Embermage Arena of Slaughter: can't finish Veteran

[peetski]

I don't have much problem until the boss decides to join in but I had him down to maybe 1/3 health, trying to teleport around but those big smashers keep coming back and forcing me into corners so I'm dying and step on a vent which insta-kills me or who knows what else is damaging me maybe those red skeles really hate them.. Or he keeps coming right at me too. I got my health up to 2900 my armor is better than my normal engi at 365, I keep using frost phase and electric orb and frost wave and they just don't die fast enough. It feels like a lot of luck involved. I watched a video of someon on Elite and it's the same thing here: one false move I'm dead when he comes out. Any other strategy works?

[sidewinder_G]

Concentrate your efforts on the undead archers and the guys that spawn spinning fireballs until Grom decides to join in. When he does, focus on him. What skills does your Embermage have ??

[peetski]

I'm using frost wave at level 7 and +50% ice damage and I'm level 44. Mix in Flame funnels level 5 and ice balls level 5. Even a shock orb but low level. My pet has archers and imp. I also try the Astral helper but duration is short and use Elemental Boon thing when I remember too. It's just frantic I guess. I just think I need to kill him faster to keep mobs at bay because they just keep coming. And those flame vents...I'll probaly try again later 4 deaths so far get's expensive. It would also be nice if casting on some spells wasn't so slow.

Well forget it after 5 more deaths, I respec'd to Normal mode and finish without dying. I don't even think the number of monsters was that much lower but the fire nozzles didn't take 90% of my hp. Sure the enemy damage was probably lower too but there was no way my guy was going to finish in this century with getting mobbed so bad I couldn't really cast spells. Maybe a bad build but I didn't want to do the bolt build. I'll go back to veteran to see how cacklespit goes.

[JakGrant]

Well, keep in mind passives can play a big part in how effective you are. But that can also depend if you use wands or a staff. Personally I think the passives revolving around the staff to give -elemental prot bonuses to the enemy can really make you do a lot more damage. But that's just me. Try looking for syngergies between the different Embermage skills and work on them, whether they be active or passive skills.

[Befitzero]

I'm just wondering are you putting more points into focus then anything else? Because for ember mage focus adds to your skill damage. When I was on my first playthrough I would put 3 focus, 1 vit, 1 dex, every level. Once I hit about 53 dex I would just pump focus and vit along the lines of 3 focus 2 vit. I used this guys guide build
http://forums.runicgames.com/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=36991

[peetski]

I did do focus and vitality and had bonuses to dex to get me to 10% dodge. My focus is about 150, dex 50 and vitality 70, with gear. I have dual wands at dps 400-600 with 50% ice or Cogsplitter staff that has 1000-1200 dps with 20% ice damage. I switch to this when ice balling because it works off weapon dps and those ice balls stick enemies to the ground to get blasted. And they also proc the staff debuff. I think embermage is fun and was quite easy until Act 2 but has no problem with 90% of it just has issues in close quarters and with heavy hitters. But I will check on the passives, I think I have a few points in all of them. I just realized though, he passed my Berserker so I will see how that guy does in Arena of Slaughter.

[sidewinder_G]

What could have been a huge save is the frost teleporting. Combine that with a bit of ice damage passive and you got yourself a party. The trick is to decide early on which tree out of the three you are willing to sink the most points into. I chose Fire and went Firebrand. Infernal Collapse combined with Death's Bounty is a killer. My build came through even though I sank points into some useless abilities.

Another thing I always carried with me is a shield, does wonders to your armor and you spare vitality points.

[Befitzero]

Act 2 is a huge pain in the butt for embermages, the frost reavers alone pissed me off.