Fighters vs mages.

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I just want to know anyones opinion on fighters and mages, and their usefullness in ALL aspects of the game.

I find that mage tend to become almost useless in combat during the last few fights in the game, though at the start ,when not nearly every creature has magic resistance, mages are invaluble against large numbers of creatures, and mages are also useful in general aid (protection spells and what-not)

Fighters, in my view, tend to obviously be useful all throught the game in combat situations, but they also lose some edge towards the end when all mages that you fight conveniently have a spell trigger with protecion from most forms of weaponry, how did they know that they weren't going to fight some normal creature or something, you know, like a bear or wolf or even a standard cut-purse.

Any opinions (smart or stupid) would be fine.

 

When you only look to the percentage of kills/exprience they had you might say Mages are useless. But your fighter wouldn't had killed so many people without your mage. Just a few examples:

- A mage removes protections on enemies and does some damage with fireballs etc while your fighter can slay the enemy

- A mage disrupts spells of enemy mages, prevents you from getting a lot of pain, being hold etc so you can cut down the enemy.

- A mage can hasten you so you can faster slay your enemies

- A mage can give you protections so you can kill Kangaxx or whoever without yourself getting killed.

- A mage can summon animals, so enemies start to attack them instead of your fighter while you can kill the enemies.

A mage isn't worthless, he is very worthfull, but not specially for slaying enemies but merely to make the fighters life more easy. Think how hard it would be for your fighter without the help of a mage. How would you ever kill on of the dragons for example.

 

I think they are both important in a group and can't miss either of them. In the loading screen it says: No single character can handle every situation on his own, try to use the abilities of all your party member. (or something like that).

 

Mages don't just have the spells to kill things as has been pointed out, they can enhance and hinder as well as launch a fireball while shouting FAKOOM!!.
I found them useful throughout BG2, although they always needed those spells to bring down enemy protections, so lost a bit of their offensive power . I always hated having to always rest constantly if i only had 1 or 2 of them memorised.

 

WHO sais mages are useless?

This is how I killed Firkraag (big mean red dragon):

I had my 2 tanks attack him head on to keep him busy. He turned hosile. I had my elven sorceress cast Greater Malison on him (lowers saving throws), then Lower Resistance twice (lowers magic resistance). Finally, I cast Finger of death (a lv7 spell). Boom. Dead.

If you lower magic resistance, any enemy is vulnerable to magic. Try this: spell sequencer w/2 lower resistances in it (lower resistance is a lv4 spell) and then Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting (that's lv8). It'll HURT. And, no matter what the manual sais, Abi-Dalzim's does NOT affect your own party members.

 

why ask which is better? Just multi-class em. Which is better, the mage, the fighter, or the fighter-mage?

 

I totally agree with Tiamat, many times i just have my other members huddled in next area and looking me sorc wildly wiping enemys out in the blink of the eye...
I'm sooooo proud ^-^

 

in all the roleplaying games i've always been a fighter. Yes i do take damage cause i battle the creature head on. But i can also make sure if its a mage then i can break his concentration. No mage can get a spell off if i'm hitting him all the time. And fighter do make a good blocker so that the mage can get out of the way. I do think that both are needed for a party. IWD i always had my mage launch a fireball into the fall and hurt the creatures and then i go in and mop up the place..Got to love the mages

 

It's just like the different branches of the service. What good is the army if you can't fly or float them accross the Atlantic.

 

try a figther one on one versus Jon Irenicus. probably wont live very long to brag. a mage has much more at his disposal to do away with the tougher opponents. a strong mage can cast mantle, or better and be impervious to a fighters weapon. its game over after that.

 

I think it's easier to decide after you try to play solo. For a fighter, it will be very hard sometimes (dragons, Kangaxx, liches, Shangalar&co. etc.) and I think that it will be lots of reloads
For a mage, there aren't too many enemy who cannot be destroyed easily. For me, it was Tannar'i or something, one of the the demons from Planar Sphere quest. He has a huge magic resistance, even after 2 Lower Resistance and could see invisibility somehow, so my mage/thief cannot aproach undetected. In my first game, my cavalier left his party behind and atacked on his own all the three demons (his specialty) and slay them in no time.
The game is a combination of both magic and brute force. I think this is all the fun.

 

I like to send my spellcasters in the frontlines for some reason. I cast alot of protection spells and run him through shooting sunfire everywhere. If i cant defeat anyone because of their magic resistance i summon monsters to do it for me. Well, personally what i'm trying to say is that mages are more of a flexible class and in the long run way more powerful. They get unbelievable spells that rival a warriors abilitie greatly. A mage can cast black blade of disaster and go toe to toe with a warrior if he wanted too.. however it is a level nine spell so heh. .

 

There are six party members ... there combinance is leathle ... Aye smash 'em with those fighters palladins etc. and rain them down with magic with ure magic users, there is always one partymember that is useful in a particular situation so i think whatever u choose its stays the same (note that if there are no magic uesers or fighters in ure group this won't be healty!)