Handicap system between mismtached players?

[Mrmt]

One thing I like about this game, is it's an easy thing to institute a handicap between two mismatched players.

I have been playing against my 8 year old son, and while he has a remarkable memory for the rules, he needs some assistance. I generally drop my health down by around 8, and give him an extra channeling. This can be adjusted according to mage.

I was wondering whether any thought had been given to an official handicapping system, or what other approaches people have taken.

What I like about a handicap system, is it avoids a situation where one player has to deliberately play badly - which no-one enjoys. This way both sides can play to their utmost ability, and feel the thrill of a tight contest.

(PS I posted the same question on the BGG forums. Haven't decided which is the best for Mage Wars yet... this is obviously the in-house forum, but BGG debates help push the game up the hotness, which is important for games trying to break though).

[ACG]

Alternate idea: Give the other player an extra turn in the arena at the start of the game before your mage enters - a setup round in which they are the only mage in player. For a less extreme handicap, your mage is in play (channels), but does nothing the first round.

[Zuberi]

I personally like simply adjusting life totals as a handicap. It's simple and effective.