Mage duels have undergone significant mechanical changes. My goal was to make them more interesting and tactical (that succeeded) and less random (that partially succeeded ;)). The side effect is that duels may seem more complex – but that's exactly how it should be, because magic is complex, especially when you're using it under time pressure and with the awareness that you might soon be scorched by an enemy spell...
Not every wizard needs to be a battle mage, nor does everyone need to strive for direct confrontation. A victorious duel can bring benefits such as destroying a rival, seizing artifacts, or settling a war, but it's better to avoid duels if the risk of losing is too great.


A Mage Duel can be initiated through interaction (a mage can challenge another mage or a demon) or as a result of an event. The struggle lasts for 7 rounds, during which the parameters of the duel – the progress on the Power Clash track and often other elements – can change, giving an advantage to one side.
Victory Conditions:

• Reducing the opponent's Endurance to zero or less.
  
• Pushing an opponent out on the Power Clash track or maintaining a lead on it after seven rounds of combat.
  
• In special cases - the use of an banishment spell if the opponent is susceptible to it.

If you are winning on the Power Clash track but your Endurance has dropped to zero, you lose the duel. This reflects a situation where you have the advantage, but due to injuries and lack of strength, you are unable to capitalize on it.

The duel may end without resolution:

• After seven rounds, if no one has an advantage on the Power Clash track.
  
• When both sides lose all their Endurance at the same time.

Each combat spell (a dialogue option during the duel) consists of Magical Elements, usually two. Most Magical Elements can produce damage, and the total effectively dealt damage determines your progress on the Power Clash track. The more damage you successfully deal, the greater progress you will achieve in the Power Clash. Additionally, using a specific type of Element is usually associated with some additional effect.
Damage Elements:

• Power - The use of Power has no additional effects, but it is often the mage's highest Element, so it can generate relatively high damage (i.e. power clash progress). Power can also be consumed during the duel to maintain the Magic Shield, meaning your Power value may decrease during combat.
  
• Fire - Fire, in addition to pushing power clash, also has a random chance to reduce the opponent's Endurance: 20% for each effectively dealt point of fire damage. So, by dealing 4 fire damage, the chance of reducing Endurance is 80%. The Endurance reduction is 1, unless the spell additionally includes a Special Effect that states otherwise.
  
• Kinetic - Kinetic damage also may reduce the opponent's Endurance – if you deal more kinetic damage than they do. That is, for example, if you deal 1 kinetic damage and your opponent deals 0 kinetic damage, they lose Endurance in this round. The Endurance reduction is 1, unless the spell additionally includes a Special Effect that states otherwise.
  
• Shadows - Shadow damage does not affect the opponent's Endurance, only power clash progress, but the level of the Shadow Element can change dynamically during the duel. When you use the Shadow Element, its level increases by 1, which can accumulate and give you an advantage in subsequent rounds. However, the opponent can reduce your Shadows by using Double Power, Double Fire, or a specific Special Effect.
  
• Necrosis - Necrotic magic is difficult to access. Moreover, having one level of Necrosis doesn't produce spectacular effects. However, if you can deal 2 or more necrotic damage at once, duels become much easier. Necrotic damage not only impacts the Power Clash track but directly reduces the opponent's Endurance. For example, 2 effectively dealt necrotic damage will reduce their Endurance by 2, and so on.

Non-damage Elements:

• Magic Shield - Using a Shield typically costs you Power, so it's better not to use it recklessly. On the other hand, the Shield can cancel part or all of the opponent's damage, along with their additional effects, making it a very useful component of a spell. What types of damage does the Shield block? More on that shortly.
  
• Special Effect - Spells can also include unique additional effects, each of which is described in the specific combat spell.

Damage has its category (derived from the associated element, e.g., fire damage), but it also has its type, which depends on its 'position' within the spell. It sounds mysterious, but in reality, it's quite simple:

• Pure damage - If a spell contains only one category of damage, it will always be Pure Damage. For example, combinations like Power+Shield, Kinetic+Special Effect, or Fire+Fire are considered pure damage because all the damage from the spell originates from a single source and a single element (or two identical elements, in the case of Fire+Fire).
  
• Main/Side damage - If a spell uses two different damage elements, the first one will account for the Main damage, and the second one for the Side damage.

Damage types are only important in the context of certain Special Effects and, of course, the Magic Shield. When you use the Shield, all Pure and Side damage that the opponent wants to inflict will be nullified. Only their Main damage will be able to harm you.
The main conclusion is that spells composed of different types/categories of damage are harder to deflect (cancel), which should be intuitively clear to any mage ;)
Note that damage reducing Endurance is often Pure or Side, so the Shield provides decent protection against the loss of Endurance (remember, there are ways to lose Endurance even when using a shield — it's just rare).

• Sometimes the best way to avoid losing is to avoid the fight. If you don't feel strong, it's better not to issue challenges or accept them – you could try to get rid of the enemy with a scheme, engage them in warfare, or attempt to overwhelm them with spells from a distance (if possible). Admittedly, the opponent may sometimes force a duel, but in most cases, active countermeasures and avoiding shared activities will prevent them from enforcing a duel.
  
• A more powerful mage has a significant advantage and will usually win the duel. The mage's strength is determined by the level of their Elements, which primarily result from power saturation (but also, for example, from XP in combat magic). Make sure that your power saturation is high.
  
• The level of Elements is crucial, but knowledge of spells (mainly shadow step and firestorm), as well as high intrigue, learning, and certain traits, can grant you additional combat spells/option during the duel. I won't even mention Ancient Singularity.
  
• Use the Aura Reading spell to verify the opponent's strength. Keep in mind that the AI may drink a Magic Potion just before the duel to increase its power saturation.
  
• Severe injuries or a serious illness can reduce your initial Endurance. It's better to wait with duels until you are fully healthy.

• The most obvious and often valid tactic is to use the Elements in which you have the highest level. This will often be Power and Fire. This increases your chances of gaining an advantage on the Power Clash track and possibly achieving victory.
  
• Attempting to reduce the opponent's Endurance to zero also makes sense; fire and kinetic damage (or necrotic!) are the best choices in this case. However, this tactic can be challenging because the AI isn't that naive. When the opponent's Endurance is low, they will use the Magic Shield more frequently (fire and kinetic damage are often Pure or Side).
  
• The Magic Shield is a powerful spell component, but it is also costly. From my experience, it's better to use it in the second half of the duel – to maintain an advantage on the Power Clash track – or when your Endurance is dangerously low. However, using the Shield can make sense in virtually any round.
  
• The Shield can also have offensive applications. When you use it together with kinetic damage, it increases your chances of reducing the enemy's Endurance (because the Shield can cancel their kinetic damage – this allows you to deal more than than the opponent, and the enemy loses Endurance in such cases).
  
• Well, there are also Shadows. When you use a lot of Shadows, a snowball effect can occur. Suddenly, it turns out that your Shadow Element is very high, and your shadowy spells literally sweep the enemy off the field. However, this tactic is risky – if the opponent isn't completely unlucky, they will reduce your Shadows faster than you can increase them.
  
• Remember that even the best tactics might not be enough if your opponent is significantly stronger than you.

When you reach 100 XP in combat magic, you will gain access to a special project — Design Combat Spell (of course, you also need access to magical research). This will allow you to prepare one special spell composed of three elements, making it slightly more powerful than regular combat spells. You will choose the elements and their order yourself. There are certain technical limitations: the first element must be unique, i.e., different from the others (meaning you can't create a triple fire spell, but that wouldn't be a good spell anyway). However, you can make many other combinations (or very many if you have access to Necrosis).
You can also pass on your spell during Teach Sorcery, which means, theoretically, you can have two custom spells — one from the special project and one from your teacher. The first one is always available in the first round of a duel, and both special spells can also be drawn in subsequent rounds.

Want to practice duels? Or maybe you want to test the strength of your current character? Launch the game in debug mode. You will have access to the Mage Arena decision, which immediately starts a duel, restoring power saturation beforehand. Each subsequent execution of the decision will summon a more challenging opponent.


Below, I have listed the factors that may affect the level of your Elements. I have included only those that can (at least theoretically) be acquired by the player.

• +1 - Power Saturated modifier or Power Saturation level: 10-49
  
• +2 - Power Saturation level: 50-99
  
• +3 - Power Saturation level: 100
  
• +1 - Mystical Powers modifier, can be obtained after defeating Asmodeus or from a rare random event for demons
  
• +1 - Ultimate Spell modifier
  
• +1 - Source trait with 80+ potential ('Powerful Source')
  
• -1 - Magic Flu modifier

• +1 - Power Saturated modifier or Power Saturation level: 10-49
  
• +2 - Power Saturation level: 50+
  
• +1 - Combat Magic: 100 XP
  
• +1 - Greater Demon/Hell Powers: 100 XP
  
• +1 - Hell Scepter (only if you are a demon)
  
• +1 - Source trait with 100 potential ('Chosen One')

• +1 - Power Saturated modifier or Power Saturation level: 10+
  
• +1 - Destructive Force, demonic perk
  
• +1 - Darkblade, but only after rare event
  
• +1 - Source trait with 100 potential ('Chosen One')

• +1 - Combat Magic: 70+ XP
  
• +1 - Crown of Shadows
  
• +1 - Yaga trait
  
• +1 - Greater Demon/Hell Powers: 35+ XP
  
• +1 - Source trait with 100 potential ('Chosen One')

• +1 - Ring of Death (special artifact)
  
• +1 - Master of Magic modifier (magical research)
  
• +1 - Lich trait: 100 XP
  
• +1 - Source trait with 100 potential ('Chosen One')
  
• -1 - Ring of life, for both participants in the duel (applied directly in the duel, so it is not visible in Aura Reading)

(Base: 4)

• +1 - Dragonscales
  
• +2 - Golem trait
  
• +1 - Lich trait: 30+ XP
  
• +1 - Tough as Hell demonic perk
  
• +1 - Upgraded Body modifier (magical research)
  
• -1 - When you are seriously ill or injured