Q. about Firestorm

[Crazy]

Firestorm DOES effect your own troops.

I am playing as Abysia so this has not been a problem...except my first battle when I had 2 priests to fight off Ermor.

My 2 priests got fried.

[Saber Cherry]

Um, yeah... all "entire battlefield" spells will hurt your troops unless they're immune

As for 500 fatigue - bear in mind that it's not, really. A mage with exactly the minimum path requirement, holding exactly 5 gems, will take 500 fatigue (capped at 200). But if the mage is holding more than 5 gems he'll use as many as he can to reduce the fatigue... which is why a mage scripted to cast a gem-using spell (like Shadow Blast, which I love) twice and given exactly the right number of gems will almost always use up all his gems at once, and not cast it again.

[shovah]

thought it affected your own troops (which is why i was going to suggest using aby) and i have to admit i love shadow blast aswell (its soooo destructive) and would just like to remind you all that undead ermor can spam it rather easily

[Endoperez]

Undead Ermor has the easiest time using it, but C'tis, Utgård Jotunheim, Machaka, Carrion Woods, and Black Forest Vampire Counts (at least) can cast it. It does just brutal damage, and it is a great way to start a battle.

[shovah]

yes, and i would just like to point out a little castle defence script of mine (very basic):
either raise skeles/hold , shadow blast and then either shadow again if you had an obscene amount of gems equip although i never do) or just repeat the first of raise skeles. the idea is that the enemy reaches the gate just in time to be nice and bunched up for a shadow blast from a bunch of mages