Tower tactics.

Well, if you're playing against Elementals, it wouldn't hurt to level up Fire magic for any Castle, including the Tower.

And what do you need Fire magic for, especially for the Tower?

As far as I know, people rarely play on small maps – they prefer L and XL... it's more interesting. So, small maps can generally be ignored... I hope you agree with me.

A player's skill level can be determined precisely on small maps. On large maps, if you make a slight mistake in development, it won't be as significant in the end. But on a small map, where each player has only one or two Castles, it's very important to develop correctly. Also, every unit is important because, in a relatively even game, it can become decisive. Therefore, clearing the territory should be done with minimal or no losses.

I can argue about Astral. In my opinion, hypnosis is the most useless thing! It never works...

Astral is a very good hero, and not just because of the hypnosis specialty. He almost always gets good skills.