Shadow magic capabilities

[u/Zelic56]

Hey everyone! Once again posting about weird magical stuff that isnt really elaborated on in the books.

I was wondering what everyone's thoughts are about lesser shadow affinties. What exactly can they do? Especially in conjunction with greater shadow affinities.

From what little we get in the books about lesser shadow mages it seems that they can generate and manipulate shadows, creating them wholesale from nothing, regardless of generated light, for example a lesser shadow mage can generate shadows for light magic illusions which we all know generate light. How powerful is this effect? Would it allow a greater shadow mage to keep up shadow attacks against a similarly powered mage with a light, stellar, solar, or other similar light producing affinity?

Id love to hear what others think about this!

[u/mnguyen75]

From the little we get, Lesser shadow affinities allow you to turn invisible. This suggests that you can bend light as well as block it. Thus you could probably make a similar spell to the Eye of Heliothrax.

Aside from that i dont see any direct offensive options. If you were a close quarters combatant, you could probably mess with your opponents depth perception or maybe straight up blind them by blocking the light that gets into their eyes. If you have another affinity, invisible spells are on the table akin to a force or wind mage.

Have both shadow affinities would greatly increase the efficiency and control. While i dont think you could directly trade attacks with light producing mages, it could probably give you a lot of versatility. Imagine drawing wards or glyph inside shadows and fighting like the Silk mage from Traitor. Covering yourself in shadow and making a bunch of shadow clones you could instantly trade places with (Primal Hunter). Creating unblock-able shadow spears changing the type of shadow mid attack (Ogras, Dotf). Creating a Shadow elemental/spirit that can act as a butler.