[ARCHMAGE] Forced into healing?

Rayko

One of Freddy's beloved
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Jan 1, 2004
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Heck, I'm waiting to get ingame but am already thinking about what to possibly play...
It seems that the Bright Wizard is without any doubt the most popular damage dealing Order caster. But I was wondering if the archmage can keep up a bit with it too? Or is it too depending on healing? Is the damage decent when specced properly? I don't want to be playing a class and being refused in most groups cause I'm not healing...
 

Tallen

Fledgling Freddie
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Mar 2, 2004
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Heck, I'm waiting to get ingame but am already thinking about what to possibly play...
It seems that the Bright Wizard is without any doubt the most popular damage dealing Order caster. But I was wondering if the archmage can keep up a bit with it too? Or is it too depending on healing? Is the damage decent when specced properly? I don't want to be playing a class and being refused in most groups cause I'm not healing...

The Archmage operates on a ying/yang force system, the more you heal, the greater the damage you do once you stop healing, the more damage you do, the faster your heals go once you stop damaging. If an Archmage is spam healing and doing no DPS, they are only being played to about 60-70% of their potential.

An archmage cannot really put out the same punch as a BW, but they can do some good damage :)
 

Mithradir

Loyal Freddie
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Jun 5, 2004
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The thing is that if you make a healer class you will mostly be grouped in order to heal. As tallen said ofc you can do some dps but your primary objective will be to heal. The only 2 healing classes that need to do much dps in order to heal are the disciple of khain and the warrior priest so you might have a look there also :)
 

bobfish

Fledgling Freddie
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Aug 9, 2008
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You have to heal as a healer but the mechanics dictate that you get involved in the offensive combat too.

Running a scenario last night there was two shadow warriors, one swordmaster and three archmages and we made short work of everything cause we all knew how to play and worked together. Everyone had fun and we destroyed the destruction players consistantly.
 

Liffster

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Aug 7, 2008
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I've tried a few classes in O/B and Archmage was the one that interested me most proir to the O/B going live. Tbh having only had 15 hours played as one I can see this being a class that takes a degree of skill to truly master and get the most from it. I've played countless senarios and done most of my leveling to 11 in senario play.

Generally in a senario my dps is usually slightly lower than my healing. Though this is partially dependant on how strong the destro opposition is. I've basically tried to stick to using insta dots for dps to build up high magic for healing. I've found it hard to truly max the 'ying yang' effect as sometimes the situation dictates that you either heal or dps. Another slightly annoying aspect is your morale ability heals only pop for a limited duration and sometimes nobody needs that insta heal..

On a side note either I havent got the hang of the targeting aspect fully, but I find it a pain when I change defensive target I sometimes lose my offensive one and vice versa.. this usually happens when I click a defensive target out of my group in senarios.

I do really enjoy the class tho and prefer it above SW and BW which I also tried. AM will def be my main for retail
 

Stalkz

Fledgling Freddie
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Dec 23, 2003
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kinda aside from the main topic but the biggest problem you have with BW is the easy factor in killing yourself, you get too trigger happy and you'll blow yourself up.

AM you can rest easy you dont have this mechanic, so your life expectancy is automatically larger, sure you might not push out the same kinda dps but you do zero dps when dead :p
 

krilly

Fledgling Freddie
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If you just want to range dps, go with a class that is range dps, people wont pester you to heal then
 

amtired

Fledgling Freddie
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Archmage is probably a good class for you if you want to mostly heal, but also dps when healing is under control.

You're always a much better healer than you are at dps.

Some players will indeed pester you to heal, screaming "HEAL FFS!", "if you play a healing class then only heal!" or jumping up and down in front of you. Ignore those and heal everyone else.
 

VidX

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Archmage is probably a good class for you if you want to mostly heal, but also dps when healing is under control.

You're always a much better healer than you are at dps.

Some players will indeed pester you to heal, screaming "HEAL FFS!", "if you play a healing class then only heal!" or jumping up and down in front of you. Ignore those and heal everyone else.

QFT! The AM requires a balance of both healing and DPS to make the most out of the class. People who demand they only heal need to rtfm and learn about the class :)
 

Draylor

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Some players will indeed pester you to heal, screaming "HEAL FFS!"
Let them die: its so much fun to see them crack up. Besides, if theyve time to do that they clearly arent doing their job properly :lol:

Better yet the correct solution is not to group with idiots like that :)

Anyway, the real answer to the thread is that anyone choosing an archmage that isnt happy for healing to be a significant part of their role has chosen the wrong class. Its a hybrid, to be played well you cannot concentrate on just 1 aspect of its abilities.
 

Succi

Fledgling Freddie
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QFT! The AM requires a balance of both healing and DPS to make the most out of the class. People who demand they only heal need to rtfm and learn about the class :)

In theory yes?
In practise, rarely.

healbotting will be needed alot in scenarios, especially when you're with some other random healers

No, we dont need to build Waaagh! to heal. - Warhammer Forums

tldr (taken from thread): "You will not go around using damage spells with the aim of improving your healing. For instance, every cast of Life Leaka uses 1.4 seconds of GCD to take off less than a second of cast time from Bigger better an greener. That is not an even trade. We're on par with a zealot without waaagh!, waaagh! doesnt improve our healing enough to justify using damage spells in a healing rotation."
 

Rayko

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cheers for the replies guys :) I was indeed not aware of the actual AM mechanic, but can perfectly stick with a mixture of healing/damage... I will give the class a try!
 

Libh

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Feb 24, 2006
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cheers for the replies guys :) I was indeed not aware of the actual AM mechanic, but can perfectly stick with a mixture of healing/damage... I will give the class a try!

read succis post, its the truth.

you should look at the engy or sw instead if you want to be ranged dps.
 

Arkian

Fledgling Freddie
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Jan 7, 2004
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The guys analysis is based on the 3 second 100% setback heal though - which tbh is a bloody stupid thing to try and spam if your enemy is even vaguely competant
 

LordjOX

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Dec 22, 2003
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Still, AM's like nuking stuff all the time in scenarios, without healing. :)
 

logoth

Fledgling Freddie
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Sep 4, 2008
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game clearly states that archmage is a healer, not even hybrid. he can do nice dps, and as every class in war can handle themself.
but please, dont pick a healer class and then for 2years whine that your dps isnt as high as other classes.
read description of a class, and pick the one you like the most. that will prevent your frustration
 

Flimgoblin

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Dec 24, 2003
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the two asuryan damage spells (basic dd and dot) are a bit weak atm, with luck they'll get boosted (the vaul specline dot/debuff does more damage, even when you spec full Asuryan... suggests something is up)

Doing damage to improve your healing is the wrong way to go about it - throw hots around like crazy and get insta-nuking ;) instant aoe knockback is supremely fun (shame you have to spec into the currently slightly-gimped Asuryan line to get it, and it won't be till you're in your late 20s/early 30s either...)
 
B

Blodweyn

Guest
NO healing ?

OMG is that the original NCR i c ?
hi its Rhymer from well back then in the age of Viruk and Durgi ext, of the old Mid / Pryd Nem guild, well in reply to the post, if you dont wanna heal then this aint the class for you.
 

Rayko

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OMG is that the original NCR i c ?
hi its Rhymer from well back then in the age of Viruk and Durgi ext, of the old Mid / Pryd Nem guild, well in reply to the post, if you dont wanna heal then this aint the class for you.

yup it's me, hello m8 ;) it's been ages indeed...
 

VidX

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Dec 24, 2003
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Yeah, the primary role of the AM is definitely a healer. If you are throwing out damage spells instead of healing when needed you need to re-roll to a non-healing class so people won't count on you to heal.

However, there are times when you are not healing and have ample AP left so using the damage spells to benefit your next healing spell when needed is a good idea and is the strength of the AM.

There should be no excuses for people dying and an AM is throwing out damage spells other than they obviously picked the wrong class :D
 

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