Elden Ring Mage Build Guide: Astrologer for Beginners
Feb. 28, 2024Elden Ring Mage Build Guide: Astrologer for Beginners
ThisMage Build GuideforElden Ringis tailored for newcomers and veterans alike and is meant to help you get started with the game. TheAstrologer Classis a powerful choice from the get-go, and comes suited with great equipment and spells for any aspiring mage
A pure magic ranged Build that focuses on ranging enemies down from afar, without the need to ever engage in melee combat. This section will provide an overview of how to begin your journey as a mage, focusing on the initial steps to ensure a strong start.
We have over 110Elden Ring Buildsnow, for all classes and playstyles. This Astrologer Build is recommended for beginners.
I like to begin the game in Elden Ring as an Astrologer when I’m trying to play as a mage. I feel like this gives you the best toolkit. You start with a staff, and you start withGlintstone ArcandGlintstone Pebble— two spells that will hold you in good stead throughout the whole course of the game and really give you what you need to play as a mage right out the gate. By comparison, thePrisonerjust doesn’t have the same spell set, so it’ll be a little bit longer before you can get to the same place in terms of casting, although it has other advantages in other ways. But if you’re just trying to play as a primary mage, I feel like Astrologer is the way to go.
As far askeepsakesgo, I always recommend theGolden Seedto new players. It gives you an extra flask which can be a huge advantage, particularly when you’re being a mage because you can allocate that into an FP flask, allowing you to get more spells off. It’s not super important what you pick, but again, if you’re a new player, Golden Seed is the way to go.
Diving into theattributesof a mage, primarily, you’re going to want intelligence. This is what’s going to increase your damage with your spells and also any weapon that you use an Ash of War on that has like a magic-type Ash of War that makes it have scaling off the intelligence stat. So, you’re going to want to focus pretty heavily on intelligence. Keep in mind that spell casting also consumes stamina when you cast, so it may not be a bad idea to have some endurance as well. In my experience, you don’t need to go crazy with endurance; you can still do just fine with low endurance. But you probably want to, like, at least 15 or so, maybe 20. And the reason for that is because you want to be able to cast spells, and then you want to be able to dodge out of the way afterward. If you exhaust all your stamina casting and then don’t have any stamina to dodge, if an enemy is aggressive, you could be in a really tight spot. But you don’t want to spend a lot of points in endurance early on because you need to boost your damage rapidly in order to keep pace with the enemies.
Beyond intelligence, the other two attributes you should probably have some points in are vigor, in order to take a hit or two. You don’t want to go crazy here, again, because your strategy is to not get hit. But putting a few points here will help you survive a potential one-shot. All you need to do is survive the one-shot attacks; as long as you have enough health to survive one-shots, you have enough health. And then the other attribute is mind. Mind will allow you to cast more spells before needing to chug pots. It makes your pots go further because every time you use one, if you use it at the end of, let’s say, you exhaust your whole FP bar, then you’re actually gaining more back with those pots. So you definitely want to spend points in mind as well, but you want to lean heavily into intelligence, and then have some points in endurance, vigor, and mind.
Unlike other Souls games, Elden Ring does not feature an attunement attribute that allows for more spell slots. Instead, yourmemory slotswill naturally increase via specific items calledMemory Stonethat are found throughout the game. Therefore, it’s not necessary to overly concern yourself with how to expand your memory slots; they will enhance as you progress.
In my view, playing as a mage in Elden Ring is easier than other Souls games. This is mostly because you’re able to sustain your resources, so you can play primarily as a spellcaster and barely ever need to melee. In order to accomplish that, you’re going to have to set your flasks in a way that’s mostly mana-based, meaning you’re going to need theblue flasksfar more than the health ones. The strategy is obviously not to get hit, so you shouldn’t need to heal very often because you’re trying to stay out of harm’s way. So, you’re going to skew your flasks, you know, 90 percent to the mana side, and like 10 percent to the health side, when possible, except in certain scenarios. But that’s basically how you want to play so that you always have enough to kill the enemies with spells.
One really great thing in Elden Ring, too, is that when you kill difficult enemies or groups of enemies, you replenish a certain amount of flasks. And there are also scarabs around the landscape that you can kill that replenish flasks. So this gives you even more ways to get that resource back without resting, so that you always have enough FP in order to cast your spells.
Moving on to earlymage equipment, one of the most significant upgrades you can secure is a betterstaff. Notably, there’s a staff called theDemi-Human Queen StaffStaff available in theWeeping Peninsula. This area hosts a field boss, more akin to a mini-boss, which, interestingly, might not even display a health bar. Defeating this demi-human rewards you with a staff that has better stats than the starter equipment. Alternatively, theMeteorite Stafffound in ruins withinCaelidrepresents another viable option. Although it has S-scaling, it cannot be upgraded, making it a potent choice for early gameplay but less so as you advance. You can find the exact location of this staff on the wiki.
In addition to acquiring a more formidable staff, obtaining additionalspellsis crucial, given your role as a mage. A sorcerer trainer calledSellenis found not far into the game inLimgrave, specifically in theWaypoint Ruins, offers new spells. Defeating the boss near this trainer unlocks access to more sophisticated spells. Also, ascrollsituated slightly south of the trainer’s location can be handed over to her, further expanding the spells available for purchase.
Concerning spell selection, Glintstone Pebble is a staple throughout your journey. Comparable to the Soul Arrow in previous Souls games, it offers low cost, decent damage output, and excellent range, making it exceptionally versatile. Despite the high damage output of some spells, their lengthy cast times or exorbitant FP costs can be prohibitive. However, spells like Glenstone Pebble, which can be cast rapidly in succession, often outperform stronger spells due to their efficiency.
Another important aspect to consider is the management of certain spells. Many spells have bonus effects when the cast button is held down, enabling a variety of strategic options during combat. For spells like the archetypes that create daggers above your head, while they are not the most mana-efficient, they prove highly effective against aggressive enemies, particularly bosses. An alternative strategy involves the Ashes of War: Glintblade Phalanx, which can be applied to a melee weapon. This approach yields comparable damage at a fraction of the mana cost, enhancing your efficiency in combat.
These initial strategies and items are pivotal for establishing a strong foundation as a mage. While more advanced mage equipment can be found in theRaya Lucaria Academy, these initial steps will set you on the right path.
Remember that casting spells consumes stamina, even when mounted on horseback. Managing yourstaminais crucial, especially when needing to escape from tight situations. Additionally,dexterityinfluences cast speed, though the exact impact per point is not fully detailed here. Early in the game, focus on enhancing your intelligence to boost spell damage rather than worrying about casting speed. However, as you progress, incorporating dexterity can enhance the viability of spells with longer cast times.
Acquiring ashieldwith 100% physical block can be invaluable in emergency situations. While avoiding damage is preferable, having a shield can prevent significant injury if an escape isn’t possible. Ensure you have a suitable shield for these scenarios.
We have more builds coming for Elden Ring andShadow of the Erdtree. If you need help finding items, make sure to check theElden Ring Map.
Castielle
Senior Editor at Fextralife. I enjoy gaming, playing and watching sports, cooking yummy food, watching a good movie and hanging out with Fex.
