If you notice any errors or outdated information, please message me so I can update/correct this guide. Thanks!
This is an all-inclusive (read: long) guide to the Archmage. I will mainly focus on the details, giving opinions of the current state of abilities where I feel they are needed. Please, do not take my opinions too much to heart because they are, just that, opinions. The last thing I want you to do is finish reading this guide and be swayed that the Archmage is either incredibly overpowered, broken, useless, ect. My intent is to inform and guide your knowledge of this career so you can form your own opinion about whether or not you'd like to play the career. Though, if there is one thing you take from this guide it should be that Mythic has created a game where each career has it's own allure and unique feel. Every career is so fun in it's own way that you really cannot get by playing a different career, and often not even by playing that career's mirror.
With that said, let's move on to the one career that, despite my fickle nature, kept drawing me back whether I had to start at level 1, or was given a template.
To play an Archmage is to be among the best practioneers of magic. No, this doesn't mean that you out heal and out damage everyone. It means you're exceptionally good at what you intend to do. This does not always mean being the best at each individual aspect, but, in this case, having a wide variety of options. Asking, why then, do Archmages not have an option to become DPS is much like asking why you can't play an Empire Wizard other than the Bright. The simple answer is that, yes, Archmages exist who specialize their skills around being purely destructive. You'll see plenty of NPC Archmages that fling lightning or other various effects. But, the fact is, just as the playable Empire caster happens to only include those of the Bright College, so then does the playable Archmages only include those who chose to follow mainly the Lores of Life, Light, and, of course, High Magic in order to better assist in all aspects of combat.
The State of the Archmage
I wondered whether to put this at the end or at the beginning, but I believe I'd rather tell you the blunt truth up front rather than dazzle you with all the goodies you'll get then, possibly, bring you down.
One thing that will be apparent is that the Archmage is a near duplicate in mechanics and abilities to the Shaman. Our button glow for our mechanic actually still has the "Mork and Gork" skulls among the flames. But, this just means Archmage is a career with a lot of room to grow. Most careers have started off very similar to their mirrors and then diverged. The Archmage has a lot of potential, he's just lacking his niche. His spells look cool and he has many of the same abilities of the Shaman and some very unique spells of his own, but he just doesn't excel at anything except potentially at widespread debuffs that aren't very effective at the moment.
The last thing I want is to turn this guide into an "An Archmage runs into a Shaman..." thread, but, currently despite all the physical impossibilities, the High Elven Archmage comes up short to the Goblin Shaman. This is not a thing of imbalance or favoritism, it's simply the fact that the Shaman has been around longer than most other healers, has had more time for design and time to 'grow' into his unique niche.
So, while I left my comments blunt and honest, please remember that this is an MMO and it's all about growth and change and the Archmage as a lot of room to grow.
The Archmage Mechanic - High Magic
**Note that this description is mostly of my own making. I felt Mythic's description of the AM mechanic was lacking and difficult to understand. Thus the reason people find it hard to understand why a shaman's Gork spells build Mork Waagh, and vice versa, yet an AM's Force spells build Force and Tranq spells build Tranq. Based off of the recent BW mechanic changes, I was able to ascertain a "trend" in how the Winds of Magic seem to work in WAR and used that in trying to make the mechanic sound "cooler" and less like they just dropped the Drain Magic Mechanic idea, gave us the Shaman mechanic, and gave us a vague and elfy description.
High Magic, also known as True Magic and represented by the runic word Qhaysh, is the Lore of the High Elves. To first understand High Magic, and how the Archmage wields it, you must first understand the cruder, yet no less destructive, way that Bright Wizards wield the Winds of Aqshy. As a Bright Wizard conjures the flames of Aqshy into being, a sort of lingering magic, called Combustion, fills his body. The Bright Wizard funnels this build up of magic into his spells, making them even more powerful than they would normally be. However, doing so results in even more of the volatile magic filling him, possibly even harming him in the process. The only way to rid himself of this dangerous build-up is to either refrain from using his magics, letting the lingering Combustion drain away, or, rather than using the Combustion to empower a spell, forming this raw power of Aqshy into a powerful blast called a Meltdown.
Elves are more suited for wielding the Winds of Magic than Humans. Not only do they not suffer from the detrimental effects that humans do, but they know the secret to using this magical build-up safely. Archmages recognize two separate types of magical build up in their bodies when they weave the winds, based on the intent for which the spell is woven. Destructive or offensive spells, build up a sort of magic Archmages call "Force", while healing or supportive magics build up what they refer to as "Tranquility". Whereas the Bright Wizard focuses his power into spells that further build Combustion, resulting in a net gain, Archmages focus the lingering magics into a spell of the opposing type. This counter balancing effect results in not only a more potent spell, but they negate any potential backlash and further building up of the magic to unstable levels. It is through this careful balancing of the winds of magic, and build up of magic, that Archmages are able to produce a variety of powerful effects.
In game terms, this mechanic is represented as a Ying Yang. As you cast either destructive or support magics one side of the Ying Yang will light up and build a "point" of High Magic per casting. Destructive spells build Force and Healing spells build Tranquility. The next time you cast the opposite type of spell all of the built-up magic is consumed. Spells which benefit from High Magic do not build it. Each point of High Magic will either swiften or empower a spell. Spells with a casting time will cast 20% faster per point of High Magic that goes into them, this even includes the 6 second cast resurrection spell "Gift of Life", allowing the Archmage to instantly resurrect allies with enough Force to balance the casting of the spell with. Instant spells are empowered, gaining +5% increased effectiveness per point, this includes channeled spells such as Searing Touch.
Archmage Spell Graphics
The Archmage gets a wide variety of spells and effects. Unlike other casters there is little "theme" to each of his spells. A Bright Wizard's spells are all fire, explosions, and smoke while a sorceress deals mainly in shadows and pain. But the Archmage spell effects are quite varied. Heals are generally represented by radiant lights and swirling colors. While damaging spells range from a prismatic spear of light lancing into your enemies to lightning that shoots from the tip of your staff. Mainly the spells seem to fall along the lines of shimmering lights, prismatic rainbow effects, and storm type effects. Though there are a few exceptions.
How the Archmage Compares
An important thing to note is that Mythic prefers we do not directly compare healers. Each career should be taken on it's own and for what it can attribute. Unfortunately, this inevitably results in comparisons since, how can you gauge your true contribution except by comparison to the rest of your archetype? So, while I will provide this section at the request of others, I urge you to not forget that I cannot possibly cover all of the pros and cons, similarities and differences, there will always be one thing a career gets it's peers do not. This is by design, even in DAoC Mythic built the careers and factions on a "similiar yet different" concept. Careers that fill the same role are similar at their core, especially those of the same sub-archetype (Melee Healer, Flex Healer, and Nuker Healer being those sub-archetypes), yet they will have intentional differences despite in order to give them their own unique feel.
The Goblin Shaman
This career is your mirror, or as some devs prefer to put it, your "analog". You share a mechanic and a playstyle. Both careers have a different "feel" despite this. To be quite honest, the Shaman is currently better at you in most things. You might have a slight advantage in the debuff area, simply by virtue of Radiant Gaze being able to be made AoE and having an anti-heal. But if it is an advantage, it's a slim one.
In my mind, the Archmage should focus on being pro/anti ranged/healer careers. While the Shaman should focus on being pro/anti tank/MDPS careers. Why? It fits their concepts. The Shaman is fueled, literally, by the energy of the Waaagh (War). While the Archmage is known for being one of the best magical users around. This seemed to be the way Mythic was going at first, giving the Shaman spells like 'Ere we go!, Gork's Barbs', and Gork Sez Stop. These spells seem ideal for buffing or hindering tanks and MDPS. Even their Mork mastery spells seem to encourage being used on people who are in the thick of things like tanks and mdps. Shrug it off is best if the target is taking frequent damage, and Do Sumfin Useful is the same.
Yet, on the counter point of being anti-RDPS/Healer he still wins. Sure you can debuff Intelligence and Ballistic Skill (Rainlord used to only debuff those stats, strength was added in later). But he can steal it, making the enemy's potential his own (sound like a familiar career description to anyone?). Yer Not So Bad quite simply blows Drain Magic out of the water. I mean, does anyone really think doing a little bit of damage is worth making the enemy lose less AP and not getting that AP for yourself?
But, at the same time, I don't feel jealous of the Shaman. I just feel he's had more attention, more thought, more of a "niche". Relatively speaking, the Archmage is extremely new. For the longest time, we all thought that the AM would use "Drain Magic" as a career defining mechanic. It was a bit of a shock when we found he had essentially become a copy/paste of the Shaman with a Elf'd up description of Waaagh. I am certain this guide will need a LOT of updating in the patches to come as Mythic gets the content more fine tuned and careers start getting more attention.
The Runepriest/Zealot
These careers are called the "Flex Healers" for a reason. In aspect of healing they want to persue they can excel in. One the one hand, they will tell you that it's a disadvantage that their heals are spread out, unlike ours. I would tell you differently though. While this is, in fact, a disadvantage of some sort. It also means that no matter what they specialize in they will have potent heals AND damage. Meanwhile, if you focus in heals your damage falls behind, if you focus in damage your heals fall behind. If you focus in debuffs...well, you get where this is going.
So, the question is, is being able to focus in a single sort of spellcasting worth the others falling behind? I mean, if you focus in healing role and spec so, then your mechanic will boost your damage..right? Yes, this is true. You can instantly cast your weak DDs or add +25% to your weaker instant spells. Does this occasional bonus outweigh the constant 30-50% bonus the Flex Healers receive to both damage and healing spells in the path of their choice? I tend to think not.
In addition to this, you also receive less healing options baseline. Every career gets the same basic heals. A Heal + HoT, a HoT, A Big Heal, and a Group Heal (Melee Healers receive special versions). And..that's all you get...the basics. Meanwhile, flex healers get an instant cast small heal, a shield that doesn't have a group requirement AND heals the target when it fades, and a HoT that bounces to 6 targets.
So, currently, less options overall and less versatility. This is an issue that effects both the AM and Shaman.
The Warrior Priest/Disciple of Khaine
It is quite difficult to compare the Archmage to these careers simply because they play so differently. The ability to use dual targeting, stay in melee range, watch health bars, ect. is so important and valued on these careers that I find it nigh impossible to compare them to any other career in terms of playstyle. But I'll try.
The Melee Healers are extremely potent if played correctly, I might go so far to say that a well played Melee Healer will outdo you. But it's difficult to say. Their mechanic is such a limitation that the requirement to be in melee or channel their AP->Mechanic skill is necessary. An Archmage can, if he chooses, just stand back and focus on healing. And he'll excel. No, he doesn't have as many options as other healers, but he has the tools to do what he needs to do. Meanwhile, if his group is getting hit hard a Melee Healer might find himself out of AP and either HAS to go melee or stand there and convert his AP. His group healing is excellent, especially if he goes into his healing path, and his heals are much quicker. Their "big heal" was long since converted into a channeled melee attack that heals your defensive target, which has some severe limitations since, if you're up against a tank, it'll heal little. And the lack of "Sticky Targeting" makes keeping an offensive and defensive target difficult at best.
This is one situation where I'd have to say the AM comes out ahead simply by virtue of the Melee Healers not currently being able to truly fulfill the healing role in combat as a true Healer Archetype currently. But, when it comes to "mixing it up" the Melee Healers do pull ahead.
......Part 2
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment