Translations:Miyu's Magical Adventures Mage Guide/21/en

Pros and Cons

>Things that you should know what we're good and bad at.

Pros

• Exceptional AoE (Area of Effect) Damage: Arch Mages are renowned for their powerful AoE spells, such as Crystal Impact and Astral Strike, which allow them to deal massive damage to multiple enemies at once.
• Long Range Spells: Arch Mages can engage enemies from a long distance with spells like Comet, All Bloom, and Violent Quake, making them highly effective in ranged combat.
• Elemental Versatility: With access to various elements (Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Ghost, Undead, Shadow), Arch Mages can exploit enemy weaknesses and adapt to a wide range of situations.
• High DPS (Damage per Second): Arch Mages are among the strongest DPS classes, capable of delivering huge damage both in PvM (Player vs. Monster) and PvP (Player vs. Player).
• Crowd Control and Debuffs: They possess a variety of crowd control abilities (e.g., Frost Misty, Quagmire) and strong debuffs like Comet’s magic intoxification, which can weaken enemies and disrupt their strategies.
• Preferred in Party Runs: Arch Mages are often the go-to class for mobbing, sweeping, and cleaning during party runs due to their AoE capabilities and control over the battlefield.
• Flashy and Destructive Spells: The Arch Mage’s spells, especially Soul Vulcan Strike + Telekinesis Intense, are visually striking and incredibly destructive, making them one of the most exciting classes to play.
• Magic Immunity Bypass (Late-Game): In later stages, Arch Mages can use specific abilities to bypass magic immunities (Deadly Projection), making them a formidable force against enemies that are typically resistant to magic.
• Magic Can't Miss: Mages' magic spells typically cannot miss, making them effective against enemies with high flee or defensive skills like Guard or Parry.

Cons

• Low HP Pool: Arch Mages have one of the lowest health pools among all classes, making them vulnerable to physical attacks and requiring careful positioning.
• Dependence on MDEF Penetration: Their damage is heavily reliant on MDEF (Magic Defense) penetration, so they can struggle against enemies with high MDEF unless they have the right gear or skills to bypass it.
• Limited Skill Points: Arch Mages are often forced to specialize in only a few key skills due to limited skill points, making it difficult to diversify their abilities across different builds.
• Vulnerable to Reflect Damage: Reflect damage is one of the Arch Mage’s biggest threats, especially from enemies using Golden Thief Bug Card or Reflect Magic or Max Pain. This can be deadly in both PvP and PvM scenarios.
• High Gear Dependency: Mages require a significant investment in gear to optimize their performance, including equipment that gives Variable Cast Time and Fixed Cast Time, After Cast Delay, and MDEF penetration.
• Elemental Restrictions: Some of their most powerful skills are tied to specific elements (e.g., Soul Vulcan Strike, Mystery Illusion), which means they may be less effective against enemies with resistances or immunities to those elements.
• No Movement Buffs: Unlike other classes, Arch Mages lack skills that increase movement speed, which can make them slower and less mobile compared to other classes.
• SP Drain Vulnerability: Arch Mages are highly reliant on SP for casting spells, making them vulnerable to SP Drain effects and debuffs that limit their ability to use skills.
• Expensive to Gear Up: Arch Mages require different sets of equipment for different builds, which makes them an expensive class to fully optimize and maintain.