NO matter what the edition, or even game, I always tend to choose Aquam and Corpus as my specialization forms.

Corpus allows healing that's essential for a fighter like me, and it allows shapeshifting that's essential for a hustler like me.

Aquam is perhaps a little less destructive than Ignem, but more versatile as it allows enemy distraction with oil, ice, poison.
That's good for a rogue like me.
Aquam is physical but still fluid so it somewhat between physical and non-physical, something from both, that's really good.

In Mage the ascension I always take forces as spheres are so large.
Nowadays I tend to like Ars Magica's Forms better as they have more identity.
So Forces and Life tend to be my first choise, heritary to Ars magica's Aquam and corpus. (or should I say Corporem like in 3rd edition.)

In Rolemaster I made a Mystic character because I did not want too powerful character but versatile. In the end I noticed that it did not matter if I only had 1 useful bolt because that's enough. Mystic's spell list were complete enough for anything.

Have you noticed favorite arts and on what basis they are your favorite?

hmmm strange ... Aquam ... so very strange... from my point of view, aquam has so very litle utility.

Let me see, you can wet someone.
You can create water
You can ward yourself against water creatures ( elementals & fey )
You can turn water to ice ( with a rq terram I think )
Poison & acid

seems a lot less usefull than pretty any other arts in my eyes...

I find that Cr & Re are the top arts in ARS5th ed.

with Re is manipulate the environment at your will with Cr you add what that is missing.

> I find that Cr & Re are the top arts in ARS5th ed.

Well, sure, but techniques will always be more generally useful than forms. AoM was specifically asking about forms.

Personally, I think Corpus is a must, since it covers almost anything that you care to do to yourself, your allies, and the majority of your enemies. Anything else would depend on concept, as I don't commonly play two characters that are similar to each other in a row.

I find Ice and oil very useful, especially when you prepare a place for defence.

- run away from city guards and make an alley slippery
- fill captains clothes with oil and ignite him with lvl 5 ignem spells.

But yes, 5th edition's creo seems somehow better than before.
Perhaps Muto has decreased in power, not sure.

In 3rd edition I preferred Muto specialist because you could change everything the way you wanted.

Does anyone love Vis specialist? why not, you can manipulate pure magic! (but not much else, never liked it, at least with Prime (in mage) you could do nifty things.)

With a Vim specialty, you can be good at changing magic (with Muto), destroying demons or other supernatural entities (with Perdo) and putting up magical wards (with Rego) Right now I'm playing a Bonisagus with a magical focus in Wards, with Rego and Vim as his higher scores. It's interesting, though I'll end up having to make most of the warding spells involving vim myself since only Warding Circe Against Demons was listed (and the ST wouldn't classify Aegis of the Hearth as a ward).

Everyone tends to look at the Vim specialist to handle things when some type of creature with a might shows up.