Post by SongRune on 2023-04-30 01:20:04
What are your favorite Mage archetypes in other games? Please provide examples when applicable.
I generally do not like Mage archetypes in other MMOs because they are generally 'turrets', and Ashes of Creation is the only game I've really 'liked' that implied any actual caring about elements and their effects, enough to pay attention to them. This is particularly true for Tab Targeted games, though this isn't a problem, I don't mind this type of gameplay at all, I just don't personally think about it much.
From Predecessor, the 'Mages' are quite fun:
Gadget: AoE master, Denial and 'Sticky Bomb' style effects that coordinates attacks with the expected or forced positions of the opponent, but lacking CC and escapes.
Gideon: The Standard. Blink, drop Meteors, throw Comets, big AoE (Black Hole type).
Howitzer: If this character used flames and explosions instead of rockets and grenades they'd fit right into a standard MMO.
The Fey: DoT and Area Control, pushing and pulling targets and stacking damage that way.
To expand on this, as the The Fey player, here are some ability combinations I appreciate:
One of my preferred ways to build magical power is Dreambinder , which has a Chilling Strikes attribute: "Damaging abilities Slow affected Units by 25% for 1s."
The Fey has the Untamed Growth ability, which places a circular DoT template on the ground for 2.5s. This is my primary damage ability under most normal circumstances. Adding Dreambinder makes this damage ability double as an escape ability, and give me another way to prevent enemies from escaping my party in a teamfight. Because it is an templated AoE DoT, it becomes area denial. The DoT itself isn't nothing, exactly, but with Dreambinder , anyone who wants to chase me (or escape) through that space at has to proc Chilling Strikes ) and get Slowed.
I have another Bramble Patch ability which places a linear template for 5s with a Slow effect, but in a teamfight, one of my goals is to do damage, but my main personal desire is to keep the enemy from escaping (or engaging) my teammates. Turning my "sure you take some damage moving through here" (or, also, my 'sniper shot') into "you can't escape the Tank/DD pursuing you" gives me a lot more power to control the flow of a fight, in terms of engages, escapes, and pursuit.
One of the primary recommended build components for The Fey in her natural role is Megacosm , which has two special attributes: Disintegrate : "Dealing damage to an Enemy Target with an ability deals 4% of their maximum health as magical damage over 3s" and Atomize : "Damaging an enemy hero affected by Disintegrate with an ability deals an additional 5% of their maximum health as magical damage - 8s CD."
It's a good choice for damage. That Untamed Growth template AoE DoT ticks something like every quarter second. If you build Megacosm , anyone who ends up in it is almost assured to take 9% HP. Only once per cast given the cooldowns and durations, but that's definitely not nothing.
If you can get people to stick around in your Untamed Growth radius, perhaps by use of your Fly Trap Ultimate ability (AoE templated draw in and stun), or simply because their character/class needs to be standing in a specific area to be maximally effective, however, try out Void Crystal 's Fiend effect: "Dealing magical damage to an Enemy Hero increases your magical damage dealt by 3% for 5s, stacking up to 4 times" . Your enemy has the choice(?) of not standing where their character wants to, or eating bonus damage.
Depending on the enemy team composition, later in the game, you can find me specing into Wraith Leggings for their Spectre effect: "Dealing damage to an Enemy Hero with an ability grants 100 movement speed for 1.5s." To me, this is another step toward the pinnacle of "you shall not escape my team". I can keep up with someone who's getting away, to either secure a kill, or drop more Slow effects on them once they've cooled down. It serves the double purpose, however, as with Dreambinder of helping me escape in the equivalent situation.
Another go-to for me, (at least as 'interesting interactions' go), in the earlier phase of the match is Spellbreaker , with its Veil "Grants a Spell Shield that blocks the next Enemy ability - 60s CD." and Malefic : "Gain 20% increased magical power while Veil is active." This doesn't interact with any of my abilities directly, but for a mage like The Fey, this is great. Since I get my primary 'nukes'/output at range, I'm never standing in a position where you can hit me and my adds at the same time, so my opponents have to choose to waste one of their abilities to break my shield, or simply let me nuke down their own adds that much faster. It's a lose-lose situation for them, where the worst case for me is that I get knocked back down to... oh no... full power? This also has the arguably more useful effect that people can't leave me alone to go harass my teammates in the midgame. That extra 20% bumps me up to the point where I have the ability to clear waves almost effortlessly, without wasting extra mana or time. Leave me alone too long, and you're going to lose objectives.
Anyway, there's a bunch more, with more subtle interactions (or interactions between multiple build choices), but some of those, particularly the defensive ones, are less interesting outside the context of the game itself. Hope it helps!
"The Fly Trap is ready."