The mystic class can be incredibly powerful if built correctly, offering unparalleled ranged damage compared to any other class. But if built incorrectly, the mystic can feel underwhelming and weak, as if the skills do barely any damage or have any effect. This guide goes over how to build a mystic that's effective even at level 10.

How we build a mystic will shaped by three core ideas:

1. Casting Skills
   The bulk of your damage will come from skills especially as you reach higher levels. In general, you should keeping as much as your mana and cool down timers allow. The role of weapons is to provide supplemental damage when you're waiting for mana to regenerate or cool down timers to expire.
   
   
2. Buffing/Debuffing
   You should always try to stack buffs and debuffs whenever possible. Doing so nets you anywhere from 1.5X to 2X the damage your attacks normally do. Moreover, these buffs and debuffs apply to any mind based skills and weapons (including transmuted weapons).
   
   
3. Mobility
   Mystics have unparalleled lateral mobility compared to any other class with their passive skill Blink. While blocking and parrying are still important, more often you'll find yourself dashing all or the place and singling out enemies as supposed to getting close and personal.

Note on current version: at high levels, there are weapon options that actually surpass the damage per second skills can do. This will be elaborated below.

In general, you should follow a 2-1 ratio of Mind to Vitality points. Strength and Dexterity are completely unnecessary to most mystic builds, so don't be afraid to leave them at 1. Once you hit around 20-25 Vitality, you can put the rest of your points into mind. You can always respec stats if you need to in case you want a little extra vitality earlier on. Remember that every level always comes with extra mana, stamina, and health regardless of where you put your stat points.

Choosing right skills is the most important choice for an effective mystic. Once you hit level 10 and get your class tome, you'll be reimbursed 15 skill points. While there is some room for personal preference, some skills are necessary and more useful than others. I will be ranking them in order of necessity.

Absolutely Necessary
These are the first four skills you should spec into. They are the bread and butter of mystic and will always be on your skill bar.

• Fluxbolt
  This is the primary damage dealing attack of mystic. It hits up to four times and scales well with Mind as well as buffs/debuffs. Remember to arc your shots and you'll be doing more damage at range than any other class. In the current version, it's not as mandatory as it used to be, but it still provides great burst damage at long range.
  
  or
  
  
• Fluxclaw?
  Yeah, that's right. Fluxclaw was finally fixed. It now scales well with buffs/debuffs and is currently capable of more DPS than Fluxbolt. Moreover, it's more mana efficient as well. I'd definitely choose this or Fluxbolt once you hit level 10 and treat it as a primary damage dealer.
  
  Note: the last couple of patches have seen a lot of tweaks to both of these skills. At the moment, Fluxclaw is better for low levels considering its mana efficiency and cost of one skill point. Fluxbolt is better at higher levels due to its burst potential and extra range. Although, Fluxbolt is becoming more viable each patch, even at lower levels.
  
  
• Cross
  Often overlooked by new mystics, Cross does modest damage and is a bit tricky to use (especially in high ping). However, it also caries a hefty debuff that greatly increases the effectiveness of Fluxbolt and mind weapons. In the current version, debuffs are stronger and vital to doing damage to high level enemies.
  
  
• Restora
  This is the primary healing skill for mystic. It both heals the user and any nearby players at a stupid range away. For most mystics, no other healing skills are necessary until subclass. This single skill will keep you and your friends alive. Also, it stacks with Imbue.
  
  
• Imbue
  This is the primary buff for mystics. It both raises the Mind stat and increases the mana of nearby players for 40 seconds. This increases the damage of all of your Mind skills and weapons and should be the first thing you cast going into a fight.
  
  Note: the nature of how buffs stack or don't stack with each other is worth a guide on its own. Just know that two mystics casting imbue on each other does marginally increase the buff.

Optional Level 10 Skills
After getting the skills above, you'll have three skill points left. These are your options for the last skill. You can also spec into these in the next couple of levels if you desire.

• Prism
  Prism basically gives you free temporary health with no knock back if you get hit. It is incredibly useful later on as enemies get harder and during the Crescent Grove bosses. But it's also useful early on as a buffer while you learn the game. It also makes the Trial of the Stars much easier by letting you ignore damage dealing obstacles.
  
  
• Nova
  A useful area attack skill that has a 50/50 chance of either knocking enemies back or applying a snare condition that stuns them in place. Its instant cast makes it great for PvP but can even get you out of tight corners in PvE.
  
  
• Mind Mastery
  Useful for the damage buff alone, some weapons also have good charge attacks. A good example is the Flamepetal staff, whose charge attack multihits like crazy and does damage comparable to Fluxbolt.
  
  
• Race Skill
  Alarcity and Siphon Leech fit pretty well here but even Leg Up and Sturdy can be useful. I don't see any of the skills being a mainstay in later levels expect for maybe Alarcity.

Useful, But Not Immediately
These skills are good but should not be spec'd into at level 10. These should be your priority from levels 12-24 along with filling out the skills above.

• Blink
  The source of the Mystic's lateral mobility. This skill will save your life as you wait for your dead friends to respawn and run back to the fight. Mash that E key and watch your character teleport across the map. It's also useful for getting outside maps and on top of certain structures. The only reason you won't get this earlier is the 6 skill point cost.
  
  
• Manaflow
  Manaflow is very underrated. You don't realize how good it is until you don't have it. The increased mana regen removes most reliance on consumables and increases your skill output. Another really good skill that costs 6 skill points.
  
  
• Fluxspear
  While not necessarily a great skill for PvE due to its low damage and long cool down, its instant cast makes it great for PvP and the snare condition can be useful for stunning enemies in PvE. I generally find most of the skills above to be more useful but I can see where Fluxspear can find a place among certain builds.

What About Other Normal Skills?
I don't view other normal skills as useless but rather unnecessary. Mystic skills compliment each other and there just isn't much need for another damage dealing mind skill or healing skill. Not to mention that this role can also be filled with weapons which don't cost any mana or skill points. There is room for experimentation here but you're gonna have more than enough good skills by the time you subclass that it'll be hard to find a place for a normal skill. I would definitely not take any of these after level 10 for your first mystic.

Example Skill Bar
Here's a good example skill bar that I just used on my most recent mystic including key binds.

1. Fluxbolt - Mouse 5
   
2. Cross - Mouse 4
   
3. Restora - 1
   
4. Prism - 2
   
5. Imbue - 3
   
6. Leg Up - 4

Fluxbolt and Cross are on the mouse so they don't interfere with WASD. I try to keep my healing skills on 1 and my buffs on 3 for consistency. Prism is a nice utility for extra durability. Leg Up is just a personal preference for extra mobility. From here, I spec'd into Blink and Manaflow and didn't add another skill until the mid level 20s. My general flow of battle is casting Imbue>Cross>Fluxbolt while repeating Cross for new enemies and Fluxbolt when the cool down is over.

In general, you should use the highest level gear available to you at any given time. Don't fret too much over specific stats or equipment. Don't worry too much about enchantments either. You get a much better boost from higher level armor than from enchanted lower level armor.

Once you reach level 20 and beyond, things get a bit more complicated. Here's a quick guide on the best weapons and armor.

• Voalstark Wand
  This is currently the best damage option period for mystics. At level 24, its high damage and triple beam attack melt enemies nearby while putting a little separation between you and them. Add Cross to the mix and enemies and bosses melt before your your eyes.
  
  
• Colossus Tone/Sapphite Bell
  Currently the best bells in the game. Sitting at level 18, both bells are great for their level but can't compare to other options later in the game.
  
  
• Fier Blade
  Currently the best sword in the game at level 26. Great if you want to try out melee mystic.
  
  
• Wizlad Robe/Hood
  Best Mystic armor in the game at level 24. You should not wear anything else. Use vanity to change your appearance.
  
  
• Magilord Boots
  A part of the Magilord set, these boots fill the slot not taken by the Wizlad armor.
  
  
• Blueversa Cape
  Currently the best mystic cape in the game. The extra mana and magic power are significant while the defensive stats are also nice. However, it requires a relatively easy quest from Angela in order to get it.
  
  
• Irisun Shield
  A great shield and adds extra magic power and mana.
  
  
• Glyphik Booklet
  By far the best trinket for mystics. It gives a boatload of magic power, mana, and magic defense with a healthy dose of magic critical percent. The only barrier is that you don't get the quest until level 26 and you can only have one per character.
  
  Your other trinket options are as follows. The Pearlpond Ring offers good magic power when given the magical enchantment. The Noji Talisman gives a good mix of magic power and defensive stats. Or you can use other rings that fill out other stats such as the Geistlord Band, Valor Ring, Valdur Eiffigy, or Earthwoken Ring,

Enchantments
In general, you want to enchant everything with the Magical Enchantment. This gives you extra magic power and magic critical percent for every enchanted piece. While the Manafont enchantment sounds useful, understand that it only gives extra mana and does NOT increase mana regen.

At level 28, Mystics have the option to choose between two subclasses: Bishop and Magus. Both offer additional skills that help with high level play. By the time you get here, you should have a pretty good grasp of the game. Feel free to mix and match different skills and experiment. I will only be providing an explanation of each skill and my opinion on them.

Magus

• Ruin
  Hits for three times and applies a magic defense debuff to enemies. Moreover, this debuff stacks with Cross which when paired with Imbue, can double the damage of skills and weapons. This skill is what gives Magus ridiculous damage output and serves as a more damage focused debuff compared to Cross.
  
  
• Haste
  Haste makes bosses disappear. It lowers the cool down timer of all skills and reduces the cast time as well. These two effects are applied to all nearby players which multiplies the power of any given party. A prepared party with a Magus is a sight to behold.

Bishop

• Chroma Ray
  A good Fluxbolt-like attack for Bishop. It does continuous damage and stacks with Cross, Imbue, and Genesis. It is tricky to land due to its high cast time along with a charge up time after cast. It also heals other players within its hitbox. After testing, the healing is more supplemental and isn't too useful for actually healing teammates.
  
  
• Healos
  A good healing option that provides regen instead of bulk healing. Healos is useful to cast going into a hard fight and during and difficult situation. However, keep in mind that enemy burst damage can still kill you while Healos is active.
  
  
• Shadow Ward
  Provides shadow resistance and magic defense. This skill falls into a weird place. Most enemies that do shadow damage are in the Catacombs which you should be done with by the time you subclass. The only exception are the Deathknights in Crescent Grove. While the extra magic defense is nice, it's just not that necessary. Feel free to skip on this if you want to spend skill points elsewhere.
  
  
• Genesis
  Hits all enemies nearby you while providing a debuff to holy damage. This one also falls into a weird place. The AoE damage is nice but the debuff only works for Chroma Ray and Divine (a skill only Paladins have). While this gives Chroma Ray decent damage potential, it's also very specific and means Genesis must be paired with Chroma Ray to be useful.

Overall, Magus is the more versatile of the two subclasses and provides more damage potential. Bishops do serve a place providing more healing and magic defense and can keep struggling party alive (especially with the nerf to Restora). I generally find myself preferring Magus but Bishop can still be fun.

Make Angela proud.