Mid Game Mage

VDX_360

Staff member
Moderator
Joined
20/01/2017
Messages
6,128
I would not recommend a spell wizard for a new player. The build can be powerful, but requires a commitment to learning and mastering the spell mechanics. Blizzard can hit for a ton of damage if you bounce it right, or it can just whiff out to no where.

Summon + Staff is a more intuitive build.

I might encourage viewing your current playthrough as a learning-the-game attempt. I would encourage you to start over with the new build in mind. Using what you learned, I think you'll find you'll make up the lost time pretty quickly and will have played from the start.

There's a step-by-step guide for a Summon + Wand build here. It's a custom guide for a forum user. You can follow it but swap Staff Mastery for Wand Mastery. It's in a different language but you can easily translate it, or just look at the photos. It was spoon feeding someone so the details are a bit nuanced.
 

Kakost

Active Member
Joined
06/12/2022
Messages
375
I already got used with all the spells, and now I *almost* never hurt myself with fireballs any more lol

And yes, with Blizzard, WHEN I can get it in the right angle, it does pretty good damage, if I can get it to properly bounce. It's pretty good for dungeons, not so much in the open areas, but even so, Im in a point where I dont know if the critters simple have too much resistances, or is it a matter of the areas Im in, or what, that it's becoming increasingly less effective. Also, my blizzard is only lvl 2, while the others is 3, so there's that. On paper thou, the extra damage each level brings is... Negletable, really. I would need to play to know obviously, but my fireball, for instance, despite being lvl 3, just seems very weak. My lvl 2 blizz I dont even see a difference anymore, and thus I only ever used it in moments of desperation, when I unleash all 3 elements at once to "see what sticks". Besides that, my other problem is about sustainability, which is why I havent pushed any of my elementals to lvl 4, because they already are too mana draining, which has led me to use my staff as much and as often as possible, which is good because I have became pretty skillable in positioning myself in order to preserve both mana and hp as much as possible. That could be easily solved if I had endless supplies of potions, of course, but paradoxically, my gold supply is insanely low, despite the fact that I NEVER bought any items in the game - not even scrolls or potions. The only potions I use are the ones I find (and a few I crafted at Lannegar), which also has lead me to be pretty conservative in their use, which has also lead me to be pretty conservative with the risks I take for both my health and my mana, which once again, pretty much forced me to learn how to dodge all the wolves before they can hit me even once, or to dodge any single spider, and perfectly position myself 180 degrees between them and Griss, so in most areas I go by without losing a single hp or using a single mana (except for Mage armor).


I only ever used my gold for buying the vaults, and for paying the fines for the Mercian kingdom (I wanted to max Varanni rep, so I called the Jabal captain out on the slavery, paid the fine, released the slaves, paid the fine again). Oh yes, and I bought 10 invisibility and 10 speed potions to do the 2 harder Mage Guild's quests (Prejudice and Apprentice). With that, my gold supplies were very low, and potions are VERY expensive. Which is why the last thing I did in the game was hitting the Maze of Lamth, which to my surprise has gave me enough to buy the +2 int belt in Icemist (30) and the house in New Garand (25k gold) pretty fast, basically more gold than in the entire rest of the game. So, I could grind a bit more and stockpile tons of potions, and then just go total mayhem on my spell unleashing, but that would be just so... Boring. Because I would spend more on potions than I would get from loot, and it would mean I would have to keep raiding the Maze over and over before each new dungeon - and that's a destiny I was trying to avoid.


Does that mean that Elementalist mage is not a feasible build Mid-game foward? That's... Frustrating. I dont wanna brag, but I would say I've became pretty skillable in playing that style, maybe not as much as a veteran, but I do beat up foes that I should have no business dealing with. But when every single thing I face is highly resistant against everything, it simply feels like this build is not supposed to be playable at all.
 

VDX_360

Staff member
Moderator
Joined
20/01/2017
Messages
6,128
Lots of things that post, let's try to discuss. But, first, you don't need to hit "reply" or do a full quote all the time. I've been going back and editing out that bit. It just makes it easier to read the thread.

A full-on dedicated spell caster is viable, but requires dedication to the craft. That means prioritizing spells, learning to kite for cool downs, and learning the situational benefits of each spell. Combustion is a very useful, if not required, skill for the build in the late game. Dedicated Spell Mages are likely the hardest mage build.

A summoner + spell caster is a little easier. But that tends to be Summoner + heavy investment in ONE spell type. Depending on the build type, you can do either very well, or struggle.

The elemental resistance of end game enemies poses a challenge to the spell caster. Combustion helps, but you will likely have to rely on your weapon.

Disintegrate and Precision Shots help with staff attacks but if you're going that way, you might as well go Staff Build.

As for mana use, Deepfrost Cognac are cheap and easily obtained. Try to get a few of them on hand. When you get the Bag of Holder, it's easier to get 4 to 8 of them. Drink them pretty quickly so they don't clutter your inventory,.

As for the Potion of Speed issue, a cheaper escaping option is to use Scroll: Summon Wolf. You tend to find them fairly often, and they are cheaper than speed potions. You can use one as you run. Even if the wolf dies quickly, it will distract enemies enough for you to get away. You don't need to be a screen ahead, just out of their reach.

The cheapest option is simply to use your summons.
 

Kakost

Active Member
Joined
06/12/2022
Messages
375
Dedicated Spell Mages are likely the hardest mage build.
Damn, now you just convinced me to keep on with it. I just reached lvl 16, and entered the Mausoleum for the first time. Im looking for the necromantic tome to enter the Golden Hand library, and Im a bit disappointed to see in the wiki how close it is, so I'll explore it there a bit. I just got blizzard 3, and I decided to keep course. Arcanist will be next.

If this is the hardest build for what is considered to be the hardest class, then that's exactly what I wanna :)

Besides, I have been doing alright so far, it's just that I reached this "mid game limbo" and I really dont know where to go now, and every single quests I try seem too be too hard - althought, like I said, killing lady Xidar was a literal walk in the park, which should've been a little harder for my level, so there's that. I guess it's really a matter of not knowing exactly what places should fit my level, and me just keep banging my head on the wall going to places I have no business getting into.

Just one quick question thou: how in the Three's name does anybody becomes an Arcane/Death Knight at lvl 13? I wanted to do it to give myself a slap in the back and tell to myself that "if the pros can do it, I can do it"... But I cant do it lol. Just too damn hard.


Edit: sorry about the big quotes. I was trying to break them up, so that I could put a piece of your answer under the quote, and my answer of each segment bellow, but havent been able to.

Also, sorry for any gramatic or spelling mistakes, english is not my mother tongue.
 

Atomos

Active Member
Joined
14/09/2017
Messages
693
Location
Lądek-Zdrój
Elementalist mage is one of the most powerful builds, don't let anyone tell you otherwise ;)

If you really need to do the Cold Trail quest early, then I suggest buying Caduceus of Scorching, a lot of mana potions, and scrolls of summoning Ice Elementals. Spam those as much as necessary. Sometimes you can evade some monsters with potions of speed and/or invisibility. Beware of detectors! Such monsters can always see you.
 

Kakost

Active Member
Joined
06/12/2022
Messages
375
Thanks for the tips. And yes, Elementalist is very powerful indeed. I just went to the Mausoleum, and my spells made short notice of the undead, and I felt pretty powerful once more. Im still preparing to face the Lich in a second run by, because like I said, I dont spend on anything, including potions, and I greedly hoard them like a dragon's treasure, but now I feel it's time to be more insane with them, so I'll buy a ton of potions for it, in particular my Whitetower specials. While I did took down the undead with my closed eyes, there's just too many of them, and thus my mana evaporated in seconds. And that damn place is also too open, so there's no way to get behind Griss and not being swarmed, which means I go inside in a blaze of glory, dispensing my full wrath, which quickly burns through all my mana after only a few of those massive rooms. So the plan will be to go in with tons of mana potions, burn everything that moves and toast that Lich.

I was scared as hell of Deadwoods, but it has been literally a walk at the park, so my confidence is back up again :)


EDIT: oh yes, while searching for game content on YouTube, I saw that video, but considering that whatever this thing is, is a level 99 monster, which means it must be some special kind of "boss", probably something that you CAN in theory defeat, but that you SHOULDN'T. Im guessing this is some part of the end of the game, and that your primary effort must be to prevent this thing to cross into the world (and thus having the happy ending), or you fail and this thing gets in, and you may have a *theoretical* chance to defeat it, but most likely you fail (and face the bad ending).

I know there is an "Ark" of some sort, but I still dont know much of any of it, and since I dont want to spoil things for myself, so I didnt watch the video. But yes, a lvl 24 mage defeating a 99 monster must be pretty impressive

Edit2: I forgot to answer about Cold Trail. The reason I wanna do it so badly is first to give myself a clap in the back, and second because ever since I heard about Arcane Mage my mouth started salivating. Im pretty happy being an Elementalist, and I would be pretty happy to end the game as it, but I've got to do it as Arcane Knight. Or preferably, as a Death Knight (just because everybody says it sucks). I simply MUST do a Death Knight and kick 'em with it
 
Last edited:

Neponde

Active Member
Joined
27/03/2022
Messages
157
Elementalist mage is one of the most powerful builds, don't let anyone tell you otherwise ;)
[Clipped video]
That was poetry in motion. Further encouragement for me to switch back to elemental flinger on my IM mage.
 

Kakost

Active Member
Joined
06/12/2022
Messages
375
That was poetry in motion. Further encouragement for me to switch back to elemental flinger on my IM mage.
I gotta say, despite what everybody says, it has been so far the best for my tastes. I just did Castle Storm, used 51 mid mana and 37 mid hp potions, but I dont imagine myself being able to manage it with any other class or build. Griss dead in a second, and me running in circles drinking mana potions like there was no tomorrow throwing zaps and fireballs like a madman, all this on iron man still, absolutely epic. Perhaps with a cleric drinking mana as water it would also work, but I seriously doubt I could pull it with any other. Elementalist is too damn powerful for me, and those strong spells have been saving me quite a lot, Im loving it, althought I probably still need to learn which places are too hard or too easy for where I stand.

Now Im finishing all quests before going to the fabled "ark" (no spoilers please), but for now I need to relax a bit, my blood pressure is a bit too high right now haha.

And Im definetly try to kill that lvl 99 monster with my Elementalist too, you can be sure of that (I'll probably change to Hard for that thou)
 

Top