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Dragon’s Dogma 2accommodates any style of combat, from aggressive choices like the Fighter, Warrior or Thief, to more supportive options like the talented Mage vocation. Mages are masters of range, and adept at a combination of both offensive and defensive skills.
While Mages may not reach the offensive potential that their Sorcerer cousin does, Mages represent a much more versatile vocation. If you’re struggling to choose from the more specialized options, then Mage offers a perfect opportunity to dabble in various forms of Magick and different styles of play.
What Are The Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Mage Vocation?
Strengths
A Mage’s greatest strength is theversatilityof their skillset, with options aplenty.
Their ability touseanyelementaldamage type themselves (fire, lightning, ice, and holy) is an exceptional offensive feat.
Mages can also use Fire, Ice, or Lightning Affinityto imbue their allies' weapons with the corresponding damage type.
The affinity spells grant the given damage type to the targeted ally’s weapon for a short period.
Mages are equally gifteddefensively, with access toamazing spells like High Palladium and Argent Succor,which can provide defense against attacks and heal, respectively.
Theability to perform their spells at rangeis exceptional for Mages to inflict damage and help their friends while staying out of harm’s way.
Weaknesses
Unfortunately,Mages are perhaps the most frail vocationin Dragon’s Dogma 2, as they will struggle to endure many hits with their low HP.
Thecharge time for their spells can become very limitingif you need to unleash a strong attack to finish an enemy, but they interrupt your cast by hitting you.
While a Weapon Skill like High Spellhold (which allows you to store a spell to cast instantly) was designed to help mitigate the above problem,Mages have too many good abilitiesto warrant that Skill’s usage in one of the limited slots.
Mages excel in the late game, but theirweak early-game capabilitiesleave them feeling sluggish to use when you first begin your adventure.
Mage Weapon Skills
TheMage’s Weapon Skills in Dragon’s Dogma 2 are some of the most usefulin the game, both as a collective group and with some standout options.
Hold down the action button to charge a basic spell, then release it to attack or heal.
Press the assigned button to begin incanting your Weapon Skill, then again to cast your spell.
Flagration
High Flagration
Unleashes a powerfuljet flame that ignores defensesand can pass through targets. You can move while casting.
Frigor
High Frigor
Unleashes awave of cold and creates a giant ice pillar, damaging any targets it touches.
Spellhold
High Spellhold
Stores a spell to be incanted at your discretion. Slows stamina while storing and consumes stamina while casting.
Empyrean
High Empyrean
Conjures an orb of holy power that deals damage in all directions. The light remains for a while.
Solemnity
High Solemnity
Silences the target for a period of time, preventing speaking and incanting.
Palladium
High Palladium
Conjures magickal energy that blocks up to three attacks. Grants clusters to nearby allies when upgraded.
Fire Boon
Fire Affinity
Enchants the caster’s weapon or that of an ally withfirefor a period of time.
Ice Boon
Ice Affinity
Enchants the caster’s weapon or that of an ally withicefor a period of time.
Lightning Boon
Lightning Affinity
Enchants the caster’s weapon or that of an ally withlightningfor a period of time.
Halidom
High Halidom
Curesdebilitations – caught fire, frostbite, unconscious, sleep, silence, drenched, tarred, torched, ice-bound, and blighted.
Celerity
High Celerity
Conjures a magickal sigil thathastens the speed of alliesfor a period of time.
Argent Tonic
Argent Succor
Fully and instantaneouslyrecovers the health of the caster and a single ally. Continually recovers health when upgraded.
Mages can do it all,allowing their allies to charge into battle while they augment their weapons, heal them, and protect them from attacks.
you may mix and match different Weapon Skills, as there are very few bad options. Your choices depend partially on the other vocations of your pawns.
If you’re more of aBattleMage, you may want to consider usingSorcerer, as Mages excel at providing defensive capabilities to the team.
Mage Core Skills
A Mage’s Core Skills are the basic functionsthat you’ll use to engage or reposition yourself in battle.
Fires a magickal burst that differs based on active enchantment
Anodyne
Conjures a magickal curative sigil thatrecovers the health of the caster and their allieswhen in contact with it.
Fires acondensedmagickal burst that differs based on active enchantment
Levitate
Manipulate your weight tofloattemporarily.
These Core Skills provide every improvement to a Mage’s basic kit that you could imagine.
From casting speed upgrades to an area-of-effect (AoE) heal, the Core Skills Mages have to work with areextremely synergistic with the vocation.
Mage Augments
An augment, or passive skill, will be in effect at all times, allowing you to enjoy its benefits without worry.
Increasesthe healthrecoveredby curatives and curative magick
Exaltation
Augmentsstaminarecovery speed.
Mages are designed to remainunhinderedby the enemy andfocus on maintaining a healthy group.
You will often use stamina to cast spells and reposition yourself on the battlefield to stay safe.
Essentially, a mage functions as the heart of a team, so you must stay safe if you hope to keep the rest of your allies alive and equipped to win their battle.
Capitalize on a Mage’s ability toprotectandhealfirst to allow this vocation to sing.
