How Mages Print Merits in Battle of Abyss
This guide is a complete, practical, and actionable walkthrough for mage mains who want to reliably print merits in the Battle of Abyss. It explains the underlying mechanics you need to exploit, the hero and unit choices that maximize merit output, the timing and matchflow that turn long fights into merit machines, and the alliance and map-level tactics that make the loop repeatable week after week. The approach is designed to be safe, repeatable, and friendly to players who prefer playing magic units rather than switching to infantry or cavalry just to chase merits. The techniques here are distilled from community-tested tactics and the latest merit-farming discussions and guides.
Why this works and what “printing merits” actually means
At its core, printing merits in the Battle of Abyss is about converting time and sustained damage into merit points. The game rewards sustained engagement and damage output in PvP skirmishes; longer, controlled fights where your army deals consistent damage and survives long enough to score repeated damage ticks will yield more merits than quick skirmishes that end in a wipe. As a mage main, your advantage is area damage, crowd control, and the ability to shape the tempo of a fight without committing to frontline tanking. The trick is to build fights that last long enough for merit ticks to accumulate while ensuring you remain a meaningful damage source throughout. This is the principle behind the merit loop described in this guide.
The merit loop concept explained
A merit loop is a repeatable sequence of actions that reliably produces merits each cycle. For mage mains the loop typically follows these stages: (1) find or create a target engagement, (2) force a prolonged exchange where your magic damage and healing sustain the fight, (3) avoid decisive losses by using positioning and CC, (4) extract and reset to repeat. The loop is not about exploiting bugs; it’s about using game mechanics—hero skills, artifacts, unit synergies, and map control—to produce long, merit-rich battles. When executed correctly, each loop yields a predictable merit payout and can be repeated multiple times per hour. Community examples and walkthroughs show this pattern works consistently when you design fights around sustain and damage over time rather than burst kills.
Core principles every mage main must adopt
Sustain over burst. Prioritize builds and artifacts that extend fights. The longer the fight, the more merit ticks you can earn.
Damage relevance. You must remain a primary damage contributor. If your mage is sidelined or killed early, the loop collapses.
Control the tempo. Use crowd control and zoning to prevent quick enemy disengages or reinforcements.
Safe extraction. Know when to disengage and reset; dying or losing your army ruins the loop and wastes time.
Alliance coordination. Coordinate with allies to create bait fights or to deny enemy reinforcements. Even solo mages benefit from simple ally pressure on the map.
Hero and talent choices that make the loop reliable
As a mage main, your hero selection and talent path are the backbone of the merit loop. Choose heroes that provide sustained AoE damage, healing or shields, and crowd control. Prioritize talents that increase sustained damage, reduce cooldowns, and improve survivability. Specific hero pairings that extend fights—such as a healing-support mage paired with a damage-over-time mage—are ideal because they create a self-sustaining exchange where both sides chip away at each other while your team remains the primary damage source.
Primary mage role: pick a hero with strong AoE and a reliable ultimate that can be used to zone or force enemy formations into your damage.
Secondary support: a hero that provides shields, heals, or debuffs will lengthen fights and keep your damage dealers alive.
Artifact synergy: artifacts that boost magic damage, reduce enemy resistances, or grant periodic healing/shields are top priority.
Unit composition and army setup
Your army composition must complement your mage’s strengths. While mages are glassy, pairing them with the right units creates a buffer that allows them to survive and dish out damage.
Frontline: light to medium infantry or a small contingent of durable units to soak initial hits and hold formation. These units should be cheap to replace and able to stall.
Support units: units that provide debuffs or slow enemy movement help keep enemies in your AoE.
Flankers: a small, fast unit contingent to punish enemy disengage attempts and to chase down stragglers.
Reserve: keep a small reserve to re-engage or to bait enemies into the fight.
The goal is not to field the strongest army but to field an army that maximizes fight duration while keeping your mage alive and relevant. This often means sacrificing raw DPS for control and sustain.
Artifacts and equipment that matter most
Artifacts are the multiplier that turns a good loop into a great one. Focus on items that:
Increase magic damage and penetration. These ensure your mage remains the primary damage source even as enemies stack resistances.
Extend fights via healing or shields. Artifacts that grant periodic healing or shields to your army lengthen engagements.
Provide mobility or zoning. Items that slow or root enemies help keep them inside your AoE.
Reduce cooldowns. More frequent ultimates mean more control and more damage ticks.
A balanced artifact loadout that emphasizes sustained damage and survivability will consistently outperform a pure burst setup for merit printing. Community guides emphasize attack artifacts and long-battle enabling combos as the most reliable merit drivers.
Timing and matchflow: how to start and finish a loop
Timing is everything. The best loops begin when you can force a fight under favorable conditions: enemy reinforcements are delayed, terrain favors your AoE, or allied pressure prevents enemy retreats. Start by baiting a target into a choke or open field where your AoE can be maximized. Use your frontline to absorb the first wave, then layer AoE and control to keep the enemy engaged. Avoid committing all cooldowns at once; instead, stagger abilities to maintain pressure across the entire fight.
Finish the loop by extracting before a decisive loss. If you see enemy reinforcements arriving or your frontline collapsing, use mobility tools to disengage, heal, and reset. A clean reset allows you to repeat the loop quickly. The ideal loop length is long enough to accumulate multiple merit ticks but short enough to allow several loops per hour. Experienced players report that loops of moderate length—long enough to force multiple ultimates but short enough to avoid full wipes—yield the best merit-per-hour ratio.
Map awareness and positioning: the mage’s invisible weapon
Map control is a silent multiplier. Knowing where enemy forces are, where reinforcements will come from, and which terrain features favor your AoE lets you choose fights that maximize merit output. Use scouting, beacons, and allied intel to pick targets that are isolated or that can be baited into your chosen terrain. Positioning your mage slightly behind the frontline but within range to cast uninterrupted spells is crucial; you want to be safe from initial volleys but close enough to apply constant pressure.
When possible, force fights in narrow corridors or around objectives where enemy movement is restricted. These environments amplify AoE and make it harder for enemies to disengage, which directly increases fight duration and merits earned.
Alliance-level tactics that amplify solo mage loops
You don’t need a full alliance operation to print merits, but simple coordination multiplies your returns. Ask allies to:
Create map pressure on the opposite flank to delay reinforcements.
Hold objectives that funnel enemies into your chosen engagement zone.
Provide scouting so you can pick isolated targets.
Even a single ally who can threaten enemy reinforcements will let you run more loops per hour. Alliances that understand the merit loop concept can schedule staggered pressure windows so multiple members can farm merits without interfering with each other.
Practical step-by-step loop execution (play-by-play)
Scout and pick a target. Look for isolated enemy stacks or small groups near objectives.
Set the stage. Move to terrain that favors AoE and position your frontline to bait.
Initiate with control. Use a small CC or zoning ability to lock the enemy into your AoE.
Stagger damage. Apply sustained AoE and single-target spells in rotation to avoid wasting cooldowns.
Monitor reinforcements. If enemy reinforcements appear, use mobility to reposition or call for ally pressure.
Extract cleanly. When the fight reaches a natural end or becomes unfavorable, disengage, heal, and reset.
Repeat. Move to the next target or re-engage the same area after a short cooldown window.
This sequence is intentionally simple; the nuance comes from reading the battlefield and adjusting timing, but the core loop remains the same: find, force, sustain, extract, repeat.
Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
Overcommitting to burst kills. If you blow all your cooldowns to secure a quick kill, you’ll often end the fight too fast and lose merit potential. Stagger your abilities.
Ignoring map intel. Fights that look good on paper can be ruined by unseen reinforcements. Scout first.
Poor artifact choices. Don’t chase raw DPS artifacts if they shorten fights. Prioritize sustain and penetration.
Soloing when you need allies. Some fights require simple ally pressure to be safe; don’t be stubborn.
Not resetting. If a loop goes bad, disengage and reset rather than forcing a losing fight.
Avoiding these mistakes keeps your loops efficient and repeatable.
Sample builds and talent trees (examples you can copy)
Below are three archetypal builds tailored to different playstyles. These are templates—adjust numbers and specifics to your hero and gear.
Sustained AoE Control Mage (recommended): talents that reduce cooldowns, increase AoE damage, and grant periodic shields. Artifacts that boost magic penetration and grant periodic healing.
Hybrid Damage Support Mage: talents that balance single-target damage with team-wide buffs; artifacts that increase team survivability and extend fight duration.
Kiting Burst Mage (for hit-and-run loops): talents that increase mobility and burst while retaining a small amount of sustain; artifacts that slow enemies and allow repeated re-engagements.
These archetypes are starting points; the key is to keep fights long and keep your mage alive and relevant.
Measuring success: metrics to track
Track these metrics to know if your loop is working:
Merits per hour. The primary KPI. If this number rises after you adopt the loop, you’re succeeding.
Average fight length. Longer fights (within reason) usually mean more merits.
Survival rate. How often your mage survives the engagement. High survival equals more loops.
Cooldown uptime. How often you can use your ultimates and major spells during a fight.
Use these metrics to iterate on your build and tactics. Community merit calculators and guides can help estimate expected returns for different strategies.
Advanced variations and counterplay
Once you master the basic loop, you can add advanced layers:
Bait-and-switch: Use a sacrificial frontline to bait enemies into a trap where your AoE is maximized.
Split pressure: Coordinate with allies to split enemy attention, forcing them to choose which fight to commit to.
Artifact timing: Time artifact activations to coincide with enemy reinforcements for maximum disruption.
Counterplay to your loop will come from enemies who either outlast you or force decisive engagements. To counter them, increase your mobility, improve scouting, and coordinate with allies to deny enemy reinforcements.
Weekly planning and resource management
Merit farming is a weekly rhythm. Plan your play sessions around the weekly merit reset and prioritize upgrades that increase your loop efficiency: artifact upgrades that extend fights, hero skill upgrades that reduce cooldowns, and tech that improves unit sustain. Don’t waste resources on marginal DPS increases that shorten fights; invest in upgrades that improve your loop’s repeatability and safety. Community guides emphasize focusing on one hero and one loop strategy per week to maximize returns.
Ethical considerations and fair play
This guide focuses on legitimate, repeatable tactics that use game mechanics rather than exploits or bugs. Always avoid behavior that violates the game’s terms of service. The goal is to be efficient and smart, not to exploit or harm the community. When in doubt, choose strategies that rely on skill, coordination, and smart builds rather than game-breaking mechanics.
Quick checklist before you queue for a loop
Hero and talents set for sustain.
Artifacts optimized for magic penetration and healing.
Army composition tuned for stalling and control.
Map intel and scouting in place.
Ally coordination or at least awareness.
Clear extraction plan.
If all boxes are checked, you’re ready to run the loop.
Final tactical tips from high-performing players
Rotate targets to avoid predictable patterns that enemies can counter.
Use terrain to amplify AoE and deny enemy movement.
Stagger ultimates to maintain pressure across the entire fight.
Practice disengagement—the best loopers know when to walk away and reset.
Log your sessions and measure merits per hour to refine your approach.
These small habits compound into large merit gains over time.
FAQ
Q: Can a mage main really match infantry merit output? A: Yes. While infantry can be strong merit producers in some scenarios, a mage main that designs fights for sustained AoE damage and uses the merit loop described here can match or exceed infantry merit output by creating longer engagements and staying the primary damage source.
Q: Do I need alliance help to make this work? A: No, but simple ally pressure or scouting multiplies your returns. Solo loops are possible; alliance coordination just makes them safer and more repeatable.
Q: Which artifacts should I prioritize first? A: Prioritize artifacts that increase magic damage/penetration, provide periodic healing or shields, and offer zoning or slow effects. These artifacts extend fights and keep you relevant.
Q: How long should each loop be? A: Aim for fights long enough to trigger multiple merit ticks but short enough to allow several loops per hour. The sweet spot varies by server and opponent behavior, but moderate-length engagements are usually best.
Q: Is this method safe from bans or penalties? A: This guide advocates legitimate tactics that use game mechanics. Avoid exploiting bugs or using third-party tools; those behaviors risk penalties. Focus on skill, timing, and coordination.
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