Games Marketplace - Odealo
0.00 25 (Click on the icon to view details)

Articles

ArcheAge Unchained Mage/Caster DPS Build

ArcheAge Unchained Mage/Caster DPS Build

Fanatic Mage DPS Build which is widely considered the best Spell caster in Archeage Unchained

ArcheAge: Unchained
Fanatic Caster/Mage DPS Build and Guide

 

Overview

Fanatic is one of the most competitive Caster Classes in ArcheAge: Unchained. Thanks to the combination of Malediction, Sorcery, and Shadowplay Skill Trees, He offers very high Magic Damage output and mixes it with great Mobility and Crowd Control options. Just like most other DPS Caster Classes, Fanatic has to rely on his ability to avoid damage (by staying out of enemy's range and by making use of his CC/mobility toolkits) to survive in both PvE and PvP, which raises the skill ceiling for the class quite high. When it comes to DPS, the Class has access to some very devastating Combos that are able to obliterate Fanatic's enemies in mere seconds if not interrupted. All of these aspects make the Fanatic one of the most fun and challenging ArcheAge: Unchained Classes to play. 

If you are looking for an aggressive, mobile, and quite intricate Caster DPS Class, that combines traits of a sorcerer with the mindset of a crazed acolyte, Fanatic is a great choice for you. Below, we present you our take on this class's build, together with some Gear/Stats recommendations and a breakdown of the most useful Combos. 

You can also check our other Archeage Unchained builds if you prefer different character archetypes.

 

 Pros  Cons
 High Damage Output  Rather Squishy when caught in the melee 
 Great Crowd Control  Has to rely on CC and Mobility as the means of survival 
 Very Good Mobility  High Skill Ceiling 


Odealo is a secure gamer-driven marketplace for Archeage Gold, Items, and Power Leveling.

 

Skill Build

Fanatic, the combination of Malediction, Sorcery, and Shadowplay Skill Trees, is widely regarded as one of the strongest Caster/Mage "Classes" in ArcheAge Unchained. Below, we present you our take on the Fanatic Skill Build; feel free to change a few things to your liking, as the game offers a lot of room for customization; the below-featured build should serve as a decent benchmark for your class experiments. 

The "Fanatic" Class Caster/Mage DPS Build
Fanatic Skill Build

Malediction Tree:

  • Mana Bolts - Allows you to shape your Mana into four razor-sharp projectiles that deal high Magic Damage to your Target. Mana Bolts have a reduced Global Cooldown. While Fury is active, each Mana Bolts cast will grant you 1 Malice Charge, which provides you with solid internal synergy. We recommend taking the "Water" Ancestral Mana Bolts; doing this will reduce the amount of launched projectiles to 3 (with a bit higher damage per projectile), but any successful hit will now increase your Movement Speed by 1% (Stacks up to 10%), which is amazing for PvP. Mana Bolts deal increased Damage to Petrified Targets. 
  • Serpent Glare - Gives you a 10-second self-buff that temporarily transforms all your Mana Bolts into much more powerful Crushing Waves, that inflict a very high amount of Magic Damage to any enemy they touch. This ability has a 0.5s Cast Time and a rather long, 60-second, cooldown. This ability will allow you to deal devastating bursts of Damage. 
  • Serpent Bite - Gives you an ability to summon a magical serpent that burrows underground and erupts from beneath your Target to inflict high amounts of Magic Damage. Note: The effect of this spell will be canceled if you break your cast before the serpent hits the Target, which means that the further away your target is, the longer you will have to cast this. This ability has a 26-second Cooldown and it gets empowered if you have enough Malice Charges: 5 charges - +200% Skill Damage and an additional 140% Magic Damage in 7m AoE; 10 charges - +200% Skill Damage, an additional 140% Magic Damage in 7m AoE, and a 2.5-second Petrify effect on the Target. Taking the "Fire" Ancestral version of Serpent Bite will allow you to save some Malice Charges (costs will be 3/5 instead of 5/10). 
  • Malicious Binding - Allows you to bind your Target to their current location; if the target moves further than 5 meters away, they are pulled back to their initial spot. This spell has a 0.2 Casting Time, a 5.0-second duration and 45-second Cooldown. Malicious Binding is a very strong Crowd Control spell that will allow you to pin your target down so that it can't escape your devastating spells. 
  • Fury - Gives you 1 Malice Charge per second for 10 seconds, for a maximum amount of 10 charges. Stacks remain for up to 5 seconds, but gaining a stack resets the timer. Fury has a 30-second Cooldown and does not trigger a Global Cooldown when used. Malice Charges provide bonuses to Serpent Bite, Bladefall, and Shadow Cloak. Fury gives you a 10s Burst Damage window once every 30s, which is extremely powerful, and also boosts your defenses by improving the effectiveness of the Shadow Cloak
  • Shadow Cloak - Envelops you in magical shadows for 1s (+3s for 5 Malice Charges and +5s for 10 Malice Charges). While under the Cloak's effect, you cannot be targetted. This is an extremely powerful defensive ability that makes you untargettable (which is huge in a tab-target system game, like Archeage: Unchained...). Shadow Cloak works best when used with at least 5 Malice Charges. It doesn't trigger the Global Cooldown and has a 70s Cooldown. 
  • Bladefall - Allows you to call down magic Blades at the target location. The Blades deal high amounts of Magic Damage to all enemies within an 8-meters radius. Bladefall has an improved effect if used with Malice Charges: 5 charges - Calls down 3 Blade Waves; 10 charges - Calls down 4 Blade Waves and impales the Target for 1.5 seconds. It has a 35 seconds Cooldown. Bladefall is a very powerful AoE ability that shines when used in combination with Malice Charges; to ensure that all Blade Waves hit your Primary Target, you can bind it in place with the Malicious Binding

Picking up 7 Skills in the Malediction Tree will also grant you the following passives:

  • Spiteful Curses - EVery time you receive Critical Damage, you gain 1 Malice Charge. You should avoid being hit in the first place, but this helps a lot in back-to-the-wall situations. 
  • Empowered Malice - Provides you with an additional 7% Magic Skill Damage for all Malediction Spells. Passive Damage increases are always nice. 
  • Gleeful Destruction - When a Malediction Skill Attack lands a Critical Hit, a Gleeful Destruction is triggered. This reduces the enemy's Magic, Melee, and Ranged Accuracy by 1% for 5 seconds. The effect stacks up to 10 times. There is nothing more frustrating than missing a spell or an ability... and this passive will make your enemies miss. 
  • Wrathful Casting - Global Cooldown of your Malediction Skills is decreased by 12% and your Crashing Wave deals +10% Damage when you consume a Malice Charge. This effect stacks up to 3 times. Wrathful Casting makes your rotations more dynamic and your Crushing Waves even more devastating. 
  • Cutting Malice - Consumes all Malice Charges and decreases the Cooldown of your Serpent Glare ability by 10 seconds. 
  • Murderous Intent - Provides you with additional +12% Magic Critical Damage and increases the Skill Damage of all skills that consume Malice Charges by 5%. This improves the damage of the Bladefall and Serpent Bite.

Sorcery Tree: 

  • Flamebolt - Allows you to throw a bolt of fire at your Target, dealing Magic Damage. This ability has 3 charges that can be used before its Cooldown is triggered. The first Bolt that hits the Target inflicts the Burning effect on it. Burning Targets are more susceptible to certain spell effects for 3.2 seconds. Flamebolt has a 0.9s Cast Time and a reduced Global Cooldown. Third attack against a Burning Target will inflict Conflagration, for 7 seconds, on it. This is one of your main spamable offensive abilities. 
  • Insulating Lens - A defensive cooldown that protects you with a Magic Shield that absorbs Damage for 40 seconds and grants you immunity to Trip effects. When broken, the shield explodes into Ice Shards that snare all enemies within a 6 meters radius; the snare counts as a Freezing effect. A 30-second Cooldown is triggered after the Lens's effect ends. This is a solid defensive ability that doubles as a Crowd Control ability; it will allow you to survive and escape from Melee classes. 
  • Magic Circle - You create a Magic Circle beneath your feet. Staying inside the Circle provides you with an Increased Magic Attack and an additional Magic Critical Rate. Using this skill again will teleport you back to the Circle's rotation, which makes it very flexible in its potential uses (a buff that doubles up as a mobility/escape tool is very powerful). The Circle lasts for 20 seconds and has 21 seconds Cooldown, which means that it can have almost 100% uptime. Use this to kite mobs in PvE and melee players in PvP; it might easily disorient them and allow you to build up a considerable distance. 
  • Freezing Earth - Unleashes a frost nova around the caster, dealing high Magic Damage to all enemies within 8 meters radius and inflicting Ice Shard on them. While under the effects of Ice Shard, enemies are Snared in place for 6.2 seconds and can't move or turn. The Ice Shard effect is reduced by 50% in PvP. If a Target hit is already under the Freezing effect, this inflicts Deep Freeze instead. Deep frozen Targets are Confined for 8 seconds (50% of that duration in PvP). This ability has an instant cast and a 28 seconds Cooldown. Freezing Earth is a very powerful AoE Crowd Control ability that allows you to escape danger and bind enemies in place, which makes them more susceptible to your other AoE abilities. 
  • Chain Lightning - Casts a Chain Lightning that deals high Magic Damage to the Primary Target and then jumps to another Target within 5 meters; the jump is repeated up to 4 times for a total of 5 total targets hit. Each subsequent hit deals 50% reduced damage. Chain Lightning inflicts Electric Shock on all affected enemies; Electric Shock deals Magic Damage over 8 seconds and spreads to enemies within 2 meters radius, which makes this ability extremely powerful against tight groups of enemies. While used under the effects of Insulating Lens, Chain Lightning will also Stun and Silence the Primary Target for 1.5 seconds. 
  • Meteor Strike - Allows you to call down a fiery Meteor at the target location, dealing massive amounts of Magic Damage to up to 8 Targets within the blast effect. Meteor Strike also inflicts Burning and Knockback on all affected enemies and Trips them for 2.5 seconds. This ability has a long cast time of 4.7 seconds and a 34-second Cooldown. It also deals 30% additional Damage to Electrocuted Targets. Casting this in PvP might be tricky, but you should be easily able to land it after you CC your Target(s) with one of your other abilities. 
  • God's Wisp - Summons a thunderstorm that calls down consecutive lightning strikes in the target area. Each Strike deals Magic Damage to enemies in a 6m radius. This effect can be repeated up to 5 times before starting its Cooldown. Each affected enemy is afflicted with Electric Shock that deals Magic Damage over 8 seconds and spreads to enemies within 2 meters radius. This ability deals additional Damage to burning targets and has a 25-second Cooldown. 

Picking up 7 Skills in the Shadowplay Tree will also grant you the following passives: 

  • Mana Pool Increase - Increases your Maximum Mana by 35%, which greatly improves your sustain in prolonged engagements. 
  • Aranzeb's Infusion - Cast Time of all your Sorcery Skills is decreased by 8%, which makes your Sorcery-based rotations a bit more dynamic. 
  • Mind over Matter - All Silence effects inflicted on you have a 30% reduced duration. This comes in very handy in PvP. 
  • Mana Fountain - Each time you cast Magic Circle, Frigid Tricks, or Insulating Lens, you gain the Mana Fountain effect which gives you +100 Increased Attack Speed and 15% Decreased Cast Time. This effect lasts for 20-60 seconds. 
  • Heir of Ayanad - Provides you with a 10% bonus to Magic Skill Damage for all your Sorcery Skills. 
  • Sorcery Adept - Gives you +6% Magic Critical Rate and +5% Sorcery Skill Damage. The last two passives are so powerful, that you should always have at least 7 points invested in the Sorcery Tree when you are running a Fanatic Build (or any other that uses the Sorcery Tree in the first place). 

Shadowplay Tree: 

  • Drop Back - At its base, this Skill allows you to leap back 10 meters to escape danger or disengage from an enemy. For PvP, we recommend taking the "Death" Ancestral version of it, as it will allow you to leap forward instead! Leaping forward greatly increases the versatility of Drop Back (for example, it can be used offensively without the need to quickly turn your character 180 degrees first, which is nice). With this, escaping you will become very tricky - "Drop Forward" can easily counter the mobility skills of your opposition. Performing a leap also allows you to cast Flamebolt instantly for 2.5 seconds. This ability can't be used while snared and has a 12-second Cooldown. 
  • Stalker's Mark - Allows you to Mark your Target. Marked enemies receive 16% increased Ranged and Magic Damage for 15 seconds. This has 27 seconds Cooldown. Stalker's Mark is your opening skill, using it at the start of your rotation will greatly increase your Damage output. 
  • Freerunner - Increases your Attack Speed for 6.4 and your Movement Speed by 40% for 30 seconds. This is a simple, yet very powerful, Spring-like ability; use it to chase down fleeing enemies or to escape danger (if the situation demands it). Freerunner has a rather short Cooldown, for its 30s duration, of just 72 seconds. Ancestral versions of this ability are quite interesting choices for mass/zerg vs zerg PvP but are not worth it in solo play at all - choose one of them only if you think you can make it work. 
  • Leech - Allows you to spellsteal 1 to 3 random buffs from an enemy and apply them to yourself. This ability has a 36 seconds Cooldown and is guaranteed to always steal the Conversion Shield. Leech is extremely powerful in PvP as it is an offensive dispell combined with a spell-stealing effect (it has an RNG attached to it; when it rolls "3" it can be game-changing). 

Picking up 4 Skills in the Shadowplay Tree will also grant you the following passives: 

  • Shadow Training - Gives you a +40 Attack Speed increase. 
  • Become Void - Provides you with a +5% bonus to your Evasion Rate, which makes you a bit harder to hit in melee - a nice passive to have in both PvP and PvE. 
  • Ruthless Assault - After you inflict a Critical Heal or a Critical Strike, your Attack Speed is increased by 120 for 8 seconds. This effect has a 12-second internal cooldown.

 

Combos / Basic Rotations

Here are some of the Combos you can use as Fanatic to maximize your Damage output and make the most out of your Skills. 

Basic Fanatic Combos

These combinations can be used as early as level 30. they should help you understand class mechanics better and make your leveling experience as a Fanatic much more enjoyable. 

Note1: You will have to pick the following skills first, to be able to use the below-featured Combos at level 30: Insulating Lens, Fury, Mana Bolts, Drop Back, Serpent Bite, Firebolt, Magic Circle, Serpent Glare. 

Note2: Fanatic's Malediction Skills revolve around building up and spending Malice Charges that boost the power of certain abilities. To do that, you always start with Fury, then build up with Mana Bolts and spend accumulated points with Serpent Bite

Always Pre-cast Insulating Lens, if not on Cooldown (to boost your defenses); use Fury just before the pull to trigger Malice Charge generation Insulating Lens + Fury
Insulating Lens ⇒ Fury ⇒ Mana Bolts ⇒ Mana Bolts ⇒ Serpent Bite ⇒ Mana Bolts ⇒ Mana Bolts ⇒ Drop Back ⇒ Firebolt (to finish off your Target) Insulating Lens + Fury ⇒ Mana Bolts ⇒ Mana Bolts ⇒ Serpent Bite ⇒ Mana Bolts ⇒ Mana Bolts ⇒ Drop Back ⇒ Firebolt*n
Insulating Lens ⇒ Magic Circle ⇒ Serpent Glare ⇒ Crashing Waves*n Insulating Lens ⇒ Magic Circle ⇒ Serpent Glare ⇒ Crashing Waves*n

Main Fanatic Combos

These are some of the most popular and proven Fanatic Skill sequences. They will require you to have at least level 50. Learn them well, because you will be using these Combos in the end game. 

Note1: Of course, you can (and should) still use the combos covered in the "basic" section. 

Note2: If you Combo Drop Back with Flame Bolt, for the Cast Time reduction, while you have the Magic Circle active, you can to move 10 meters in an appropriate direction before using the Drop Back (forward if not Ancestral, or strafe backward if Ancestral) so that you jump back into the Circle; doing this will maximize your Damage (however, this might also mean that you'll get hit more). 

Fury ⇒ Magic Circle ⇒ Wait for 5 Stacks ⇒ Bladefall ⇒ God's Whip /this is a single-target nuke combo that you can use to quickly dispose of one Target without taking unnecessary damage/  Fury ⇒ Magic Circle ⇒ ... ⇒ Bladefall ⇒ God's Whip*n
Insulating Lens ⇒ Magic Circle ⇒ Chain Lightning ⇒ Malicious Binding ⇒ Drop Back ⇒ Firebolt*n (to finish off your Target)  Insulating Lens ⇒ Magic Circle ⇒ Chain Lightning ⇒ Malicious Binding ⇒ Drop Back ⇒ Firebolt*n
Insulating Lens ⇒ Fury ⇒ Stalker's Mark ⇒ Freezing Earth ⇒ Mana Bolts ⇒ Mana Bolts ⇒ Serpent Bite ⇒ Mana Bolts ⇒ Mana Bolts ⇒ Bladefall ⇒ God's Whip*5 /This Combo deals massive AoE damage/  Insulating Lens ⇒ Fury ⇒ Stalker's Mark ⇒ Freezing Earth ⇒ Mana Bolts ⇒ Mana Bolts ⇒ Serpent Bite ⇒ Mana Bolts ⇒ Mana Bolts ⇒ Bladefall ⇒ God's Whip*5
Insulating Lens ⇒ Magic Circle ⇒ Meteor Strike ⇒ Stalker's Mark ⇒ Drop Back ⇒ Firebolt*n  Insulating Lens ⇒ Magic Circle ⇒ Meteor Strike ⇒ Stalker's Mark  ⇒ Drop Back ⇒ Firebolt*n

Tip: In PvP, always be ready to disengage from combat with one of your mobility skills if an enemy manages to break your Combo. Blindly following a DPS Sequence is a sure way to defeat. 

Recommended Gear / Stats

Here, we go over Synthesis Effects that you should try to roll on your gear. Please remember that these are just our suggestions and your character's equipment build is ultimately up to your preference. 

Note1: Perfect stats often depend on your current gear score, which means that there is no such thing as "universally best stats", except Intelligence which is your primary that should always be present on your equipment. 

Note2: We recommend Cloth Armor for the casting-related bonuses that it provides;  as a Mage, your best defense is the ability to not get hit, anyway. 

 
Head
  • Primary: Intelligence 
  • Secondary: Received Melee Damage + Resilience 
  • Gems: Toughness 
Chest
  • Primary: Intelligence
  • Secondary: Received Melee Damage + Resilience 
  • Gems: Resilience 
Waist
  • Primary: Intelligence 
  • Secondary: Backstab Magic Damage + Toughness 
  • Gems: Serpent Glare Increase 
Wrists
  • Primary: Intelligence 
  • Secondary: Backstab Magic Damage + Toughness 
  • Gems: Impale, Stun, Sleep, Fear, Confinement, and Trip Decrease 
Hands
  • Primary: Intelligence 
  • Secondary: Received Melee Damage + Resilience 
  • Gems: Magic Attack Increase 
Cloak
  • Erenor Flaming Hatchetblade Cloak (Intelligence + Stamina + Focus + Magic Critical Damage) 
Legs
  • Primary: Intelligence 
  • Secondary: Received Melee Damage + Resilience  
  • Gems: Toughness Increase 
Feet
  • Primary: Intelligence 
  • Secondary: Received Melee Damage + Resilience 
  • Gems: Move Speed Increase / Resilience 
Costume
  • Magic Attack + Magic Critical Damage + Magic Skill Damage + Received Damage + Magic Critical Rate 
Underwear
  • Melee Damage Reduction + Resilience + Toughness + Magic Damage Reduction 
  • Gems: Magic Attack Increase 
Neck
  • Archeum Evernight Necklace (Decreased Received Damage + Stamina + Toughness + Focus) 
Earring 1
  • Primary: Intelligence 
  • Secondary: Received Damage + Maximum Health 
Earring 2
  • Primary: Intelligence 
  • Secondary: Received Damage + Maximum Health 
Ring 1
  • Primary: Intelligence 
  • Secondary: Magic Skill Damage + Maximum Health 
Ring 2 Flawless Dream Ring (Stamina + Skill Damage + Defense Penetration + Magic Defense Penetration) 
Melee Weapon(s)
  • Primary: Intelligence 
  • Secondary: Magic Critical Rate + Magic Critical Damage 
  • Gems: Spell Critical Damage Increase 

Note: For Dual Wielding, you want the same Stats and Gems on both of your Weapons. 

Ranged
Weapon
  • Primary: Intelligence 
  • Secondary: Magic Critical Rate + Magic Critical Damage 
  • Gems: Spell Critical Damage Increase 
Instrument
  • Primary: Intelligence 
  • Secondary: Evasion/Move Speed + Magic Attack 
  • Gems: Magic Attack Increase 


Odealo supports player-to-player trading for Archeage Gold and Items. With multiple sellers competing for your attention, you are to expect the best prices, prompt delivery, and high quality of service.

 

Other Random Things

  • In PvP, your mobility and Crowd Control abilities are your best defense; always have that Freezing Earth, Malicious Binding, Drop Back, and Freerunner ready, and if everything else fails, use Shadow Cloak as your last chance button. 
  • Remember that the Magic Circle can be used defensively as a teleport. Use it to avoid AoE Damage and charging enemies (this seems trivial, but often gets overlooked). 
  • Always keep your range (this point sums up the previous two). Enemies will try to catch you, don't let them... keeping a safe distance, while dealing damage with Spells, is your main goal as a Caster in PvP. Practice the use of your Crowd Control and Mobility skills, as mastering them equals to mastering the Fanatic. 

END NOTE

This Guide should help you master your Fanatic and become a force to be reckoned with in both PvP and PvE environments. We hope that you have found it useful and informative, and maybe learned something new about your favorite game. If we have missed a piece of information that is important to you, please let us know! 

Please do note that this is an early version of our guide, and we will be happy to receive constructive criticism, that will help us improve it, so leave your suggestions in the comments section below.

Pictures used in this article are the intellectual property of  XL Games