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Knight Enchanter is a blast
Iselin
Member LegendaryPosts: 18,719
It takes a little bit of getting used to since you can't get it until you're in the level 11-13 range (depending on when you finish the first part of the game in Haven) and until that point you've been playing a typical ranged mage and with KE you have to switch to melee range, but god is it ever fun!
To start off you can turn 30% of all damage you do into a barrier for yourself. This means you can always have a pretty hefty barrier up...even if you use half of it to power fire spells.
You also have one of the most unique and fun spells I've ever seen: Fade Cloak with Decloaking Blast. What it does is makes you invulnerable for 2 seconds and you can pass through enemies, The fun part comes in, if you time it right, when you decloak inside an enemy dealing 1,000% weapon damage... I've killed 3 dragons so far fighting right under them 
It also only costs 20 mana so it's almost always up.
Spirit Blade is your spammable melee damage that does 400% weapon damage with extra damage against barriers and guard. The enhanced version also gives you projectile deflection doing damage to whoever is shooting those arrows at you.
For my other damage I'm using Immolate and Fiire Mines with the fire passive Chaotic Focus that uses 1/2 of my barrier at the time I cast it to add to the already hefty damage.
I only have enough points at this time to get one other spell that isn't fire or spirit and I'm using Winter's Grasp for very fire resistant mobs.
And the special focus ability, Resurgence, is also very handy as an "oh shit" button. It does a mass rez on all downed companions plus a HOT for 10 seconds of 2%, 10% or 25% health per second depending on your focus tier (I have mine unlocked to tier 3.)
I'm not finding melee in real time that tough to stay on target (I am planning on adding Fade Step soon though to help with mobs that jump around a lot) although having the auto-pause whenever I cast either of my 2 fire spells gives me enough time to give orders to my companions... if they need it... I actually find the AI for them to be good enough that usually all I do Is get them to drink a potion, cast a barrier or taunt.
IMHO, by far the best mage specialization.
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
Comments
Wow, I am definitely going to try it. I got to level 12 and I just got quests for specializations... makes my decision what to pick much easier. I see myself re-playing the game many times LOL so I will probably choose all options, besides there is always the respec available /grin
Thanks a lot
Sith Warrior - Story of Hate and Love http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxKrlwXt7Ao
Imperial Agent - Rise of Cipher Nine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBBj3eJWBvU&feature=youtu.be
Imperial Agent - Hunt for the Eagle Part 1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQqjYYU128E
The KE does sound great, but atm I am finding the sword/board warrior really strong (on hard mode). I have had a couple of fights where everyone has died except Blackwell and I ended up beating multiple mini-bosses and adds solo on him. Just block to build guard and move out of the way or block any big attacks and then beat on them. The weapon seems to hit multiple enemies on each strike and moves you towards them quickly to strike so you stick to them if they move a bit. The rogue I can't get to work though.
The main issue I am having at the moment is that to make the most of the added "action combat"' skills (block, parry etc), I have to actually "play" one character. While I am doing that my party is getting destroyed because the AI is often extremely stupid.
My KE is often the only one left standing in fights with dragons, but only if my mass rez is not up. It's the 30% barrier generation off damage done that allows me to solo finish dragons.
I'm getting to know the AI better now and it does indeed have some glaring weaknesses. Like it never uses the focus consuming abilities - I have to use those myself manually, and it also never uses whatever potion or grenade they have equipped on the 2nd, individual potion slot. I wish we had the ability to get in there and program the AI behavior to a greater extent as in earlier BW games. The programming options for DA-I are just not enough.
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
You mean knight enchanter has to be in melee because of spirit blade ? Can't you take some other damage tree from the spirit,storm,inferno,winter for range ? Do you lose the other tree skills once you specialize ? I rather not deal with the melee problem in the game and I want to play a ranged mage but I want to heal too.
My first play through of the Dragon Age : Origins game was as a rogue but that one the AI seemed better than what I am reading about Inquisition.
So is there another option for ranged healer mage ?
You could play a KE ranged but it also has passives that are designed to give you an advantage if you're near enemies.
The 2 abilities that need melee range are Spirit Blade and Decloaking Blast and they are both very good: Spirit Blade because the tiny mana cost and cooldown makes it virtually spammable for good damage and the Blast because you get 2 seconds of invulnerability + the large damage component if you decloack right next to an opponent. It's those two abilities that allow you to practically solo dragons or any other boss.
If you want to play ranged, the other two mage advanced specs, Necromancer and Rift Mage, are meant for ranged play. But only the KE has that mass rez + hot. But it's a focus ability and those are basically a once per boss fight thing. It takes a while to regenerate focus.
This game is not really designed around healing injuries, it's designed around barriers, guard, etc. preventing them. Not only are healing abilities rare, healing potions are also limited and the 8 you have (which can be increased to 12 with a perk) are shared among all 4 party members.
Also... melee is not tough to do at all - especially if you have a gap closer like Fade Step for the mobs (dragons & some demons) that teleport or jump around a lot.
Make sure you save the game just before you commit to one of the 3 specs so you can go back to that save if you find you want to take one of the other 2 instead.
And if you want a preview of what each spec has, you'll have 3 mage companions by that point - one for each advanced spec. Take a look at their special abilities once those open up after the first act.
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
So I have been playing around with respeccing the characters. Like you say OP, the KE is totally OP. The sword does so much damage (aoe damage). It was doing 200+ damage (large aoe) building barrier and reflecting arrows on the same mobs my dagger rogue hits for 70 damage (single target). That was without any crafted or particularly good gear. It also has the best gap closer in the game that also does great damage and chills everything you go through.
Another great class/build is the reaver. With fairly ordinary gear on the same mobs as above, I was doing 400-500 damage per hit with the dragon rage spammable ability (small aoe). Its hard to stay alive though!