Unequal Confrontation

I personally like the Hive, but whether or not it will be effective still depends on the opposing army (the number of units and the initiative of the enemy units). I always level up Spellcasting, but in the later stages, when there is enough mana to build and maintain Hives, there are usually more effective means of magical influence, except perhaps against Liches (although you can also manage with crystals). However, it's a matter of taste...