Just wonder what is the best tactic to fight prepared mages as a non-battle melee character? When you hit for 'scratches' and 'grazes' while they unleash 'obliterates'? Do you hit-and-run waiting for protections to fall, or just call for help? Because it can be really pointless and frustrating to fight them one on one, escpecially if you don't have access to various preps.

1) Lag them when they are not ready for a fight.
2) Attack from hiding (similar effect).
3) Have someone steal their wands.
4) Avoid fights when they are prepped, so that they stop prepping because they want a fight.
5) Sneaky tricks like choking them underwater and hoping their waterbreathing fails (requires you to get them to chase for some time.
6) Make sure you use weapons they don't know, and dual wield for most magi. Those grazes can add up fast.
7) Don't fight beyond the point of no return (e.g. if they are maladicting you).
8) Make use of healing. If you are not prepped, you can heal 100 hp a pop at a healer. If they are prepped, they can only heal a tiny fraction of that, so again, in a drawn out fight, your grazes will have more of an effect.

Generally though, the best tactic is to whack them when they are not expecting it. Even the toughest guys will often go down like that.

I'd say, "Bring a friend", but as Victoria those that brought friends tended to over-do it and suffer as a result. A pair makes quite a good number though.

I'll echo all of this, except maybe point #8. The mage is healing less hp, but his hp also goes further since he's taking less damage.

I tend to look at damage reduction as extra hp. If a guy with 1000 hp uses barrier then he effectively has 2000 hp. Suppose a MANGLE does 100 hp damage. Against the barrier'd guy it might do 50hp. When the barrier'd guy does "heal heal" at a healer, he's getting back 50hp. So regardless of whether he's barrier'd, he's still "heal heal"ing for a "MANGLE's worth" of hp.

This is different for built-in abilities like sanctuary for paladins/shamans/healers, since it doesn't nerf the amount of hp they get from external healing sources.

I would add to the above advice:

1. If you can't kill the guy, at least don't let him kill you. In a given engagement, if it looks like you have zero chance to kill him, just leave. Don't stick around to see how hurt you can get him.

2. As a corollary to #1, know what preps you need to have on hand in order to counteract the mage's usual means of preventing you from "just leaving". Quicksand+dispel/earthbind, bash, sleep/maledict, etc.

3. Try to catch them with their pants down. Outside of group fights (usually taking place inside or near a cabal), that's usually the only way you're going to take down this sort of character, short of...

4. Assassinate. Thing is, the kind of players who create "powerhouses" are usually pretty savvy when it comes to doing what it takes to avoid being assassinated. But...it's still out there as an option.

> 5) Sneaky tricks like choking them underwater and hoping their waterbreathing fails (requires you to get them to chase for some time.

That's a mob death for drowning. That's kinda ####ed up, don't you think? Douchebaggery like that is what keeps people on these forms complaining about there being no players, etc.

Sort of. I think its a pretty different scenario though.

Dying because you let water breathing fall and were ranking in an area and 'accidently' let it happen, is really just *bleh* its bad luck, no fun, and a big nice exp hole.

Dying because someone had the wits to run you weary and then choke/strangle/stun you at (literally, they'd have to land it on THE perfect tick, unless its a longer lasting sleep) the point where you'll die because of no water breathing is pretty stylish. I think if I died like that, I wouldn't be so pissed because of how nice of a trap it was.