Is Melee Mage too weak since the latest update?

[0rion79]

Hi, I have just finished my latest game with a MELEE MAGE BUILT and I want to share my 2-cents opinion about this.

I played at the easiest level and yet playing with the mage has been so frustrating that in some moments I was so furious that I almost wanted to smash my smartphone.
The worst part has been (and still is) the Ark, followed by the ending part of the square labyrinth with shadow creatures, part of Hirge's personal quest. Never happened with any other class.

So far, these have been the causes that made it that hard:
1) limits of the game engine that make very hard to properly aim to foes and to control the adventurers party
2) the peculiarities of the mage, that is very unsuitable for solo playing. (not impossible, yet it is much harder than other classes)

More into detail, I have found problematic the melee mage's ...:
- need of several abilities to properly attack and defend
- high skill points cost to develop these abilities
- high mana cost of the most recent abilities that, even effective, make the mage highly dependent by potions to constantly refuel
- mage's armor spell counts radiation damage as an attack, fading earlier than expected.

Especially within the Ark, I had a very hard life vs. the frog-like robots that deal an impressive melee damage that not even the stone golem may endure long enough (plus it is so dumb that it always get involved into fire explosions), while the "steel wizards" that shot beams are relatively easy to handle due to the high electricity resistance that the mage may achieve thanks to unique equipment.

The new special abilities offered at Icemist are really nice to use, especially at high level when the game offers weapons with high elemental damage, but the extra damage doesn't compensate the mage's fragility. Also, elemental weapons are useless vs. certian foes and the "death" weapons are useless vs. undead and shadow creatures, so it's impossible to rely 100% on these attack forms. Some choices, as having a strong creature to summon, are almost "staple" choices to compensate but they quickly drain out of mana.

Maybe I have built it in a poor way, yet - in theory - a player shouldn't be forced to follow "staple choices" to survive : David himself added several items roughly at the same level right because he wanted players to enjoy variety without being forced into standard solutions.

I can't image what it means to play at harder levels if the easiest has been that hard!

 

[iamgaming]

I haven’t reached Ark with Mage yet nor tried Arcane Knight but Lightning Bolt IV + a couple of hits with a lightning weapon like Phantom Longsword + bonus damage from Arcane Blade IV + counter damage from Mage Barrier III might be able to nearly kill Steel Spider and Steel Wizard if Disintegrate added.

 

[p4ran0id]

I'm playing pure melee mage right now and my opinion is that's really effective. arcane blade (or vampire blade) gives additional elemental/death damage. with combustion it reduce armor and elemental dmg, that combination is really amazing and deals lot of damage. same for vampire blade, death cloud and death weapons. I killed Varannari very easy with that

 

[p4ran0id]

I'm playing pure melee mage right now and my opinion is that's really effective. arcane blade (or vampire blade) gives additional elemental/death damage. with combustion it reduce armor and elemental dmg, that combination is really amazing and deals lot of damage. same for vampire blade, death cloud and death weapons. I killed Varannari very easy with that

 

[0rion79]

Instead of a golem, try getting lightning bolt instead! Works much better in the ark and is very versatile! And If you want to get close to enemies, just get wisdom of the seas.

It's no big deal if you don't kill him since you can't even equip it. But if you really want to kill him, use combustion from the start, it can't heal him if he's already at full health. Just think a bit more if you want to use it again.

You don't have to rely on the new skills all the time, that's what the other spells are for. Experiment and see what you want to use!

Sorry man, don't want to be rude really but your answers are a non-sense and a praise to staple choices.

Everything sounds like "if you want to win, do what you did in the past." Thanks, I did it already and wanted to try something new! But the game is not made to learn & forget skills all the time and, with your words, you confirm that news skills are actually cannibalizing the old ones. The same for Disintegrate: a very cool spell but highly mana-draining and unsuitable for endurance challenge, as the Ark, unless you invest a lot in potions.

I have already used that little shield and it is not enough for several reasons. Plus - again - there are not enough skill points to properly develop every mage skill.

"But if you really want to kill him, use combustion from the start, it can't heal him if he's already at full health. Just think a bit more if you want to use it again."

I did it already: do you think I'm stupid? Casting Combustion once barely does anything to him, while repeating it over and over heals him more than the advantage of weakening its resistance and armor. My character is level 24 already and, in order to beat that demon, he should be at a much higher level! I never had such a hard time with the wand-using mage not with other classes. And Grissenda may use that sword.... so still useful and cool

 

[p4ran0id]

look, I'm trying melee mage with death build in SC, the additional dmg after death cloud (toxic) with resistance reduction is not bad at all.

 

[Deleted member 28869]

Everything sounds like "if you want to win, do what you did in the past." Thanks, I did it already and wanted to try something new!

So, you wanted to try something new, I apologize for the misunderstanding.

" Thanks, I did it already and wanted to try something new! But the game is not made to learn & forget skills all the time and, with your words, you confirm that news skills are actually cannibalizing the old ones.

Well, the new skills are debuff skills that reduces resistances, what else was I supposed to do? Hit things to death?

 

[0rion79]

So, you wanted to try something new, I apologize for the misunderstanding.

Well, the new skills are debuff skills that reduces resistances, what else was I supposed to do? Hit things to death?

That's the point, man! With your words you confirm me that Mage has staple choices to be competitive. So Combustion and Arcane Blade should be cheaper or provide defensive bonuses as well to offer a pivotal column for a new built, rather than complementary skills if any skill point is left.

 

[Deleted member 28869]

That's the point, man! With your words you confirm me that Mage has staple choices to be competitive.

The other classes also do that, best examples would be rogues, with both builds that have evasion, clerics with heal wounds, warriors with resilience and duel.
Mages, have these too, and you can also look at it another way, putting points in staple skills because you have extra.

 

[iamgaming]

You have plenty of points so why don’t you put some in traditional skills?