Requesting Helpful Strategies for Mages

Taleof2Cities · April 2014

Hello Experienced ESO Players -

So, I've gotten my mage up to level 10 now with heavy skill points in destruction staff and summoning. However, my lady Altmer still feels pretty underpowered. As a specific example, I was having a tough time with just the crocodiles near the Weeping Giant wayshrine yesterday. That being said, this is my first MMO that I've played ... so it takes some getting used to after Skyrim.

I saw a couple of master wizards riding in the wastes of Southern Bangkorai. Therefore, I know this goal can be accomplished with some help and more gameplay. I really enjoy my character and the massive open gameworld. Now, I just need to get my gameplay skills up to snuff.

Any helpful tips or hints are appreciated! Who knows ... I may be your backup some day in a PvP campaign. Thanks!

Lazarus_Long · April 2014

A list of general tips meant to help almost any class, in no real order...

1.) Watch out for over charged stats on your character sheet. Do what you can to avoid them in order to minimize your weak points.

2.) Provisioning is a great way to get small but long term buffs. At low level you don't even need to put points into it.

3.) Just 2 pieces of heavy and/or medium armor make huge difference at low level.

4.) Don't ignore your passive skills. They may seem like small effects, but they can help a lot.

5.) Anybody can sneak.

6.) Keep all of your items as close to your level as you can and keep them in good repair.

7.) A lot of the time it's cheaper to craft a new piece of armor than it is to repair a heavily damaged one.

8.) If you help a random player they will usually help you if they can.

9.) Use your Ultimate skills.

10. Fork a skill as soon as you can to keep it's level progressing.

11. Don't save skill points for later. If it turns out you don't like the build you have made that knowledge is worth the price of respecing.

12. Learn how to improve the items you find and craft.

13. Just because an item has a Blue name doesn't mean it fits your build.

14. Snares love DoT, and DoT loves Snares.

15. Blocking and stunning can be way better than dodging.

16. Sometimes it's cheaper, faster, and more effective to sprint than dodge.

17. Bosses often have henchman/flunkies/summons. Always kill them first, even if you have to stop attacking the boss for a bit.

I hope that helps.

EDIT: For grammar.

beriiel · April 2014

For my level 8 mage, I leveled up to Unstable Clanfear I. I leveled up Crystal Fragments I which knocks back targets, and Destructive Clench I using a fire staff which knocks back and stuns the target. That's all I'm using, and haven't even taken the time to train an ultimate and I'm tearing through things.

The best adive I can give you is to think about respecing and view the Destructive staff line as additions and not something to use as your main casting line.

Other than that, what Laz posted is the best possible advice.

Sarenia · April 2014

I find it helpful to find auxilliary defenses -- namely, anything that keeps the enemy away from me.

Attack across lava and such to force a long or painful approach to you, or likewise attack from atop hills and such to force a longer run to you.

Use ice staffs exclusively, for the slow effect. I like to alternate ice blasts with Crystal Fragments. I don't use any summons though, so my game is a bit different from yours -- no pet to take aggro.

Against multiple targets I can't offer much advice beyond using CC carefully, focusing on one target with your main damage, and hoping you kill them before they kill you.

LadyChaos · April 2014

great tips above^^

"8.) If you help a random player they will usually help you if they can."

most of us don't mind being trained we take it as the universal "please help me" sign. So far this game has a good friendly community there. We love to team up with random quest buddies in dungeons, don't be shy.

"17. Bosses often have henchman/flunkies/summons. Always kill them first, even if you have to stop attacking the boss for a bit."

This is "Bottom up" vs "Top down" targeting... Its situational, but if new, a good way to start. I kill pet casters first.. caster dies pet dies... AoE tends to kill pets anyways... situational though even at raid level.

Check out class forums too... here's recent build topic for you:
http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/discussion/67060/sorcerer-build-pvp-pve#latest

Taleof2Cities · April 2014

Thanks everyone for the thoughtful replies. In addition, I realized that the quests for each geographic section are leveled (different from Skyrim). Therefore, I kept my adventures in Glenumbra today and it was a little more fun. It would be nice to find a couple of low level quests in Sentinel (where I do all my trading).