Elves or Giants; Capture or Delay

What is the more effective Mage strategy; capture by arrow damage or using blockers to run out the clock? 

I want the game to strike a balance with no clear strategy more effective than the other. I am not sure if we are there yet. Some spells focus on placing giants on the board and facilitating their movement. Other spells arm elves with arrows or place the spy in a position where it is more vulnerable to arrow damage.

I will argue spell # 1 (Elvis Marcus Conus) is both a capture spell and a run out the clock spell as elves without arrows are nothing but simple blockers. As such, the first 5 spells in a starting line-up provide us with more blocking (1,2,4) spells than capture (1,3) spells. 

The delay game does see more spells cast, perhaps more bench spells added and bonus spells introduced; as a designer you kinda want that. And I do enjoy a good giant battle, stacking marker cones on top of marker cones in response to a spy's missed free throw and working to run out the turn. 

Perhaps the bias favours delay.