Minecraft Dungeons is currently in closed beta, but the expected release date is less than two weeks away.
That means it's time to go over all the ways you can play the game so you're ready for launch.
Let's go over how to build a mage class character with artifacts, weapons, armors, and more.
A different take on mages
Minecraft Dungeons doesn't approach mages like other traditional dungeon crawlers or RPGs.
There are no static spells that mage characters learn over time, and you aren't going to come across spell books either.
Instead you'll come across different artifacts, enchantment choices, weapon effects, and items. You'll use these to kill mobs to collect souls, and use those souls to fuel abilities from your artifacts.
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Without these artifacts mages can still impact battle through weapon effects, but its important to get your caster slinging real spells as soon as possible.
So to make the magic happen in Minecraft Dungeons, you'll have to get creative.
Artifacts
Minecraft Dungeons artifacts with powerful, reliable effects are what mage builds are going to look for.
Let's go over some of the artifacts that fit the bill for the magical side of Minecraft Dungeons.
Lightning Rod
RIDE THE LIGHTNING- Gather souls to fuel your lightning rod to dish out damage
Lightning Rod is probably the first artifact your mage will come across in Minecraft Dungeons. It's a common artifact, but it packs a punch when fueled with souls.
While the Lightning Rod isn't going to outdamage the best melee or ranged weapons, its effect is still powerful. For some souls, you can repeatedly use the Lightning Rod to call down lightning bolts on foes. You can even call it down on groups of mobs with some good aim, which will help take out dense packs from a distance.
Corrupted Beacon
WIZARDRY- The Corrupted Beacon powers an incredible beam with souls
For the artifacts currently revealed in Minecraft Dungeons, Corrupted Beacon is without a doubt the strongest and most exciting for mages.
The Corrupted Beacon uses souls to launch a huge and powerful beam that you can sustain for as long as you have the souls. This beam deals 185 damage a second to all mobs hit, making it a room clearer.
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With the Lightning Rod hitting for roughly 65, this is a huge step up that every mage will be looking for around every corner.
Weapons
Mages aren't usually going to focus on weapons. But before building up artifacts, and before gathering enough souls, they're a likely necessity. Thankfully you can fill your weapon gap with just about anything as a mage, so simply look for unique weapon effects to help your team. Once you get your artifacts and souls, however, weapons are a thing of the past.
With that in mind we'll go over the one weapon that really matters for mages, the Feral Soul Crossbow.
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Feral Soul Crossbow
The Feral Soul Crossbow is an incredibly unique weapon in that it allows mages to gather souls before artifacts. This is the only weapon with this effect in the game as of the time of this writing.
By getting the Feral Soul Crossbow, you can farm up souls for a long time even without finding your first big artifacts. That means once you do get an artifact like the Corrupted Beacon, it can deal massive amounts of damage for a long time.
Armors
Armors aren't usually a major concern for mages, and are typically only used as an enhancement to spells. This is much the same in Minecraft Dungeons.
With that in mind let's discuss a couple of the armors that actually stand out from the pack for spell-slinging.
Evocation Robe
The Evocation Robe is a common item which is great news for players looking to build a mage.
The Evocation Robe offers the standard 100 bonus health, but more importantly it lowers item cooldowns by 25%, and increases movement speed by 15%. This combination means you'll be more mobile and able to use your artifacts more often.
This is exactly where mage characters want to be.
Souldancer Robe
EERIE- The Souldancer Robe is perfect for mages who collect the souls of mobs to power spells
While the Souldancer Robe is significantly less exciting than the Evocation Robe, it's still a valuable pickup for mages. Even beyond the immersive flavor behind the armor, with souls seemingly weaved into the fabric of the robe.
The Souldancer Robe sets your character's max health to 305. This is great for mages who are typically low health and squishy characters.
While the Souldancer Robe does nothing for your offense, its flavor and high health bonus means it's a worthy pickup.