[OmikronWarrior]

Skin shifters are FANTASTIC units in my experience. You'd do well to plan your strategy around them. They are vulnerable to archer fire, so if you're up against the likes Man or Marignon make arrowfend, mist and/or storm a priority.

For pretender scales, maximize income, which is better done with growth (with its eventual population growth causing exponential income increases) then productivity. Order-3 and Cold-1, obviously. Remember, you're better off making skinshifters in mass then using resources on almost any other unit, except mages.

As for Magic, look to have at least A-4, otherwise the only way you can build air boosters and Staffs of Storm is through empowering or trading for a booster. N-2 is almost necessary as well, so you can build thistle maces as the best you can hope for is N-1 mages. Yet, if you're willing to go to N-4, just equip the thistle mace and you're ready to cast Moather Oak and Gift of Health. Gift of Health can be really useful as your skinshifters invariably pick up afflictions. While it is "possible" to get an E-2 mage, its unlikely. So I also recommend you get at least E-2 on your pretender for similar reasons. Death site searching only requires D-1, and it is possible to get D-2 mages, so your call. Obviously, for the end game its worth while to have a D-rich pretender for Tartarians, and you can summon in farie queen to GoR them. Of course, thats presuming you get to the end game.

As for specific models, try a Bridge Keeper (or something similar). He has a 50 patrol bonus and lets you raise taxes to help jump start your expansion. He also has Earth and Air Magic to help you get started. If not that, then maybe an Enchantress, whose Pearl income will help you kick off Astral site searching. ON that note, your Astral mages are great to stick into communions and use the spells like Solar Brilliance, etc. Or, if somebody tries hitting you with an SC throw some horrow marks on it. Obviously, air mages are best for lighting spells.

Hope that helps.