Mage - PvE Build
- Great for Group PvE
- Great AOE DPS
- Easy to Play
- Squishy
Overview
This Mage build focuses on delivering high AOE DPS and performs particularly well when used in group content such as dungeons, AOE mob farming and any even boss hunting as this build does well in all PVE content currently available in Ashes of Creation, remaining one of the top choices for all groups that are looking to challenge the existing PVE content.
Skills
Equipment
Graveplate set instead of Sandbastion is another good and easier to get option, there isn't a huge difference but you'd be missing out on the unique Sandbastion set stats and get some Intelligence instead. Another important item piece you should keep in mind is the 
Anchorite's Stole which can be expensive but gives a lot of mag power for cheap. Rosethorn pieces can also be replaced with Seafoam but make sure you keep 5 pieces of heavy, either Graveplate or Sandbastion to have the 12% physical damage reduction.
Mirageborn Sandwrought Great Mace can replace 
Shadowfang Gloomfang Greatsword, normally being a cheaper choice that can last a long enough time at end-game.
Weapons
Stamina
As a Mage, you shouldn't be prioritizing the 
Sustained Guard as you are mostly aiming to dodge and sprint. Instead, prioritize 
Escape Velocity first to increase your movement speed while sprinting in combat (default key C). This becomes crucial later in the game, as it lets you kite mobs while waiting for cooldowns or quickly escape danger when needed.
Next, put points into Recuperation Training and Evasive Maneuver to boost your evasion rate during dodges. This will also unlock 
Springstep, which greatly improves your mobility by enhancing your dodge distance.
Finally, invest your remaining points in Guard Training to reduce stamina usage when blocking (default key E). Adding 
Mental Fortification can also be beneficial, as it reduces the likelihood of being crowd-controlled (CC’d) while blocking, which can be helpful in certain situations.
Rotations
- This is one of your earliest rotations and perfect for dealing with single mobs or to finish off elite mobs that are already low on HP. Start the rotation by channeling a full cast of
Lightning Strike and continue by casting 3 
Firebolts before using 
Combust for extra burn damage boosted by 
Fuse.
- You generally want to use this rotation for group PVE where you have a Tank pulling and holding aggro on the mobs so you can properly deal damage without being attacked. Start by placing down
Arcane Circle to boost the damage you deal with the next abilities but make sure to stay in the Arcane Circle radius to not lose the damage buff. This also allows you to stack multiple elemental effects at once, greatly improving your overall DPS.
- Use
Hoarfrost to apply Chill and then use 
Cone of Cold to freeze the mobs together and also make it much easier for teammates to apply their own DPS. Pop out a 
Magma Field on top of the mob pack so it starts applying burns and dealing damage while you channel other skills. Channel 
Ball Lightning so it hits all enemies you've frozen in order to deal damage through the 
Shatter proc while also applying Volatile so your 
Chain Lightning does extra damage.
- Follow-up with Chain Lightning so your
Prismatic Beam hits with all elements, dealing incredibly high damage.
Shell: Perfect when used as a panic button, this skill creates a large shield that protects you from damage. Don't use it on cooldown as you might need it when your group makes pulls that do AOE damage or when your tank loses aggro.
Enchant Weapon: Most of the time you want to have this active on the melee DPS in your party and normally with the Frost buff to help with freezing enemies more often.
