Well, before you get Blizzard, techiniques are your only ranged attack (Horology), i.e. can hit several monsters at the same time in an area. Even after you get blizzard, your MP is so pitiful at first that it pays to save it for quickenings / heal and use horology and numerology to clear the area in Lhusu mines

I found a lot of them useful, even did my Pharos ascent with no magick, just techniques