Heroes vs. Hordes: Arcane Mage

 

The Arcane Mage is the very first hero you can play as in Heroes vs. Hordes right from the beginning of the game. In the game, she has the incredible ability to control the flow of mana and energy.

She's part of a faction called the Magic Council, which includes two other members: the Fire Wizard and the Frost Wizard.

The primary weapon of the Arcane Mage is the Arcane Wand. It's a special wand that shoots energy particles made of powerful mana. These particles automatically target the nearest enemy and penetrate through them.

To make the Arcane Wand even more powerful, you have the option to use three different tomes: the Duplicator Tome, the Cooldown Tome, and the Damage Tome.

Inside the Forge, the Arcane Wand can be evolved into the Arcane Scepter. With the Arcane Scepter, you gain the ability to shoot big arcane projectiles that can bounce off obstacles, making it even more useful in combat.

How to effectively use Arcane Mage?

The Arcane Mage is a solid and easy-to-play hero in the early stages of the game. However, she faces a challenge when dealing with flying unit waves, which can cause difficulties later on until you obtain her ultimate ability, Trinity.

Since she's the first hero you start the game with, it's a good idea to use her to farm early stages and earn resources to unlock your next hero.

Until you manage to level her up to 80 and get her ultimate ability, it's best to avoid using her due to her single-target weapon. If you decide to stick with her, try to obtain an early divine aura to enhance her survivability; otherwise, you may find yourself overwhelmed by enemies.

For effective gameplay, consider equipping her with good weapons like fire orbs and boomerangs. These weapons target enemies around you, dealing excellent area-of-effect (AoE) damage and earning you enough experience points to progress further in your build.

Interestingly, this hero excels at afk farming in Haunted Forest hard mode 1-1. Her wand allows her to eliminate enemies from a distance, covering all directions, which leaves their experience points far away from your pickup radius.

As a result, you can level up less often and reduce the need for frequent clicks on the screen. This strategic approach can make her a valuable asset for efficient farming in that specific mode.

Arcane Mage's Unlocks

The Arcane Mage progresses through a total of 100 levels in the game. To advance to each level, you'll need to collect and spend increasing amounts of coins and hero orbs. With each upgrade, the Arcane Mage becomes more powerful, gaining boosts in both damage and health.

As you reach specific upgrade levels, exciting things happen: you can unlock various stats and abilities for the Arcane Mage. Keep an eye out for these milestones as they can greatly improve your chances of surviving the waves.

Level	Type	Unlocks
10	N/A	+1 Penetration to base weapon projectiles
20	Skill	Base weapon slows enemies by 30% on-hit
30	All	+2.5% Projectile Speed
40	Skill	Base weapon has 15% chance to double it's projectiles
50	N/A	+1 Magic Projectiles
60	All	+12.5% Damage
70	N/A	- 5% Cooldown
80	Ability	Base weapon hits fills meter: Spawns Trinity rotating around you
90	N/A	+1 Penetration to base weapon projectiles
100	All	+1 Magic Projectiles

This table provides important information about the Arcane Mage and the various upgrades and abilities she gains as she progresses through different levels in the game:

1. Level 10: The Arcane Mage receives an upgrade that adds +1 Penetration to her base weapon projectiles. This means her attacks can pierce through enemies, hitting multiple targets in a line.
2. Level 20: At this stage, the Arcane Mage gains a skill that causes her base weapon to slow enemies by 30% whenever she hits them. This debuff can be useful for controlling enemy movements and buying time in battles.
3. Level 30: For all Arcane Mage players, there is a global upgrade that increases the Projectile Speed of her attacks by 2.5%. This means her weapon projectiles will travel faster, making it easier to hit moving targets.
4. Level 40: The Arcane Mage's skill at this level grants her base weapon a 15% chance to double its projectiles. This means occasionally, her attacks will release two projectiles instead of one, effectively increasing her damage output.
5. Level 50: At this stage, all Arcane Mage heroes gain an upgrade that adds +1 Magic Projectiles. This means she will fire additional magical projectiles with her attacks, allowing her to hit more enemies at once.
6. Level 60: For all Arcane Mage players, there is a global upgrade that boosts their Damage by 12.5%. This increase applies to all of her attacks, making her more potent against enemies.
7. Level 70: At this level, all Arcane Mage heroes receive a 5% reduction in Cooldown for their abilities. This means she can use her abilities more frequently, adding to her overall effectiveness in battles.
8. Level 80: This is a significant milestone where the Arcane Mage gains a powerful Ability. Her base weapon hits start filling up the meter, which eventually spawns Trinity rotating around her. Trinity is likely a potent and devastating ability that can aid in dealing with flying unit waves and other tough challenges.
9. Level 90: At this stage, all Arcane Mage heroes receive an upgrade that adds +1 Penetration to their base weapon projectiles, further enhancing her ability to hit multiple targets with her attacks.
10. Level 100: The final upgrade for all Arcane Mage players is a global one, providing +1 Magic Projectiles. This means she will have even more magical projectiles in her attacks, increasing her area-of-effect damage potential.

By understanding and using these upgrades and abilities effectively, you can increase the potential of the Arcane Mage and make her more useful.