[WingedDog]

Touch spells could be effectively used for planned defense if you have access to flight and mages with good HP and stats.

Example: In LA game I played Atlantis, they have cap-only water-death mages with HP above 20 and good stats. At some point Marignon started to raid me with Angels. As my cap-mages had great basic defense skill due to water magic I equipped one with flying boots and a shield, then send him to defend important province with script: attack one turn, cast Hand of Death, cast Hand of Death, cast Hand of Death, etc... Angel didn't have a single chance.

Had I equipped my mage with anti-thug equipment - Angel could have prevented his attacks by his own high defense skill, so my chances of success would have been slim, or I needed to send 3 or so kit-out mages to take him out for sure. But he could not repel Hand of Death in any way.