Strategy choice... some help please. (in General)

Both are 2 minion strategies and both would work pretty well in my opinion. I just can't choose between the two...

Please let me know which one you prefer. I have enough money to equip them with the gear they need to boost the appropriate levels. So to simplify thing, I will just list the stats they would train and the tattoos they would use.

Strategy 1

Minion1 : HP/Evasion/MM/Protection
Minion2 : HP/DM/GA + RoS

Strategy 2

Minion1 : HP/Evasion/MM/Protection
Minion2 : AMF/Protection + IF

For Strategy 2, I would always keep the MM level higher than the IF level so that Mageseekers target the minion before the familiar.

I like strategy 1 but with the following:

Minion 1: HP/evasion/protection/MM
Minion2: DM/GA/SF

From the wiki: "GA only retaliates damage up to target's current HP."

GA would be useless without any HP on the second minion. The more HP I can put on that minion, the more damage will be inflicted by GA. That is why I would use the RoS.

I don't see how putting a RoS will boost your HP. It only boosts your ED on that minion, and you have GA trained. So you're only increasing your GA level. I was just thinking what Ranger said, go with an SF on that setup, the GA will be used to reflect damage inflicted upon minion 1 and the SF.

base GA the rest from the RoS...

That wouldn't be a very good way to utilize the RoS imo.
I would say that strategy 2 would work better but using a SF instead of an IF. I would further extend that strategy by junctioning the SF with AoI (for the +20 to DBs), HoC, AGs, and DBs.
Also, you can train some natural HP with some PL with whatever EXP you have left over since AMF starst to lose effectiveness past a certain point.

I haven't really used GA since CB1 and I'm loving it. I beat some of the people I fight purely because of it. It's kind of odd seeing your damage dealer dead in the first round because your opponent has GA, (the big downside of spread damage) and then seeing them lose because you too have GA. Odd but nice.

However I feel that I get more out of it because I have four minions. But if the GA minion is big enough, to last longer to take damage then I guess you'll benefit in a similar way.

Strat 1 looks more interesting to run from my point of view. That would be my main criteria to base any choice on.

"since AMF starts to lose effectiveness past a certain point."

Actually, I think no one knows for sure. The biggest AMF out there is just over 2M levels. DD Spells are at usually at 3M levels and beyond when characters reach 1.5M MPR. So if I choose that start, I plan to test the limits of AMF.

Thanks for your advice everyone. Keep it coming, this is very interesting.

For the sake of correction, the biggest AMF is just over 2.5M.

And it does lose usefulness as it gets bigger, assuming you're fighting people your level... which you probably will as a mage.

*Because half your exp is going into AMF, and as far as I know teams don't usually have half into DD except maybe single mages.

"And it does lose usefulness as it gets bigger,"

How?

I figure if I invest 50% of my XP into it, it will be bigger than most DD spells at my level and bigger than some at higher levels. I should be able to counter 3 and 4 minions teams that use DD spells as their main damage dealers (if they are at my level).

Because 0.50 effect and above, the percentage is harder and harder to get even if your AMF is larger. Thus losing exp effectiveness. Same thing applies to the other EOs - DM is wasted when it goes over, EC is wasted when it goes over.

"DD Spells are at usually at 3M levels and beyond when characters reach 1.5M MPR."

my FB is at.. 1.25mil at 800k MPR on a SFBM...

"EC is wasted when it goes over."

I think the user owning the top character in the game would sort of disagree with that statement.

Regardless, you might be right, but no one as ever really tested this. If I decide to pick that strategy, I guess I will confirm or rebuke your argument the hard way. ;)

Of course EC is "wasted" if it is higher then your opponents strength. However, there still are characters out there with a bit more strength then my EC can cover.

And let us not forget all those massive evasions out there. IE, vs Sut, I would not hit him even in melee without my EC.