From a mage's perspective...
This is what I use for PvP.
4/5 Shield (without pushback) - every single mage uses this, with the same upgrades. Meaning the pushback on shield is pretty useless. The shield is used in every situation in PvP, because without it, mages are nothing.
4/5 Fireball (without DoT) - this skill is fine. I will use the DoT in 1v1 rooms against rogues. There's nothing wrong with the DoT upgrade, it's just that without it, Curse doesn't hit me as hard. This skill is good for every situation in PvP. Good AoE, crowd control (stun), decent damage (since it hits all targets in range).
3/5 Lightning (without the stun and AoE) - I don't use the stun upgrade in clashes because it's a meager 25% chance to stun (while Fireball's stun is 100% when charged). The only time I would use the stun upgrade is in a particular build against warriors (where I need all the stun I can manage to get). There's nothing wrong with the AoE upgrade but it's just not for PvP purposes since mages don't do the majority of killing. Lightning, as you probably know, is a mage's strongest, single-target attack skill. Lightning is used in almost all PvP situations.
3/5 Lifegiver (with mana upgrade and HP regen) - In my opinion, this skill should get a slight buff. Although it's AoE compared to a rogue's Medic Packs, it's very weak. For a mage alone, it would heal about 60-80% HP, but when healing a warrior, it'll maybe heal ~20% (which sucks). The mana upgrade and increased range upgrade are fine. The regen upgrades should be buffed to par with the level the character is at. As of right now, nobody uses the mana regen upgrade because there's no point when the mana upgrade on Lifegiver already restores the majority of one's mana pool. As for the HP regen, a lot of mages use this one, but not because it is GOOD, because we need all the HP we can manage to get.
3/5 Curse (increased range & target # and increased duration, last two upgrades) - Curse is a really important skill for mages to have. In my opinion, all upgrades for Curse are fine as it is. The only reason why I don't max out my Curse is the lack of skill points (I tend to run a 6 skill build to be able to utilize all situations, and I need my passive points). Curse is only used in group battles or clashes (5v5's). As far as 1v1ing, Curse is not useful (as it is an AoE skill). There are many questions that want to be answered about Curse. Please, feel free to explain the legistics behind Curse here:
http://www.spacetimestudios.com/show...cations-please
3/5 Timeshift (dodge & death and DoT upgrades) - Many players underrate this skill in PvP, but it is an OP skill for clashing. The DoT drains the HP out of the DPS units on the opposing team, but Timeshift is not charged against a team with a Curse mage (instant death from DoT from Timeshift). The root upgrade on Timeshift is useless in PvP because it
doesn't work. The exploding upgrade on Timeshift isn't used to salvage skill points. Timeshift has good crowd control, but there is one negative aspect. You can't tell where the clock will spawn. You might want it to land on this specific place, aim there, and see it land 10 feet away, and it sucks. It would be nice if Timeshift could auto-lock on the closest opponent. Timeshift is a good skill for clashing and is a decent alternative for Frost when 1v1ing rogues.
Frost - This skill isn't in my build because I lack skill points. It's a good single target offensive skill, hence the reason why it's in my 1v1 rogue build. The upgrades I use on Frost is Jagged Ice and Shiver. The other two upgrades are not worth it in PvP.
Gale Force - This skill is probably the weakest skill in a mage's barrage. Many players look down upon Gale, but if used correctly, it CAN be a decent skill to work with. The 50% armor bonus is quite efficient and Gale has very good AoE and crowd control (knockback). But on the downside, it's very weak, and as we are forced to play with only 4 skill slots, it is fair to say the Gale is a waste of a skill slot in an everyday PvP room. Mages will use Gale to flag, and that's about it, unless you're the couple individuals who like to play with Gale. I believe it is right to give Gale a slight buff.
These are my passives (in order from most important --> least important).
INT, STR, DEX, crit. If I do have any extra skill points, I will insert the rest into the Durable passive, though there's no realistic difference in gameplay (not that I can tell).
The above build is what I use and think for PvP. I'll let others give feedback on the PvE aspect. I hope this helped you out.
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