Best Wizard Build (2.0 Update)
★ 02/17 Update: New Game Plus added!
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☆ Builds: Wizard | Fighter | Ranger
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☆ Unique Weapons | Unique Armor
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This is a guide to the best Wizard build in Avowed as of the 2.0 Update. Read on to learn the best stats, spells and abilities, weapons, and armor to get in order to create a powerful Wizard build.
List of Contents
Best Wizard Build
Stat Priority for Wizard Builds
| Early Game |
 =  >  >  =  >  Might and Resolve > Constitution > Intellect and Perception > Dexterity |
|---|---|
| Mid- to Endgame |
= > > = > Intellect and Perception > Might > Constitution and Resolve > Dexterity |
For Wizard builds, the most important stats (attributes) will change depending on where you are during your playthrough. If you're still in Dawnshore and Emerald Stair, you'll want to prioritize Might and Resolve (since the best uniques in these regions buff Wand damage).
However, once you gain access to better armor and accessories in Shatterscarp and Galawain's Tusks, you can respec into a high Intellect and Perception build since this allows you to spam the more powerful spells and have an easier time proccing elemental accumulation buffs.
Constitution, while ranked high in the priority list above, is optional. You can comfortably complete the game with 0 base constitution if you want, but a few points in it will make Path of the Damned difficulty much more bearable.
Finally, Dexterity is more of a dump stat if you can't think of anything to raise since it does improve Action Speed (loadout swapping and chugging potions).
Is it Okay to Have 0 Constitution as a Wizard?
Yes, it's perfectly fine to have 0 Constitution as a Wizard. Enemy damage will usually depend on the quality of armor you're currently wearing. As long as you're facing enemies with the same quality armor as their tier, you should be good to go (e.g., facing a Tier IV enemy with Superb armor will keep you from getting 2-shot).
However, be warned, the bane of your existence as a glass cannon wizard will be the ranged enemies in the game. If you find yourself getting insta-killed during fights, you'll probably want to invest a few points in Constitution as well as 1 level in Arcane Veil (so you can cast Rank 2 Arcane Veil
Best Abilities and Spells for Wizards
| Spell and Ability Progression for Wizards | |
|---|---|
| Levels 1~11 | Levels 11~Beyond |
Rush Grimoire Mastery Until Level 11
Early game as a wizard is rough (especially on higher difficulties). You won't really be casting a lot of spells due to your poor Essence economy, so the strategy will be to rush Grimoire Mastery while also improving Wand damage.
The goal will be to have a maxed out Grimoire Mastery by the time you hit Level 11 all while getting abilities that help you auto-attack for high damage.
| Level | Ability Progression |
|---|---|
| Level 2 | |
| Level 3 |
Allows you to reduce the Essence penalty for Light and Medium armor. Alternative Options: |
| Level 4 |
Useful at higher difficulties since 1 point allows you to cast it at Rank 2 using a Grimoire (let's you reflect projectiles, return-to-sender style).
Or Pick a Survivability Option: Note: If you picked one of these during Level 3, you can only pick one of the other 2 since the next tier of each ability unlocks at Level 5. |
| Level 5 | First power spike in the early game, giving you boosted Wand damage and access to Level 5 spells like Blizzard and Fireball via Grimoires. |
| Level 6 | Only 1 level is needed since it allows you to get through blastable walls and proc shatter on Frozen enemies. |
| Level 7 | Allows you to now cast some of the more powerful Grimoire spells like Missile Salvo and Spirit Lance. |
| Level 8 | Any of the Level 1 Abilities: If you plan to get one of the spells, make sure you're casting them using an equipped Grimoire (so they're upcast to Rank 2). Note: Only get Corrosive Siphon if you're using Beothel’s Grimoire since it only becomes useful at Rank 2. |
| Level 9 | Ideally, you'll want to get this by the time you reach Emerald Stair since you'll get Grimoires there that can cast Freezing Pillar and Pull of Eora. |
| Level 10 | Harvest Essence is important since it makes it somewhat manageable to spam spells in fights without having to chug potions. |
| Level 11 | This is mostly for the -20% Essence cost when casting spells. |
Minor Missiles
Armored Essence
Constant Recovery
Toughness
Evasive
Arcane Veil
Wand Mastery
Grimoire Mastery
Blast (Wizard)
Fan of Flames
Jolting Touch
Corrosive Siphon
Parasitic Staff
Harvest EssenceFocus on Building Up Passives After Level 11
After Level 11, the order in which you get abilities or spells won't matter since you'll have access to all spells anyway via Grimoires. Here are some ability suggestions to keep in mind as you play:
Scavenger - the earlier you get this, the better since it will help you double your Upgrade Material gain in later regions. You only need 1 point.- Harvest Essence - with your access to powerful spells, you'll soon start to feel the strain on your Essence. Max this out to get more out of the Essence pickups from slain enemies.
- Constant Recovery or Toughness - if you find yourself dying often, get either of these from the Fighter ability tree.
- Wand Mastery - Make sure to max this out at Level 15 or before you reach Shatterscarp since you get a pretty good Unique Wand called the Whisper of Exiles in the desert.
ScavengerBest Weapons for Wizards
| Main Hand | Off-Hand | |
|---|---|---|
| Loadout 1 | Wand | Grimoire |
| Loadout 2 | Axe or Sword | Grimoire |
Click on a link above to see recommendations!
If you want to maximize spellcasting then go with the combo of Wand + Grimoire and One-Handed Weapon + Grimoire. This gives you access to 8 different spells, wand attack spam, and a comfortable melee option.
For melee weapons, the best to get will be Axes from early to mid-game due to Drawn in Winter and Woodman's Labor being available. Later on, switch to a Sword, since you'll get much stronger unique contenders for them in Shatterscarp and Galawain's Tusks.
Unfortunately, Quarterstaves for Wizards aren't as good (especially at higher difficulties) since you'd have to spec into a decent melee build in order to get the most out of their damage.
Obtain the Whisper of Exiles to Get the Best Wand
For Wands, you'll want to stick to a regular Wand or to Minoletta's Conduit. Just make sure you upgrade either to Superb rarity before reaching Shatterscarp. Once at Shatterscarp, obtain the best wand - Whisper of Exiles - from a chest in the Great Sand Sea.
| 1 | Dawnshore (Early Game) |
Start off with a Common Wand then upgrade it to Fine Quality so you can explore the eastern side of Dawnshore. |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Emerald Stair (Early Game) |
In Emerald Stair, go and buy Minoletta’s Conduit since its powerful Wand attack buff synergizes with the Scholar's Advantage light armor. However, if you want to be efficient, stick to your Fine Wand and upgrade it to Exceptional before you approach the vendor with Minoletta's Conduit so you can get this unique at Exceptional quality. |
| 3 | Shatterscarp (Mid-Game) |
 Before getting the Whisper of Exiles make sure you have at least one weapon upgraded to Superb. Once you do, get this wand from a locked chest in the Great Sand Sea. |
| 4 | Galawain's Tusks (Endgame) |
At Galawain's Tusks, you'll want to upgrade your Whisper of Exiles to at least Legendary +0. This'll help you complete all side content in the region. |
| 5 | The Garden (Point of No Return) |
Before or while inside the Garden, you can upgrade your Whisper of Exiles to Legendary +3. |
Note: If you want to stick to Minoletta's Conduit, just make sure to collect sufficient Adra (Awakened, Corrupted, and Ban) since Unique weapons require them to jump to a different rarity.
Get the Aurochs-Skin Grimoire During Face Your Fears
For Grimoires, you'll want the ones that grant Freezing Pillar, Blast of Frost, or Pull of Eora since all of them give you a crowd control option. At higher difficulties, this becomes essential since companions won't be able to pull much aggro away from you.
Your best-in-slot will be the Aurochs-Skin Grimoire you get during the main quest, Face Your Fears, in Shatterscarp.
| 1 | Northreach (Tutorial) You get a free copy of the Grimoire of Elements in the tutorial. |
|---|---|
| 2 | Dawnshore (Early Game) Replace your Grimoire of Elements with either of the following: ① Grimoire of Greater Elements ② Anextli's Grimorie Note: Beothel's Grimoire is a viable option if you have at least 1 level in both Corrosive Siphon and Arcane Veil. However, unlike the other 2 grimoires, this one isn't free and needs to be bought. |
| 2 | Emerald Stair (Early Game) Replace your current Grimoire with either of the following: ① Grimoire of Rime ② Grimoire of Sparks ③ Grimoire of the Spellblade ④ Od Caura's Grimoire Make sure to upgrade your Grimoire (or Wand) to Exceptional before leaving Emerald Stair. |
| 3 | Shatterscarp (Mid-Game) You can stick to your current Grimoire. As long as you have a Superb Wand or Grimoire by the time you do the main quest, Face Your Fears, you should be able to get the Aurochs-Skin Grimoire in Superb quality. |
| 4 | Galawain's Tusks (Endgame) Make sure to farm upgrade materials to upgrade your Aurochs-Skin Grimoire to at least Legendary +0. Then, go ahead and do the side quest, Keep History Alive, to get Eilara's Grimoire in the Living Archives. |
| 5 | The Garden (Point of No Return) As long as both Aurochs-Skin Grimoire and Eilara's Grimoire are already Legendary +0, you won't need to upgrade them to +3 (since the bonuses are very small at +3). |
How to Get the Aurochs-Skin Grimoire
Use Axes or Swords for Your Melee Weapons
For one-handed weapons, you can choose between Axes or Swords. Unfortunately, Maces and Quarterstaves are off the table since they cost too much stamina to swing, while spears are easily replaced by the Spirit Lance spell. Some good weapons to get as you progress are:
| 1 | Dawnshore (Early Game) |
 Drawn in Winter
|
 Last Light of Day
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Emerald Stair (Early Game) |
 Woodman’s Labor
|
|
| 3 | Shatterscarp (Mid-Game) |
 The Emperor’s Reach
|
|
| 4 | Galawain's Tusks (Endgame) |
 Meteor Blade
|
 Ondra’s Offense
|
Best Armor for Wizards
As of the 2.0 Update, the best early game armor for a Wizard will be Scholar's Advatange since it plays to the strength of Minoletta's Conduit, giving you a comfortable option when you still don't have enough Essence to make full use of spell spam.
Later on, you can replace it with the Robes of Surpassing Brilliance since this allows you to wipe out enemies with ease using some of the more powerful AoE Wizard spells in the game.
| 1 | Northreach (Tutorial) |
 Robe
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Dawnshore (Early Game) |
 Scholar's Advantage Scholar's Advantage +10% Attack Damage with Wands, +10% Maximum Wand Range, and +10% Ability Casting Speed (Best Option) |
Common or Fine Robe |
 Arcanist’s Gambeson
|
 Many-Hued Doublet
|
||
| 2 | Emerald Stair (Early Game) |
 Robe
|
 Warmage’s Robe
|
 Animancer’s Swallowtail
|
 Hjilde’s Handy Hide
|
||
| 3 | Shatterscarp (Mid-Game) |
 Robes of Surpassing Brilliance
|
|
| 4 | Galawain's Tusks (Endgame) |
 Robes of Surpassing Brilliance
|
 Sentinel Mail |
| 5 | The Garden (Point of No Return) |
 Spiritmender
|
 Wildwalker Armor
|
|
Robes of Surpassing Brilliance
(Best) |
|||
For those who don't want to overthink their choices, an upgraded Robe or the Scholar's Advantage unique will suffice for all regions. However, do note that most Wizard Armors look bad. Make sure you know how to Transmog if you plan to play as a Wizard.
Best Clothing for Wizards
| Best Clothing for Wizards | |
|---|---|
| Boots | Gloves |
You'll want an even spread of stats as you progress through the game, and the best way to do that is to equip gear that grant attribute bonuses. Ideally, you'll want to address the stats you didn't prioritize earlier in the stat priority section of this guide.
Use Boots with Attribute Bonuses
For early game, you can go with the Blackwing Boots. As you reach Emerald Stair you can use either the Shoes of the Glimmering Merchant if you plan to spam spells or the Eothasian Boots if you plan to use Minoletta's Conduit.
| 1 | Dawnshore (Early Game) |
 Arcanist's Boots
|
 Blackwing Boots
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Emerald Stair (Early Game) |
 Vailian Boots
|
 Eothasian Boots
|
 Shoes of the Glimmering Merchant
|
 Warmage's Boots
|
||
| 3 | Shatterscarp (Mid-Game) |
 Wavebinder Boots
|
 Stormdancer Boots
|
| 4 | Galawain's Tusks (Endgame) |
 Imp Catchers
|
|
 Shadowdancer's Boots
|
|||
| 5 | The Garden (Point of No Return) |
 Wildwalker Boots
|
|
Use Gloves that Boost Attributes, Raise Essence, or Buff Damage
For gloves, you'll want the ones that can either boost your attributes, raise your max essence, or buff damage. Here are some you can get from early to late-game:
| 1 | Dawnshore (Early Game) |
 Blackwing Gloves
|
 Steel Garrote Gauntlets
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Emerald Stair (Early Game) |
 Wolf Gloves
|
 The Hands Occult
|
| 3 | Shatterscarp (Mid-Game) |
 Trickster's Gloves
|
 Stormdancer Gloves
|
| 4 | Galawain's Tusks (Endgame) |
 Ninagauth's Gruesome Grasp
|
|
| 5 | The Garden (Point of No Return) |
 Wildwalker Gloves
|
|
During early game, a solid contender will be the Steel Garrote Gauntlets, mostly for its bonus Stamina. However, if you plan to lean into shock damage using Minoletta's Conduit and similar spells during mid-game, The Hands Occult will be a good option (offset by accessories to buff missing Crit Rate and Damage).
As you approach late game, your best-in-slot options will be the Trickster's Gloves (for auto-attack spam) or Ninagauth's Gruesome Grasp (for AoE spell spam).
Best Accessories for Wizards
| Best Accessories for Wizards | |
|---|---|
| Rings | Amulets and Trinkets |
For amulets, trinkets, and rings, you'll want ones that boost your attributes in one way or another. Rings are a bit more flexible since they have a bunch of buffs to Wizard-related stats, but amulets and trinkets will need to have attribute bonuses since they get the bigger bonuses in late game.
Use Rings that Boost Attributes or Wizard-Related Stats
With the buffs and changes to ring bonuses, some of the early game options can become mainstays of your build (at least until you reach Shatterscarp and Galawain's Tusks). Here are some of the best you can get for your Wizard:
| 1 | Dawnshore (Early Game) |
 Arcanist's Ring
|
 Ring of Pain Amplification
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Options: |
|||
| 2 | Emerald Stair (Early Game) |
 The Packmule's Burden
|
|
| 3 | Shatterscarp (Mid-Game) |
 Sigil of the Arcane
|
 The Ranga's Clarity
|
|
Other Options: |
|||
| 4 | Galawain's Tusks (Endgame) |
 Disciple's Ring
|
|
|
Other Options: |
|||
Delver's Caution
Vindictive Band
Stormdancer Ring
Ring of Elemental Balance
Berserker Ring
Ring of Greater OverseeingThe Arcanist's Ring is a good, early game stat adjuster, allowing you to spec at least 2 more points into Resolve, Constitution, or Might as needed since it frees up 2 Intellect.
Once you reach Shatterscarp, the Sigil of the Arcane and The Ranga's Clarity are a great pair that'll carry you to endgame. However, if you're still rocking Minoletta's Conduit, you'll probably want something like the Stormdancer Ring for it in lieu of the Sigil of the Arcane.
Stick to Attribute-Boosting Amulets or Trinkets Only
For amulets or trinkets, we'll be a bit more strict, focusing instead on attribute-only boosts since this helps us re-distribute our attribute points from leveling up, freely.
| 1 | Dawnshore (Early Game) |
 Steel Garrote Medallion
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Options: |
|||
| 2 | Emerald Stair (Early Game) |
 Torc of the Warrior King
|
 Painter's Brush
|
 Tranton Family Talisman
|
|||
| 3 | Shatterscarp (Mid-Game) |
 Thirdborn Tira Nui Badge
|
 Poisoner's Kit
|
| 4 | Galawain's Tusks (Endgame) |
 Pearlescent Icosahedral Helstone
|
 Scout's Reach
|
 Cartographer's Companion
|
|||
Enchanted Suolenet
White Key Cameo
Night-Mistress' FavorFor the early game, you'll want to grab the Steel Garrote Medallion to solve your Stamina issues (without it, you'll have to invest a few more points in Resolve to avoid getting winded at higher difficulties).
The rest of the early game options will for min-maxxing at Path of the Damned difficulty wherein you swap to them as needed during and after combat (White Key Cameo when reviving or Enchanted Suolenet when looting).
Later on, it'll be a matter of choosing between increasing Intellect, Might, or Perception. For Intellect, the Pearlescent Icosahedral Helstone will be your go-to. For Might, you'll have the Torc of the Warrior King and, later on, the better Thirdborn Tira Nui Badge. Perception will have the most options since the rest will buff it or Crit Chance in some way.
Avowed Related Guides
All Builds
| Best Builds | |
|---|---|
| Wizard | Fighter |
| Paladin | Ranger |
| Summoner | Gunslinger |
| Unarmed | Dual Wield |
| Wands | Gun Mage |
| Poison | - |
| Background Builds | |
| Arcane Scholar | Court Augur |
| Noble Scion | Vanguard Scout |
| War Hero | - |
Comment
Anonymous 11 monthsIs there going to be an update to this page, and others? The large patch in March added a lot of attribute and skill points and the builds aren't really accurate anymore as you have a lot more points to work with. Also a lot of gear stats were increased.
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Huge improvement on the guide! I’ve been following it for the last 3 days but hadn’t refreshed the page until a bit ago and things line up way better with the game than they did before. Will be making some adjustments to my playthrough with this updated info. currently in emerald stair on path of the damned difficulty and it’s been ALOT of trial and error with gear swaps as well as trying different temporary buffs from consumables to manage 1-skull and 2 skull enemies. Appreciate the update!