Ashes of Creation: Mage build guide

Ashes of Creation features many varied archetypes and builds to pick from, including the Mage. Magic has been a staple of most MMORPGs out there, and Intrepid Studios' latest game is no different. This guide will explain all that budding mages need to know about kicking off their spellcasting journey.

Read on to know about how to build a Mage character in Ashes of Creation. Here are the details.

Also Read: Ashes of Creation: Rogue build guide

Ashes of Creation Mage Talent tree progression

Before we dive in, it is important to note that Elemental Empowerment stays active as a passive skill, which grants one of three status effects (Burning, Frozen, and Volatile) on weapon combo finishers. Since toggling between this stat refills mana, it can be handy in both PvP and PvE scenarios, and the same applies for most spells listed in either category below.

Best skills for Mage in PvE content

• Lightning Strike: Held ability: Charge up a bolt of lightning to unleash upon your target, dealing (100%)Lightning damage based on how long it was charged. Applies 5 stacks of Shocked to target. Amplified Lightning Strike
• Amplified Lightning Strike: Lightning Strike applies up to 10 additional stacks of Shocked based on its charge level when cast. Additionally, if cast at full charge, lightning strike will also hit other nearby targets at base power.
• Frostbolt: Launch a bolt of ice towards the target, dealing (250%) ice damage and applying Chilled (40% slower movement)
• Shattering Shards: If Frostbolt hits a Shocked target, Frost Shards will splinter off, hitting the original target and up to 3 additional nearby enemies for (150%) ice damage
• Firebolt: Hurl a bolt of fire toward your target, dealing (125%🢆) fire damage and applying Burning for (75%🢆) fire damage. 3 charge
• Bombardment: Fireball and Firebolt now also apply Staggered. Firebolt gains bonus 25% direct damage. Fireball gains bonus 100% Burning damage.
• Thermal Equilibrium: Whenever you apply Frozen to a target, refresh the duration of your applied Conflagrating statuses on that target.
• Slumber: Applies Incapacitated to all enemies in a 5m radius around your target.
• Arcane Circle: Place a powerful rune of magic upon the ground beneath you that grants you Arcane Might while standing within. Lasts 10 seconds.

Best skills for Mage in PvP content

• Arcane Eye: Conjure a magical eye above you that reveals any camouflaged enemies within a 20 meter radius to you and your party. Lasts 10 seconds. A must-have for dealing with rogues and other sneaky characters.
• Enchant Weapon: Enchant up to one ally's weapon to match your current set of elemental empowerments. The enchantment will favor the greater of their magical or physical power stat.
• Combust: Instantly combust your target, dealing (125%) Fire damage and applying Conflagrating if they are Burning.
• Fuse: Your applied Burning statuses are 50% more powerful when applied to targets with Shocked.
• Cone of Cold: Blast a vortex of freezing wind in a cone in front of you, dealing (125%) Ice damage and applying Frozen to targets with Chilled.
• Ball Lightning: Create a large ball of charged electricity that travels slowly forward, rapidly dealing (50%) Lightning damage and applying Volatile to enemies it overlaps with.
• Shatter: When you deal lightning damage to a recently Frozen target, they are dealt a bonus (225%) Ice damage. Shattered can only be triggered once every 4 seconds per caster against the same target.
• Prismatic Beam: Channel a powerful beam in front of you that periodically deals (50%) Magical damage and has additional effects based on your Elemental Empowerment: Fire: Apply Burning for (25%) Fire damage per hit. Ice: Apply Chilled for 1 second per hit. Lightning: 33% chance per hit to trigger an arcing bolt that bounces up to 2 times, dealing (35%) Lightning damage and applying Volatile for 1.5 seconds to targets hit. Arcane (no empowerment): Each hit drains 1 Mana per target, returning up to 1 Mana to the caster.
• Unyielding Blink: Blink breaks all disabling effects on the caster.
• Shell: Apply Shell. A protective magical shell surrounds you. Absorbs 500% Temporary Health worth of damage before breaking. Lasts 8 seconds.

Gearing and best stat priority for Mage build in Ashes of Creation

Use powerful spells in battle in PvE and PvP scenarios (Image via Intrepid Studios)

Stat priority for Mage builds

Investing in the right stats is key to creating a powerful Mage build. Take a look at the stats to prioritise for this class:

• Intellect: This grants 3 Magic power, 1 Magic Penetration Rating, and 1 Magical Accuracy Rating per point invested. This is the primary stat to focus on for Mages.
• Wisdom: The next most important stat. This grants 2 Magic Power, 2 Magic Casting Speed, and 1 Magic Evasion per stat.
• Mentality: Mana is important for casting spells, and this stat grants 16 Max Mana per stat in addition to 2 Magic Resist and 1 Magic Crit Avoidance

Other stats in Ahes of Creation include Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity, which aren't needed anywhere as much for this archetype. However, we do not want our character to go down too easily, so Constitution should be the fourth most important stat to invest in, as it grants 10 Max Health, 2 Armor, and 1 Physical Crit Avoidance.

Best Gear for Mage

For weapons, players can choose either a main-hand and off-hand setup with a wand and a Focus, for example, or two-handed gear, such as Spellbooks or Spellbows. Armor, meanwhile, should be Light or Medium at best since Mages will want to move around freely without restrictions. Good armor will also help with further survivability since this class is one of the squishier ones in Ashes of Creation.

Ashes of Creation: Mage ability rotation and gameplay tips

Rotations refer to the order in which abilities and spells are used in Ashes of Creation. This is important as these skills have cooldowns, and stacking them can open new windows for additional damage opportunities.

Single-target Rotation tips

1. Use Arcane Circle to set up buffs
2. Start with Ball Lightning
3. Use Cone of Cold or Frostbolt
4. Set up a Shatter by following up with a fully charged Lightning Strike
5. Use Fireblolt twice, then Fuse to enhance status effects
6. Use Combust for the additional Conflagrating debuff
7. Use another Firebolt to keep up the Burn
8. Use Prismatic Beam, timing it with Arcane Circle
9. Set up auto attack until Cone of Cold or Frostbolt refreshes cooldown
10. Repeat the process from 4-9

Multi-target AOE Rotation tips

1. Use Arcane Circle to set up buffs
2. Start with Ball Lightning
3. Use Cone of Cold or Frostbolt
4. Use Fireblolt to apply Stagger
5. Set up a Shatter by using a held Lightning Strike
6. Use Firebolt thrice, then Combust and Chain Lightning
7. Use Prismatic Beam, timing it with Arcane Circle
8. Set up auto attack until Cone of Cold or Frostbolt refreshes cooldown
9. Repeat the process from 4-9

In both scenarios, Shell and Blink will be key spells to keep up survivability, especially in PvP to defend against incoming attacks and evade them respectviely.

Check out more articles:

• Ashes of Creation: How to link your Steam account
• What's the best solo class in Ashes of Creation?
• Ashes of Creation: Bard build guide
• All Races in Ashes of Creation: Which one should you pick?
• Ashes of Creation: How to farm Gold

Edited by Siddharth Patil