Megaten Mage Guide

Megaten Mage Guide by RikkuHime

Note: This guide is for the people that understand the basic gameplay mechanics of the game. They know about Enchanting their equipment, how to raise skills, Chain Expertises, etc.

This guide is for the people that want to know which direction to take their build.

Stats

There are two stats you will specialize in depending on your build type.

Magic: You will want to max out this stat first above all. Reason being you are a Destrctuion Mage, and power should be top priority. Don’t worry about wasting MP too much since you will be potting a lot anyways. Also note that you gain some MP when raising Magic (2 Magic = 1 MP). You should max this out by level 65.

After maxing Magic put points into your secondary stat.

Strength: This stat gives half the effectiveness value towards DD. 2 Close Range = 1 Spell. Add to this if you want to be a DD Mage.

Intelligence: This stat adds to Support, which increases your healing capabilities. Which is not needed. However, if you want to be a Shot mage add to this stat. If you are planning to be an Enhancer add to this as your primary stat.

The other stats are minor, and you should keep your priority on these 2 secondary stats.

Analysis on Int vs Str

It has come to my attention that I haven’t been specific about the uses of both of these stats for a mage.

Now regarding if you are a DD Mage, you will be inclined to choose between Int or Str. Int is good for MP boosts and Cast time reduction while Str is good for overall damage boost for DD Rushes.

However, there is a small problem. Going into Int for just MP is redundant as by the time you get decent Classes in Destruction Magic you’ll get MP Passives. Not to mention that Magic also increases MP so you will have plenty to spare if you are just focusing on DD. The cast time reduction is also a stupid reason to go JUST for Int as it is only -2.5% cast time for every 10 Int you dump into the stat. Cast time reduction is also multiplicative so it gets more and more ineffective as you keep stacking more cast time reductions.

Str also increases HP, about the same as how much Magic increases MP. Not to mention it increases damage.

The only reason a DD Mage should get Int is if they are going to mix and match enhancement into their build. As only then would the extra Int be useful.

For Shot Mages it is pretty self-explanatory as they gain almost nothing from going into Str. Including the fact that they will use Pavarti Tarots which is -5 Str.

Expertises

Most of your expertises will simply be used to unlock Chain Expertises.

Expertises are geared towards obtaining different Chain Expertises as they give you access to the more useful skills.

Rush: This skill by itself is geared towards DD Mages. Used to unlock Demolition Dash, the skill DD Mages need.

Destruction Magic: Also used to unlock DD. Besides from that, this is what Shot mages use as their form of damage. Their damage modifiers are lower than DD Rushes until you get the -Dyne spells, and that’s when you get your damage rolling in.

Magic Control: Skill needed for several Mage Chain Expertises. This Expertise gives toggles that boost BASE (Their affinity by default, so no enchanted weapons gain from it) affinity’s damage. Toggles add +10% damage to its element and -20% damage for their opposite element.
This is a fairly good expertise to get. Oh yeah, there are passives that, in total, reduce MP by -50%.

Curse: Needed for Curse of the Wretched (CotW). Otherwise relatively useless.

Bless: Needed for Curse of the Wretched (CotW) and Enhancement. Otherwise relatively useless.

Curative Magic: Needed for Enhancement. If you can get this high enough and hotbar enough heals, you can replace healing demons.

Support Magic: Needed for Enhancement. Gives personal buffs, which is useful. However it’s annoying to buff other people.

Chain Expertises

I don’t feel like explaining the whole Chain Expertise system so go to the General Help Section and look at the guides over there to explain them for you.

Demolition Dash

To unlock this Chain you need:

Rush: Class 1-0
Destruction Magic: Class 1-0
Magic Control: Class 1-0

This skill is your main source of damage. DD is in a sense, is an AoE Rush. However, DD is treated as a spell so if you hit a monster with that Magic Reflect buff on with your Ice DD (Freezing Lance) it will be reflected (and most likely you will die since DD does a lot of damage).

Class 1-0: Kamaitachi – Force-based Demoltion Dash
Class 2-0: Freezing Lance – Ice-based Demolition Dash
Class 3-0: Sonic Through- Lightning-based Demoliton Dash
Class 4-0: Delorean – Fire-based Demoltion Dash

Enhancement

To unlock this Chain you need:

Curative Magic: Class 2-0
Support Magic: Class 2-0
Bless: Class 1-0

This skill is the Holy Grail for any Support Mage. All parties should have one to make runs more effective and increase efficiency. Otherwise, expect a lot of deaths.

The Class 2-0 Buffs add +% to damage dealt, and -% to damage taken. The percentages are determined by Class and your INT. Hence why most support Mages go Full INT.

Rule of thumb is that INT/2 = % Boost. Unless you have under 60 Int, then by default you have a 30% boost regardless.

The main skills you want are the Class 2-0 ones, which will require you to gain 2-7.5 Support Magic instead of 4-0. The Class 4-0 Support is needed for the Anti-Knockback buff. However I don’t recommend this because it means Demons can repeatedly hit you nonstop, but you can run away from potentially tough demons.

Note: I no longer have this expertise so I can not post the skill tree for it.

Curse of the Wretched

To unlock this Chain you need:

Destruction Magic: Class 1-0
Curse Magic: Class 2-0
Bless: Class 1-0
Magic Control: Class 1-0

This skill is only needed for its Class 1-0 Debuff. It’s a really big AoE Debuff (about the size of the small rooms in Sugi Tunnels) that throws a 4 different Status Ailments at all the demons hit.

This skill is a utility, and it will make Ichi Gold a LOT easier.

Unfortunately, this skill is also the biggest Demon Magnet you could wish for if it doesn’t Stone all the demons it hits. Really useful nonetheless.

Note: Again I don’t have the Chain so I can’t post a skill tree.

Alignment

Alignment doesn’t affect much in game except the different enchants you will get into your armour. For mages, not anything special you should be noted unless stated otherwise.

I’ll unload Enchant information and unless it’s stated that you need to be that alignment for the bonus, it doesn’t.

Equipment and Enchanting

Since armour doesn’t directly effect how much damage you do I will list what Soul Stones you should fuse into your armour.

EDIT: Currently, FC items are the most beneficial for damage. So unless you can fork over money for them, be prepared to be outdamaged.

The only equipment I can recommend are:

Ear/Ring of Blood Drain: Each piece adds +4 Spell.
Drill COMP: Adds +10% Damage for Melee and Magic
Kris Naga: Disposable trash weapon.

Now here are the Soul Stones you should get:

Cerberus and Orthrus – Face and Neck – Together they add +50% Fire Damage

Cu Sith – Shoes -20% Rush Casting Time

Poltergeist – Bottom – +10% Rush Damage (applies to DD)

Skadi – Bottom – Magic Cast time -20% (not applied to DD), If Chaos Alignment, Magic +5

Hecate – Top – Party Members Magic +3, If Chaos Alignment, HP30% or less Spell based damage 50% increase

Takemikazuchi – Ring – LV x0.1% Lightning Absorb, Rush damage +5%,
Penetration Resist -25,
If Law Alignment, Lightning Expertise Effect +5%

Naga – Arms – Rush Damage +5%, Fire Resist -15

Kikuri-Hime – Ear/Ring/Extra – Magic +1, Intelligence +1

Hel – Extra – Magic +3, If Neutral Alignment, Ice Affinity Expertise Cool time 20% decrease

Pazuzu – Extra – Force Absorb +5%, If Law Alignment, Force Affinity Expertise Effect +15%

Surt – Weapon – Damage dealt to Large Group [God] increased 20%
If Chaos Alignment,
Fire Affinity Expertise Effect +10%
If Law Alignment, Strength -10, Speed -10

King Frost – Back – +3% Ice Reflect
If Chaos Alignment, Party Members Max HP +30

Djinn – Back – Force Affinity Expertise Effect +5%
Level 44 or higher, LV x0.1% Force Null

Uriel – Ring – LV x0.5% Fire Absorb
Melee attack damage 5% increase, Ice Resist -50
If Law Alignment, HP30% or less, Melee attack damage 50% increase
If Chaos Alignment, HP cost of expertise 50% increase

What you want to Tarot to your equipment:

Elf – Adds +2 Magic -1 Strength and minus something else, can’t remember.

Hel/Decarabria – +2 Magic

Elementals – +2% damage increase for their element. (i.e Flamies adds 2% fire damage).

Pavarti – Intelligence +2, Magic +2, Strength -5

Thoth – Intelligence +2, Magic +1, Magic Cast Time -1%

And I believe this concludes all the Tarots and Soul Stones a Destruction Mage should have, or at least choose between.

Personal Bias

I will be talking strictly PvE here, PvP will be discussed later.

In my personal opinion, I would recommend getting the following:

Cerberus and Orthrus
Poltergeist
Naga
King Frost
Takemikazuchi
Kikuri-Hime
Hel
Hecate
Cu Sith
Surt
Full Flamies Tarot

As you can see here, I am a Chaos DD Mage and focus strictly on fire damage. This is mainly because in Ichi Gold fire damage is the highest damage modifier a Mage has. I am a PvE build and I do PvP every now and then, though I can say I am not stellar in it.

Builds

Typical DD Mage Build

Rush: Class 1-0
Destruction Magic: Class 10-0
Magic Control: Class 7-0
Curse Magic: Class 2-0
Bless: Class 1-0

Max Magic, rest of points into Strength.

Recommended tarot: Flamies

This build is typical DD you should run into. With this you should have max DD and relatively high CotW. Feel free to dump your extra points wherever you want.

Typical Shot Mage

Destruction Magic: Class 8-5
Magic Control: Class 7-0
Support Magic: Class 4-0
Curative Magic: Class 2-0
Bless: Class 1-0
Curse Magic: Class 2-0

Max Magic rest of points into Int.

Recommended Tarot: Parvati

This build is more PvP than anything else, but still does pretty fine in PvE. You have Enhancement for yourself and CotW for Spell Hex.

The downfall with this build is that it will take you around level 80 before this build becomes anything good due to lack of points etc.

Regal DD

Rush: Class 1-0
Destruction Magic: Class 3-0
Magic Control: Class 7-0
Attack: Class 2-0
Weapon Knowledge: Class 8-0
Survival: Class 1-0
Curse: Class 3-0
Bless: Class 1-0

Max Magic rest of points into Strength.

Recommended tarot: Flamies

This is an experimental build, meant for abusing the Melee chain “Retaliation.” This is my build, and I fare pretty well. Won’t delve deeper into this subject as it is pretty experimental and you could gain more from the other builds.