Top 8 Reasons the Thaumaturge is Best

Inspirobot wants what is best for you.

As every good spellcaster knows, where ever it is possible to wield magic there will always be goons trying to summon demons and make zombies.  It's just a thing that happens.  It's an emergent quality of the mystical realms, like Rule #34.  There's always some pervert trying to sell his soul or playing with dead bodies in musty old crypt.

As it is a rule that there is always a creep, there is also the anti-creep.  It must be Rule #35.  Cleric, Holy Knight, Animist, Questor...etc.  Call it what you want, it's the same thing.  Healer, Protector, Banisher, Exorcist or Abjurer.  In Frostgrave, they are most often called Thaumaturge.

In Frostgrave, the wizards can pick up spells that are offensive, defensive and utility without compromising (except on higher casting numbers).  The Thaumaturge actually packs one of the most useful spell lists in the game.  Almost every spellcaster will want a piece of it, no matter what their specialty school.  The aligned schools for the Thaumaturge are Soothsayer, Sigilist and Illusionist.  The opposed school is Necromancer, rather than Summoner.

Yeah, boy.  You can still get your summonations on pretty easily.  Just make sure whatever you summon is kosher with whatever deity you worship or it could get pretty awkward...

Top 8 Reasons the Thaumaturge is Best!

1. Banish
• If your opponent is a Summoner, this can ruin his day.  ALL demons.  Remember that banishes your own demons...whether they be angels, demons, cthulhus or djinni. 
2. Blinding Light
• A surprisingly effective combat spell, this reduces your Fight score to +0 and your Move to 1.  Use on high Fight models to secure the edge for your warband.  Consider Empowering the spell with some Health to get a higher spellcasting score to make it harder for your opponent to shake it off in subsequent turns.
3. Circle of Protection
• Again, anti-demon spell makes it where they won't be engaging your spellcaster in hand to hand combat.  Situational, but absolute.
4. Dispel
• Essential to any spellcaster, it can cancel the effects of ONE spell.  Not summons, but anything else is fair game.  Use it to pull the rug out from under your opponent at the last minute.
5. Heal
• Essential, just like Dispel, to any spellcaster in the game.  Five points of health restored a pop, and with a basic cast number of 8 it's not even beyond Necromancers.
6. Miraculous Cure
• Regrow your fingers and your toes.  Helpful if you're prone to grievous and lasting injury.
7. Restore Life
• Casting number 20!  You only get one chance, and it has to be cast by your wizard.  Great spell, but we won't be seeing it a lot until someone has sunk 10 levels into it.
8. Shield
• Great armor builder.  2 points of Armor for the rest of the game, so fun for the whole warband!  Throw these out in the early game and get the advantage from the very beginning.

Unlike some of the others, starting a Thaumaturge seems pretty obvious to me.  Blinding Light, Dispel and Heal.  That gives you pretty much the best set of tools at the beginning of the game you could ask for, as you are able to really affect the outcome of any battle on the board by changing up scores and dispelling buff spells.

You'll probably want some heavy hitters like Infantrymen and Templars to really sock it to the enemy while you've got them Blinded and stripped of magic enhancements.  Missile troops could also come in handy, just remember your Heal spell is 'touch' range.  Really, in my opinion the Thaumaturge is one of the best spellcasters in the game.  Any high quality soldier is going to have a secure home in the warband, but I think I'm going to start with the high damage fellows.