getting into challenges and just liquefying my opponent's characters (btw, for Bretonnian players out there, Gauntlet of the Duel is great item for this). If you error on the side of caution, then this may be the spell for you, however it has two things that make it difficult for me to get over when so many player I know just fawn over this spell. One, it's so selective in it's application. I would much rather have my Prophetess on Life use Flesh to Stone then have my Damsel on Beasts use Pann's Pelt. The +2T for all models (+4 with Throne of Vines) versus +3T for characters only, I prefer the former. Two, Savage Beast will make your characters into killing machines. Pann's Pelt will make them respectively more survivable. In for a penny, in for a pound, don't fuck around and just cast Savage Beast. Again, like the other spells on this list, it's not that they're bad spells, just that I don't think they deserve the reputation that they get.
#1: Spirit Leech
Now before you Death fans get your panties in a twist, I want you to admit something. I want you to admit that this is not the best sniping spell you have in your lore. Admit that, I will push the subject of my eternal loathing for Death Magic no further. In case you've been living under a rock, Spirit Leech is considered the sniping spell of all sniping spells, and for reasons I cannot truly understand. I'll type here so you can see exactly what I mean. This is a direct damage spell that targets a single model (even in a unit) within 12" of the caster. On a casting value of a 7+, both the caster and the target add their respective unmodified leadership to a roll of a D6 (rolled separately for each character). For every point the caster wins, the targeted model takes a wound with no armor saves allowed. It can be boosted to have a range of 24" for a casting value of 10+. That's a damned good spell, if you're trying to kill Skaven characters. Leadership values on characters are generally exceptionally high, especially on Combat Lords and Combat Heroes. Why would you go after a stat that's the highest available stat on that model? That's like trying to kill an Elf with Purple Sun, it won't reap good results. Not to mention that once you cast this spell there's a startling large chance you won't do anything at all even after hitting the model. Also, note the clause unmodified Leadership values. If you could combo this spell with Doom and Darkness (-3 Ld Hex, in the Lore of Death), I would avidly agree it's the best sniping spell in the 8 standard lores, hands down. However, you cannot, you specifically cannot combo this spell with anything that might lower the highest number on the targeted model's stat line. To put that in comparison, Fate of Bjuna (also in the Lore of Death) targets a single model and inflicts 2D6 minus the targeted unit's Toughness, always hits on a roll of a 2+, allows no armor saves, gives the model Stupidity for the remainder of the game if it survives, and can be combined with Soulblight (-1S and -1T Hex, in the Lore of Death). Personally, I'm going with Bjuna! Why so many people are terrified of this spell, I will never know. Sure, there will be times where you just roll like complete and total shit and this spell just kills off one of your characters. It happens and it sucks, but that's what happens when people use Death Magic. But the amount of weight players give this spell always seems to be way overboard to me. It's a Signature Spell guys! It's not really that hard to stop! Now granted, it's the only sniping spell that has a range greater than a possible charging distance, but that still doesn't give it enough juice to make it this terrifying monster that everyone makes it out to be.
So there you go folks, the last of my Top 5 lists having to do specifically with spells from the BRB, and I'm glad it's over with. Comment below if you have any suggestions on my next series, and until then good luck and have a good life.
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