Anima Mage + Spellshaper - which approach?

[Shin]

Hey there!

I'm currently toying around with the Anima Mage Prc from Tome of Magic and wanted to build something like an elf binder 1/(substitution/domain) wizard 3/metaphysical spellshaper 2/anima mage 10 (no flaws, so no point in looking for early access). Yet the handbooks and discussions I did consult seem to point towards a divine spellcaster, distinctively archivist instead of wizard, to be superior because of some cheese and additional possibilities.
My question now is: Is anima mage - metaphysical spellshaper really that much better off with a divine caster base class? Or are there advantages only an arcane caster / wizard can bring to the mix that make it worth going the arcane route? (Superior spell list to make use of the metamagic comes to my mind)

Plus: Tenebrous Apostate is awful according to the Prc tier list, so does it kind of fare better in such a build, as a filler Prc?

[defiantdan]

look for the jaronk special. The advantage comes with an Archivist but it's dm dependent. do you live in a magic mart universe? How much access do you have to obcure alternate class features? are there high level warlocks? Divine Bards? Clerics with most or all domains? other Archivists? All these matter when rolling an Archivist. Tenebrous is nice since it allows you to see in any darkness. If you can grab turn attempts you can counterspell reactively by burning them with a feat. Both are teir 1 so better is really just a matter of what else you are building into your character. Toss three levels of incantatrix onto the arcane build or I7 and you're laughing.