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MAGUS : ChangeSpec non-pug warband viability

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 4:51 pm
by Kaozium
Hello fellow magi,

To what extent are Change specced (erhmergerd more aoeee) viable AND accepted into non-pug warbands ? I know sorcs are king but damn It would kill me if there was only 1 type of viable rdps in the game. Does the utility/pressure a Change magus can bring compensate for a weaker burst ?

If they totally are viable and decently in demand, is there a particular build (Change dominant) that people ask for ? A particular set of items/gems that makes it work ?

The bottom line is that Magus (Change or Havoc) has to be my favourite destro class so far and I don't want to be cast aside by decent groups for playing it.

Not asking for Havoc spec (as much as I love it, I have no hope), nor for rift spec (I know they're liked but... I don't fancy the gameplay yet).

Ty !

Re: MAGUS : ChangeSpec non-pug warband viability

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 5:14 pm
by marisco
Changing magus is amazing on defense but kinda falls off while on offense. The current population meta has order defending most of the time and so changing sometimes feels out of place. You do TONS of damage but most of it is fluff. When you have to coordinate a push and need some burst to remove turtle, well, you're kinda useless.

Unless you go full tree into Demonic Scream m4. It's one of the best tree-specific m4s in the game but it means that you are trading some utility from the other trees to have it.

Since most premade wbs view magus as basically a pull-bot, I'd say chaging is best used while pugging. With people throwing zones and forts to get to city sieges, you don't have many opportunities to shine on defense as the spec used to do.

Re: MAGUS : ChangeSpec non-pug warband viability

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 7:38 pm
by Kaozium
Honestly it boils down to : Will I be frustrated and feel like I've wasted my time playing Magus because people kick me or won't take me in serious wbs ? It's really a matter of having a good experience, I don't mind being less brutal in offense than in defense on a personal level. I just want to play the game but the more I read, the more I feel like all the class-spec combos I fancy are disregarded and it kinda bums me out. It's hard to know if I'm blowing it out of proportion since I haven't yet had the occasion to see for myself how people treat Change magi.

Re: MAGUS : ChangeSpec non-pug warband viability

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 8:22 pm
by zachary
IMO AoE Magus is like any AoE: solo you can apply some pressure, but if you want to reliably rack up kills you need 3+ AoE-spec'd players to bomb with. When sieging, they're nice for helping keep order off the walls/oil/ram.

If you get frustrated, you can always try out snipe-spec - though again, solo may be frustrating but pairing with another similar-spec magus will help you rack up kills here (magus snipe squad!).

Finally, realize that the class-spec combos you fancy that are disregarded may only be disregarded because no one has figured out how to play them fully effectively yet! Between mastery specs, tactics, reknown spec, gear, and talis, there's a lot of variables and ferreting out the combination and play-tactics to make your fancied combo shine may just not have been done yet... so go to it! Be ready to put in some work, though, because the easy setups probably _have_ been tried... and found lacking.

Good luck!

Re: MAGUS : ChangeSpec non-pug warband viability

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 8:55 pm
by empmoz
Change spec is really good on defense when holding a choke point (a doorway for example) but sucks in orvr due to the slow dps buildup. I'd spec to rift/changing, andthen respec to full changing for keep/fort defense/pve. Change/Havoc is also good for attacking keeps/forts, but is too slow to be good in orvr

Re: MAGUS : ChangeSpec non-pug warband viability

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 9:04 pm
by marisco
Kaozium wrote: Thu Feb 13, 2020 7:38 pm Honestly it boils down to : Will I be frustrated and feel like I've wasted my time playing Magus because people kick me or won't take me in serious wbs ? It's really a matter of having a good experience, I don't mind being less brutal in offense than in defense on a personal level. I just want to play the game but the more I read, the more I feel like all the class-spec combos I fancy are disregarded and it kinda bums me out. It's hard to know if I'm blowing it out of proportion since I haven't yet had the occasion to see for myself how people treat Change magi.
It is definetely a good experience. It's always fun to spread damage around and see the ticks all around your screen. And don't get me wrong, it's not a bad spec. But, for example, a guild wb with strict preset roles thats might want their magus to be spec'd into pull. But that's part of game, i'm afraid. The more you go into premades, organized wbs, the more streamlined the game becomes. Some classes/specs are in premades wbs just to be a one-trick-pony and depending on your guild your magus might be just that. But if you really want to be part of that demographic, you shouldn't get attached to specs anyway as you'll be respecing constantly.

Re: MAGUS : ChangeSpec non-pug warband viability

Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2020 8:55 am
by Nidwin
It has already been said in the past. As a Magus you spec in one tree, one tree only and focus in what that tree is good at.

Havoc -> single target poof
Changing -> lol aoe dps from range
Daemonology -> pester mode in deftard spec with pull for lolz

Magus has no place in organized full 24 premade wb or 6-men for the pros as there are much better options for what the Magus can bring to the table.
On the other hand Magus truly shines as solo as add to any wb or group or solo/duo/trio because jack of all trades and big pester machine. I only wished we had some of the Engie's tactic goodies to pester even more.

Re: MAGUS : ChangeSpec non-pug warband viability

Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2020 1:18 pm
by Kaozium
Nidwin wrote: Mon Feb 17, 2020 8:55 am

Magus has no place in organized full 24 premade wb
Not even rifters ?

Re: MAGUS : ChangeSpec non-pug warband viability

Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2020 1:46 pm
by Nidwin
Kaozium wrote: Mon Feb 17, 2020 1:18 pm
Nidwin wrote: Mon Feb 17, 2020 8:55 am

Magus has no place in organized full 24 premade wb
Not even rifters ?
Nope, not even rifters. This doesn't mean that chaotic rift can't be fun.

Re: MAGUS : ChangeSpec non-pug warband viability

Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2020 7:15 pm
by geezereur
Nidwin wrote: Mon Feb 17, 2020 8:55 am It has already been said in the past. As a Magus you spec in one tree, one tree only and focus in what that tree is good at.

Havoc -> single target poof
Changing -> lol aoe dps from range
Daemonology -> pester mode in deftard spec with pull for lolz

Magus has no place in organized full 24 premade wb or 6-men for the pros as there are much better options for what the Magus can bring to the table.
On the other hand Magus truly shines as solo as add to any wb or group or solo/duo/trio because jack of all trades and big pester machine. I only wished we had some of the Engie's tactic goodies to pester even more.
Feelsbadman I kinda regret making Magus my main, the damn pets die in 1-2 sec in wb action I dont know what has been done to them.
Lose your pet lose your damage.