Pulling off a 6-piece Mage synergy is no easy feat. Yes, once it’s done properly, it deals insane amounts of AoE damage and can counter pretty much any Warrior, Goblin+Mech, or Feathered strat. However, hunting for all 6 Mage pieces can be excruciating for your mid-game, which is why most players prefer to go with a 3-Mage synergy and other, tankier heroes, instead.

How you choose to use your Mages is ultimately up to you – and we don’t just mean your preferences. It’s essential that you make this decision on a game-to-game (and even a round-to-round) basis, because, as we will see, the correct choice often depends on a myriad of factors.

Knowing Your Mages

Mages are squishy. Very squishy. The absolute squishiest. Worse than pudding. You get the idea. To play them right, you need to be very aware of their abilities, stats, and situational value, as well as know what to combine them with in order to survive the early- and mid-game. A Mage comp wins 99% of the times during the last turns of a match, but it can’t do that if you never get there.

There are a total of 6 Mages in Auto Chess. These include:

1. Ogre Mage

Probably the only Mage who turns terrible during the late-game, Ogre is also the only one who is meant to be slightly tankier than the rest. He’s a good choice during the first 10 turns of the game and can help you push for the 3-Mage synergy sooner. Unless you’re going all-in with Mages, though, you might want to sell this one by turns 15-20.

2. The Source

An absolute pain in the backside during the early-game, the Source is nevertheless a vital component of any Mage build. She is super weak on her own, which is why you will rarely include her before turn 15. Her Awaken passive grants mana per second to all other allies, though, which is absolutely essential for most Mages, especially for the Tortola Elder (who charges painfully slow). In addition, if you include CCs in your build (such as Pirate Captain, Siren, or Tsunami Stalker), the Source will allow them to cast their abilities sooner than the enemy CC-ers. This can often make the difference between a win and a loss.

3. Thunder Spirit

Considered by many as one of the best Mages in the game, Thunder Spirit should be on your list of priorities from the very beginning of the match. Getting him to 2-stars early is a clear indicator that you can commit to a Mage synergy and will help you survive the mid-game with more HP.

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4. Shining Dragon

A good piece to help you push the 3-Mage bonus early in the game, Puck also has a decent AoE damage ability and can participate to either a Dragon or a Feathered synergy. Don’t forget to position him in one of the corners of the board so that his Shades ability shoots through as many enemies as possible. If, however, you already have 3 good mages on your team and you don’t intend to go for a build of 6, you’re better off ignoring him.

5. Flaming Wizard

This one is a tricky Mage. Technically speaking, her Laguna Blade ability can instantaneously remove a dangerous enemy piece from the board and boost her future DPS speed – which is great. However, this hero is also the most unreliable Mage in the bunch, simply because you never know who she will hit. Will it be the enemy Pirate Captain or will it be a wandering, half-dead treant? If it’s the latter, you’re kind of screwed. You’ll obviously have to include Flaming Wizard in a 6-Mages build, but you can ignore her if you’re only going for a 3-piece synergy.

6. Tortola Elder

 When buffed to 2-stars early, this Mage can be the bane of the mid- and late-game. He is almost always worth picking up in a 3-Mages synergy, but he takes forever to charge his Kamekameha ability, which is why he must absolutely be paired with The Source. Like the Shining Dragon, he belongs in a corner of the board, wherefrom his ability will do the most damage.

How to Integrate a Mage Synergy into Your Lineup

Many players think of the 6-Mage synergy as a trap. It’s tempting to go for one, but can completely wreck your mid-game, especially if you don’t build a strong economy. In other words, it might die out before it gets to do anything useful, which is not something you want from a build.

The key to making it work, whether you go for a 3- or 6-piece synergy, lies in keeping your Mages on the bench until they are strong enough to enter the fray. During the early- and mid-game, you need other pieces to help you maintain a decent HP pool for the final 10 rounds. If chosen correctly, you can keep these pieces later on, as well, and form even more powerful synergies.

To get the ball rolling towards a deadly, late-game Mages comp, you can use one of the following options:

Warriors and Elementals

If you’re lucky enough to stumble across a Thunder Spirit during the first 10 turns of the game, you can combine him with a Shadow Devil for DPS, as well as 2 Warriors (usually Redaxe Chief + Swordman) and Stone Spirit for your frontline. This comp can take you well into the mid-game, especially if you find a few good upgrades. Your next additions should be The Source and either Shining Dragon, Flaming Wizard, or Tortola Elder for the 3-Mages synergy.

Cave Clans

 If you find Storm Shaman in the shop early, you could consider a 4-piece Cave Clans build for your frontline. You should still include Stone Spirit for the 2-Elementals CC potential, but you can replace Shadow Devil with Storm Shaman on the back line. The latter makes an awesome addition to your mid-game, especially when paired with a 3-Mage boost and mana from The Source.

High Magic DPS Pieces

If you don’t intend to commit to a 6-Mages build (which will, most often, be the case), then you’ll need additional pieces that synergize well with your comp. Naturally, due to the nature of the Mage synergy, you’ll be looking for heroes with high magic damage. A few great candidates include: Phantom Queen, Shadow Devil, Pirate Captain, Tsunami Stalker, Helicopter, and Storm Shaman.

All in all, a 6-piece and even a 3-piece Mages build is a highly situational affair. You should only go for it if you’re convinced it matches up well against your strongest opponents and if you’ve been lucky with your draws in the shop. Once committed, don’t forget to keep the Mages on the bench until they are strong enough to win. Use powerful front liners and tend to your economy because your aim with this build is to go ultra-late. Otherwise, if you feel that this build is not for you, why not check out some of our other BlueStacks guides to exciting Auto Chess synergies?

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