Blackguard Arcmages in the Barracks.

"And yes Arc Mages normally don't have a high enough range to attack you off screen, but once they started casting you can't escape the skill anymore, regardless of distance. So you propably see them back away and still get hit, because they already started attacking you."

This is very valuable information as for me they do cast from off-screen. It certainly is not that they engage and back away.

It works exactly like this...

...walk, field of vision clear, zap, zap, zap, dead, with only seeing the Arcmages if they run into my post-mortem field of vision to finish off my totem behind me.

I am not sure people are appreciating this situation as I am describing it; if I could only see the Arcmages I could close and kill them easily.

As it stands I could make a compilation of death from above off-screen 2 shot kills and set it to the Benny Hill theme for humorous effect.

On a side note I love Spectral Throw and don't find it unpredictable, it just has a limited range. I think it is cool how I can change my position to alter the throw path like a boomerang.

If you're getting 2 shotted, you're doing something very, very wrong.

"If you're getting 2 shotted, you're doing something very, very wrong."

It is a glass cannon build that has a high dps-health/mana leech circuit based on splash damage, which keeps my health and mana up very effectively regardless how many mob surround me (the AoE effect supplies me with massive health boosts keeping me topped off even against spiked damage) assuming that I don't get shot off-screen, because glass cannon tend to shatter easily. ;)

I appreciate the L2P sentiment, but I like to think I am doing something differently instead of "wrong" as it works extremely effectively regardless of mob number, in actuality boosting my health and mana regeneration directly in proportion to the number of mob I fight, pretty cool and very frenetic!

I probably have min-maxed the dps too much at the cost of survivability given the direct survivability dependency upon dps output, plus I am only using Topaz flasks, which need to be popped when the electrical threat is recognized not after.

If there is a way to see the Arcmages off-screen the problem would be largely solved as I could pop a Topaz flask, and engage quickly using cover. As it is, multiple bolts come at me from somewhere off of the screen, which doesn't seem to be other people's experience.

It is a fun build as I can dive into and even purposely aggro as many mob as possible for farming purposes without much worry about survivability even without popping a health flask, but it requires a steady dps output.

TL;DR - If you guys can see the Arcmages on screen as they cast, any advice to gain that relatively extended field of vision would be appreciated.

Actually he's right. You are doing it wrong and have to improve it.
Low life melees depend on : high (spell) block, capped res (+80). Otherwise you build is broken and won't work (except some exotic builds like perma flicker etc). Shock stack/freeze/stun etc. is related not just with resists, but with the amount of HP. You encounter mages at low life/low res. You are screwed and screen resolution won't help you. As already being said, max resists and use the above mentioned tactics, leave video settings alone.

"

Gankatron wrote:

@Fusion_Power

"decoy totems also help"

I have been using Searing Totem to great effect in most areas, which are actually fairly good aggro devices when cast ahead of me, and it does help flush out off-screen mob while damaging them as I run into the fray or spectral cast into them.

The problem with this approach with the Arcmage is they by definition arc and so when they invariably target my totem they also hit me via an arc even if technically I am out of range.

Do you not have the same problem with the decoy totems?

No but I don't use them anymore. My Marauder once had one but how he's tanky enough and only uses an life reg totem from time to time. My Ranger has a nice Skelly Spelltotem that gives time enough to kill the mages with the bear traps and for my Summoner Witch, the mobs there are only victims. :D
Any Totem can help I would say, not only decoy because Totems pull aggro like mad. The trick is to cast these far away (uses shift key when casting) and if you don't want to fight, run as long as the totems are there.
Like many others I just try to skip these areas, lighnting is a mean damage type and the Mages do alot of it. I just go there when I need an Arcmage Spectre, they are a phantastic support Minion, even cast Lightning Thornes onto my Skelly Totem and I summon the Mages with Chain, makes their Arc even better. XD.

@torturo:

I'll look into improving that, thanks for the suggestions.

So do you remember if you see the Arcmages on screen as they cast?

This is a separate issue to any build issues, one whose importance would become immediately apparent to anyone who experiences this; being able to see the ranged mob that are attacking you would be a huge improvement in game play experience for me.

I would love to figure why others can see them, but I cannot with my settings.

Thanks Fusion. ;)

unfortunately low life doesn't entirely work that way. The type of combat you're speaking of actually is most acclimated to work or a energy shield build. (Especially because of "bonus melee damage on full life" support gems). In either case you'll need lightning resist, and to understand that in this game, glass cannon is what in most games a balanced build would be. So your glass must be more sturdy than usual in this game.

Sounds good Epicly, I have a bunch of build options to work with based on everyone's advice.

I wish I could have split this thread into 2 different ones; one about builds and one about trying to figure out why my field of vision seems decreased compared to others even at 1920x1080, as the latter is more suited for the Feedback section.

I just went from Fullscreen to Windowed and now I can see the Arcmages. I may not understand why, but if it works it works. ;)

Edit: It modifies your resolution to fit your Windows taskbar and as such it forces a wider screen field of view as compared to Fullscreen.