My Battlemage is rubbish, please help!

timmycueball · #1 (**permalink**) 11-13-2006, 10:47 AM

Hey.
I really love titan quest and prefer melee but my battlemage is struggling on late epic, i decided not to dual wield bcoz i like having a shield but im getting arse kicked.
Heres how ive created my character:
WARFARE MASTERY = 32
Weapon Training = 6
Battlerage = 12
Crushing BLow = 1
Dodge Attack = 8
Battle Standard = 10
Onslaught = 8
Ignore Pain 6
Hamstring = 5
Ardor = 5
Ware Horn = 1
Ancestral Horn = 6
EARTH MASTERY = 17
Earth Enchantment = 8
Stone Skin = 10

Should i have dual wielded?
Please any help is gratefully received.

timmycueball · #2 (**permalink**) 11-14-2006, 01:04 PM

Please Someone Help Me!

Planet_Guardian · #3 (**permalink**) 11-17-2006, 01:54 AM

I'm not sure that I can help you as I only have a Battlemage on level 28 in late normal mode. The only thing that keeps me down is the graphix lag. Lag = death.

BUT, I think I do see a potential problem in your build.
***Get dual wield...Period, no questions.***
1)You didn't invest any points into Brimstone...(at least you didn't mention it).
2)You put many points into Battlerage, which is kind of a no-no...unless you like great odds of a skill kicking in. Plus Battlerage's implement skills only kick-in on a percentage as well. Earth-Enchantment and Brimstone add permanant physical/fire damage (as long as Earth Enchantment ER-G skill is active). Your physical damage isn't a 100% guarantee with the Battlerage Tree, so forget it! Brimstones' +XX Burn per 3.0seconds mod is nice ...aka damage overtime.
3)Get Volatility...A.S.A.P!...it will increase your fire damage by 75% at just the first level...(ahem...33% of the time you get +75%fire damage added to your weapon attacks...which is really okay since dual wield can get in fast attacks with fast swords).
4)Should have put points into a perma-pet...aka, the Core-Dweller...as Earth Enchantment's aura gets shared better with a pet that can actually deal fire damage and a pet that sticks around permanantly. Your Ancestrial Horn summons just won't cut it...plus they disapear in 24seconds...what a waste if you ask me. Go with a Core Dweller, you'll thank me later.

***Use a mystic...take out all those points in the battlerage tree, Ancestrial Horn, and you don't need that many points into Hamstring. And remember to invest into Brimstone and Volatility for permanant-everytime-damage.

Planet_Guardian

timmycueball · #4 (**permalink**) 11-18-2006, 09:15 AM

Thanks for ur help mate.
Ive done wot u said, and i totally agree about battlerage, such a waste on time!
Im not too convinced about dual wield bcoz i get hurt alot so im gona try with a shield for now and how i do!

Is Defence and Rogue a good character?

xidioos · #5 (**permalink**) 11-19-2006, 06:27 AM

shields doesnt protect you that much dude.. and it really depends on the item, if you get a legendery shield with like 50% to block 879789789 dmg then yay it worth it but most of the shield are like.. 2X% to block 100 dmg.. and most of the time you will get pawned XD the dmg that a shield adds wont be even a little bit of what a second weapon adds.. btw another weaponsd = another relic = much, much more power

if you want to protect your char ill suggest to find a protection skill+ avoid skills~

timmycueball · #6 (**permalink**) 11-19-2006, 11:58 AM

Yeah u guys were right, im doing alot better now, dual wield is good!
Thanks for the help guys!

Ùltima · #7 (**permalink**) 11-19-2006, 11:50 PM

maybe that's what I should do as well, go dual wield, if that kills everything so much faster...,.

But then again, my shield does protect me quite a bit, I'll post it's specs and then you tell me if it's worth it, ok Xidioos??

timmycueball · #8 (**permalink**) 11-20-2006, 06:21 AM

Well i think if u wanna use a shield u need to have defense mastery aswell, bcoz it makes it much more effective.
Im doing ok without one bcoz ive got about 25% damage absorbtion from items, plus my earth elemental has a provoke skill which makes all the monster swarm to him, while i cut them down from behind, he dies alot but rather him then me, hehe.

xidioos · #9 (**permalink**) 11-20-2006, 06:53 AM

ultima i'm waiting for the shield's specs~

timmycueball actualy made a fact XD if you rly want the shield to "work" for you then you need one of of your masteries to be defence, useing shield without defence skills is like using a bow without hunting mastery

Planet_Guardian · #10 (**permalink**) 11-20-2006, 11:06 PM

I'd still leave 1 point into Battlerage for the +50%Offense (AR) boost for when it does kick in. It's just I hate waiting to be hit enough for it to kick in. So leave one point in it.

I might have been a little too hasty on Hamstring. I came across the Minotaur Boss in Act 1 (epic mode), and he can chase you down quick. Maybe 2-3 pts into Hamstring.

I'm not sure about the Battle Standard Tree as I have never used it. Do they go after the totem...or do they (the enemies) leave it alone. In other words, is Battle Standard/Triumph efficient enough? (I prefer perma-summons that stick around...especially with the lag I experience).

I'm in Late Epic Eygpt (@Lv 43), dual wielding 2 Unique ether blades (These drop like crazy...got myself 5 drops of these particular blades), 781Armor, fair elemental resistances, -15%psn resist, 77%Stun Resist...

"Average Damage" 193dmg, [286dmg, Earth Enchant Aura]
"DPS" [Without Ardor kicking in] 303dmg, [449dmg, Earth Enchant Aura]
"Maxed dps with Onslaught" ~650dmg.

I got to say that dual wielding is very powerful with high Attack Speed. Mine gets up to 171%AS with Ardor.

I don't really die. I chug potions on occassions...but, I plan to change this once I get some of those relics with Health Regeneration.

Hope your Battlemage is working for you like mine is.

Planet_Guardian

Ùltima · #11 (**permalink**) 11-21-2006, 03:46 AM

well my masteries are warfare and defense, but since my defense tree is almost maxed, I guess it;s time to start looking at warfare some more.

My plan is to have weapon+shield one 1 tab and dual wield on the other tab so that I can switch when needed.

The things I have maxed on defense are:

Collossusform
shield smash
shield charge + disruption
batter
pulverize
and armor handling

I'll post my shield specs this afternoon

timmycueball · #12 (**permalink**) 11-21-2006, 06:38 AM

Seems a waste to put points into using a shield and into dual wield.
U shud just concentrate on doing extra damage using a shield and one weapon.
Im thinking of starting a new character, warfare + spirit.
Anyone tried it b4? The reason is ive found 3 pieces of the bone armour set and think it wud be great on this character.
Opinions please!

Ùltima · #13 (**permalink**) 11-21-2006, 09:13 AM

thing is that almost all skills in defense that are usefull are maxed, so....

My shield has the follwoing specs:

Essence Guard (epic item)
36% chance to block 186 damage
does 93 damage itself
44% bleed resistance
58% lifeleech resis
46% energy leech resis
52% skill disruption protection
+39% energy regeneration
43 defense ability
+11% energy absorbtion from attack
-12% reduction to all requirements

it's a nice shield isn't it??

xidioos · #14 (**permalink**) 11-21-2006, 09:37 AM

cool shield indeed :P
timmy, you shouldnt open a char only for a set XD youll probbly waste too much time lvling your char and when youll get to the lvl you can wear it youll already find some better clothes XDDD

Ùltima · #15 (**permalink**) 11-21-2006, 11:31 PM

I levelled 2 times yesterday and have yet to appoint the 6 skills, so I'm gonna have a close look at what to use, and maybe I'll put em in warfare, for dual wield.

Or maybe there's something I overlooked in defense, but I don't think so.

PS is there any limit to the max level yer character can get??