Sage is atrocious. What am I doing wrong with him?

[The_Emperror]

OK, I don't usually do threads on the steam forums, but man, I want to know what am I doing wrong...
Ever since I unlocked the sage I was exclusively playing him.

He is so bad. Oh my god, how can he be so bad?
Starts with damage bonus and every level gets more damage, I have put the mark of something on him, that gives him even more damage and he can select his abilities from the entire skill pool - on paper he should be unstoppable.
Every time I play with him he is so ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ week. Run after run after run.
I experimented with different starting skills - nope. He just sucks.

I thought maybe after the last update there was some changes and now the game is more difficult - Nope.
Went back and played the sorceress - annihilated the new level, I think I didn't even die.
Played the archer - completely destroyed the new level.
Played the sage - dead before the halfway point. The enemies just surround me and kill me. He is supposed to do so much damage, yet he dies...

What am I doing wrong?
I don't understand.
I have equipped him for attack speed (crown and gloves), the healing ring, the crit ring, the debuf cloak and the sludge slow down boots. He already have the damage boosk, so I moved for attack speed and crit equipment and he is just so damn week.

I don't understand what am I doing wrong.

[flashugem]

sage + exterminator mark + 3 potions +ruby circlet + Longfinger gloves + blazing shell + maidens tear + Pace setter boots + guiding star ring + any ring

And about abilities, i tried Morning star main and astro orbs, spirit warrios with orb mod on them and it was op. All x2 potions on +15% aspd x2 perks and one x2 for +30% aspd perk. Rest is long fingers, multy attack, crit chance + crit dmg. rest abillities is on your choice, arcane rifts, meteor (with fireball mod) also nice.. Flame strike good for boss fight, or you can grab Radiant aura for your main and melt faces with full radius build with sage perk +75% to damage

[Wintermute]

I'm trying morning star/ transfixion with landsknecht mark at the moment. Mark helps him salvage his regen/defense situation, and transfixion remains the best waifu in the game, especially with projectile buffs from the same mark.

Still not convinced the same setup wouldn't be blatantly better on Landsknecht proper. So many abilities are too janky to main, or just plain worthless, there really isn't much choice for his "weapon" slot. Transfixion my love, transfixion my life.

[The_Emperror]

I finally unlocked his mark and it is absolutely useless for him...
All scrolls act as tomes? He already have that trait by default. Yes, I can use it on other characters, but damn, that does not help the sage at all...

The spike boots tho. The spiked boots are insane. They help so much.
My default boots choise was the one with slow puddles. I am switching with the spiked boots. Stunning the enemies that follow you is priceless...

[Kruxed]

Originally posted by The_Emperror:

I finally unlocked his mark and it is absolutely useless for him...
All scrolls act as tomes? He already have that trait by default. Yes, I can use it on other characters, but damn, that does not help the sage at all...

The spike boots tho. The spiked boots are insane. They help so much.
My default boots choise was the one with slow puddles. I am switching with the spiked boots. Stunning the enemies that follow you is priceless...

It seems like your main issues with this game stem from not understanding the game. Most of these marks work best on other classes, the Sages is no exception and as the Sage can basically act like any class and use any skill he can also make use of any mark.

These are core parts of the game, I'd like more items to make use of certain things and more variety, but its wrong to say the class makes no sense, all the classes are strong if you work out how to use them and working it all out is part of the game, give it a go.

[Canslli]

My problem with Sage so far is that I tried a few builds for him that I saw here (the Grenadier build, the Kugelblitz one, the fire one) and nothing works. At around the 20 minute mark it becomes impossible to stay alive in any map. I tried using all the same equipment (some I don't have, but not many) and follow the same order for the skills, but nothing.

I honestly don't know what to do anymore with him.

[The_Emperror]

Originally posted by Canslli:

My problem with Sage so far is that I tried a few builds for him that I saw here (the Grenadier build, the Kugelblitz one, the fire one) and nothing works. At around the 20 minute mark it becomes impossible to stay alive in any map. I tried using all the same equipment (some I don't have, but not many) and follow the same order for the skills, but nothing.

I honestly don't know what to do anymore with him.

After about 5000000 runs I can tell you this:
Put the spike boots on. That way anything that follows you will be stunned and you can run away.
Grab movement speed boost as soon as you see it in any way possible. Once you have a couple movement speed upgrades and the spike boots and you will be able to outrun everything.
I usually never take the movement speed upgrades so it didn't cross my mind, but once I grabbed them - it's a huge difference.

[🌺💗Tazzamorous💗🌺]

Originally posted by The_Emperror:

Put the spike boots on.

Suggesting Spike Boots was not on my 2024-HoT-Advice-Bingo-Card.
(and im not going to add it)

Madness.

[The_Emperror]

Originally posted by 🌺💗Tazzunda💗🌺:

Originally posted by The_Emperror:

Put the spike boots on.

Suggesting Spike Boots was not on my 2024-HoT-Advice-Bingo-Card.
(and im not going to add it)

Madness.

They saved me so many times the last run it was not even funny...
I cannot recommend them enough.

[Canslli]

I thought about using the fire boots, but decided to go for a speed one.

I finally did manage to finish a run doing the Kugelblitz build, but using the items from the Grenadier build.

So weird. I can't say what I did right in this run and wrong on the other ones.

[Ulyaoth]

Originally posted by Canslli:

At around the 20 minute mark it becomes impossible to stay alive in any map.

This is odd, since at the the 20 min mark your Build should be up and running and normaly you cant die anymore at this point, except you stand still in the Crab or Green cube wave.
What exactly kills you?
Do you have some ways to heal yourself?
Do you have your Abilites upgraded?

Originally posted by The_Emperror:

Spike Boots

They are definetly an alternative for Fire Walker Boots, Pace Setter and Runner Shoes.
I found them quite useful for the first 10 minutes until the build gets stable,
after that they have still function in some waves.

I was very surprised, since this item always slip away under my radar due outdated item description.

[Canslli]

Originally posted by Ulyaoth:

Originally posted by Canslli:

At around the 20 minute mark it becomes impossible to stay alive in any map.

This is odd, since at the the 20 min mark your Build should be up and running and normaly you cant die anymore at this point, except you stand still in the Crab or Green cube wave.
What exactly kills you?
Do you have some ways to heal yourself?
Do you have your Abilites upgraded?

Usually what kills me are fast enemies. There's no way to get away from them unless you start with some itens that gives walking speed.

As I said above, I was able to finish a run with Kugelblitz where it melt everything in it's way, but that was completely random to me because untill that point I was getting my ass kicked. I don't know what changed. 🤔

[Ulyaoth]

Originally posted by Canslli:

Usually what kills me are fast enemies. There's no way to get away from them unless you start with some itens that gives walking speed.

I might be wrong with the time stamps...
Those small Crab Thinfs, which explode and throw a mortar on death,
I think they can be as fast as you are, no matter how high your MS is,
when they do their "strange loop around you pattern".

They come in a straight line at you, and make a half circle around.
If you move to the side in that moment, they will grab your butt and can kill you quick.
If you step towards them, they will be screwed over and move away.

The Pink Cubes are fast and will follow you, if you move in the same pattern, e.g. large circle.
But, if you make a zig zag now and then, they will completly wobble in another direction, giving you time to escape or kill them.

Green Cubes seem to rush if you come to close, its almost like teleporting on top of you in a 1-2m radius. No idea there, killing at a distance helped alot, specially with their green projectile spam.

Satyrs with Forks are the typical chaser. Outrunning, killing, dont think they are a thread anymore later.
(Spiked Boots make them almost trivial actually)

The Body Balls can be great avoided with sidesteps, since they have to make a break to change directions. Same with fast Champions.

Last I can think of are thos black creeps, which can close in fast.
Running away helps, but they often fall under my eye when to much stuff is going on.

Originally posted by Canslli:

As I said above, I was able to finish a run with Kugelblitz where it melt everything in it's way, but that was completely random to me because untill that point I was getting my ass kicked. I don't know what changed. 🤔

If Kugelblitz becomes online, there is nothing that can come close enough anymore.
And beside Boss Encounters and random Champoins, most projectiles are very predictable and avoidable.
IMO the real danger on CoD are all enemies that can come close, since their move patterns are completly weird.
And if those patterns come together, you lose room to dodge and escape.

[Keyen]

Kugelblitz is super overrated. Even with the bug allowing it to annihilate everything, it's far from being the best skill. Damage is far from being the only thing which matter, coverage is much much more important, and kugelblitz has super limited coverage compared to stuff like arcane rift, arcane splinters, ring blade or even radiant aura.

I will believe otherwise when I will see a kugelblitz centric run doing 20k kill on last map.

[trephoenix]

Kugelblitz is the most OP ability in the game by a country mile.
Sage can use Kugelblitz better than any other primary class as Main Weapon (MW).
Sage is actually the most powerful class in the game.

Choose Archer as 2ndary Class.
If you have trouble surviving, choose 9%+ Move Speed Dedications from Archer.

Use your x2 POTs on:
Archer's 0.15 Attack Speed (MW)
Kugelblitz 100% Critical Chance x2 (many options work here, but this is easy)

Use your Memory Potions to Lock and prioritize:
Archer's Proficient Stance: 0.5 Crit Chance/15%Crit Bonus
Sage's 0.1 Crit Chance
Kugelblitz +10 Base Damage (always avoid 20% Electricity Chance)

Gear:
Holy Ring
Neck with +100% Attack Speed & +100 Damage when you pick up Holy Ring procs
Mask that permanent buffs you every 30s
Pace Setter Boots
Chest that can heal when you kill
Attack Speed Gloves
Crit Chance Ring
Crit Bonus Ring

Banish Block/Defense/Pickup Range
Don't take any other abilities until finished maxing Kugelblitz

[The_Emperror]

Originally posted by Keyen:

Kugelblitz is super overrated. Even with the bug allowing it to annihilate everything, it's far from being the best skill. Damage is far from being the only thing which matter, coverage is much much more important, and kugelblitz has super limited coverage compared to stuff like arcane rift, arcane splinters or even radiant aura.

True, damage is far from the only thing that matters, but aiming itself, having AOE damage and chain lightning... Kugelblitz is insanely powerfull skill. Maybe not THE best, but it's definitelly up there.
Arcane Splinter is waaaay worse than Kugelblitz.
I have reached a state in the game where the entire screan was full of kugelblitz projectiles. It's not overrated at all.
When I play the insanely powerful sorceress I use only Kugelblitz and lightning strike. 2 abilities only.

I am not sure how well it will perform, if you don't specialize around lightning tho...