Lunicant Posted December 21, 2005 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 Battlemage essay The battlemage ("bmg" from now on) is a powerful and versatile class, able to combat the great majority of opponents with relative ease. The price for this power is a class that requires meticulous attention to spell upkeep. A bmg ready for combat typically has 15+ spells up, some which require mana upkeep each tick. With that many spells it is easy to miss one or two, which could be fatal if you are unlucky. I will first discuss what races are suitable for this class, then go through the most important spells/skills (what they do/how to use them effectively) and speak briefly on equipment. I will then include a small strategy guide on how to combat different classes. Races: -------------------- The races best suited for the bmg class are elf, drow and gnome, depending on what alignment you want to play. The main reason for this is the massive amount of mana that these three races receive, something that is absolutely vital to a bmg. All three races also have other advantages. I want to make a special note on gnomes here as a gnome mage at lvl 50 can easily have 850 hp and more with no gear. Faeries, avians and humans also make capabable bmgs and should be considered if you feel they suit your playing style and/or rp. Spells/skills: -------------------- Blades - Things are tough for the bmg until you get this spell. It gives two attacks each round, doing decent damage against all opponents fighting you. Additionally the blades will deflect attacks away from you, giving you an extra defense. You will master this through ranking long before you hit 50. Dancing Blade - Gives you a fourth attack and can do some other nifty things, like trip or disarm your opponent. There are several good choices for this spell. Attributes to consider when choosing a weapon are weapon type, damage type, weight and level of the item. This spell has an upkeep, and as such will drain mana each tick. By the time you get this spell it will go up very quickly through ranking. Air Shield - Boosts your AC by an amount equal to your level and adds resistance to physical damage. A great spell that should always be up when you expect trouble. There is no real need to master this spell, let it go up slowly through using it. Blur - This is an additional defense, as people will sometimes swing right through your blurred image. There is no real need to master this spell, let it go up slowly through using it. Plumbum Manus - Lags your opponent a bit and can make it harder for him to flee. This spell has an upkeep, and as such will drain mana each tick. There is no real need to master this spell, let it go up slowly through using it. Terra Shield - As long as this spell is up you have another defense, working along the same lines as the skill "Shield Block". Be aware that you cannot cast this spell while on water and if you already have it up it will be ended automatically as soon as you get your feet wet. At a certain proficiency/level you will be able to create a "true terra shield", one that moves around with you. Master this by spamming in a safe place. Mirror Image - Creates an image of yourself that moves around with you. Can be cast multiple times. The images are great for soaking up an initial attack, especially such things as blackjack and assassinate. A skilled player will be able to aim around the images. There is no real need to master this spell, let it go up slowly through using it. Reflective Shield - One of the three shields of the bmg. You can only have one up at a time. This spells cuts down the lag on bash/bodyslam-type attacks and reflects absorbed physical damage back at your opponent. Skilled players will be using magical weapons against a bmg, thereby reducing the effects of this spell, but this spell can still be effective against some characters, such as monks, who will have to choose between having Chii at level 2 up to do magical damage OR go for Chii level 3 to knock down your protections. Forcefield - One of the three shields of the bmg. You can only have one up at a time. This spell negates all lag from bash/bodyslam type attacks, much like the more commonly named "protective shield" does. There is no real need to master this spell, let it go up slowly through using it. Manalock - One of the three shields of the bmg. You can only have one up at a time. It automatically counters dispel attempts directed at you and adds svs spell. There is no real need to master this spell, let it go up slowly through using it. Slow - A fantastic spell. Cast it on yourself while practising spells, for example, and watch your mana jump to full in two or three ticks. This will save you a lot of time and effort. In battle it can be a devastating spell against melee-based opponents, since it cuts down on the number of attacks and dexterity of the opponent. Additionally, a slowed opponent will run out of moves pretty quickly, making it harder for him to run from you. Some bmg players argue that you should always have slow up, but I disagree, mostly because of the drain on your moves. Master this spell by casting it on a sleeping mob. Haste - Great for using on melee-based groupmates while ranking and hunting for equipment. This spell has the potential to double your number of attacks, but at the price of vastly reduced mana and hp regeneration. It can even be used offensively vs a mage. I see no need to master this spell as long as you're mostly using it on groupmates. Tunderclap - Does a smallish amount of damage but more importantly has a chance to land a misdirecting affect on your opponent, making it harder for him to move around as room exit directions are switched around. Master it in combat. Sharpmetal - The staple damage spell of the bmg. Does respectable damage against all opponents fighting you. Be aware that mana cost is multiplied by the number of opponents you are affecting and that the damage is physical. Master this spell through combat. Localize Gravity - Will make an opponent drop what he has in the hand you direct the spell at. Weapons, shields and even held items are subject to this spell. It also has a lag of only one round, so if your opponent tries for something that lags him for two rounds and fails, you could potentially disarm and sacrifice his weapon before he recovers. Master it by spamming in a safe place. Sear - Deals a goodly amount of damage under ideal conditions but can only be cast outdoors and it's effect is heavily dependent on the position of the sun. It also has a chance to blind. For fun, try casting it at high noon on someone who doesn't like light. If you want to use this spell I would recommend you master it in combat. Colour Spray - Highly variable damage and has a chance to blind. Mostly used at lower ranks due to the lack of anything else effective. If needed, master it in combat. Flashfire - Area attack that will blind your opponents. This spell can be handy in combination with localize gravity but be aware of casting it in areas with strong mobs. Master it by spamming in a safe place. Field Dressing - Has the potential to heal a large amount of hp at the cost of a penalty to your dex. If you fail, your max hp as well as your dex will be lowered. I've never mastered this, but chose to let it go up through normal use. Sequencer - Lets you store up to five defensive spells of level 40 or below so that you can cast them all at once. This can be a time-saver but personally I never found this skill to be very useful. I don't see the need to master this skill. Rust - Adds a cumulative penalty to the AC, hitroll and damroll of the opponent up to a preset maximum. Due to the way this spell works saves are not very effective against it. I found it to be a decent spell in long fights vs melee-based opponents. Master it on a sleeping mob. Shrink/Enlarge - These spells change the target's size and, along with that, str, con, damroll and hitroll. Enlarge can be useful, as certain skills, such as blackjack, depends on size. I never found much use for shrink and as such I never mastered any of them. Other important spells, such as dispel magic and faerie fire, are common to many other classes, and the great majority knows how these spells work. Thus I will not discuss them here. Equipment: -------------------- With a bmg I look for the following things in the following order when I select my equipment: hp, saves (saves before hp with a gnome), AC, luck, mana and hitroll. Most opponents will use magical weapons against you, so magical AC is most important. Try to find a good staff for a weapon, preferably a no-remove one. I have already mentioned what to look for in a good dancing blade. Just remember that you're restricted to bladed weapons (axes, polearms and swords). Make sure you have a goodly supply of sanctuary potions, cure blind potions and fly scrolls ready. Other curatives are also recommended. Tactics: -------------------- Against melee classes I would try for a dispel magic first, then slow and tunderclap. If you can land the last two you're pretty much assured to win. Sprinkle with some rust if you can't land slow or if your opponent for some reasons isn't running away once you've slowed him. Make sure you have forcefield up. Once they try to bash/bodyslam you, hit them with a localize gravity. I go for secondary hand first, since most have a no-remove primary. As for mages it depends on what kind of mage you fight. Against an invoker I would have manalock up, try a dispel or two and then start tossing sharpmetals his way while my blades and non-magical dancing blade have their way with him. I would do much the same with a necromancer, except make sure to have forcefield up. Make sure you're using a magical dancing blade against another bmg. Some communers fight like mages, others like warriors so you will have to adapt your strategy accordingly. Don't bother slowing a shaman but you can bet that firegiant cleric won't be too happy if you do it to him. Thunderclap is always good, even when you're losing the fight, as it will make it very hard to chase you down. Make sure you're enlarged and have several mirrors up if you suspect there are hostile thieves or ninjas present. ALWAYS fly if you expect trouble of any kind. A bmg cannot be ready for battle 24/7 like some classes can so you need to know where you can run and sleep often. It is often a good idea to wait until right before a battle before casting any of the spells that require upkeep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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