Choose the route for your current character
These are conditional routes assembled from the original client’s talent descriptions. Check prerequisites and the points you have already spent in the game before following an endpoint. [1]
| Route | Talents to inspect | What makes it work | Condition that changes the choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire | Ignite → Hot Streak → Pyroclasm | Fire critical hits and repeated crits feed the route; Pyroclasm starts with Pyroblast and adds explosions when Fire spells kill enemies. | The death explosion needs a Fire killing blow and is limited to three triggers a second. Do not model unlimited chains. |
| Frost | Frost support → Summon Water Elemental | The capstone starts with Frostbolt instead of Fireball, adds an elemental and creates a free Frost Nova every eight seconds. | A fresh Mage does not inherit the capstone’s summon or periodic nova. Control is not a guarantee against every encounter. |
| Arcane | Arcane spell interactions → Arcane Power | A route for repeated Arcane attacks and extra-strike interactions. | Choose it for the attacks and talents you actually have; do not count Fire-kill explosions as an Arcane benefit. |
What to prioritise during the run
- If you are still learning movement, choose a route that gives you room to deliver damage. A higher theoretical ceiling is useless when contact ends the run.
- For Fire, establish Fire damage and critical interactions before expecting Pyroclasm to carry dense waves.
- For Frost, distinguish ordinary Frostbolt upgrades from the summon and free-nova effects granted by the capstone.
- After the chosen engine works, use the current failure point to choose health, control or damage. Do not draft three competing schools without a reason.
This is an editorial choice order, not a guaranteed card sequence. The offered upgrades and your current permanent investment still determine which step is available. [1]
When the intended build is not ready
Before a capstone changes the opener, use the default Fireball start in your plan. Against a boss without nearby enemies, evaluate sustained casts rather than wave-chain explosions. A missing offensive offer can be a reason to take survival, not to abandon every existing synergy.
Before changing the whole plan, identify the failure: no room to move, too little recovery, or too little damage on the target. Change the part that addresses that failure, then compare another run with similar talents and equipment.
Check the starter and trigger before copying a build
Baseline starter: Fireball. Talents can replace it; use the route conditions above rather than treating this as the opening for every developed character. [1]
A Frostbolt opening can be correct for a Water Elemental character and wrong as a universal statement about every Mage. Always record the selected talents when comparing runs.
Record the game version, zone, difficulty, selected capstone, permanent equipment and the card that changed the run. Comparing two different progression states cannot establish that a single spell was better. Use the meter carefully →
Sources & verification
- Aethus · original game ↗ (external website, opens in a new tab) — Original v0.127.0 / d1c85453 public client text inspected 29 October 2026. Single-source menu and talent evidence; no completed run or damage benchmark.