Kingdoms of Amalur - Reckoning (Archmage) (e)

Cover
 ____________________________________________________________________________
|\__________________________________________________________________________/|
||									    ||
||                      Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning                       ||
||                          Archmage Build/Guide                            ||
||									    ||
||									    ||
||	Date: 2/29/2012							    ||
||	Author: Kurii							    ||
||__________________________________________________________________________||
|/__________________________________________________________________________\|


==============================================================================
                          Table of Contents
==============================================================================

	C-I.	About the Author
	C-II.	Guide Intro
	C-III.	Equipment
	C-IV.	Skills
	C-V.	Abilities
	C-VI.	Twists of Fate (*Spoiler Alert)
	C-VII.	Closing Statements

==============================================================================
                                                                              



==============================================================================
 C-I. About the Author (Stuff you won't read)
==============================================================================

Hi, my name is Chris. Also known as Kurii, Kuriii (League of Legends) synix09
(YouTube), Bananaya (from Dungeon Fighter Online), or Ciel (from Ethereal-RO).

I've always played mage characters in just about any RPG. I really enjoyed it
in this game as well so I decided to create a guide especially since my
character started one-shotting everything in Hard difficulty once I hit level
28+.

I also play a lot of other games like 2D fighters (Melty Blood, Guilty Gear,
Immaterial and Missing Power, 3rd Strike), shooters (Counter Strike,
S4 League), MMORPGs (Ragnarok Online, Lineage 2, Dungeon Fighter Online), and
others (League of Legends, Gunbound, Starcraft, etc.)

My YouTube channel is http://www.youtube.com/synix09

I hope you guys find my guide useful.




==============================================================================
 C-II. Guide Intro
==============================================================================

*Don't mistake this guide as a walkthrough. It's merely a build for a strong
mage character. Covering what items you need, how to get make them, what
skills/abilities to get, and which quest choices to make to get the correct
Twists of Fate. 

This build focuses on maxing your spell damage to the point where you can
one-shot all non-boss monsters (without potions or reckoning mode) on Hard
difficulty. You can one-shot the final boss on Hard Difficulty with potion
buffs in reckoning mode. 

And at the same time, you wil be incredibly tanky with a huge health pool
(over 2500 HP), damage mitigation, as well as life steal from your summon.
You'll never die if you have your summon attacking things. Even if he wasn't
out, it'd take like 5 minutes for normal monsters to take you down if you just
stand there. And if you're close to dying, you can restore 100% health with
50% mana with level 7 Healing Surge.

And you'll never run out of mana (unless you keep spamming Healing Surge and
Sphere of Protection for some reason - these are percentage mana manacost
spells).

Eventually the gameplay becomes you running into a middle of a group, casting
Meteor, one-shot everything, explore and find another group, cast Meteor. If
you fight a boss, go into reckoning mode, cast Meteor. If you're fighting the
final boss, go into reckoning mode, use some potion buffs, cast Meteor
- just about one shotting the last boss (won't let you one-shot due to a
special final boss battle sequence.




==============================================================================
 C-III. Equipment
==============================================================================

At the start of the game, you might want to work on items that boost your
mana. Then start transitioning to things that add % Fire/Elemental/Magic
Damage and Magic Crit Chance. Don't worry about completing or keeping any sets
(they all kinda suck). You'll end up using bits and pieces of yellows and
purples you'll find through hidden objects, treasure chests, and monsters.

What you'll end up doing towards the end of the game is you'll craft your own
weapons and armor (not including accessories) through Blacksmithing and
Sagecrafting which will be a lot stronger than anything you'll find in the
game.

To be honest, you're already pretty much unstoppable if you manage to get at
least 2 or 3 of these items. So I wouldn't worry too much about making the
"pefect" build. You can fill a lot of slots with +80 HP/MP components
(Robust).


 Final Build (All items crafted except for Accessories)
---------------------------------------------------------

*You can switch out the Flamed (20% Fire Damage) Bindings/Grip/Rivets for
Arcane (% Magic Damage) Grip/Rivets and Mystic (% Chance to Crit with Magic)
Bindings/Grip/Rivets, but they are EXTREMELY RARE. You can also use Faeblades
or a Longsword with 2 Flawless Arcane components in the same weapon. So you
can have 4 with Primary and Secondary.

Chakrams (Primary):
Weapon Fire Damage (Prismere Flame Disc)
+7% Damage
15% Chance to Steal 25 Mana (Flawless Ravenous Handle)
+20% Fire Damage (Flawless Flamed Grip)
20% Fire Damage (Flawless Flamed Rivets)
+20% Health (Hero's Gem)

Sceptre (Secondary):
Weapon Fire Damage (Ebony Flame Dowel)
+7% Damage
15% Chance to Steal 25 Mana (Flawless Ravenous Handle)
+20% Fire Damage (Flawless Flamed Grip)
+20% Fire Damage (Flawless Flamed Rivets)
+20% Health (Hero's Gem)

Cowl:
+15% Mana Regen per Second
+6% Experience Bonus (Spiritweave Headdress)
+20% Fire Damage (Flawless Flamed Rivets)
+20% Fire Damage (Flawless Flamed Bindings)
+12% Damage Resist (Flawless Everlasting Lining)
+20% Health (Hero's Gem)

Robes:
+30% Mana Regen per Second
+16% Physical Resist (Spiritweave Cloth)
+12% Damage Resist (Flawless Everlasting Trim)
+12% Elemental Resist (Flawless Warding String)
+20% Health (Flawless Strengthening Bindings)
+1 Sorcery Abilities (Sorcerer's Gem)

Handwraps:
+10% Mana Regen per Second
+16% Mana (Spiritweave Mitt)
+20% Fire Damage (Flawless Flamed Grip)
+20% Fire Damage (Flawless Flamed Bindings)
+12% Elemental Resist (Flawless Warding String)
+20% Health (Hero's Gem)

Shoes
+10% Mana Regen per Second
+16% Health (Spiritweave Heel)
+20% Fire Damage (Flawless Flamed Rivets)
+20% Fire Damage (Flawless Flamed Bindings)
+12% Damage Resist (Flawless Everlasting Lining)
+20% Health (Hero's Gem)

Talisman:
+10% Elemental Resist (Platinum Guard)
16% Melee Block Efficacy
16% Ranged Block Efficacy
16% Magic Block Efficacy
+12% Damage Resist (Flawless Everlasting Trim)
+20% Fire Damage (Flawless Flamed Grip)
+20% Fire Damage (Flawless Flamed Bindings)
+20% Health (Hero's Gem)

Necklace: Ancient Phylactery (Unique) <-- Changable.
+15% Chance to Crit with Magic
+15% Magic Crit Damage

Ring: Archsage's Ring (Unique)
+15% Fire Damage
+15% Ice Damage
+15% Lightning Damage
+30 Mana
-10% Mana Costs

Ring: Savant's Ring (Unique)
+10% Fire Damage
+10% Ice Damage
+10% Lightning Damage
+25 Mana
-9% Mana Costs


Bonus percentage health is COMPOUNDED! This means if you have 2 pieces of
equipment both with +20% Health, you would get 1.2 * 1.2 = 1.44 (44%)
instead of 40%. So let's take this further.

Let's say you have about 500 base Health. +10% Health from Destiny Defiant
Destiny, 2 weapons with +20% Health each, 4 armor pieces with +20% Health
each, Spiritweave Shoes with +36%, and no accessories.
570 * 1.1 * 1.2 * 1.2* 1.2* 1.2* 1.2* 1.2 * 1.36 = 2546.2 Health
Tag on damage reduction from gear and Sphere of Protection. Then add on
life steal from Faer Gorta. You won't die - ever.

And don't worry about Mana. With Archsage's and Savant's Ring (from the
Scholia Arcana quest line) and Archmage Destiny, you pretty much have
infinite mana even without any weapon/armor on.


You can get the components through Blacksmithing and Sagecrafting.


 Blacksmithing
----------------
If you see an item with the stats listed above, you can Salvage the
components off of them.
For example you might find a weapon called Staff of the Inferno (+20% Fire
Damage) from a monster or NPC. Save your game (non-quicksave) if you buy the
item from an NPC (because some items are bugged - unable to salvage the
component even though it's there), go to a Blacksmith station, quick-save and
try to get the +20% Fire Damage component through Salvage. Even though the 
item name is "of the Inferno", the component name will be Flamed. So watch
out for those. Some examples are:
Deathless -> Everlasting (Damage Resist),
"of the Mystic" -> Arcane (% Damage with Magic),
Mysticism -> Mystic (% Chance to Critical Hit with Magic),
"of Gluttony" -> Ravenous (15% Chance to Steal 25 Mana).



 Sagecrafting
---------------
The only gems you need to worry about are -
Utility Gem: Pristine Protection + Pristine Protection = Hero's Gem
(+20% Health)

Epic Gem: Pristine Magic + Pristine Magic = Sorcerer's Gem
(+1 to all unlocked Sorcery abilities)




==============================================================================
 C-IV. Skills
==============================================================================

Most useful:
Detect Hidden (Max)

Useful towards the end:
Alchemy (Max)
Blacksmithing (Max)
Sagecrafting (8 points - Master Level 1)

Luxury:
Lockpicking
Mercantile
Dispelling

Not important:
Persuasion
Stealth

40 additional skill points to spend. Plus you get some for racial bonus,
trainers, and skill books. Use this to help you not waste points.
http://amalur.wikia.com/wiki/Trainers_and_Skill_Book_Locations

Unbinding Destiny from Fateweavers unbinds your Skills too. So I wouldn't
focus on Alchemy, Blacksmithing, and Sagecraft until you hit around level 30.
Then you can re-spec to get some gems through Sagecrafting and re-spec to get
points back afterwards. Don't worry about buying alchemy recipes because
everything unlocks at max level Alchemy. And the only things you would really
want to make are Experience Boosters (+% Exp Gain), Magic Amplification
(+% Magic Damage), Magic Precision (+% Chance to Crit with Magic), Blazing
Salve (+% Fire Damage), Damage Boost (+% Damage), and Fate Potions
(Fills Fate Meter).

I'd recommend maxing out Detect Hidden, Lockpicking, and Mercantile at the
beginning to save yourself a lot of time. Then when it comes time to start
crafting items, re-spec using a Fateweaver.




==============================================================================
 C-V. Abilities
==============================================================================

109 Sorcery (http://amalur.wikia.com/wiki/Sorcery)
14 Might (http://amalur.wikia.com/wiki/Might)

Rush 109 Sorcery first to get Archmage Destiny. Every ability can go past
their nmax level by 2 levels (e.g. 5/5 -> 7/5 or 6/6 -> 8/6) except for the
Arcane Weaponry skills (they stay at 3/3).

Reset using a Fateweaver to get back the default points in Might and Finesse.



 Final Ability Build
----------------------

1 Arcane Weaponry I
1 Arcane Weaponry II
1 Arcane Weaponry III
1 Arcane Weaponry IV

6 Sceptre Mastery (Max)
6 Chakram Mastery (Max)
6 Summon Faer Gorta (Max)
5 Transference (Max)
5 Masterful Construction (Max)

0 Staff Mastery
5 Healing Surge (Max)
5 Elemental Rage (Max)

6 Sphere of Protection (Max)
5 Sphere of Reprisal (Max)
5 Sphere of Retribution (Max)

5 Mark of Flame (Max)
5 Smoldering (Max)
5 Meteor (Max)

6 Stormbolt (Max)
5 Chain Lightning (Max)
5 Tempest (Max)

5 Conservating Casting (Max)
5 Ice Barrage (Max)
5 Frostshackle (Max)
5 Winter's Embrace (Max)



 Skill Order Recommendation
-----------------------------

Level / Total Ability Points / Investment

1 (4) 3x Storm Bolt
2 (7) 1x Storm Bolt, 1x Mark of Flame, 1x Conservative Casting
3 (10) 3x Mark of Flame
4 (13) 1x Mark of Flame, 2x Conservative Casting
5 (16) 2x Conservative Casting, 1x Storm Bolt
6 (19) 1x Arcane Weaponry I, 1x Arcane Weaponry II, 1x Spectre/Chakram Mastery
7 (22) 1x Spectre/Chakram Mastery, 1x Summon Faer Gorta, 1x Healing Surge
8 (25) 3x Summon Faer Gorta
9 (28) 2x Summon Faer Gorta, 1x Spectre/Chakram Mastery
10 (31) 3x Spectre/Chakram Mastery

*Fateweave Unbind Destiny to get 2 ability points back from Might and Finesse.

11 (36) 3x Spectre/Chakram Mastery, 1x Transference, 1x Chain Lightning
12 (39) 3x Smolder
13 (42) 1x Transference, 2x Smolder
14 (45) 3x Transference
15 (48) 1x Arcane Weaponry III, 1x Sphere of Protection, 1x Sphere of Reprisal
16 (51) 2x Sphere of Reprisal, 1x Tempest
17 (54) 1x Masterful Construction, 2x Tempest
18 (57) 1x Masterful Construction, 2x Tempest
19 (60) 3x Masterful Construction
20 (63) 1x Arcane Weaponry IV, 1x Elemental Rage, 1x Sphere of Reprisal
21 (66) 1x Sphere of Reprisal, 2x Sphere of Protection 
22 (69) 3x Sphere of Protection
23 (72) 1x Spectre/Chakram Mastery, 1x Sphere of Retribution, 1x Meteor
24 (75) 3x Meteor
25 (78) 1x Meteor, 2x Sphere of Retribution
26 (81) 2x Sphere of Retribution, 1x Ice Barrage
27 (84) 2x Frostshackle, 1x Winter's Embrace
28 (87) 3x Frostshackle
29 (90) 3x Healing Surge
30 (93) 1x Healing Surge, 2x Winter's Embrace 
31 (96) 1x Spectre/Chakram Mastery, 2x Winter's Embrace
32 (99) 1x Spectre/Chakram Mastery, 2x Chain Lightning
33 (102) 2x Chain Lightning, 1x Ice Barrage
34 (105) 3x Ice Barrage
35 (108) 3x Elemental Rage
36 (111) 1x Elemental Rage, 2x Skillful Defense
37 (114) 3x Skillful Defense
38 (117) 3x Hardy Constitution
39 (120) 3x Hardy Constitution
40 (123) 3x Adrenaline Surge



 Ability Comments
-------------------

Storm Bolt
Useful in knocking down big enemies like trolls, so you keep them hit locked
with your Chakrams.Not very useful otherwise, even with Chain Lightning
upgrade.

Sphere of Protection
Useless at the beginning. Only useful when you unlock Sphere of Retribution
upgrade since it can keep enemies from interrupting your spells. At that
point, you should get Sphere of Reprisal upgrade to 5/5 for 4 protection
spheres.

Mark of Flame
Probably your most used spellGreat damage and low cooldown. Max it first.

Summon Faer Gorta
Your best friend. He steals health from enemies and gives it to you. Keeps
your health full. Though he does like to run around killing chickens and
crabs and proc the battle music randomly. Max everything this guy has ASAP.

Healing Surge
Saves you pots. Restores percentage health by using percentage mana. You only
need 1 point until the end.

Ice Barrage
You won't really use this much. You'll find that Mark of the Flame is way
better. The Frostshackle upgrade is only good for Winter's Embrace.

Elemental Rage
Cool looking spell. Not too useful though. It has a vacuum effect but
sometimes doesn't pick up some enemies and you can get cancelled out of the
3 spell combo if hit. Sometimes you vacuum in the enemy, and they hit you
before you can cast the next spell. You can mess around and vacuum everyone
in with the first spell, then cast Meteor afterwards.

Tempest
This spell is pretty good. AoE knockdown around you with low cooldown.
Good at chain stunning minibosses. I use this spell as a clean up after
casting Meteor, when Meteor is on cooldown, stun locking minibosses, or
if someone is immuned to fire.

Meteor
Your best spell. This is what allows you to one-shot everything in the game
(even the last boss in Hard difficulty if it weren't for the special final
boss battle sequence). It's pretty overpowered. It has a long cast animation
but that doesn't matter because once you start, it still comes out even if
you were interrupted. So you just run in the middle of a group of enemies,
one-shot everything, keep exploring until you find another group.

Winter's Embrace
Good for long boss fights. Weak damage but good utility. Keeps the enemies
slowed so you can cast your spells without danger.

After getting 109 Sorcery, put 5 into Skillful Defense to get to Hardy
Constitution. After maxing both skills, put the 3 remaining points into
Adrenaline Surge.




==============================================================================
 C-VI. Twists of Fate (*Spoiler Alert)
==============================================================================

Twists of Fate received from Faction Questlines.



Warsworn Faction - Choose to betray the Warsworn. (Buy everything you want
and do all the Warsworn quests before completing this quest line because after
you betray them, the Warsworn becomes hostile.)

Forsworn - By accepting the Niskaru Lord Khazamandu's blessing atop Cloudrest
Mountain, you became the scourge of Warsworn, rather than their champion.
+10% Physical Damage
+1 to Might Abilities
+5% Fire Damage



Scholia Arcana Faction - Choose to be fearless and indifferent.

Fearless - Imbued with the tempered indifference of Archsage Caledus, no foe
or challenge gives you pause.
+5% Elemental Damage
+1 to Sorcery Abilities



Traveler's Faction - Choose to betray Grim Onwig by going to the east wing.

Temperence - Prudence is what's important. Not bravado, not chivalry.
Pragmatism is your ally in combat - - evading stronger foes and crippling
them at their weakest.
+1 to Finesse Abilites
+6% Evade Chance



I strongly urge you to complete the Scholia Arcana quest line ASAP. It is
very rewarding.




==============================================================================
 C-VII. Closing Statements
==============================================================================

Stop reading. Go play the game!

If you need to contact me, you can find me on:
IRC #moba @ irc.mizuumi.net
or leave a message on my Youtube channel www.youtube.com/synix09