Yes, I noticed this when building a new list. I do think the combination of a lvl 4 with hashut and a lvl2 with metal could work well, provided the lvl4 had ash storm.
Definitely! A level 4 has a good chance (>90%) of getting Ash Storm, you only need to roll one 4 or any double (meaning you can swap one of the double spells for one of your choosing, which is always going to be Ash Storm). Works really well with Lore of Metal as support.