Best level 1 spell

[Metathron]

Vote away and please be sure to explain why!

[Elvin]

Slow for me, its mass version is just too strong. Yes it can be resisted etc etc but the bottomline is that it can let you deal with superior forces when your army is weak.

Haste and firetrap follow in my list.

[Corelanis]

Slow for the same reasons as stated above, but also because its very useful for the entire game unlike eldritch arrow/stone spikes which suck after week 2.

[PhoenixReborn]

Empowered fist of wrath is really scary.

[gzork]

I'm going with Haste, comes out to be similar to Slow, but it can't be resisted, and it ties in with certain strategies based on hero abilities like Empathy better.

[Geo]

Slow it is! Haste is good, fire trap is good, and the others can all shine (somewhat), but slow I think is more versatile and especially early on will give anyone an edge. It's just one of those spells that always has been and always will be among the most useful.

[Tensho]

Weakness is nice...(good for creeping)
But my vote goes for eldritch arrow..lol
Saved my ass lots of times

[danhvo]

If there were an ability that would let me cast the Mass version of Sorrow, that spell would get my vote.

[Dacarnix_]

I probably should have voted for Slow or Haste as the "best" level 1 spell, but I voted for my favorite - Divine Strength. On the right creatures, that spell is just awesome, and I love the consistency that it grants to damage output.

[danhvo]

Most of us see that Slow seems to work out better than Haste, but I bet most of you never sit down to figure out why. The reason is, Slow is numerically superior. The progression for Slow is 25%/30%/35%/40%. For Haste, it's 10%/20%/30%/40%. Numerically, 25% slow is equivalent to 33% haste. Similarly, 30% slow = 43% haste. 35% slow = 54% haste. Finally 40% slow = 67% haste.

In other words, at every level, the current number for Haste just works out to be way too low.

Now you know why Haste doesn't get my vote as the best level 1 spell.

[Lord Blade]

I like Sorrow. I've won fights with the enemy not getting a single turn due to bad morale. :p

Haste used to be my favorite basic spell. But seeing as it doesn't give a speed boost anymore... just initiative... I don't care for it.

[Metathron]

Well, Slow looks to be overwhelming winner here.

I went with Sorrow, I don't see how Slow is necessarily better. I suppose it's the randomness factor that's off-putting to most people, but I don't mind it at all.

Other choices that were more or less close behind were: Divine Strength, Slow, Haste, Eldritch Arrow, Fire Trap.

Weakness would be the last one I'd vote for.

[Orfinn]

Voted Haste.

Its an allround usefull spell and a must for slow reacting armies.
Though Fire Trap and Weakness are some great one also. Especially love to carpet the whole BF with mines. "Boooom baby!"

[Metathron]

Though Fire Trap and Weakness are some great one also.

Weakness? Really? I think of it as the worst of the bunch, but I guess that's because I just don't like the idea of taking damage, even when it is inevitable that I will be taking damage. So it's actually not as bad as I make it out be.

Especially love to carpet the whole BF with mines. "Boooom baby!"

I love doing that as well. Or rather, I love the idea of doing that, since I rarely get the chance to do it: I either specialize in Summoning Magic and don't get the spell, or get the spell when specializing would not be a specially good idea!

[parcaleste]

I actually think that Weakness is one of the best spells, mostly cause you always get the full effect of it, no matter if you have Expert Darkness or not. Other ways, seems the Slow is the spell that I tend to use the most of these.

[Metathron]

I actually think that Weakness is one of the best spells, mostly cause you always get the full effect of it, no matter if you have Expert Darkness or not.

I don't think that's true:

Maximum damage is decreased to min+t*(max-min), where t depends on Dark Magic mastery. At Expert Mastery, damage is always equal to minimum.

No mastery: t=50%
Basic: t=35%
Advanced: t=20%
Expert: t=0%

[parcaleste]

Well, I didn't know of that So, bottom line is Weakness suxx

[durin]

Slow for the reasons stated by others

[Dacarnix_]

Most of us see that Slow seems to work out better than Haste, but I bet most of you never sit down to figure out why. The reason is, Slow is numerically superior. The progression for Slow is 25%/30%/35%/40%. For Haste, it's 10%/20%/30%/40%. Numerically, 25% slow is equivalent to 33% haste. Similarly, 30% slow = 43% haste. 35% slow = 54% haste. Finally 40% slow = 67% haste.

In other words, at every level, the current number for Haste just works out to be way too low.

I think that's intentional, though, since Slow can be Resisted or turned while Haste cannot.

[Milla aka. the Slayer]

Voted Fist of Wrath. I'm old fashioned. All this mumbo-jumbo slow/weakness/haste kinda stuff I hardly ever see any difference with but I don't have a calculative mind either so I go with something I can relate to: just punching my opponents from above