[X] My Assistant

Could you enlighten us (mage apprentices), please? I/We could really need all the help to improve our game-play.

Whenever Coalesced Mana occurs, I always try to cast my next spell on it to conserve my mana, but not magic missile. Am I doing this correctly?

Doing that works great for normal battles since it saves mana and doesn't take any more turns. But for higher level arenas/schoolgirls/ROB you may need to do more or you'll burn too many mana pots. Some of the things you could do:

1. Once you get CM cast your next spell on it to save 50% mana

2. Do #1 but then get ET and then defend or cast MM or hit them with your staff. All take no mana to do so you will get the max ET each turn (but it wastes turns and takes time)

3. Do #1 then do #2 then cast your attack spells. Now you can get CM + ET, (spells cost 50% to cast + you gain mana each turn) you can replace or gain mana while casting your attack spells. No need to waist turns regaining mana by using MM or defend. The few turns used to hit monsters to gain ET will max Overcharge. This will also help in your staff proficiency without the need to grind it.

Depending on how much mana you gain from ET you can cast a lower tier spell so you don't lose any mana each turn.

Often when I do the schoolgirls on Hard-Heroic I'll use Purge just so I don't need to use much mana and then use Banish when fighting more then 1 schoolgirl.

To save on mana when I use to do BT-IW all the time I would always start each round by casting a tier 1 elemental spell then come back with a tier 3 to finish everything off. The first spell would get CM and the effect of the first spell would help the damage of the 2nd while costing half the mana.

EDIT:

I don't think its a good idea to be a low level mage unless you can buy a ton of mana pots all the time. Its just hard to do stuff if you don't have mana tanks, higher INT/WIS, can carry 13 pots into battle, can do more damage with spells (need gear and AP)

Casting MM at the start of each round to get CM works in the first ~50 rounds. I don't like taking the time to do that, I'd rather cast a low cost spell. When doing my Arenas I'll start off with Purge then cast Ragnarok. Purge will gain me CM to cut the cost of the next spell. When doing schoolgirls casting nerf, x-nerf or weaken will do the job of getting CM. That is why I like 50% 3t staffs.

This post has been edited by 4EverLost: Feb 25 2012, 21:13

@hitokiri84 and 4EverLost

I think you guys' idea are better than mine.
I'm using my method (no ET) mainly because it needs the least refresh.
(my computer isn't that good in terms of ping (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/anime_cry.gif) )

MAGEPROBLEMS

Doing that works great for normal battles since it saves mana and doesn't take any more turns. But for higher level arenas/schoolgirls/ROB you may need to do more or you'll burn too many mana pots. Some of the things you could do:

1. Once you get CM cast your next spell on it to save 50% mana

2. Do #1 but then get ET and then defend or cast MM or hit them with your staff. All take no mana to do so you will get the max ET each turn (but it wastes turns and takes time)

3. Do #1 then do #2 then cast your attack spells. Now you can get CM + ET, (spells cost 50% to cast + you gain mana each turn) you can replace or gain mana while casting your attack spells. No need to waist turns regaining mana by using MM or defend. The few turns used to hit monsters to gain ET will max Overcharge. This will also help in your staff proficiency without the need to grind it.

Depending on how much mana you gain from ET you can cast a lower tier spell so you don't lose any mana each turn.

Often when I do the schoolgirls on Hard-Heroic I'll use Purge just so I don't need to use much mana and then use Banish when fighting more then 1 schoolgirl.

To save on mana when I use to do BT-IW all the time I would always start each round by casting a tier 1 elemental spell then come back with a tier 3 to finish everything off. The first spell would get CM and the effect of the first spell would help the damage of the 2nd while costing half the mana.

I think you are getting a little ahead of yourself since the guy is a Lv.89 and nowhere near those arenas. Or even knows what they are, probably.

But, I like to do #3 in conjunction with Spirit Stance too, which makes it pretty easy for me to coast through legendary arenas with 50% 3-Turn proc and few godly manas spammed. (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Actually, it's almost impossible to run out of mana doing this on the multi-legendary rounds on DwD too.

This post has been edited by hitokiri84: Feb 25 2012, 21:12

MAGEPROBLEMS

Someone sounds frustrated

I think you are getting a little ahead of yourself since the guy is a Lv.89 and nowhere near those arenas. Or even knows what they are, probably.

But, I like to do #3 in conjunction with Spirit Stance too, which makes it pretty easy for me to coast through legendary arenas with 50% 3-Turn proc and few godly manas spammed. (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Actually, it's almost impossible to run out of mana doing this on the multi-legendary rounds on DwD too.

A bit curious; will that be even better if I use Spirit Stance on kotana (with soul burst) and #3 on other legends to gain SP? Or there's some better alternatives?

I think you are getting a little ahead of yourself since the guy is a Lv.89 and nowhere near those arenas. Or even knows what they are, probably.

But, I like to do #3 in conjunction with Spirit Stance too, which makes it pretty easy for me to coast through legendary arenas with 50% 3-Turn proc and few godly manas spammed. (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Actually, it's almost impossible to run out of mana doing this on the multi-legendary rounds on DwD too.

ya, I forgot to add the last bit to my post (I don't think its a good idea to be a mage at low levels.) I tried wind then went back to melee. Later I went with holy + melee but didn't really go mage until I got soul spells (fun times back then) Then sometime around level 180 I went all element to get proficiency.

And you are right DwD is very easy to do with out a few pots. Just doing what I normally do on the schoolgirls I'll max my overcharge 2-3 times (if I remember to use it) I don't do them on normal but if I did just spamming Banish could be a little faster but I'd end up using all my mana each time, but hitting a monster 1-2 a round to get CM+ET I can play higher settings with lower mana use, higher exp gains and spending about the same time.

hmmm why pros are mages? any melee pro out thereeeee?

(IMG:[t1.ftcdn.net] http://t1.ftcdn.net/jpg/00/39/08/16/400_F_39081602_QY6yeQzfCyKOaAAicwu9eUucR3jtM3Td.jpg)

Ah, such are the intricacies of mage gameplay. Much more interesting than the meleeing that I started out with, only until recently did I make an effort to make the switch.

@varst, perhaps these tips could be consolidated into your wiki help page (with the blessing of the other slayers, of course). it will definitely go a long ways to help those us mage "wannabes" "apprentices". (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)


edit: I hope I didn't re-ignite the fire between the melees & mages. (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/duck.gif)

A bit curious; will that be even better if I use Spirit Stance on kotana (with soul burst) and #3 on other legends to gain SP? Or there's some better alternatives?

I use Hurricane vs Kotana most of the time along with getting CM+ET if I have max overcharge I'll use SS too. Using all 3 is the fastest way to regain my mana while still casting damage spells. I use cyclone If my mana is really low but I almost never cast Storm of Njord unless I have channeling. And I try to only cast Supportive spells when I have channeling.

That works when doing hard or BT. Even more so when playing on higher settings, casting all your attack spells at little or no mana cost makes those arenas easy (but they are always boring) and only casting holy spells means you don't need to think (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

hmmm why pros are mages? any melee pro out thereeeee?

High level arenas or pretty much anything in hentaiverse involves large amounts of enemies and the unfortunate fact is that melees don't really do well against that. Where mage can wipe out all enemies in few spells melees have to take ages whacking them down one by one and most melee special attacks only hit single target or the ones hitting several targets require you to spend round or two gathering overcharge to use the ability once.

sigh i'd have preferred the "intricacies" reason... so melees are just here for completeness <,<

A bit curious; will that be even better if I use Spirit Stance on kotana (with soul burst) and #3 on other legends to gain SP? Or there's some better alternatives?

I doubt it since it becomes more difficult to use this technique as spell cost goes up, even with Spirit Stance. That's why I just stay with Banish and Storm of Njord for Konata, since I still get great damage with both while ET can keep up with their spell costs fairly well. Of course, you're not going to find another staff with both great MDM and Wind EDB to use my method. That leaves you with the drawback of using Katalox, still using lots of Wind or using Soul Burst for Konata. It's going to cost you a lot more MP for her either way, which will become more and more painful as you increase difficulty.

any melee pro out thereeeee?

Maybe Sushi, but I think he was more just abusing bleed before this latest monster buff. Probably still does too, just proportionally slower.

Maybe Sushi, but I think he was more just abusing bleed before this latest monster buff. Probably still does too, just proportionally slower.

I thought he was the only one that got upped from the last patch since he does his arenas on IWBTH where normal monsters have slightly more hp and legendaries less.

<,< sounds unbalanced, i foresee swotching to caster

A quick question about gaining proficiencies. If you increase your effective proficiency with equipment, does that make it harder to gain the respective proficiencies?

Like if you're level 100, have base elemental proficiency of 90, but increase the proficiency to 110 through equipping a staff, does that mean your proficiency never goes up since it technically hits the cap, albeit aided by equipment?

No, increases are based on your base, not effective

Anyone can enlighten me why Celestial has 10int as it is only to increase Elemental's dmg?

Future stuff

Just curious, what is a high level player's (lvl200+) main source of income?
Seems like mine is unlocking new Arena and RoB levels, kinda sad

This post has been edited by Oversoul: Feb 26 2012, 04:19