1. How effective is the lightning raptor? Is it usually first out of the gate? And is that your prime Dodge target?
He is first out of the gate in most games. If I don't play him early, he stays in the book. He is the primary Dodge Target, and the primary target for Giant Size. However, both of those spells work well elsewhere.
As far as how effective he is, really depends on my opponent. If they go for him early, he is effective in drawing out their mana and actions. If they wait, they have to work harder to play around his counterstrike.
I would not say he is necesary, but 4 out of 5 games, I feel that he is more than worth his mana cost.
2. Why no huggin? To much mana investment bc it dies too quickly or not enough spells for ot to cast?
I have found that he usually dies within a turn of playing him, I don't waste my time.
3. I love destroy magic in this book! I assume its for a turbo enchamted buddy or mage but does it hurt you more times than not by getting rid of your enchants?
I usually use it to get rid of hyper enchantment, and I sometimes lose 1-2 friendly enchantments, but it is rare that I lose any. It is about knowing when to cast it. For example, when my opponent has initiative, I move with my last action, and cast it with my first action the following round.
Additionally, I have notes to add a remove curse or 2.
4. With both elemental and mage wand in school, why not run 1 of each? I know the tower functions as a wand. I like that you dont have them, its different. Just curious.
I don't like wands. They take an action and usually last for 1-2 casts. It applies more pressure for fewer spell points to keep casting spells. I just run extra attack spells (probably too many). I am looking to trim a few attacks for some extra copies of incantations.
5. Have you tried sanguine thirst on a gremlin? Mending wave to heal all your gremlins? And poison gass wall since the gremlins can just teleport around it?
I have not. Honestly, if my opponent is wasting time on my gremlins, I am winning. I will start chain attacking and stunning a Mage if they start messing with my creatures.
In fact, I had a game in this tourney where someone focused on my gremlins. It took them 3 turns to kill them all, and I brought out a Hydra, a Jelly, and a Wizard's Tower while they were doing that. All while still hitting them with my living gremlins and attack spells.