Stronghold vs. Necropolis

Chingis, there's really no point in playing as a Necropolis mage, as they don't have access to Prime magic, and there's only one unit that attacks with magic – the Dreamwalker. Cyclops' ranged attack also deals magic damage, but as you noticed, the damage is very low, so it's better to use them in melee combat (especially if you actively use their ability).

So what if they don't have Prime magic? Yes, a Necropolis mage will cast spells weaker than their opponent, but this can be partially compensated for by only leveling up one type of magic and primarily using it (Earth, if going for Tears, and Air, if going for Blood). Regarding the units, it's debatable. Dreamwalkers are powerful; the spell deals damage to all 7 units for two turns and hits again during those same two turns. Is that a weak mage?! Cyclops shoot weakly, especially when playing against mages. Put a Warrior against them, level up their ranged attack in skills, and then we'll see who shoots weakly. And if a mage goes against a mage, the Cyclops don't even need to shoot; Orcs have a stronger attack, and this should be used in melee combat.

Orc mages have another advantage: it's called "flexibility." They are the only race that has both Light and Dark magic. Therefore, there is a wide range of possibilities to adapt to the opponent.

And no one has canceled the advantage in the strength and mobility of troops. You can confidently play as a mage with Orcs. There are many possibilities; if you understand all of this, you can easily defeat any opponent.

Added after 1 hour 14 minutes
I've already played several online duels as an Orc Warrior against Necropolis mages. And I won all of them. However, the credit was more due to my opponents than to me. People simply didn't use level 2 tactics and didn't protect their Necromancers, which, in my opinion, is a gross mistake. After that, it's not even necessary to cast Magic Resistance as the first move. Then I use another trick: I wait until the turn approaches the Cyclops, and if the opponent hasn't cast a spell yet, I cast Inner Flame on them. This spell increases the Cyclops' initiative by 10 and also increases their damage by approximately 20%. And that's it: I block the Necromancers with Cyclops, and shoot Goblins and Centaurs at the Liches. Then, of course, I take some damage from Ghosts, Liches, and possibly Necromancers (who are no longer shooting), but still, the exchange of blows on this turn clearly favors the Orcs. And on the next turn, Magic Resistance is cast, and the Necromancers are in trouble.
In the last battle, the opponent cast Dominate earlier than expected. I simply shot Centaurs at the Cyclops, after which the spell dissipated, and only about one and a half Cyclops died, judging by the damage. I cast Magic Resistance and calmly started beating everyone. At the same time, I also had a preliminary Counter Strike for the first three turns. That is, they couldn't even hit me. On the first turn, the opponent surrendered. :) Total: 12 wins, 5 losses in online play. :)