January 28, 2019 12:22 PM EST
Hey, I thought about it and frankly, I'll probably never get around to finishing those builds. I can give you the jist of it though. Magic Archer is really fun to solo, so if things are feeling easy for you then maybe it's time to ditch the pawn. Instead, here are some strategies for when enemy aggro is always on your weak little bow-mage:
- When in doubt, Forward Roll. It's not as flashy as some of the other tactics, but it's the most consistently reliable. It also cancels out of most of the charge skills that make up the other tactics.
- If a large enemy is running at you, you can always jump off a cliff and then levitate back to safety as they fall to their death for an easy victory.
- If a large enemy is running at you they can also be made to run head first into a well timed Frigor. This blocks their attack, and has a good chance to either stagger or break horns that'll leave then vulnerable to a knock down. Great both defensively and offensively...once you get the timing down, that is.
- Many enemies, large and small alike, can set off explosive Rivets with their own attacks. This usually interrupts the attack and often staggers, meaning that sometimes it's more effective, both defensively and offensively to place Explosive Rivets in the ground near enemies rather than on them.
- Vortex Trail is instrumental in controlling groups of enemies. It keeps them contained and at a distance, while also making it easier to hit multiple enemies with some of your strongest attacks (Explosive Bolt, Frigor, Cosmeton, Sunflare and Scension). In fact, the more enemies you suck toward an Explosive Bolt the easier it is to get one if then to activate it, taking them all out very quickly.
- Hit a large enemy with Vortex Trail and it'll suck nearby mobs toward it, increasing the chance of friendly fire. Offensively, I wouldn't rely on this...but it's a nice plus if you're already using VT for defense.
- Scension can stagger and even Knockdown surprisingly large enemies. So it can have great defensive utility, just be prepared to dodge cancel out if you don't charge it in time.
- Perdition may not seem like much, but if you use it with a Rusted Staff it procs Torpor extremely fast. Torpor and Curse are the two most widely unresisted status ailments and, while not exactly specialized tools, can give you a slight advantage in almost any fight. Which can be a lot more useful than it sounds.