Looking at your breakdown, it looks like it is still viable for quads.
From the ratios, it should be possible for a quartet or trio to power a single mid sized spell of choice every round.
Quartet: 1.25
+ 1.25
+ 1.25
-> 4.75 element of choice
This lets you cast one 4 to 5 point card a round with any mix of 3 types of pendulums / pillars.
This would let people guarantee they can play at least one card per round without having to worry about not getting the quanta they need due to poor draws. This is what I was essentially going for.
Given the number of cards needed for the nova / cremation combos this shouldn't be too OP.
Particularly since you have to wait a round after bringing out the mandala before you can use it.
Still, I do see your point on the cremation combo as it favors rushes a little too much.
The best option I can think of to compensate is:
Cap the amont given to chosen type so that it won't raise the target by more than some set amount above the beginning of round max.
E.g:
-Record level of current max at start of turn internally on mandala
-Cap max given so that nothing can go above 10 + max from round start. (or maybe 8 or 6 if this is still too much)
This option lets you essentially
1) Switch your current max from where it was at start
2) Increase the new max slightly by "focusing" the other quanta types