Beat Arcane Mage

What they want to do

Polymorph a DPS, put Touch of the Magi on whoever is left, then Presence of Mind and Arcane Surge into Arcane Barrage. In Solo Shuffle they win long rounds if Polymorph resolves and you dump offensive cooldowns into Alter Time.

Main danger

Touch of the Magi overlapping Arcane Surge, finished with Arcane Barrage. Alter Time rewinds the health and the pillar they left, so the first dump of offensive cooldowns often does not stick.

Interrupt priority

1. 1 Polymorph

   Kick Polymorph first. A free Polymorph is a Touch of the Magi window on whoever is left. They fake-cast to bait the interrupt — hold until the cast is real, then kick.

2. 2 Arcane Surge

   If Polymorph is down, kick Arcane Surge during Touch of the Magi. That is the kill cast. Spell Reflection or a ground effect if you cannot interrupt.

3. 3 Arcane Missiles

   Do not spend the kick on Arcane Missiles. Interrupt the channel only if Polymorph and Arcane Surge are both down; otherwise break line of sight.

Watch for

• Touch of the Magi overlapping Arcane Surge is the kill — press a defensive before Arcane Barrage, not after.
• Alter Time at low health rewinds the damage you just dealt — do not press remaining offensive cooldowns into it.
• Presence of Mind makes Arcane Blast instant — you cannot interrupt those. Stun, break line of sight, or already have a defensive pressed.
• Ring of Frost at your feet before they press Touch of the Magi. Step out; that root is so Barrage hits a planted target.

Offensive cooldowns

• Touch of the Magi. Damage amp on you. Arcane Surge and Arcane Barrage kill inside this window. Press a defensive before the Barrage, not after the last tick.
• Arcane Surge. The dump inside Touch of the Magi. Interrupt it if Polymorph is down, or break line of sight. If it lands, Barrage is next.
• Presence of Mind. Instant Arcane Blasts. You cannot interrupt these. Stun them, break line of sight, or already have a defensive pressed.
• Arcane Barrage. The execute at the end of Touch of the Magi. Do not drop your defensive thinking the window is over — Barrage is the last hit.
• Arcane Missiles. Clearcasting channel. Interrupt if Polymorph and Arcane Surge are down; otherwise break line of sight. Do not spend the kick on this during Touch of the Magi.

Defensive cooldowns

• Ice Block. Full immunity. Stop all damage. Move to the Blink angle they will take when Ice Block ends. They often Blink as they leave.
• Alter Time. Rewinds health and position. Force it with cheap damage or a bait crowd-control before you press offensive cooldowns. Going into it wastes the round.
• Prismatic Barrier. Absorb plus some magic damage reduction. Purge it if you can; keep light pressure if you cannot. Not an immunity — still crowd-control them.
• Ice Cold. Large damage reduction; they can still cast. Crowd-control them or swap. Stun Arcane Surge; do not dump caster cooldowns into the reduction.
• Greater Invisibility. Drops targeting and some damage-over-time effects. Do not recast instantly; they used it to leave a stun. Re-target after it fades.

Crowd control

• Polymorph
• Ring of Frost
• Slow
• Frost Nova

Dispels

• Polymorph is magic — dispel it off your partner; do not trinket it if Ring of Frost is still available.
• Prismatic Barrier can be purged. Slow is magic — strip it off the kill target if you need to close.

Mobility

Blink or Shimmer if talented, Alter Time rewind through a doorway. They are committed during Arcane Surge — that is when you plant them. Cut Blink angles with roots and Ring of Frost. Do not chase the Alter Time rewind through a doorway.

Kill windows

• Alter Time is burned and Ice Block is down after they spent Arcane Surge
• Touch of the Magi just expired and they are still in the open
• After Greater Invisibility fades with Prismatic Barrier already gone

When to run

When Touch of the Magi is on you, Arcane Surge is up, and you have no interrupt. Break line of sight on the channel. Do not stay in melee into Presence of Mind instants.

When to attack

After you have forced Alter Time and they have used Ice Block. Best if they already spent Arcane Surge. During Ice Cold they can still be crowd-controlled — stun the Surge, do not dump caster cooldowns into the reduction.

Common tricks

• They fake-cast Polymorph to steal your interrupt, then Arcane Surge inside Touch of the Magi.
• They press Alter Time in a doorway so the rewind also puts them back behind the pillar.
• Blink is a crowd-control break as much as a gap-closer — they Blink the stun, then Presence of Mind. Cover the landing.

Common mistakes against them

• Dumping your offensive cooldowns into Alter Time without forcing it first.
• Kicking Arcane Missiles instead of Polymorph.
• Sitting the Arcane Barrage at the end of Touch of the Magi.
• Trinketing Ring of Frost instead of Polymorph.