Pre-official release draft: Takebacker's Big Guide to Battle Mages

I don't know where else to put this, since there isn't a resistance forum.

[SIZE="7"]Takebacker's Big Guide to Battle Mages[/SIZE]

Hello! Welcome to my Big Guide to Battle mages. Due to my focus on the battle mage class shortly after it's release in tespia, i've come to learn many things about how battle mages work. Thus i feel it best to contribute to the community so that they may plan their characters faster than for any other job release in maple history. Enjoy!

[SIZE="5"]Table of Contents[/SIZE]

• The AP Build
  
• Equipment
  
• Advancing to 1st Job
  
• Battle mage basics
  
• Standard Build
  
• Explanation [1st Job]
  
• Advancing to 2nd Job
  
• Mastering the arts of 2nd job
  
• Explanation [2nd Job]
  
• Advancing to 3rd Job
  
• 3rd job battle mage
  
• Explanation [3rd Job]
  
• Advancing to 4th Job
  
• 4th job battle mage
  
• Explanation [4th Job]
  
• Recommended Training Spots
  
• Inspirational Videos
  
• Credits
  
• Final Statements
  

[SIZE="5"]The AP Build[/SIZE]
Battle mages are similar to all mages in that their primary stat is INT and their secondary stat is LUK. Your LUK must be your level +3 to wear equips, though it is reccommended to keep your base luck as low as possible.


[SIZE="5"]Equipment[/SIZE]
Pretty much the same as any other mage. Battle mages are restricted to using staffs ONLY, so keep that in mind.


[SIZE="5"]Advancing to 1st Job[/SIZE]
SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON RESISTANCE DEVELOPMENT


[SIZE="5"]Battle mage basics[/SIZE]

Standard Build
10: 1 teleport, 1 finish attack, 1 triple blow
11-16: Triple blow
17: 1 Triple blow, 2 teleport
18-20: Teleport
21: 3 Teleport
22-27: Dark aura
28: 2 Dark Aura (MAX), 1 Finish attack
29-30: Finish attack

Skill Distribution at Lvl 30: 61 Points Total

• 20/20 Triple blow [MAX]
  
• 15/15 Teleport [MAX]
  
• 20/20 Dark aura [MAX]
  
• 8/10 Finish attack
  

[SIZE="5"]Build Explanations[/SIZE]

 Spoiler

Battle mages got it pretty good eh? 4 great skills all in 1st job. Unfortunately, you can't max them all. Dark aura is required for adv dark aura (and resistance members can't add SP into an earlier job advancement). Finish blow is an interesting attack, since it gets much stronger as you max out your #blow skills. Teleport is required for teleport mastery later on, so finish attack is our only choice.

As for the order of the skills, triple blow is maxed first because that's what's going to give you the biggest damage increase at this time. Teleport is next because traveling can be expensive when it's 50 MP per cast and your MP pool isn't very big at this point. Dark aura comes next because +10% damage does a lot more than what maxing finish attack would do. Finish attack is last because while in 1st job it is weak, and it's range is very small. It is a great attack later on though.

[SIZE="5"]The 2nd Job Advancement[/SIZE]
SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON RESISTANCE DEVELOPMENT


[SIZE="5"]Mastering the arts of 2nd job[/SIZE]
30: 1 Quad blow, 1 Dark chain, 1 blue aura/yellow aura
31-36: Quad blow
37: 1 Quad blow [MAX], 2 Staff booster
38-43: Staff booster [MAX]
44-49: Staff Mastery
50: 2 Staff Mastery [MAX], 1 Yellow/blue aura
51-56: yellow/blue aura [MAX]
57-62: Blue/yellow aura [MAX]
63-68: Dark chains
69: 2 Dark Chains [MAX]
70: 3 Blood drain

Skill Distribution at Lvl 70: 121 Points Total

• 20/20 Quad blow [MAX]
  
• 20/20 Staff booster [MAX]
  
• 20/20 Staff Mastery [MAX]
  
• 3/20 Blood drain
  
• 20/20 Blue aura [MAX]
  
• 20/20 Yellow aura [MAX]
  
• 20/20 Dark chains
  

[SIZE="5"]Build Explanation[/SIZE]

 Spoiler

One of the best things about resistance characters is that a LOT of their skills are extremely useful with only 1 point. Dark chain and the auras are proof of that. At level 30 get 1 of quad blow, chains, and whichever aura you prefer. Yellow is recommended, but blue is just as good. After that quad blow is maxed out for obvious reasons. After that is staff booster, because it's cast time is very short, and mastery right after. After that you have the option of blue or yellow aura. Maxing yellow aura only adds speed and not attack speed. Blue aura at max shaves off 30% damage. Whichever you prefer is fine, since anyone at CPQ would love either one. The rest of the 2nd job points go into maxing dark chains, and dump the rest in blood drain.

Blood drain is not maxed because the HP you gain is paltry and it doesn't help very much.

[SIZE="5"]The 3rd Job Advancement[/SIZE]
SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON RESISTANCE CHANGES


[SIZE="5"]3rd job battle mage[/SIZE]

70: 1 Death blow, 1 Advanced Chains, 1 conversion
71-76: Death blow
77: 1 Death blow [MAX], 2 Advanced Chains
78-82: Advanced Chains
83: 2 Advanced Chains [MAX], 1 Conversion
84-85: Conversion
86: 2 Conversion [MAX], 1 Battle boost
87-92: Battle boost
93: 1 Battle boost [MAX], 2 Teleport mastery
94-95: Teleport Mastery
96: 2 Teleport Mastery [MAX], 1 Dark lightning
97-102: Dark lightning
104: 1 Dark lightning [MAX], 2 Adv blue aura
105-110: Advanced blue aura [MAX]
113-118: 3 Super body
114-120:

Skill Distribution at Lvl 120: 151 Points Total

• 20/20 Staff mastery [MAX]
  
• 20/20 Death blow [MAX]
  
• 10/10 Conversion [MAX]
  
• 13/20 Revive
  
• 20/20 Adv blue aura [MAX]
  
• 20/20 Dark lightning [MAX]
  
• 20/20 Super body [MAX]
  
• 10/10 Teleport mastery [MAX]
  
• 20/20 Advanced Chains [MAX]
  
• 20/20 Battle boost [MAX]
  

[SIZE="5"]Build Explanation[/SIZE]

 Spoiler

More great 1 pointers! At 70 you get death blow, advanced chains, and conversion. Death blow is more of the same. Advanced chains doubles chains range, increases it's damage, and number of targets hit. Conversion is basically personal hyper body. (it doubles your HP at max level) First max death blow, then work on advanced chains. Conversion afterwards so you can take more hits, though a battle mages HP is very high to begin with. Next is battle boost which increases your damage by 30%. After that, teleport mastery because it maxes in 10 points and is a strong attack. Then dark lightning, which is an extremely strong mob skill. Advanced blue aura is next for better defenses. Super body is next to make auras better. Last is revive, the worst of all battle mage skills.

[SIZE="5"]Advancing to 4th Job[/SIZE]
SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON RESISTANCE CHANGES



[SIZE="5"]4th job battle mage[/SIZE]

Preliminary 4th job build:

1 tornado, 1 dark gene, 1 finish blow -> 9 stance -> max finish blow -> max adv dark aura -> max endurance -> max stance -> max cyclone -> max dark gene -> max adv yellow aura -> Rest in shelter.

[SIZE="5"]Inspirational Videos[/SIZE]
L> Battle mage videos. ;-;


[SIZE="5"]Credits[/SIZE]
Thanks to:

• Me myself and ii, and Mike for letting me use his KMST account to get this information.
  

[SIZE="5"]Final Statements[/SIZE]
Copyright Steven Rivera. Do not plagiarize this guide on any other site. Always ask permission before using or reposting any portion of this guide elsewhere. Unauthorized reproductions will be traced and removed.

Honestly, way too early to make this.

Also, give credits to Mike. He's the one that gave you the account to use in the first place.

Honestly, way too early to make this.

Also, give credits to Mike. He's the one that gave you the account to use in the first place.

Never too early to make. Anything that changes will obviously change the guide.

Good point. o.o Fixed.

Never too early to make. Anything that changes will obviously change the guide.

Good point. o.o Fixed.

Well, it'll probably be edited a mass ton once the quest and storyline comes out. Maybe they'll restrict some use of skills and unlock them through quest like Aran.

Just my two cents.

Well, it'll probably be edited a mass ton once the quest and storyline comes out. Maybe they'll restrict some use of skills and unlock them through quest like Aran.

Just my two cents.

Not likely. At all. But if it happens it happens. I willl write one eventually either way, so what's the point in NOT starting asap?

Besides, i had some free time today. Who knows when that'll happen again.

Woo Nice. My name is in it!

Not likely. At all. But if it happens it happens. I willl write one eventually either way, so what's the point in NOT starting asap?

Besides, i had some free time today. Who knows when that'll happen again.

why would you think it's unlikely

what is the last class that gave you ALL of your skills just by leveling up? even evan doesn't do that.

why would you think it's unlikely

what is the last class that gave you ALL of your skills just by leveling up? even evan doesn't do that.

? He's talking about making skills invisible and obtained through quests like aran. All evan does is give SP through quests, which isn't likely for this class because...they max like everything in each advancement like most other classes already.

If anything they'll just do CS skill books like they did for DB, which isn't really a build changing mechanism...

I think this should...belong in MapleGuides?

I think this should...belong in MapleGuides?

Class specific guides don't and shouldn't belong in mapleguides...

? He's talking about making skills invisible and obtained through quests like aran. All evan does is give SP through quests, which isn't likely for this class because...they max like everything in each advancement like most other classes already.

If anything they'll just do CS skill books like they did for DB, which isn't really a build changing mechanism...

no, evan's don't get all of their skills immediately either. you have to get some from bosses and such. every class has this to date, there's a high likelihood that the resistence will too. so whether it's from a quest or from a boss, you can't really plan skill tables without knowing when they're available.

Class specific guides don't and shouldn't belong in mapleguides...

Training Center.

Very nice build, I personaly would get 1 dark lighting instead of 1 staff mastery since it doesnt add much if a bonus at level 1.

no, evan's don't get all of their skills immediately either. you have to get some from bosses and such. every class has this to date, there's a high likelihood that the resistence will too. so whether it's from a quest or from a boss, you can't really plan skill tables without knowing when they're available.

But that kind of thing doesn't change a build order. Builds are supposed to be ideal builds that a character follows assuming you can get all skill books immediately. Rarity of skill books is a variable and whether or not that variable becomes relevant is irrelevant.

Training Center.

[SIZE="5"]I don't know where else to put this.[/SIZE]

Very nice build, I personaly would get 1 dark lighting instead of 1 staff mastery since it doesnt add much if a bonus at level 1.

Staff mastery adds 5% to mastery. Dark lightning is useless at all levels.

I disagree with the Maple Staff thing, considering you mentioned the level 77 set not being available yet, which means I shall assume this guide is made with gMS in mind, the best damage option would be 4-30 base luck using a DDS, albeit a very small magic attack gain, but none the less more Magic attack then the Maple Set. Hell, I don't know what impact the level 77 staffs have had on kMS, but I do remember that most magicians are recommended to use a Reverse weapon before the 7th anniversary.

I disagree with the Maple Staff thing, considering you mentioned the level 77 set not being available yet, which means I shall assume this guide is made with gMS in mind, the best damage option would be 4-30 base luck using a DDS, albeit a very small magic attack gain, but none the less more Magic attack then the Maple Set. Hell, I don't know what impact the level 77 staffs have had on kMS, but I do remember that most magicians are recommended to use a Reverse weapon before the 7th anniversary.

DDS isn't exactly the easiest thing to get your hands on, and there are a LOT more maple staffs. Besides, the potential system could easily make luckless elemental staff battle mage (try saying that 5 times fast) possible, in which case that would be the best option for damage.

Reverse staff sucks.

Regardless on how easy it is to come by, these guys are much like Bishops in the sense that they do not reach their potential by going Pure LUKless with INT equips, which is what you would be doing when using a Maple Wisdom(or level 77 weapon).

With the proper planning, and as you said, with the Item rating/Potential system, Reverse, Dooms Day, Elemental Staffs, all of these are a much more suitable end game weapon if you want to maximize damage output, and have been shown to reach more damage potential, then a Wisdom Staff(no Idea about the level 77, however).

Maximizing the damage output is what would be the best end game option, especially since the only thing a Wisdom could have over the others is HP/MP bonus, which with the Skills of a Battle Mage and Hp/Mp % equipments; its certainly not needed at any time through out a Battle Mage's career, and would defiantly would not be the best option for an end game weapon.

Regardless on how easy it is to come by, these guys are much like Bishops in the sense that they do not reach their potential by going Pure LUKless with INT equips, which is what you would be doing when using a Maple Wisdom(or level 77 weapon).

With the proper planning, and as you said, with the Item rating/Potential system, Reverse, Dooms Day, Elemental Staffs, all of these are a much more suitable end game weapon if you want to maximize damage output.

Going luckless with maple staff until end game is still the best way to raise your character until said end game, which is my point.

My apologies, I overlooked your point, mainly because of this sentence.

This means the best staff to use for end game purposes is maple staffs. The level 64 will do until the level 77 set comes out.

I just wanted to confirm that there are better options.

That was my only problem, Good work on the guide so far.

Oh shi-. My point was the opposite of what i actually wrote. Lmao. Fixed.