Pure Mage not viable in end game ?

[Elhora]

I just finished the Storyline, starting the end-game. Just wondering is there is any viable 'pure mage' build viable ? By pure mage, i mean a build that is based on staff, not on "Bleeding Edge" I've tried a build by myself, i've tried builds published in Wolcen Universe, but i just seem to be low DPS compare to a same level friend who plays Bleeding Edge and that just solo mission in a blink of an eye....

[Li Shengshun/Bk-201]

Thats always the thing about this stuff, if something was more broken it would be played. A lot of Stuff is viable, its just not as broken and fast as bleeding edge atm.

[LonesomeSparrow]

pretty much everything is low dps compared to bleeding edge because it's overtuned.

anomaly to pull enemies together and apply stasis. use the passive that enemies get an additional 100% of damage 1.5 seconds later as long as you damage them while they are in stasis.
once they are pulled together, use tear of etheliel or whatever the hell it's called (with the rune that makes it an aoe dot) + solarfall. can also throw in a winter's grasp with runes to make it shadow damage and dot.
that's three aoe dots on top of the enemies which they can't escape because anomaly keeps pulling them back into the center. while they are busy being melted you can do some basic attacks on them to get some willpower back. you can use ice spear on right click and use it simultaneously with basic attacks and still gain willpower.
last skill can be teleport if you need mobility.

[tmaddox]

Stop using Bleeding Edge as your baseline as to what is viable.

Not all builds are equal but that does not mean that they are not viable. If you made it through the campaign with a build then that is a good start. Those act bosses are tough for bad builds.

[Vethimli]

I'm leveling one at the moment. Consuming Embers + Anomaly. It's a work in progress but its doing ok. Made a short vid on it yesterday if u wanna see how it performs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IcImYno-gA

[...Juѕτịcє]

I'd say go for the build to see if it's viable. I played 45 hours of game without even knowing about bleeding edge, until I saw it in videos. I'm running an archer build, and im nearing level 90 maps/expeditions in the endgame, and I'm level 69, only getting stronger. Havoc orb wipes enemy groups in 1 shot. I have no plans in making a bruiser/bleeding edge build since it seems to be broken/overpowered.

[....]

Maybe some cheese build. But up until now to me it seems that melee is imbalanced compared to mage. Without any specific build melee does more damage and tank more than a mage with staff and similar leveled items which makes no sense.

Maps and mechanics also seem to be bad for mages - arenas are often rather small and have lots of spread out enemies with ranged attacks - so its hard as mage to dodge all - what makes it worse is that most boss-fights dont really have much time for casters to actually cast - except for when you play with something that tanks for you.

[Skaeldrig]

Originally posted by Li Shengshun/Bk-201:

Thats always the thing about this stuff, if something was more broken it would be played. A lot of Stuff is viable, its just not as broken and fast as bleeding edge atm.

^ this

i don't play bleeding edge too, cause, i dont think its fun. i run a ailment mage/melee combo build and its pretty funny and more than just "viable". sure, it don't melt faces as fast as BE will, but its way more fun. and thats the reason why i play games, i wanna have fun. No intention to be the greatest ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ in town :)

[J]

Fireball is pretty good. Go for the ranger tree and get an additional projectile and in the fireball skill get another additonal projectile, increase aof, and pierce/additonal aof. Theres another one that adds another projectile on top of that so you'd be smashing 4 projectiles. You would also want to get equipment thats a flat element damage increase to spells as well spell damage increases in the skill tree. The only problem is that you'd have bad defences. Staff attacks would benefit and shoot two projectiles as well.

[Zouls]

"viable"

https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/facebook/000/010/692/19789999.jpg

[Lyote]

I accidentally made a Minion based Pyro Mage lol.

Currently 42 and slaughtering level 52~ mobs in seconds.
Consuming Embers with Archions Teachings and the mod for +1 Projectile for a triple fireball. Also modded for the damage buff when casting (Converts a portion of Fire damage into extra damage)
Duplicated Livor Mortis and Hunting Swarm.
Modded both tank zombies into Spellcasters. Also took the damage share on both.
Modded both archer zombies for +1 summon and Frost damage on hit.

Child of Fury - Flurrying Flames
Oracle of the Trinity - Omnitempest + Ancient Fervour
Warlock - Residual Energy

Thus far, thats the build. Staff attacks get empowered by the Consuming Embers buff, Consuming Embers applies burns to trigger the damage buff from Ancient Fervour while Flyrring Flames stacks a massive attack speed modifier on my Staff attacks.

The end result is a bouncing double projectile from my staff at 60% attack speed thats empowered by a portion of my Consuming Embers fire damage and then an additional 30% of the damage dealt by my last spell, which is consuming Embers.

The spellcaster zombies have their shields spammed in combat, which protects the 6 squishy archer zombies from projectiles.
8 ranged minions do a surprising amount of damage.
I get damage diverted to the two spellcasters so i get to be pretty tanky without investing too heavily in Force Shield and HP (4k apiece) and they're never not alive due to the 1 second cooldown.

Overall, its just really fun so far.

[Echofinger]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Wolcen/comments/f7c07w/my_infinity_blades_battle_mage_build_in_action/


I will leave it to your personal opinion whether that is viable enough, or not, for you.

[Katitoff]

Originally posted by tmaddox:

Stop using Bleeding Edge as your baseline as to what is viable.

People will do that, when it'll be balanced(aka lose about 90% of its damage to be in line with literally any other skill in game).

[Gumu]

Hi i'm level 62 as a Mage, with only a Staff, I'm built around toxic and poison damage with Ailment damage, packs of mobs last for 2-3 seconds max, I use Livor Mortis to tank everything, its AI is a mess but it's alright

[Meiner]

Try Winter's Grasp on 0 Cooldown. Ice Pawn and Century of Cold Night Rune for Cooldown reduce, Rime World for increased AoE, Glacial Blast - everything will Splitter, Permafrost for stacked Death. This leaves one Point free which i had put into warlike Confidence for higher Crit.
You can perma spam this Skill while running around. Use forced movement "LStrg".
Bullwark of Dawn with maxed duration and AoE + following rune helps. Buff your damage with Fireball - Object of Desire Rune.

[Khalindras]

I'm running an ailment build right now with a mage, not exaclty pure as i delved a bit into some non mage nodes to get some passives. Mostly i go around with Plagueburst (fire & shock ailments) and Bulwark (fire and weakness ailments) active at all times (can have it running all time with some CD and runes) making trash explode on contact and giving you constant healing. If they are a little bit stronger i use winter's grasp (frost and shock ailments) for extra dmg and/or CC. For single target dmg i go with anomaly (stasis & shock ailments) + tear (fire & shock ailments) for the fast shread while i get near them and apply the rest of the kit. Haven't have anything survive more than 5 secs on screen (including bosses) at least for now.

First i went for the scholar circle to get the +60% ailment chance node, then i went for the cabalist circle to get almost all nodes (i left out the crit ones and some of the small ones in the center right, when they fixed the crit on dot perhaps i will get them then), then i went for the warmonger circle to get the +4% lifesteal (+2 global and +2 to spells), from there i went to the time weaver circle and got the two +5 ailment stack nodes and the big nodes that let's you deal double dmg to enemies affected by stasis and the one that makes you take only 40% dmg upfront and the rest is delayed by 1-2 secs (this really helps not getting oneshoted especially if you play squishies), from there i went to the assasin circle to get the node that makes your dodge pass trough enemies and as of right now (lvl 47 with this char) i'm working on getting the nodes that double the res you get from chest/helmet (if they are heavy ones) from the siegebreaker circle. With this i get lot's of dmg with ailments and good survival skills.

My skills and runes right now are:

-Plagueburst:
1.Rapid Onset (+40 ailment dmg)
2.Pauper's Last Rites (make the skill deal fire dmg instead of toxic)
3.Noxious Smog (makes the enemies that die leave behind a DoT cloud)
4.Vitilation (increased dmg for each ailment stack)
5.Blades of Pestilence (increased chance to inflict ailments)

-Bulwark of Dawn:
1. Everlasting Aurora & Extended Protection (for the +5 sec increased duration)
2. Generative Star (to reduce the CD)
3. Divine Omnipresence (makes the skill follow you)
4. Sacred Ground (making the skill deal dmg)
5. Boundless Cornucopia (increased healing rate)
6. Aegis of Hope (increased res)

-Winter's Grasp:
1. Ice Pawn & Century of Cold Nights (reducing the CD a ton)
2. Rime World (increased AoE)
3. Fancies of Warmth (increased ailment dmg)
4. PermaFrost (for leaving behind a DoT cloud on the ground)
5. Glacial Blast (makes enemies killed while frozen by this skill trigger an ice nove, this means extra casts of the ability multiple times including the DoT cloud, it really helps a lot with trash and pilling ton's of dmg fast)

-Anomaly:
1. Dislocating Threads (increased AoE)
2. Existencial Tangle & Auspicious Cosmology (both increasing all ailment dmg dealt inside the skill)
3. Temporal Dilation (increased duration)
4. Echoes of Infinity (multiple pulls)
5. Event Horizon (for damaging enemies everytime they are pulled)

-Tear of Etheliel:
1. Stalactite Rain (convert the skill to a DoT one)
2. Scorned by Fire (makes the skill deal fire dmg)
3. Dizzying Whiteout (increased ailment dmg)
4. Unrestrained Misery (increased AoE)

Hope this helps,
Cheers.