Mage build.. help plz

The LA build gives slightly less damage than the Robe/Arcane build. The difference isn't really noticible pre-4x, though the gap widens somewhere around 7x. A lot of mages restat between LA and Robe at various points, settling back to Robe at 9x. This is due to various factors: LA has better survivability in earlier levels, and better availablity of nice armors through 7x. Arcane helps you grind faster, supposedly, because the slight boost in magic lets you save 1-2 shots on mobs. (Usually about 1 shot.) By 9x the damage difference in switching to Arcane is quite noticible, and you can get better Arcane armor at that point as well.

LA is supposedly a safer build on PvP. It gives you more physical defense than Arcane Robes, which is important for a mage's bitty little HP bar. The higher pdef also couples with things like Earth Shield to give you exponentially more protection (it's based on your pdef stats). The points in Dex (3 Mag 1 Str 1 Dex each level) also help to raise your Critical rate. (Over time, it comes to about a 3% extra crit rate on LA vs Robe.) If you use crafted 2* or 3* LA, the Physical defense is roughly equivalent to NPC Heavy Armor of the same level, and the Magical defense is roughly equivalent to NPC Robe armor of the same level. (When stacked across the full set, the gap widens, of course.)

The debate of LA vs Arcane/Robes is a longstanding one that will go on forever. It's up to personal choice, and there are lots of threads about it. Do a quick search. Personally, I'm going LA from game start to somewhere around 9x, as a PvP mage on Harshlands.

Don't start LA. It's better to start Robe because PvE is much easier untill you start getting in to decent PK'ing lvls like 60+ then start to think about doing robe or restating to LA. Also the game is basically PvE till lvl 30 anyway. If you do chose to start with the light armor build make sure to keep a set of robes when you need to fight magic mobs, with light armor you'll take more damage and because you have less magic stat you take 1 to 2 more shots to kill mobs than a robe which could take a while because wizard skills have long casting times and if you aren't kiting well you could be taking more damage than you'd like to. But the benefits of light armor are alright later on, more survivability in PvP and you get a higher crit bonus by like 4 or 5%. I know going Sage is a better choice for a wizard overall but if I ever get to 89 I'm going demon just for the extra crit, faster casting, and more status inducing skills. And this is a way longer post than I intended lol.

well that gave me alot too think about :P but now i have made my mage and going too try both LA and robes see what i prefer best :P thx for all your help guys!

Oh please. Not with this pure bs again. LA (and vit >_>) IS NOT ABOUT TANKING, IT IS ABOUT SURVIVING LONG ENOUGH TO DEAL DAMAGE. AND ANY MAGE BUILD DEAL LOTS OF DAMAGE.

Moobysnax - Lost City wrote: »

... If you do chose to start with the light armor build make sure to keep a set of robes when you need to fight magic mobs, with light armor you'll take more damage and because you have less magic stat you take 1 to 2 more shots to kill mobs than a robe which could take a while because wizard skills have long casting times and if you aren't kiting well you could be taking more damage than you'd like to.

I've been LA since level 5. The magic mobs were annoying early on but not overly so. I've never died to one of the regular ones, never even came close. Pop a Life Powder if you're worried about taking a bit more magic damage, or damage-over-time effects like Poison. Very helpful if you're fighting something with Poison abilities >.>

I dont mind the 1-2 extra hit thing I'm supposed to be dealing with. For the most part, early on the mobs would often die before getting within striking range anyway. Others got one little tap in before dying. Now, some of the mobs with higher attack power are danged annoying, but that's what my husband's BM is for - I let him have the aggro unless I have a Life Powder ticking. And with the life powder ticking I can go in and do whatever I want, basically, as long as I keep an eye on my mana bar and don't kill so many mobs so quickly that I tank it.

missqq wrote: »

Oh please. Not with this LA bs again. MAGES ARE NOT TANKS, they're DDs. And the only build that does this job is pure int. You guys can argue that LA can crit, but the 4-5% is not reliable or practical, considering 90+ any mage can get 7% base without dex.

LA mages aren't tanks. Who said they were? They're just less squishy DD's. And the DD gap isn't too big until later levels anyway - the Robe Mages down't totally own that. I can outdamage other classes my level even as LA. (And my armor saves me when I haven't timed it right and I happen to pull a little too much aggro XD) And no, the crit difference isn't huge if you build your Robe correctly. But it is there. The whole point of LA is just a little less squish, not Tanking or Criting. The crits are just a nice side bonus.

Rinnve - Lost City wrote: »

Oh please. Not with this pure bs again. LA (and vit >_>) IS NOT ABOUT TANKING, IT IS ABOUT SURVIVING LONG ENOUGH TO DEAL DAMAGE. AND ANY MAGE BUILD DEAL LOTS OF DAMAGE.

Yup. That'd be it.

Summary: Both builds are valid. Both are good. They're a matter of personal choice. The world isn't going to end if you go one way or another, and people value both builds.

missqq wrote: »

Sorry new servers only for people who failed on the others. Besides, lv30 reachable in a day.

O.o 30 in a day? do you play 12 hours a day O.o?

And new servers for people who failed? no its for people who are bored with 1 guild controlling the map, and feel like starting fresh with (sometimes) a new name.

Ursa - Dreamweaver wrote: »

yup, so is living in a basement with no life other than playing MMORPGs.
I don't know u and I don't like judging ppl by their posts on forums, but man, I'm beginning to think you're either incredibly stupid, you're less then 10yrs old or u're just trying to **** off ppl because you have no life and you're bored.

For once, I totally agree with you.

Crayoz - Lost City wrote: »

Please! only asks for help for a build and u guys start a war here? -.-

Of course.