hey Lucius! i've never run a mage duel before, but here's some suggestions...
Lucius Foxhound said:
I was a bit concerned that spells like Polymorph Other
you get a
free counterspell every round. if you're concerned about being polymorphed, memorize the spell to counter it when/if it's cast.
you could also boost your Fort save (and hit points) with an Endurance spell
(if you have the spell and the money) you could contingency a dispel magic on yourself keyed to "if my shape is changed". (and you could set this up long before the duel starts...)
(my strategy suggestion: enervation 2 or 3 times (no save, wipes out opponents spells, lowers saves) and then cast your own polymorph other!)
(strategy #2: do a spellcraft check on every spell your opponent casts during the preparation rounds (just to know). start the duel with a dispel magic (bye-bye buffs!). this will also let you know if some of your spells will be effective (if opponent casts a protection spell and you like to summon creatures, you know which alignments will work).
(strategy #3: raid your party for items. if anyone in your adventuring party has any relevant items that you can use, ask to borrow them for the duration of the duel. also think of items that
might be handy to have around (if someone has: a defending weapon, you could hold it to use the AC buff; a dancing weapon would be handy against summoned creatures; and so on))
good luck!