We have no means to measure that. Magic does not exist in our world, so we do not know the extent in which amplification supersedes study. We have only comparative knowledge, in that someone who has studied a craft has more factual knowledge to share on the practice, as well as put forward towards research that opens the boundaries that previously barred the way.
I’d be willing to concede ‘most’, but it would be the utmost folly to share ‘all’ of it with the Kirin Tor. Telling someone who could possibly be your enemy later all of your secrets is ruinous. We do this in the real world with our closest political allies and our weapons. We’re just human beings, who live about 80-90 years, sometimes 100, before dying. Elves who live for generations might take the hint that treachery is natural in most things that are capable of critical thought and should safeguard themselves from it.
In the novels, it’s described as Quel’thalas being a place where magic is practiced even more than Dalaran. I’m willing to take the idea that the Elves kept more than a few in the chamber for a situation like this.
Actually this is not correct. In the short story, In the shadow of the sun, Rommath says the Kirin Tor has always asked Silvermoon for advice on magic. This is proven when we go back to just after the troll wars, when the Humans asked the Elves on what to do about the Demons that were popping up due to the humans reckless use of magic.
From this we can ascertain that the Kirin tor is the less knowledgeable and less experienced party, and Silvermoon is the wiser and more knowledgeable party. At least in terms of magic.
You’re talking about thousands of years in the past, when the Kirin Tor was a newly created group. During the millennia that came after they grew leaps and bounds, which includes at least some of Dalaran’s population being High Elves. Rommath and Kael’thas both spent a portion of their lives living there. Rommath even considered Dalaran as much his home as Silvermoon.
In the current era, there’s absolutely nothing to indicate that Dalaran has less magical knowledge than Quel’thalas.
Yeh Thalyssra knows defensive magic. Sure Jaina can conjure up flying boats and spam glacial spikes but what good is any of that if she can’t get through Thalyssra’s shield magic which is powerful enough to defend her from Azshara’s offensive magic! If I lived on Azeroth, I’d live in Thalyssra’s shield. Ain’t nobody getting through unless she allows it.
I definitely get the impression that Thalyssra is more of a defensive/support oriented mage. It makes sense when you consider that she wouldn’t have had much need for big aoe spells when she was living in a bubble… it’s not like there were massive armies that she needed to wipe out on a semi regular basis.
Right now, Jaina is much more of a known quantity, and her feats are impressive. So you’d have to go with Jaina.
That said, Blizzard will absolutely asspull previously unseen powers for Rommath if the plot demands it. Just one expansion ago we wouldn’t have imagined Sylvanas going toe-to-toe with Malfurion or slapping around the Lich King, but here we are.
We do actually know it. We may not know how much. But, we have been shown people gaining power and how. We have never even heard someone suggesting that study makes one stronger. More options and tricks, sure. But not power.
Think about what that would mean though. Since many of the best High Elf mages were part of the Kirin Tor, you would have had to keep secrets from them. And students certainly would not have had access to them. So, it would not have changed his education. Sure, he would probably have gotten some of those secrets since. But lots of mages seem to have their own tricks and extras. And any extra he has is probably balanced by what she has. Keep in mind, she had training from Kul Tiran casters in addition to her Kirin Tor training. And they are not part of the Kirin Tor, so likely this means she knows magic that the Kirin Tor did not. So, he probably knows a few tricks she does not. And she likely knows ones he does not.
Since Rommath never does anything, we have no idea what his power level is. It could be 1/10 of Jaina’s, or 10x Jaina’s.
The fact that he never does anything does not prove his power level is low. Having him come in and save the day might be just “not part of the story Blizzard wants to tell.” See also: Vindicaar, the.
But since we have no idea, there’s no way to even have this discussion.
Rommath says the Kirin for has always come to silvermoon for advice, not just in the distant past. Rommath isn’t old, liadrin calls him young. Meaning he probably wasn’t there 2700 years ago when the Kirin tor came asking for help. Meaning the instances of the Kirin tor asking for help that he experienced are more recent instances.
He also used magic that no one has seen or heard of to repair Silvermoon. But lets be honest, when has an horde character trumped over their alliance counter part? Horde only wins though cheap tactics or via super weapons.
I was just reminded Rommath does have a major feat attributed to him. He rebuilt eastern silvermoon practically overnight with magic, and this was without the sunwells magic.
Source on that? From what I’m reading on Wowpedia, it looks like he did that alongside a large body of magisters. So that’s not really a solo feat attributable to him as a person in the same vein as what we’ve seen Jaina do.
Yes it says a contingent, or small group, of Magisters, led by Rommath rebuilt the city “nearly overnight”, their “great magical powers making quick work of the Scourge”.
Still an impressive feat. Emphasis on the canon source saying they, including Rommath, wield great magical powers.