If you could have a SM with any magic lore, what would you take? (Choose 2)

Just as a mental exercise, I'd like to get the communities thoughts on which lores would be best on a SM if there were no Tax and no other restrictions.

I figure I'd let you choose 2 because the choices are so damn good.

I'd choose light to buff initiative and high to buff BS shooting and take wardsaves increases/healing wounds on my units.

I do hold the belief that life is the best lore.  First is throne of vines, which takes all risk out of the magic phase, and is effectively the biggest drain on dispel dice since no smart opponent can let you have that.  If they dont not only are you effectively risk free in the phase but all of your spells hit power dial 11.  Oh did you miscast on the throne, that ok you ignore it on a 2+ and they cant try and stop it.

 The lore attribute is better at healing than LOTGM can go onto other characters, but loses the risk and the +1.
 
We have a regen spell (not full regen sure, but its also much cheaper than trollguts and you can always have it).
  A better version of increased toughness spell minus the ability to bubble but with longer range.  And try not to think about toughness 8 ogres if yo have the throne.  Ogre sphinxes scare me. 

Shield of thrones is amazing for bunker busting things like skeles of halbs.  Shrinking the block every turn with a free 2d6 is amazing, especially is you get it to str 4.

Regrowth brings ogres back to life.  Thats just awesome when you remember you can finish topping them off with your other spells.

Dwellers is probably the most efficiently direct damage spell in the game imho.  It doesnt have to roll for distance like purple sun of pit (or risk misfire).  By rules it doesnt allow for look out sires or any saves for that matter.  Admittedly the str of it depends on your opposing army (better against elves than w.o.c).

I have to agree with DarkBlood, Lore of Life is where if feel it is at

Life is good, but I've always wanted to be able to take metal.

It gives us an easy way to take out heavily armored foes from range before they have the chance to eat through our expensive ironguts.  It boosts our characters to 1+ armor saves, and lets our ironguts pretend like they are warriors of chaos.  We can make our units hit on 3s, which is a rarity for us, and we can wipe out big units 1/3 at a time.  Everything (except for hounds, which is lackluster) is great for ogres and shores up some of our weaknesses.

Life and light would make ogres broken.

I don't think life is that amazing overall but it would be stupid for ogres. And WS10 I10 ogres would be silly.

I'd like to see metal like LG, scaly skin, enchanted blades and a great way of nailing armour from a distance (that doesn't get taken out turn 1....).

I think Metal would be pretty sweet - lots of fun spells, including a proper 'Big 6' killer spell.

But I also threw my lot in for Dark. It's got a powerful Big 6 spell, Power of Darkness (which Ogres can withstand much better than Elves) and spells that remove Hold Your Ground! and the General's leadership, which we all know Ogres need!

I went with Light and Beast. Beast is relatively self explanatory, it's already popular here.

Light is a very flexible lore with a lot of great options. Shem's is a great default MM, something OK lacks without a Firebelly. Pha's can be useful against gunlines. Speed of light - I10 and WS10 Ogres - yes, please. Net can be annoying for humans, elves and goblins. Light of Battle - situational but an unbreakable Ogre block can be very useful. Banishment - not so useful for OK, IBs take that role. Birona's - ASF, M10 and +1 attack Ogres - the ultimate smash face. A number of light spells offer bubble options as well, which lends nicely to OK battle lines.

Light and Maw. Light would be ridiculously OP for Ogres, and Maw's healing attribute is a total boon for our 5-wound SMasters!

However, I'm also interpreting the question as if the SMaster had both lores at the same time. If it was a matter of picking one or the other, then I'd probably end up fielding 2 SMasters for fun

Light and Maw. Light would be ridiculously OP for Ogres, and Maw's healing attribute is a total boon for our 5-wound SMasters!

Life does virtually everything Maw does and better.

+1T? On an 8+? How about +2T on an 8+?
Crappy attack spell that can misfire and total one of your units? How about Dwellers?
Regain a wound on a 2+ but take a S6 hit on a 1? How about regain a wound and apply it to anyone within 12"?
Trollguts is good for regen or miscast protection? Earthblood and Throne.

Light and Maw. Light would be ridiculously OP for Ogres, and Maw's healing attribute is a total boon for our 5-wound SMasters!

Life does virtually everything Maw does and better.

+1T? On an 8+? How about +2T on an 8+?
Crappy attack spell that can misfire and total one of your units? How about Dwellers?
Regain a wound on a 2+ but take a S6 hit on a 1? How about regain a wound and apply it to anyone within 12"?
Trollguts is good for regen or miscast protection? Earthblood and Throne.

As someone who has exclusively played Ogres up until a month or so ago, I have no knowledge of Life magic.

So, YEAH. THERE. Nyah... (lol I'll consider it lol)

The downside of Life is that you have two nearly worthless spells - shield of thornes and awakening; a semi worthless regen - earth blood - since it's only cast able on the wizard's unit. That leaves four useful spells and two of those are must haves - Throne and Dwellers. If you miss out on either it significantly impacts your phase. Missing both is an absolute disaster. Dispel order is relatively easy too, prioritize throne and then dwellers. The buffs are single unit spells so at worst they have a single unit with +2 T. There's no denying Life is strong, but having used it a fair amount with my High Elves, I know there are some significant downsides.

Using life on T3 elven wizard is much different than a tooled up slaughtermaster.  You have to hide the elf, you don't have to hide the SM.  Thus the regen sig spell would be more viable.

Eh, it's not so much the T3 elf being the issue I see. It's that you can't target another unit with it. Even with a tooled up SM, that element won't change. So if your star isn't in combat for whatever reason, it's a spell that doesn't present a threat.

Eh, it's not so much the T3 elf being the issue I see. It's that you can't target another unit with it. Even with a tooled up SM, that element won't change. So if your star isn't in combat for whatever reason, it's a spell that doesn't present a threat.

True, but as a signature, it gives your level 2 something to do if he's off in another unit.

Pretty much.  Lets you give your Hellheart Caddy a regen spell, guaranteed.  Shield of Thorns is great for a combat block, useless for a bunker.  Life is definitely a lore that Ogres would be amazing with, probably why we don't have it (as why would you take Maw if you could take Life?)

Huzzah! I voted for Life and Heavens.  Life seems like it would be really handy for the Guts!

I picked light (reasons listed above), and Waaagh! only for my own amusement. Imagine, [insert almost anything from Ogre book here], being picked up and put behind your enemy....that's hilarious. 

But honestly, Waaagh isn't the best option, but if we give SMs access to Maw, Death, Beasts, and Light? I'll take a silly lore on my second one to bring the lulz. (feet, feet everywhere!!!)