So I am bad at this game. REALLY BAD.
I made a rogue assassin and started playing on normal. I was doing ok until I got on around act 2. Then I kept having to switch back to casual for a ton of fights. I am really not tactical at all. So for my second playthrough I want to do a build based around force mage. Anyone have any ideas and tactics for a force mage build? I would like to play on hard and ocassionaly normal this time, because I want to improve. Any advice is really appreciated, thanks.
Force Mage Build
Débuté par
templar706
, mars 18 2011 07:56
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#2
Posté 18 mars 2011 - 08:12
termokanden
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Cross class combos! Mages are much better when they use combos. This is how you do enough damage to actually kill things. To set up combos, I bring a warrior and a rogue. For Aveline, I recommend upgraded Shield Bash. Staggers several enemies with one blow. For other warriors there's always upgraded Pommel Strike that can quickly stagger. Later on with 2h you can stagger often just by critting things.
I also bring Varric with Fatiguing Fog to disorient enemies. This combines with a couple of mage skills too for high damage.
For my mage, I found Primal quite good, with the upgraded skills at least. Petrify is great when there's a tough enemy you don't want to deal with right now. Chain Lightning does amazing damage against staggered enemies, and Tempest is pretty decent AoE.
Force Mage starts out a bit weak but ends up almost overpowered. Maker's Fist doesn't do all that much damage in the basic version, and the burst spell is unimpressive. Your goal should be to get Gravitic Ring. That, combined with Pull of the Abyss, is why Force Mages are good.
Simple example:
1. Gravitic Ring.
2. Pull of the Abyss.
3. Shield Bash in the group.
4. Chain Lighting or Maker's Hammer. Dead group.
You can take it further and combine with Walking Bomb and disorients for even higher damage.
I also bring Varric with Fatiguing Fog to disorient enemies. This combines with a couple of mage skills too for high damage.
For my mage, I found Primal quite good, with the upgraded skills at least. Petrify is great when there's a tough enemy you don't want to deal with right now. Chain Lightning does amazing damage against staggered enemies, and Tempest is pretty decent AoE.
Force Mage starts out a bit weak but ends up almost overpowered. Maker's Fist doesn't do all that much damage in the basic version, and the burst spell is unimpressive. Your goal should be to get Gravitic Ring. That, combined with Pull of the Abyss, is why Force Mages are good.
Simple example:
1. Gravitic Ring.
2. Pull of the Abyss.
3. Shield Bash in the group.
4. Chain Lighting or Maker's Hammer. Dead group.
You can take it further and combine with Walking Bomb and disorients for even higher damage.
#4
Posté 18 mars 2011 - 09:40
Arthur Cousland
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I'll have to try a force mage at some point, probably 2nd or 3rd playthrough.
Do force mage spells feel anything like biotics in Mass Effect? It seems like you're basically throwing enemies around and immobilizing them (I loved adepts in ME1).
Do force mage spells feel anything like biotics in Mass Effect? It seems like you're basically throwing enemies around and immobilizing them (I loved adepts in ME1).
#5
Posté 18 mars 2011 - 09:48
Jaldaen
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Another thing to watch out for in Act 2 is gaining friendship with Isabella or Sebastian... both of their friendship abilities are bugged... I was also rolling with a rogue archer and wondering why my character was attacking so slow and couldn't take a hit anymore... then I opened the saved game file and found out why... My attack speed and damage resistance were getting big negatives!
Anyway... onto your topic... I'm also planning a Force Mage for my next playthrough... so I'm interested in hearing what works for this build, too.
Anyway... onto your topic... I'm also planning a Force Mage for my next playthrough... so I'm interested in hearing what works for this build, too.
#6
Posté 18 mars 2011 - 10:04
Raiil
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I have two mages with force, one that's completely maxed out.
Force mage works wonderfully with crowd control, and is a nice thing to have on hand if you're going the spirit mage route as well. I always had Anders on hand, so he reverted to being a single target pew pewer while I dealt more with AoE and/or healing. Because force mage does almost no damage (except for a paltry amount with fist of the maker) it can be used with Spirit Mage activated.
Personally, I've found that pull of the abyss + cone of cold + fist of the maker has done wonders. Yanking everyone in front of them, freezing them and stunning them is a good way of knocking out a lot of the lower level baddies, leaving your tanks and other damage dealers to deal with the bigger threats. For my other spells, I concentrated on the elemental tree, and then picked a few from the other trees- crushing prison, chain lightning, walking bomb, etc that gave me some decent, if not spectacular, trash mob viability. I would say for those, pick what works for you- do you want aoe? single target? etc. There's room for flexibility. Picking force gives you a command over the battlefield I would have killed for in DA:O.
Force mage works wonderfully with crowd control, and is a nice thing to have on hand if you're going the spirit mage route as well. I always had Anders on hand, so he reverted to being a single target pew pewer while I dealt more with AoE and/or healing. Because force mage does almost no damage (except for a paltry amount with fist of the maker) it can be used with Spirit Mage activated.
Personally, I've found that pull of the abyss + cone of cold + fist of the maker has done wonders. Yanking everyone in front of them, freezing them and stunning them is a good way of knocking out a lot of the lower level baddies, leaving your tanks and other damage dealers to deal with the bigger threats. For my other spells, I concentrated on the elemental tree, and then picked a few from the other trees- crushing prison, chain lightning, walking bomb, etc that gave me some decent, if not spectacular, trash mob viability. I would say for those, pick what works for you- do you want aoe? single target? etc. There's room for flexibility. Picking force gives you a command over the battlefield I would have killed for in DA:O.
#7
Posté 18 mars 2011 - 10:30
templar706
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I probably want to do max aoe. I might be looking at playing on nightmare as I want a really hard challenge. Will be looking at cross class combos.
#8
Posté 18 mars 2011 - 10:38
Raiil
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Well, rock armor is good for everyone (but me apparently, I always forget to take it- but I dump aggro at every chance now).
I'd say look into walking bomb upgraded, since it can function as both if done correctly, tempest, chain lightning, and look at Arcane's defensive capabilities as well. Elemental is also quite good for both aoe and single target with an upgraded Winter's Grasp.
I'd say look into walking bomb upgraded, since it can function as both if done correctly, tempest, chain lightning, and look at Arcane's defensive capabilities as well. Elemental is also quite good for both aoe and single target with an upgraded Winter's Grasp.
#9
Guest_iOnlySignIn_*
Posté 19 mars 2011 - 02:09
Guest_iOnlySignIn_*
Guest_iOnlySignIn_*
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Yes, the trick to playing a good Mage, especially a good Force Mage, is to plan out your attack by several moves. You can't just go Berserk like a Warrior and auto-attack everything, or press Assassinate and stop worrying about a boss.
You have to be constantly thinking about which kind of spells the enemy is immune to, what CCC to set up, how to position yourself to maximize your AOE damage (standing in the middle of your Tempest is a very good way of tanking), which party member is low on health and needs your Heal, and which dangerous enemy boss needs your Desiccate and your Horror.
Warriors & Rogues do well with automatic Tactics, but Mages cannot because they have too many spells/abilities and Tactics alone is not enough. Human intervention is required - which is why you are there.
You have to be constantly thinking about which kind of spells the enemy is immune to, what CCC to set up, how to position yourself to maximize your AOE damage (standing in the middle of your Tempest is a very good way of tanking), which party member is low on health and needs your Heal, and which dangerous enemy boss needs your Desiccate and your Horror.
Warriors & Rogues do well with automatic Tactics, but Mages cannot because they have too many spells/abilities and Tactics alone is not enough. Human intervention is required - which is why you are there.
Modifié par iOnlySignIn, 19 mars 2011 - 02:23 .
#10
Posté 19 mars 2011 - 03:44
Atmosfear3
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Force Mage is sooooo amazing and you don't even need any of the upgrades to make them effective, aside from Fist of the Maker, although I thought Maker's Hammer upgrade was quite effective with Fenris putting stagger on everything.
#11
Posté 19 mars 2011 - 07:03
panamakira
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I am not good as some other people but I built my mage with the force mage build and it's pretty awesome. I can do a lot of damage in crowds.
I'm loving it. I'm playing in "hard" and I don't know if I could be as effective if I didn't have a force mage oriented PC.
I'm loving it. I'm playing in "hard" and I don't know if I could be as effective if I didn't have a force mage oriented PC.
#12
Posté 19 mars 2011 - 01:49
templar706
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Thanks for all the advice, will try and think out what to do with my character more.
Edit: Also, any advice about which companions to use?
Edit: Also, any advice about which companions to use?
Modifié par templar706, 19 mars 2011 - 02:50 .
#13
Posté 19 mars 2011 - 04:40
Irish Porkchopp
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Atmosfear3 wrote...
Force Mage is sooooo amazing and you don't even need any of the upgrades to make them effective, aside from Fist of the Maker, although I thought Maker's Hammer upgrade was quite effective with Fenris putting stagger on everything.
Yes. Fully upgraded Fist of the maker makes short work of staggered enemies. Chain lightening is better damage wise but when its not available and you have a bunch of staggered enemies then Fist of the Maker is just the thing.
For more general strategy I suggest take one tank, the rest ranged. A good party would be PC(Force mage), Varric, Anders, Aveline.
Aveline with Shield Wall, Shield Bash, Taunt, Rally. Lots of constitution and enough strength for the best gear. I'd have her run out and taunt then activate shield wall. I'd put a Gravitic ring right on top of her. Then unload with AOE and whatnot. It's fun watching enemies try to get to Aveline and just get slower and s l o w e r and then dead. Also the sheild bash->chain lightening combo is great.
Anders is a great healer/buffer. (For more damage take Merril as a blood mage she's a beast)
Petrify is great for bosses and assassins. Petrify (brittle)->Varrics Archers Lance cross-class-combo was devastating on big single targets.
There are so many strategic possibilities with force mage. I can't list them all.
#14
Posté 19 mars 2011 - 07:58
templar706
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Might try and work on creating a good build for nightmare using all your tips 
. Will share if I come up with one
. Will share if I come up with one
