How to Dominate as a Mage in Elden Ring

Being a mage or recluse player in the Ninth Reign can initially feel underwhelming if you’re not fully aware of what you’re doing. Don’t worry! Today, I’m here to guide you on how to become an overpowered (OP) mage in every round, significantly increasing your chances of success based on my own experiences.

Choosing Your Class: The Recluse

To maximize your mage potential, you’ll want to opt for the Recluse class. This build is particularly formidable due to its impressive scaling: an S in both Intelligence and Faith, allowing you to effectively utilize every spell in the game. One of the key advantages of the Recluse build is your ability to regenerate Focus Points (FP) infinitely—a crucial aspect for any mage. If you find yourself needing to accelerate your progress or enhance your magical arsenal, consider where to buy Elden Ring Items, as acquiring powerful gear can further solidify your dominance in battles.

Key Mechanics

In this variation of the game, staves and seals have been simplified. Staves now only scale with Intelligence while seals exclusively scale with Faith. Additionally, the Recluse passive allows you to drain FP every time elemental or magic damage hits an enemy, creating a seamless gameplay loop.

Gameplay Loop:

1. Chain cast spells using stamina until depletion.

2. Replenish your FP by absorbing magic residue from enemies.

3. Rinse and repeat—keeping your spells flowing without downtime.

The Magic Cocktail Skill

The Recluse class has an exclusive skill called the Magic Cocktail. This mechanic allows you to mix different elemental residues collected from enemies through damage. Colors denote the element:

· Blue: Magic

· Yellow/Orange: Holy

· Orange: Fire

· Yellow with Sparkles: Lightning

By combining different residues, you can create unique spells that enhance your magical arsenal. Although it may seem complex, consider this skill a supplementary tool rather than your primary damage source.

Getting Started: Early Game Strategies

Starting Spells

Immediately upon spawning, you get:

· Glintstone Arc: Great for farming low-level mobs.

· Glintstone Pebble: Effective for dealing with enemies until your first upgrade.

Targeting Points of Interest

To gear up effectively, you’ll want to explore cathedrals, forts, and mage towers. These structures are your best bet for staves and seals early on.

1. Cathedrals: Look for broken ones that often contain both a boss and a loot drop, ideal for early upgrades.

2. Forts: These often house staves and are easy to conquer at low levels.

3. Mage Towers: Navigate to the top for guaranteed mage-related drops.

Day-by-Day Progression

· Day 1: Target low-level structures. Aim for a quick upgrade by defeating accessible bosses.

· Day 2: Focus on higher-level content for increased experience and higher rarity drops, particularly targeting elite boss fights and the shifting earth event.

· Day 3: Prepare for the final bosses armed with your gathered spells and gear, ideally reaching level 13–15 by now.

Essential Spells for Early Game

Here are ten pivotal spells that can help you excel early on:

1. Glintstone Ice Crack: Induces frostbite—massive damage and a team buff.

2. Glintstone Stars: Tracking capabilities make this reliable against moving targets.

3. Night Comet: Great damage with AoE potential.

4. Discus of Light: Fast and efficient holy damage.

5. Black Flame: Reliable fire damage option with a percentage-based sap mechanic.

6. Lightning Spear: Consistent and easy-to-use lightning damage.

7. Magic Glint Blade: Cast it from a distance and have it linger for damage.

8. Adulla's Moon Blade: AoE damage with frostbite potential.

9. Great Oracular Bubble: High stance damage and burst potential.

10. Comet Shards: Reliable damage source with some homing effects.

Leveling Up: Rushing for Rare Equipment

To enhance your mage’s potential, prioritize leveling up your character and equipment. Aim for purple rarity staves with the best spells, especially:

· Stars of Rune: Exceptional tracking and aggressive damage.

· Ancient Death Ranker: Great range and damage capacity.

· Ry's Dark Moon: Massive damage and defensive capabilities.

Relics and Buffs: Boosting Your Damage Output

Don’t forget to prioritize equipping relics that enhance your rune acquisition, FP efficiency, and provide passive bonuses as you cast spells. The Recluse particularly benefits from relics that restore both HP and FP when using umbrella-like spells on allies.

By combining effective spell choices and strategic point allocation, you can maximize your mage's potential in the game. To enhance your build even further, you might want to consider where to buy Elden Ring Runes, as having ample resources can significantly boost your gameplay experience. For a reliable source, MMOEXP offers a wide selection of items that can help you elevate your character to new heights.