[BUILD GUIDE] The Royal Court Battlemage (Wizard) (2024)

Difficulty: PotD Best Team Role: Crowd Control and off-tank dps

Team based or solo (if emphasizing defensive talents first)

This is more a party based guide and I have played this build in a party but it seems strong enough to solo with a few adjustments.

Introduction:

The wizard is one of the most versatile classes in PoE, being able to adjust himself or herself on the fly to do whatever is necessary to help the whole party succeed in any hairy battle situation. This guide is aimed at suggesting a wizard build strong across multiple functions (cc, disruption, interrupt, one-on-one melee duelist), no glass noodle, a team-player first and foremost, yet a badass who can in a cinch pull victory from the jaws of defeat should the team be almost overwhelmed, and do so with style to boot . Some of these suggestions for talents etc in this guide will no doubt be familiar to veteran wizard players, and I also have to say my choices for equipment, armor etc, have been done to fit the overall concept of the archetypal in my mind battlemage), to match the overall package. But without further ado, enter the Royal Court Wizard, veritable jack of many trades, and perhaps even master of one or two.

Race: Human, it is good for the might bonus and the overall theme of this character is to be best when the battle gets tough so the racial bonus is good. A case can be made for Fire or Moon Godlike but they have to helm and I find that is a bigger con to the needs of this purticular character than their racials. Coastal aumaua can be considered too but that would be a "Court Djinn"

Background: Living Lands (Might bonus), noble or mercenary.

Stats:

Might: Max it

Con: 6

Dex: flat

Perception: max it

Int: Max it (but you want to buff might and perception more)

Resolve: 6

Talents:

! = principle to the concept of the class, R = Very Highly recommended O= Optional but good choices

In general order I would take them:

Arcane Veil ! your bread and butter defensive ability, essential first line of defense especially as you will be spending a lot of time in melee

Blast R (team) / Fast Runner ! (if solo) blast -mainly taken for the extra interrupts and any on hit effects from scepter rods and wands

Penetrating Blast R/O (team) / Hardened Veil ! if solo! boosting damage a bit from blast does not hurt and your high might takes care of the rest, at range you will cast cc spells mainly anyways and do actual weapon damage in melee anyways this is the most optional of the early talents.

Interrupting Blows ! essential talent as you want to be a great interrupter it helps your team when you attack at range and you when you zone in on an enemy in melee, it also comes at the time you get lvl 3 spells and delirious alactricy of motion.

Scion of Flame / or Secrets of Rime ! (Choose one at least - Flame if you go more melee, rime if you stick in the back ranks more) fire is good in melee because of firebrand + flame shield, fan of flames and the occasional fireball opener. ice is good because the strongest damage + cc spells at range are ice. all the ninigauth spells basically.

Vulnerable Attack R at this point you can start to make your melee attack more devastating if you like those rapiers which you should

Two Weapon Style R greater attack speed when dual wielding rapiers

Weapon Focus: Noble R you can get accuracy from other sources like eldridge aim, it is nice but I personally take:

Hardened Veil O basically means you will only be grazed even at higher levels when this is active which combined from the dr on your armor is quite sufficient

Savage Attack O

Apprentice Sneak Attack O

/ Savage attack and Baby SA can be skipped if going more tanky you can take superior deflection I guess and cautious attack. I prefer the "melee" variant in first line here - the concept of this build is to be very competent mob cc, but also be able to dual against the mob boss leaders.

Spell Mastery:

Level 1: Slicken (cc this good too good to pass up)

Level 2: Combusting wounds

Level 3: DAoM is probably best although if you think you can just use potions of it you can maybe take Fireball

Level 4: Flame Shield or Pull of Eora or Ninigauth Shadowflame (especially on distant rime build)

Equipment:

Helm: Azalin's Helm

Armor: Osric's Family Breastplate (Durgan refined)

Gloves: Pilferer's Grip or Forgemaster's Gloves, Ryonas Vambraces

Boots: Glanfathan Stalking Boots

Rings: Ring of searing flames, ring of deflection, ring of protection are all good generally

Belt: Girdle of mortal protection

Neck: Liliths Shawl

Note this is mid game: I am sure there are some more awesome items before or after depending on how you progress through the game. You want to boost perception, might, and Int.

Weapon 1: Gyrd Haewanes Stenas (you get it early, it's great, has super accuracy so what's not to like, and looks good and "fits" (domination chance) on the character!)

Weapon 2: Vierina's Leaves + Spelltongue or Sword of Dyonisos + Spelltongue. They are already great without durgan I am sure they would be awesome with it. But it is not necessary to durganize them.

potions: regen, llengrath's di or bulwark depending on fight type, spirit shield or paralysis scrolls, figurine

How she behaves on the battlefield: generally starts in the back ranks and cc's / disrupts enemies and conserves some of her strength, but if the situation calls for she buffs herself up with alactricy, flame shield, vital essence, arcane veil, martial prowess, switches to dual rapiers and stun interrupts a troublesome target like a battery siren or a brood mother. She dueled against battery sirens and brood mothers for me just fine that way on Potd and I would not consider my skills good enough for solo at this game yet. I am sure in expert hands she would be even more fearsome.

I like the breast plate because it fits the "noble court wizard" theme. With pilferer's grip and durgan it is as light as cloth (15% recovery penalty) hella sturdy, has second chance even, and looks awesome. You can have zero recovery with robes but this is not really a "robe" wizard in my mind.

Current Grimoire:

Totally Badass:

Edit: looking at the grimoire again, I will replace kolakoth minor blights with pull of eora though both are really but this wizard just goes into melee should spells be low 85% of the time so kolakoth mb is not really needed.

Edited March 3, 2016 by ottffsse