Mage guide: skills, stats and gear
The Mage fights from a distance and is the only class that hits whole groups with fire and ice. It also has the lowest HP in the game. Here is how to spend your points, which robes and staves to wear at every level, and how to use Firebolt, Frostbite and the area spells from level 1 to 60.
Damage, rangedMain stat: INTThe lowest HPStaves
1. What the Mage does
A Mage stays back and casts. Firebolt reaches 20 metres, and from level 20 your area spells strike everything standing in a circle or a cone. Warriors and Rogues have no area skills at all, so a Mage is the class that clears a camp gathered by a tank. The price is your body: no class bonus to HP, and the most MP of all instead.
- Solo: pull from range and kill before the monster reaches you. Firebolt can be cast while you walk, which is the heart of solo play.
- Party: the area damage. When the Warrior has the monsters around them, Meteor and Flame Wave do the rest.
- PvP: heavy damage and control from a distance: freeze, slow, blink away, and Arcane Recall to bring your party together.
2. Stats and a point plan
You start with STR 5, DEX 8, INT 15 and VIT 9, and every level brings 3 stat points: 177 in all by level 60. For a Mage:
- INT (main stat): every point adds 2 attack power and 8 MP. Your spells and your MP pool grow together.
- VIT: adds HP, with no class bonus. The Mage needs it more than anyone, because no one has less HP.
- DEX: a little critical chance per point for every class (capped at 30%), no attack power.
- STR: does nothing for a Mage.
| Levels | Per level (3 points) | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 20 | 3 INT | Monsters here never attack first, so damage is all you need. |
| 20 to 40 | 2 INT, 1 VIT | From level 22 monsters come at you, and some will reach you. |
| 40 to 60 | 2 INT, 1 VIT, or 1 INT, 2 VIT | The Colony is open PvP; a Mage with too little HP dies to the first Rogue. |
Not happy with your split? Once every point is spent, Reset stats in the character panel (C) gives them all back for free.
3. Weapons and armor
Mages wear robes and pointed hats: a hat, a robe, wraps and slippers in every set, with INT and MP on the robe. A Mage carries a staff and no shield.
| Level | Armor set | Staff |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Padded (everyone) | Ash Staff |
| 5 | Linen | Oak Staff |
| 15 | Silkweave | Ironwood Staff |
| 30 | Moonsilk | Mithril Staff |
| 45 | Emberweave | Dragonbone Staff (fire) |
| 55 | Astral | Astral Staff |
The staff's attack power counts toward every spell, so a better staff, and a higher + on it, makes Firebolt and Meteor hit harder. The boss staves are the Staff of the Old Root (level 45, poison) and the Staff of the Sundered Sky (level 60, lightning). For jewelry, the pieces "of the Arcane" carry INT and the pieces "of Warding" VIT. Every set and the blacksmith's + ladder are in the gear and upgrade guide.
4. Skills
The Mage has nine skills. Every skill costs MP, and the cost grows with your level. Ground spells are aimed with the mouse; on a touch screen they land on your target or ahead of you.
| Level | Skill | What it does | Cooldown |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Firebolt | Single target damage | none |
| 1 | Sprint | Run faster | 9 s |
| 5 | Frostbite | Single target damage, freeze | 14 s |
| 10 | Blink | Teleport forward | 20 s |
| 20 | Meteor | Area damage | 25 s |
| 25 | Flame Wave | Area damage | 10 s |
| 30 | Arcane Recall | Brings the party to you | 1 min |
| 35 | Glacier | Area damage, slow | 12 s |
| 50 | Cataclysm | Area damage | 40 s |
- Firebolt (level 1) has no cooldown, reaches 20 metres and takes a second to cast. You can keep walking while you cast it.
- Sprint (level 1) makes you run 55% faster for 8 seconds.
- Frostbite (level 5) is instant, reaches 20 metres and freezes the target for a moment: it cannot move or act.
- Blink (level 10) teleports you 10 metres forward, stopping at walls, and breaks roots and slows on you. Face away from the danger first.
- Meteor (level 20) drops on a spot up to 16 metres away and burns everything in a 5 metre circle. Stand still while it casts.
- Flame Wave (level 25) is instant and burns up to eight enemies in a cone 8 metres in front of you.
- Arcane Recall (level 30) brings every party member in the zone who is alive and out of combat to your side.
- Glacier (level 35) hits up to eight enemies in a 6 metre circle, and each has a half chance of being slowed hard for a few seconds.
- Cataclysm (level 50) is the biggest spell of the class: an 8 metre circle up to 16 metres away.
- Area spells (Meteor, Glacier, Cataclysm) are cancelled if you move while casting. Firebolt is not.
- In combat MP comes back slowly. Cast without a pause at high levels and the pool empties in about a minute: drink your endless blue potion and use plain Firebolts between big spells.
- Your R attack is a staff blow at melee reach, not a spell. From range, Firebolt is your basic attack.
5. Leveling a Mage
In Hearthmoor, up to level 20, monsters never attack first, so the start is easy: open with Firebolt from range and most monsters fall before they reach you. Buy the level 5 Linen set and Oak Staff from a town trader, then follow the camps outward from Emberfold to the Thornback Boars (8), Bandits (11), Alpha Wolves (14) and Barrow Skeletons (20).
From the Cave Bears (22) in Valcrest or Gorzhak monsters attack when you come close. This is where Mages learn to walk and cast: Firebolt, step back, Firebolt again, and Frostbite on the one that gets too close. Hunt on through Forest Trolls (26), Granite Golems (30), Dire Wolves (34) and Ogre Brutes (38), then the Colony Zone from level 40.
- In a party, let the Warrior pull and gather, then drop Meteor or Glacier on the pile. Hit too early and the monsters run to you.
- Flame Wave is instant: turn to face the group and use it while they gather.
- The whole route by level is in the leveling guide.
6. Mage in PvP
Players deal less damage to each other than to monsters, which helps you survive a surprise. Distance is still your life: a Mage caught in melee range by a Rogue or a Warrior must answer at once.
- Crystal Clash (from level 20): six against six. Stand behind your melee and use area spells where the enemies crowd, around the crystal and in the ways into the ring.
- The Colony (from level 40): never travel alone. Frostbite the attacker, Blink away, and keep Firebolt going as you retreat to your party.
- War of Morgard (Wednesday and Saturday 21:00 to 22:00 Istanbul time): your area spells are the strongest answer to a crowd of defenders. Arcane Recall pulls party members who fell behind back to the front, if they are out of combat.
- A Warrior's Charge stops next to you: be ready to freeze and Blink.
Times, National Points and rewards are in the PvP and war guide.
7. Common mistakes
- No VIT at all. The Mage has the lowest HP. A few points of VIT turn a death into an escape.
- Moving during Meteor. Ground spells are cancelled by moving. Stand still for that second.
- Blinking in the wrong direction. Blink goes the way you face. Turn first.
- Spending all MP on area spells against one monster. Firebolt is cheaper and has no cooldown.
- Fighting in melee with the staff. R is only a weak staff blow. Keep your distance.
Other classes
Compare with the Warrior, the Rogue and the Priest, or see all four in the class guide.