[Redeyes]

I really like summon lesser air elemental as a means to counter SCs/Thugs, it easily rips through your typical awake/dormant SC god.

It's available hellishly early, castable by even a1 mages and works good as crowd control when you start thunder striking the battlefield. There is barely a better way to spend your early air gems.

The cheap Copper plate/ring of tamed lightning items pretty much completly protects your SC against anything Air can do on the battle field, though, and neuters air elementals as a direct counter.