*HIGH MAGIC*
High Magic is clearly the best defensive/protective magic. Its offense is good too, which makes High Magic the second best magic deck.
THE HIGH ELF MAGES
The High Elf mages is quite expensive compared to other mages. The Necromancers for instance, cost 18 points less and may freely pick spells from the best magic deck. Anyway, that shouldnt matter, for you should allways include a Mage Lord in your army, no matter what. For magic items, i give my mage lord the Skull Staff, Ring of Corin, Forbidden Rod and the Amber Amulet.
THE SPELLS
CORUSCATION OF FINREIR
Somebody may start laughing when i says that this is one of the best High Magic spells. Think combinations, I would say. The mage may cast spells without reduction for range - every High Elf on the table will automaticly pass their LD tests and roughly half of the Undead or Daemons on the table will fade away. And it also protects you well, and a Mage Lord with 3 S4 attacks can quickly engage war machine crews. Nice spell!!!
DEADLOCK
This may be useful, but i rather drop it since I have the Ring of Corin. Very nice against the "Super-Hero-Killing-Machine" though, especialy if you remember to swap magic items under deadlocking. When he attacks, deadlock his sword, when you attack him, deadlock his armour.
BANISHMENT
This is the only way to beat a Vampire Counts army, and if you combine it with the Coruscation of Finreir...........
DEVASTATING!!!!!
If you only get the Banishment, then hide in a central unit and slay your enemies as they approach.
GLAMOUR OF TECLIS
The spell I allways drop. It may do you something good someday, but that day is yet to come.
ASSAULT OF STONE
A really nice spell, which doesnt become affected of special wards or magic saves, since you cast it on a hill, not a unit. It has a bit short range, so you either got to get moving or relax at the top of the Coruscation of Finreir.
Ill prefer crushing the smaller units so they hopefully break and flee, and the war machines will be crushed anyway, as theyre allways on the top of the hill.
DRAIN MAGIC
This is a truly desperate action, but if your opponent has several low-level wizards, it is very good offensive too.
Make sure you have cast all other spells you want to before this (since it ends the magic phase), but not those "remains in play" (since it dispels all spells currently in action).
APOTHEOSIS
Unlimited life for your lord and your heroes? No problem. At only power 1 this is a damn good spell. In battles which you include heroes, this spell had been nice at your hand.
FIERY CONVOCATION
This is the bane of any low armoured units. Dont bother cast it on knights, becouse you will have either killed them or been killed by them before the spell does enough damage to penetrate their armour. Again, with Coruscation of Finreir, you can pick of Crossbow Dwarfs and Wood Elf Archers from a safe place.
THE TEMPEST
This spell disrupts anything called playing and will bother you just as much as your opponent. This is, as Drain Magic, a truly desperate spell. Only good if you use Teclis and doesnt include any war machines or archers.
HAND OF GLORY
The best defensive/protective spell in the whole game, you should have this one in play every single turn you have it. Try to get rid of your opponents dispel cards by casting other spells before casting this one.