How Warmage 1-20 battlefield control?

[deuxhero]

I know the traditional Warmage build suggestion is "do something to improve spell list", but I'm wondering: Is it all -HP blasting, but is it able to do "battlefield control" blasting?

[Toliudar]

I've managed to play battlefield control with a warmage.

1st level spells: No, nothing much here.
2nd level: Pyrotechnics gives some options to fill areas with smoke.
3rd level: Gust of Wind, Sleet Storm and Stinking Cloud all help to channel or debuff.
4th level: about as good as it gets for warmage battlefield control. Black Tentacles impede movement and grapple. Wall of Fire separates and channels enemies.
5th level: Cloudkill.
6th level: Acid fog restricts movement. Blade barrier forms obstructions. Disintegrate can alter the terrain by making massive holes in it. (while DM'ing, I had a player use disintegrate to flood an undersea cavern. Pity he didn't also memorize water breathing.
7th level: Waves of Exhaustion is a pretty good debuff. Earthquake dramatically changes terrain.
8th level: Incendiary cloud. Prismatic wall to make it VERY unattractive to pass through. Scintillating Pattern and Sunburst offer some debuffs.
9th level: Elemental swarm to finally do some BFC through minions. Prismatic Sphere to give yourself a place to stand when you're nuking everything in sight.

But, on the whole, it's tough to do BFC as a warmage.