Blind + Hell Spikes is quite effective. Even without Blind, Hell Spikes can be cast repeatedly fairly quickly (though not as fast as Meteorstrike), but needs to be level 4 or 5 for best effect.
The Survivor's Curse spell can be cast repeatedly on a target (so even level 1 of the spell works well) to be followed by any elemental or poison attack.
The techniques in the topic
Chasing Josie... will work for any strong opponent.
The strength of a spell is only determined by its level. Intelligence determines how much base mana you have (before equipment bonuses, etc). See:
differences between classes (minor spoilers)
Early Starter Tips (NON-Spoiler Version) (contains much of the information in the above topic)
