Can a Storm Spirit use its power of lightning bolt in the astral plane?

If yes, can you make Mana based Elemental Manipulation spells?

As in, spells that only affect living things and, if cast into the astral, astral beings.

it says (somewhere) that only mana based spells can be cast on the astral, including ritual sorcery. I believe it specifically states no elemental manipulations.

Mana based and elemental manipulaions are different by definition. As in a mana based spell has no physical counterpart, and an elemtental manip (apparently) has little in the way of a mana aspect ,since it's T# is always 4, is resisted by armor, works completely differently on both vehicles and people. They are basically mana being shaped into an element, such as lightning, fire, ice, etc.

If you want a spell that can be cast on the astral, cast mana bolt. It only effects living things. But you won't get an elemental effect from it.

But doesn't that create somewhat of a conundrum then? It specifically states that spirits of the air cannot attack in other ways than with their powers.

In practicality, this makes them almost defenceless vs. other spirits. They'd be akin to the whippin' boys of the spirit world.

The Storm spirits fx, can use lightning bolt, but only when materialized vs. other materialized targets. How can it play a role in an astral melee?

So why does a spirit that can only attack with powers have a melee damage code of (F-3)M Stun? Oh, you might've meant air elementals, which cannot attack while materialized except by use of powers. Yes, that entry is for the materialized, since astrally all attributes are equal to force and all can do (Force)M in astral combat.

The air elemental can only use it's powers while manifested. And of course, it can't use it's noseus gas (how ever you spell it) on the astral, but it CAN attack 'physically' on the astral, but NOT on the physical. THat all make sense ? Basically what Herald said, but it was a weird way, so I'm restating it (for my own sense of satisfaction really).