Magical Mages

By: Savanja

These squooshy little powerhouses are a must try for any gamer. You just don't know power until you've crushed an opponent with a couple twitches of the hand! For DPS in a group, this class is irreplaceable. As a solo class, played properly, they can do amazing things.

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Mages are not for everyone, and I've long thought that good mages take truly skilled players. Those not suited to playing one might find themselves laying dead more often than not, awaiting a rez! But for those that are well suited to the pure damage classes, you will find great reward and love for a archetype that may just turn you away from any other selection of class forever.

So what does it take to be a great mage? Patience. Working with the class is sometimes thankless and difficult, depending on the type of mage you play. The summoners are great solo classes, but the rest of the mages really will depend on others to make their way to the higher levels. You will find that other classes will not always understand your role, especially if you choose to play an enchanter class. But in the end, mages become the DPS in groups that is always desired, as they have the potential to out damage any other class in game, including the scouts.

Mages do have to learn to control that power. A mage that lets it rip loose, unchecked, will be of no use to anyone! Tanks will have a hard time keeping aggro from a nuke happy mage, and priests will not be able to protect your thin skin quickly enough.

We have 3 types of mages in EverQuest II:

Enchanters - The coercers and illusionists are called "Masters of Domination" because they exert extreme control over their subjects. They bend mobs to their will, either taking them as servants, or subduing them into complete passivity. These are the most misunderstood of the mage classes, but in my opinion, one of the most valuable. Once you have worked with a gifted enchanter in group, you will wonder how you ever got along without one of these crowd control experts.

Summoners - The most popular of the mages, necromancers and conjurers have received much glory because of their soloing abilities. These are easy classes to work with and really a very good choice for the newbie mage. Learning how to work with your pets can sometimes be a bit tricky, but with the ability to have your pet tank or DPS, you will learn to love these little creatures.

Sorcerers - Step back and watch true greatness at work! Only one word can clearly described what a sorcerer does.. "KABOOM!". The wizards and warlocks are the nukers of EQ2, and when they lay down a spell, everyone knows it! This makes playing one an art of sorts. These guys can steal even the very best tanks aggro if they don't watch what they do, but when you want a mob burned down quickly, these are the guys that will do it.

 

What to Know

As mentioned above a couple of times, being a mage means knowing when to let it loose and when to hold back. Controlling your aggro and learning when to not use those cursed area of effect spells is very important if you plan on grouping much. And for goodness sakes, if you get aggro, DON'T RUN! You think I jest, but truly, so many scared mages take off for fear of death and out of the range of the tank's taunts. If you get hit more than a couple of times, you're dead anyway, so just stand there and take it like a man (or woman) and let your tank work to get hate back. Don't cast until the tank has taken control of things once again and review your casting repertoire if you find this happening a lot. You may be much better off starting out with lower damage spells, then working into the higher damage after the mob is half dead.

Regarding the AoEs, it can be a trick for some tanks to keep aggro with an entire encounter when they have others doing large amounts of damage to off target mobs. Just remember to keep that in check and lay off of the AoEs if you are gaining the attention of the encounter too often.

Once you get the hang of things though, you'll learn how much time your tank needs to establish good hate before you can bring down the pain and there will be much less worry about dying repeatedly and painfully.

Aside from aggro issues, understanding your class, what it can do and what you have in your arsenal is very important. You'll need to work out which spells you find the most useful and upgrade those staunchly. Knowledge is key when it comes to understanding your class, so be sure to visit the spell lists for your class to learn what each one does, how it benefits you as a soloer and as a grouper.

Above all else, have fun with your class! Being a mage isn't for everyone, so if it isn't working, then try something else.

 

Thanks for visiting the Ten Ton Hammer guide to mages. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to drop me a note!