Above the mage

Chapter 742 Tactical Arrangements

No matter how versatile a mage is, since they are called mages, melee combat is destined to be a niche style.

Niche means that you don't encounter it often.

Therefore, everyone subconsciously paid more attention to Olivia, who was a melee fighter.

However, Fritz treated everyone equally, briefly explaining Olivia's situation before lightly pressing the button on the alchemy device.

The light and shadow shifted instantly, and a fourth figure slowly appeared before everyone's eyes.

He was a male mage of medium height and ordinary appearance, dressed in a dark gray robe, with a mysterious and reserved aura.

"Drian Rune, one of the five main members of the Rune family, one of the four major merchant families in Linhai City, is a fourth-ring mage who is skilled in illusion and spell magic."

The mage Fritz analyzed, "Illusion magic excels at confusing the opponent's mind, creating false illusions, causing the opponent to fall into self-doubt and become unable to cast spells normally."

"Curse magic can weaken the opponent's combat power, such as slowing down the opponent's casting speed, reducing the opponent's mana regeneration efficiency, and even applying a continuous damage curse."

"Combined, his difficulty surpasses that of a typical artillery mage."

"When facing him, everyone must be extra careful to avoid falling into his illusion trap. Once you fall into it, the consequences will be unimaginable."

The light and shadow continued to shift, and the figure of the fifth main member appeared.

He was a male mage with a slightly thin build and delicate features.

His eyebrows and eyes were clean, and his gaze was firm. He did not have the air of nobility of a nobleman's son, but instead had a tenacious and unyielding spirit.

"Hori, one of the five main members, is not from the four major families of Linhai City, nor is he a member of any merchant family. He is just an outstanding commoner student at the Nolan Magic Academy."

"He came from a poor family, without a strong family background or sufficient resources. He was admitted to the Nolan Magic Academy entirely through his own talent and hard work."

"And he distinguished himself in the talent-rich academy, eventually relying on his outstanding strength to join the main force of Linhai City."

"He is particularly skilled in defensive spells, has a strong will and is extremely adaptable, earning him the nickname 'Iron Shield' at the Nolan Magic Academy."

After introducing the five main members, Mage Fritz did not stop. He activated the alchemy device again, and the figures of two substitute members appeared one after the other in the light and shadow.

The first one is Philippa Cohen, who comes from the Cohen Chamber of Commerce in the coastal city.

Although the Cohen Chamber of Commerce is also a major chamber of commerce in Linhai City, it is far less established than the four major families.

In comparison, the information about Philippa is much more detailed.

One reason is that she was just a substitute player, and the other is that she had played many times, so her spell style and combat level had long been clearly understood.

Philippa's most distinctive feature is that the magical weapon she uses is not a traditional staff, but a magic crystal gun.

As a prestigious tournament that represents the level of contemporary young mages in mainland China, the combat styles of the participants can give a general idea of ​​the current mainstream trends among combat mages.

Without a doubt, the turret mage who uses a staff remains the most mainstream combat style, with over 90% of mages using this configuration.

A staff can better channel magic and amplify the power of spells, making it the most suitable choice for a mage.

The remaining 10% of players, even if they are not turret mages, such as support mages, mostly use staves as their basic magic weapon, just in different ways.

Those who use magic crystal guns, like Philippa, and extraordinary longswords, like Olivia, are just isolated cases, considered outliers among mages.

Of course, there are many more such oddballs in the Golden Flower Dynasty mage team, a total of three, and they are even more unconventional.

Gareth's use of a warhammer is already quite niche.

Gao De and Evan, on the other hand, did not use any magic weapons at all, which was unprecedented in this year's Magic Fighting Tournament.

Marin Horn, the last substitute member of the Linhai City mage team, is a late-stage third-ring mage and comes from the Horn Merchant Guild family of Linhai City.

Horn and Cohen are comparable, both being major merchant guilds in Linhai City, but they cannot be compared to the four major families.

Marin is a traditional turret mage, considered a lower-tier alternative to Elwynn.

This also shows that if the age limit is set to under 20, even if the scope is expanded to the entire Nolan continent, the level of a mage at the early fourth ring is almost the upper limit for young mages.

Even top-tier powers like Linhai City, the Holy Empire, and the Golden Flower Dynasty couldn't assemble a team of young mages with all four rings.

After all, a monk's spiritual practice requires accumulation over time.

The accumulation of magical power and the mastery of spells both require time, making it extremely difficult for a young mage to break through to the fourth ring.

A late-stage fourth-ring cultivator like Liu Ying, who is under twenty years old, is completely contrary to normal rules and can be called a miracle. Even the Holy Empire cannot replicate it.

However—the North is an option, because the North has Sunefa.

If Sunefa and Liuying were to face off, who would prevail?

This inexplicable thought subconsciously crossed Gao De's mind.

The light and shadow of the alchemical device slowly dissipated.

A brief silence fell over the meeting room.

Mage Fritz's gaze swept over each member of the team, and he said in a serious tone, "That concludes the information on all members of the Linhai City Mage Team."

"They are very strong, with a complete roster and no obvious weaknesses."

Fritz tapped his fingertips lightly on the oak table and said, "Aside from the captain Tris, whose strength is unknown and who is mysterious and unpredictable, the team also has Elwin's violent ranged output, Olivia's melee attack, Ryan's illusion interference, and Horry's protection. It is almost a theoretically complete team configuration."

"Plus, the two substitutes are also quite strong."

After speaking, he looked at the crowd, softened his tone, and asked, "What do you all think?"

"To be honest, everything else is fine, but this Tris is a bit of a headache. They're quite meticulous; they haven't revealed any information. The unknown is the most terrifying thing," Gareth said.

"If we don't know his combat strength or what kind of magic he's good at, we can easily find ourselves on the defensive."

Gareth's words echoed the sentiments of everyone present, and they all nodded in agreement, their expressions growing more solemn.

Just then, Feng Lin chuckled, breaking the atmosphere: "This is already a headache? They'll have to face our captain, their heads will explode!"

Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but smile, and the atmosphere immediately relaxed considerably.

Compared to the unknown, what can be more unknown than the shimmering firefly?

Not to mention, Liu Ying is still in the late stage of the fourth ring.

The real headache is probably in Linhai City.

Fritz couldn't help but chuckle, then added, "That's right, I've received news that Linhai City's ace player is none other than Liu Ying."

This news was already expected by everyone.

So when people heard about it, they didn't have much of an emotional reaction.

"Let's take it one game at a time. Against a strong opponent like Linhai City, there's a chance we'll go to the fifth game."

"We need to prepare an initial plan in advance for the tactical arrangements and personnel for each round," Mage Fritz said solemnly.

"This way, we'll be prepared and won't panic on the spot."

"First, the first game is capture the flag."

"As we previously decided, Liu Ying's two matches will be scheduled in the third round of the gauntlet battle and the fourth round of the five-person team battle, so as to maximize her combat power."

"So, in this first capture-the-flag game, Liu Ying is out of the running."

Fritz continued, his gaze sweeping over Evan and Gareth in turn: "My idea is to build the team around Evan and Gareth as the core of the capture-the-flag game."

"Evan's polymorph spells are particularly well-suited for rushing in and capturing the flag."

"Gareth, you excel in melee combat and are skilled with a warhammer. In a typical mage duel, you'll need to work on figuring out how to break through the ranged mage's defenses and get close to your opponent."

"In capture the flag game, if you are responsible for guarding the flag, you only need to wait in place at the flag position and wait for the opponent to approach."

"This will undoubtedly allow you to maximize your close-combat advantage."

"As for the last person to participate in the war, I am not sure yet."

Fritz hesitated for a moment as he said this: "Capture the Flag requires three players. The flag hunter and the flag defender have already been decided. For the third player, I prefer someone with more all-around abilities, so that they can adapt flexibly to the situation."

"If the opponent focuses their main efforts on defending the flag, you should assist Evan in breaking through the defense and capturing the flag."

If the opponent focuses their main attack on capturing the flag, you should assist Gareth in strengthening the defense, intercepting the opponent, and filling the gaps between offense and defense.

Capture the Flag is a three-player game.

This number of people wasn't chosen randomly; it was carefully considered and contained subtle tactical logic.

The core of the capture-the-flag battle is simply taking and defending, requiring at least two mages to cooperate.

One person grabs the flag, and the other guards it.

However, if there are only two people, the battle will fall into a fixed two-player duel mode.

The addition of a third member became a key variable in the battle.

This single variable instantly elevated the complexity and entertainment value of the entire capture-the-flag battle to several levels.

How should the three people allocate manpower?

Every allocation method involves a game of strategy, and every tactical adjustment can change the course of the battle.

This is the core appeal and essence of Capture the Flag.

"I think this arrangement is very reasonable," Gareth said again, his tone confident.

"Evan will be in charge of the advance, I'll be in charge of guarding the flag, and the third person will provide flexible support. This way, no matter how the opponent deploys, we can cope with it."

Cedric, standing to the side, frowned subconsciously upon hearing this—he was a typical turret mage, far from being "all-around".

Therefore, according to Fritz the Mage's request, he obviously won't have a chance to play in this first capture-the-flag game.

Even so, he still nodded in agreement.

One reason is that this arrangement is indeed more reasonable, and another is that, when both sides are evenly matched, capture the flag is not a stage for turret mages.

Capture the Flag requires mobility and coordinated offense and defense; highly mobile mages and melee mages can maximize their advantages.

Secondly, there are support mages who can balance offense and defense.

Finally, it's the turn of the turret mage, who excels at long-range attacks but lacks mobility.

Instead of forcing yourself to play, it's better to wait patiently and perform well in matches that suit you.

"So, is it me or Gaode participating as a third party?" Feng Lin asked softly.

She excels in illusion and enchantment magic, making outstanding contributions on both offense and defense, and can be considered "well-rounded".

Everyone present agreed that only Gaode could truly be considered comprehensive.

However, Gaode was ultimately just a third-level mage.

The difference in social status has always been a concern for everyone.

Although during the pre-match training camp, he was able to hold his own against a mid-level fourth-rank mage, demonstrating a level of skill far exceeding that of a third-rank mage.

But in every duel, he ultimately lost.

The gap caused by a mage's level is very difficult to bridge.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm hesitating about, so I wanted to hear your thoughts," Fritz nodded.

He pondered for a long time that afternoon whether the third person was Gao De or Feng Lin, but ultimately could not decide.

Gaode's spell system better suits his requirements, but the mage level is too low.

However, Gao De's performance in the pre-match training camp was outstanding, and he just defeated a fourth-ring mage today, so it seems that his third-ring mage level can be ignored to some extent.

Feng Lin's mage level is sufficient, but her spell system is not as well-suited to tactical needs as Gao De's.

"What do you say?" Feng Lin looked at Gao De, and habitually winked at him, her eyes shimmering with tears.

Her tone even carried a hint of seduction.

This seems to be a habit of enchanters.

But as soon as she finished speaking, she felt a gaze fall on her.

Her heart tightened immediately, she pursed her lips, and straightened her gaze.

That gaze came from Liu Ying.

"I'll do it," Gao De said after thinking for a moment.

"Then you can do it." Feng Lin shrugged to indicate that she had no objection, and looked at team leader Fritz for confirmation.

Seeing that the two had reached a consensus, Fritz thought for a moment. Although he was still a little conflicted, he finally nodded and said, "Okay, then Gareth, Evan and God will play in the first capture the flag game."

"Gao De, as the free agent, you need to adapt flexibly to the situation throughout the battle, focusing on assisting Evan in capturing the flag or Gareth in defending the flag. Make sure to coordinate offense and defense effectively and don't give the opponent any opportunities."

"No problem*3." Gareth, Evan, and God responded in unison.

Fritz nodded in satisfaction and continued to deploy subsequent tactics, his tone still calm: "The second round is a doubles duel."

"My idea is to have Cedric and Gareth play, one attacking and one defending, one long and one close, forming a perfect offensive and defensive combination."

"This combination may not be very innovative, but it is very practical, has a high margin for error, and can fight against any style of opponent."

"Okay." Cedric nodded.

Gareth nodded in agreement, indicating that he had no objection.

"The third round is a series of matches." When it was Liu Ying's turn to play, Fritz's serious expression visibly eased, and his tone became more relaxed.

"In this round, Liu Ying, Evan, Feng Lin, and Gao De can play."

"The gauntlet match is essentially a series of one-on-one duels. With Liu Ying in the game, this round is almost a sure thing, so there's no need to send out Cedric and Gareth."

"You two must have expended a lot of energy in the last duel, so take this opportunity to rest and replenish your mana and stamina."

"Especially Gareth, you've played two rounds in a row, so your mana consumption must be considerable. The fourth round, a team deathmatch, will require you to give it your all."

"The fourth round is a five-person team deathmatch. This round will be fought by Liu Ying, Gareth, Cedric, Feng Lin, and Evan. All five of you will be in the battle."

This is theoretically the full-strength lineup.

"If it really drags to the fourth game, try your best to win this game, because Liu Ying won't be able to play in the fifth game."

He paused, then added, "However, with Liu Ying around, even in a five-on-five team battle, there's generally no suspense."