For dealing the most damage, making sure that your gear is up to par in Ashes of Creation Phase 2 is crucial, particularly with the mage class. While spells and talents matter, the most impactful changes come from how you prep your gear and what stats you prioritize. Since the Mega server launched on the first, players now have to rethink their builds with updated changes to stats and gearing. In this guide, we'll outline the most efficient farming strategies along with the optimal BiS gear and stat priorities for the mage class.

• Key Changes in Phase 2
• Stat Priorities for Mages
• Stat order priority
• Crafting and Enchanting
• Head
• Shoulders
• Chest
• Bracers
• Gloves
• Belt
• Legs
• Boots
• Accessories
• Melee Weapon
• Ranged Weapon
• Best Farming Strategies
• Final Comments

↖ Key Changes in Phase 2

The gearing changes in phase 2 come with fresh magical power restrictions and crafting requirements. Previously, stacking magical power came with no restrictions, but now players face diminishing returns. This means that having a well-rounded stat distribution is more beneficial than a heavy focus on magical power. Moreover, legendary weapon offhands and other top tier gear can now be acquired solely through crafting.

↖ Stat Priorities for Mages

Coming up with an effective mage build requires focus on specific stats. 

Here are their most relevant focuses:

• Intellect: Gives magical power, magical critical power, magical accuracy, block mitigation, and reduction in disable duration.
• Wisdom: Grants auxiliary mana regen and magical resistance.
• Mentality: Increases mana pool and magical defense.
• Constution: Increases max health and durability, especially useful in PvP scenarios.

↖ Stat order priority

Intellect >Wisdom >Mentality >Constitution.

While magical power is a requirement, there is a hard cap of 250 magical power due to diminishing returns. In your final build, aim for 220–230 magical power and then critical strike chance or max health thereafter.

↖ Crafting and Enchanting

In order to maximize your damage output, it is important to craft legendary weapons and offhand items. These provide the greatest stat increases relative to an armor piece. Instead, focus on upgrading your weapons and focuses at the legendary tier first before upgrading other gear slots.

When enchanting, focus on weapons first, as these have the highest value. Once crafting stations are built, use journeyman enchanting scrolls to upgrade gear.

Best-in-slot (BiS) Mage Gear Recommendations for Phase 2: A Guide to Farming Locations and Alternatives

Listed below is a comprehensive guide for each piece of BiS gear for mages in Phase 2, complete with farming locations and alternatives.

↖ Head

BiS: Skull Cap of Three Moons(Available from the Undertaker Zhan in New A)

Magical power and crit chance are high.

Highly Contested due to all three moons aligning.

Alternative: Horn Hexer's Headdress (craftable at apprentice stations)

↖ Shoulders

BiS: Bloom Warden Shoulders (Drops from level 19-21 Fire Starters in Steel Bloom Citadel)

Excellent value for magical power.

Alternative: Place Holder Shoulders - catch Bloom Warden to reclaim the loss of power.

↖ Chest

BiS: Seeker of Myths Robe (Highly contested drop from elite mobs)

Exceptional magical power.

Alternate: Tierwash Robe (Easier to obtain but weaker)

↖ Bracers

BiS: Rose Thorn Bracers (Drop from Fire Starters in Steel Bloom Citadel)

High magical power and crit rating.

Alternate: Bloom Warden Bracers (Supports crit rating instead)

↖ Gloves

BiS: Spindle Hemp Gloves (Dropped by various mobs worldwide)

Regeneration, magical power, and mana costs will be significant.

Alternate: Mangalith Spinner's Gloves (Easier to obtain with decent stats)

↖ Belt

BiS: Lungs of the Abyss (Drops from a named boss in the Tropics).

Provides constitution and max health for PvP durability.

Alternative: Placeholder belts with max health or defensive stats.

↖ Legs

BiS: Brine Britches (Drops from Brine Father on an island in the Tropics).

High defensive stats and max health.

Alternative: Rividian Pants (Easier to obtain with decent max health).

↖ Boots

BiS: Veric Silk Slippers (Drops from Nearly Dead Prisoner in the Desert).

Exceptional magical power rating.

Alternative: Placeholder boots with max health until BiS is acquired.

↖ Accessories

Earrings: Iridescent Earrings or Goblin Bone Dangles (Focus on magical power and crit).

Necklace: Arloonian Collar (Quest reward from Tower in the Wolf questline).

Rings: Obsidian Rings or Ring of Invocation (Balance between magical power and max health).

↖ Melee Weapon

BiS: Scepter of Arcane Flames (Craftable at legendary tier).

Offers superior magical power, casting speed, and crit chance.

Alternative: Steel Greatsword or any placeholder weapon until crafting becomes available.

↖ Ranged Weapon

BiS: Wand of Briarhorn (Drops from Tumac World Boss).

Difficult to acquire but is well worth it.

Best: Arya Flamebiter Focus

Focus drops from the Tropics.

Wields incredible firepower and crit rate.

Alternative Focus: Time Warden's Focus, adds more max health.

↖ Best Farming Strategies

• Named Bosses First: Prioritize contested named bosses like Undertaker Zhan or Brine Father. Coordinate with your party or guild to expedite kill confirms.
• Gathering Prep: Utilize journeyman crafting stations on low-tier crafts to prepare for legendary tier handsomely.
• PvP Needs: If your focus is PvP, aim to grab items with max health and constitution.
• Marketplace Search: Search the player-marketed shop for node specific caps, cloaks, and accessories with Ashes of Creation Gold.

↖ Final Comments

Strategic farming and crafting in Ashes of Creation Phase 2 while knowing where stats have diminishing returns will let you balance a mage for both PvE and PvP. Tailor the guide to your principles using preference for raw damage or damage mitigation while anticipating sporadic content drip updates.