Limiting factor on increasing trial levels for mage?

[Citizen055]

What is typically the thing that stops a mage from pushing to a higher trial level, DPS or survivability? Do mages at high trials run out of time because they can't kill things fast enough, or are they too squishy to survive?

I realize that the two cases somewhat depend on each other - you can run through more carefully to survive but this means you waste time, or you can gather huge mobs and kill them all at once, but this means you have to survive them all at once. But in general, which seems to limit a mage?

I am trying to plan some crafts and I was hoping to get an idea of what to expect at higher trial levels.

Thanks.

[bojck]

If you look at the leaderboard, 145+ needs around 1M toughness and 3k+ LoH. So if you're planning on getting there, gotta put vitality or loh in most of your gear, and the rest goes into offense. That's also cheaper to craft, cause it uses your abundant fire and water essences. If you run short on vit later on, you can adjust with +vit jewelry, enchantments, celestials, gems...

[Anjaeka]

What’s your AR? I’m struggling to keep my abilities going.

[bojck]

Still haven't figured out the optimal AR, but anything above 1900 works fine for me...

[Allunra]

I tried making due with 1600ish AR and I ended up waiting a second or two. Agree, that closer to 2000 would be fine.

[bojck]

Indeed No such thing as abundant fire essences, unless you use lily

[Citizen055]

If you use lily, especially as a mage, you never have enough shadow essences...

[Shade Glow]

Indeed No such thing as abundant fire essences, unless you use lily

Worth Every Penny!

Started using Lily; now I have 7 million Greater Fire Essences.