Group Hunting Mages/Necros/Druids
Group Hunting Mages/Necros/Druids
Group Mage Tactics by Van Strudel
Group fighting as a mage is vastly different than solo fighting as a mage or group fighting as a warrior. I'll try and cover what a mage's role is in group combat as best as I can, however it is important to remember that we all have differing play styles. This is what I find helps keep me and my group alive.
When fighting in a group, the first thing is to realize who is in your crew and to recognize their strengths and weaknesses. It is best to get a balanced group of warriors, archers and mages, however any combination works if the crew is experienced. Some things to try and remember is who is proficient in the healing skill (people like Cambridge and Ciara do not need to be healed as often due to the fact that they both have 100 healing), who is a Virtue Guard (taunting a black wisp off of you is really a nice thing for them to do) and who is a caster (this goes for other mages as well as tank mages who cast spells in battle.) When you recognize how they play, you adjust your style accordingly.
In my opinion, the mages first job is to keep all of the hunting party alive. Heal first, heal some more, and then when everyone is healed, worry about casting offensive spells. I have seen many a mage cast energy bolt after energy bolt only to lose a warrior because they were out of mana to heal. This is a cardinal sin in my book. Like I said though, some people have differing styles from mine. It's really whatever works.
When going group hunting, buff those who want it when you reach the site (i.e. outside of the dungeon.) Some tips on group buffing. Don't give the cunning buff to someone who desn't cast spells. They don't need it. Also, draw everyone in close and target their health bar and not the image on screen. And use the mass protection spell instead of the individual protection spell. If there are more than two mages in a crew, let the one with the higher invocation buff the group. The buffs will be better and last longer. And let the "specialty" mages such as druids and necromancers cast any special spells that will enhance the preformance of the group. Most warriors love the nature's blessing spell us druids cast.
Something else to consider is what it is you are hunting so you can stock up accordingly. For instance if you're hunting Ophidians or Terrathans, make sure to stock up on cure and mass cure scrolls/reagents as the avengers and queens and matriarchs have rather nasty poison. Keeping a front line warrior alive so the mobs do not come after you is your best plan. Another thing helpful is to mana drain or vampire a casting mob. Make sure you have their magic reflection down first, otherwise you will be hard pressed to drain it.
Use the mana vampire spell often. There is nothing worse than a mage who is out of mana (unless you can wield a mace like the warriors that is.) Vampire anything and everything around you if need be. Remember that archers and other casters have the most mana to vampire. Never let yourself run out of mana.
Try not to be overly offensive in your casting. For one you will likely run out of mana, leaving you and your crew defenseless. Another thing is if you Corp Por something long enough, it will target you and attack you. Let the warriors worry about killing the enemy. You are the defense to their offense. Use your offensive skills for things like running mobs, surprise attacks (and even these are often left to the warriors) and administering the coup de grace.
Summoning with groups is always a touchy subject. There is a lot of gray area that comes with this as there are a lot of variables to consider. My general rule is don't summon anything unless absolutely necessary. Summoned creatures (daemons, elementals, et cetera) create confusion and lag. Also, if there is a Virtue Guard in the group and they taunt, the summoned will automatically target the Virtue Guard, which will flag you gray. Also the simple issue of available screen space comes into play. Satanciae the daemon might be wiping out the lizardmen with a vengence, however no one can see a thing when he spreads his wings to fly. Also casting summoneds tend to cast area attack spells such as mass curse and chain lightning. This is bad because it harms your crew as well as the mobs and it will flag you gray. It can also spring traps by hidden enemies such as the Shabooli. If you must summon an elemental, try using an earth elemental or a treant if you are a druid as they don't cast magic.
Soemthing else that has helped me personally is to go out hunting in a group with some of the more experienced mages and observe what they do and when they do it. Ask questions. I learned more hunting with mages like Roderick, Felix Majen, and Elandra Sylvanis then anything I was simply told.
In summation, a mage's job in my opinion is to keep the crew alive. Don't try to cast too much offensive magic, however realize that there is a time and place for it. Keep your party buffed. Don't run out of mana. And use your common sense when entering a battle.
