Questions about the Mage

[Mance]

Hi,

First off, this is a great site for information, one of the best EQ sites I've been to. I recently started a Mage and have a few questions... apologies in advance, I've been going through old posts and there's an overwhelming amount of information out there to digest, so I'm hoping to cut to the chase here.

Side note, I did the Mage epic 1.0 (I do this on all characters as a hobby), any Mage who completed this during the Kunark era deserves a beer.

My Mage will be joining my box crew of Bard, Shaman, and Necro. I won't be raiding on these characters, I'll just be playing for AA grinding and group progression.

So two questions...

1. Pets: I'm reading some conflicting information on which pet fits best for each role. Water for dps, Air for dps and tank, and Earth for tank seems to be the general consensus but why? What does each pet provide that makes it best for each role, i.e. does Air proc a stun? Water backstabs, yes? Earth roots and is beefier? What are the specifics?

2. Must-have Items: What items are considered must-have for the Mage? This could be utility, DPS specific, etc... Just curious though, every class seems to have a few items they depend on. I can't seem to narrow down which ones belong to the Mage but I like working on filling out my characters as best I can.

Thanks in advance!

[Conjem]

My Mage will be joining my box crew of Bard, Shaman, and Necro. I won't be raiding on these characters, I'll just be playing for AA grinding and group progression.

So two questions...

1. Pets: I'm reading some conflicting information on which pet fits best for each role. Water for dps, Air for dps and tank, and Earth for tank seems to be the general consensus but why? What does each pet provide that makes it best for each role, i.e. does Air proc a stun? Water backstabs, yes? Earth roots and is beefier? What are the specifics?

Earth pets have a lot more HP and mitigate damage better than other pets. DPS is low.

Air pets have the next best HP. The stuns piss mobs off if aggro is an issue. High DPS.

Water pets have less HP. Great DPS if behind the mob but that means positioning every mob.

Which suits you best will depend your AA and gear. If your bard is tanking skip the earth pet. If the pet tanks go with earth or air. Tougher mobs and bosses skew toward earth pet. However, the air pet can handle tough stuff quite well if the mobs are slowed. Kiting? Water pet.

I retired during the House of Thule expansion with virtually max AA. Most end-zone bosses were soloable, with merc, unslowed using an earth pet. Heavy hitters could one-round my air pet but they rarely did.

[Mance]

Good stuff, thanks.

If I use the Bard to tank, would Air pet be viable as a DPS pet using the stuns to mitigate some damage? Or is that crazy talk?

[Conjurous]

Water pets have less HP. Great DPS if behind the mob but that means positioning every mob.

Water pet don't need to be behind to backstab anymore.
I find air pet is best when it can stun mobs but Earth is better for named and multiple mobs.

[Conjem]

Water pets have less HP. Great DPS if behind the mob but that means positioning every mob.

Water pet don't need to be behind to backstab anymore.

Excellent change! I had 'backstab' audio triggered for raiding with my water pet. Just before my retirement it would set the trigger off no matter where the pet was but they were only normal hits unless the pet was behind the mob. Very cool that positioning isn't so critical now as pet pathing in some zones was horrid.

[Goranothos]

1. Pets: I'm reading some conflicting information on which pet fits best for each role. Water for dps, Air for dps and tank, and Earth for tank seems to be the general consensus but why? What does each pet provide that makes it best for each role, i.e. does Air proc a stun? Water backstabs, yes? Earth roots and is beefier? What are the specifics?

I don't raid, but like you, just box and do group content. I pet tank and use Air almost exclusively. Sometimes I'll pop out Earth on some Nameds, but this is rare. I never summon water or fire.

2. Must-have Items: What items are considered must-have for the Mage? This could be utility, DPS specific, etc... Just curious though, every class seems to have a few items they depend on. I can't seem to narrow down which ones belong to the Mage but I like working on filling out my characters as best I can.

Must have items are, first, the best Enhanced Minion item you can get. In all content after SoD, this is an earring. Second, the best fire focus you can get (arms). Third, best detrimental mana preservation item you can get (shoulders). Things be come less important after those "big three". Detrimental spell haste I would say is next (legs).

What level are you? Epic 1.5/2.0 is very good up to level 75, after that, meh.

[Vincentt]

Earth pets mitigate 5% more dmg naturally, just like warriors. As you already know they proc a root spell (12 secs). I still don't use them. I think he's resistant to disease based spells.

Water pet is your raid pet, for the dps added with backstabs. It's handy to keep one of these frenzied+fortified+Blessed+dmg shielded+mitigationbuffed in suspended mode for emergencies. He's resistant to poison based spells. I still don't use them. I do have one in my pocket for emergencies.

Fire pet is your raid 'fresh death' pet, get you out of the starter gate immediately because while it's melee is relatively weak, it's nukes do decent dmg. He's resistant to fire based spells. I still don't use them.

Air pet is your rock. Your fluffy mattress. Your warm beer. You'll come to rely on him and love him like I have. His stuns reduce mob's dps. His melee avoidance is remarkable. Suit him up in Elegant Defiant gear and watch him hold the line. Lately he seems to do well even when getting hit from behind.

If your bard is same level as mage, your pet will make a better tank. Just have bard in the background singing Mitigation, Mana Regen, +2 other songs you like; and overhaste aura. That's what I do. But heck, you're slowing with shm.

Best BangfortheBuck Pet Foci (from my experience). And I'm assuming your at least level 75.
75-76: Get a Skull of the Spire Servant in bazaar. This 4hr self buff. Gives your pet +2 levels (EM1 foci). Hopefully you can summon 2 pets (suspend one) and gear them both up in 4 hours! If both pets die in your adventures you'll have to return to the baz. Shard of the 1st minion is also available in bazaar, for a lesser pet: (Spire Servant Foci).
77-79: Elegant summoner's earring (pok vendor, 6k pp) will suffice. (Servant of Chaos foci). Your main pet should still be summoned with the prior foci. But this SoC foci will allow your RS pets to be stronger.
80-84 : Chipped shards of Dread in bazaar (~5k if you're lucky) will give you EM5.
85-91: Whispered Steel loop (baz) for EM8.
92+: Twitching Snood for EM12. But lately this is overpriced in the bazaar. 100k??? not when a 96 mage can solo the common drop off a common named. Price will come down when supply floods the market.

I'm sure there's better pet foci that others will post further down.

[Voragath]

Water pets have less HP. Great DPS if behind the mob but that means positioning every mob.

Water pet don't need to be behind to backstab anymore.

This is partially correct about the water pet.

Water pet without weapons will backstab from behind only.

Water pet WITH weapons will backstab from anywhere.

[Mance]

Thanks everyone, this information is great... Much appreciated.

Hitting the baz for foci, weapons, and gearing up.

Anyone on Povar that wants to group up in the mid 80s, let me know! (Bard = Mance)

[Vincentt]

Wanted to mention for AAs, the best bang for the buck i'm getting is from:

Pet defense (duh).
Pet offense (flurry and crits).
Theft of Essence (get level 3 minimum, level 6 is great pet healing). For Paw and Katta.
Destructive Fury and Fury of Magic.
Group Invis

Won't mention the obvious basics like SCM etc., I know you have those maxed. There's plenty of threads on AAs I'm sure you'll get around to. So no need for me to blab on here. I found my mage really came into his own around 700 AAs. I'm currently at 1000. AAs just fly by lately.