Table of Contents
Magik has two viable build paths for Zombie Mode, and this guide covers the red path build that focuses on her normal form. Both builds can clear Nightmare 4 difficulty; however, I will add the blue path build to this guide soon, as I am still testing it. While playing Magik in lower difficulties, I initially placed her in S tier, but after testing in Nightmare 4, she feels more like A+ tier. Her damage capability seems slightly lower than Blade at the highest difficulties, though she still performs well with the right setup.
Note: The blue path build is still being tested for Nightmare 4. This article will be updated with blue path details and a comparison of which build performs better overall once testing is complete.
Magik Abilities in Zombie Mode
Magik has three abilities with multiple upgrade options. For the red path build, ability choices matter less since you primarily use the default swing. Here are all available modifications:
| Ability Slot | Option Name | Unlock Level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultimate | Darkchylde | Default | Transform into Darkchylde, gaining enhancements to all her abilities |
| Demonic Will | Level 5 | Ultimate energy instantly fills when entering combat or respawning with invincibility during transformation. Duration becomes infinite but base health is reduced | |
| Mortal Will | Level 5 | Cannot use ultimate ability, but gain permanent boosts to health and damage | |
| E | Umbral Incursion | Default | Dash forward and launch an enemy upward |
| Limbo Step | Level 15 | Dash forward, piercing through enemies while dealing damage and launching enemies along the path | |
| Dark Dash | Level 15 | Charge forward, grabbing all collided enemies and carrying them to the endpoint before launching them upward | |
| L Shift | Stepping Discs | Default | Jump through a stepping disc, teleporting a short distance in your movement direction while becoming invincible |
| Reaper's Revolve | Level 25 | Eldritch Whirl can be activated repeatedly for a short time, allowing continuous swinging attacks | |
| Demonic Barrier | Level 25 | Limbo Demons summoned by Demon's Rage have greatly increased health |
Recommended Setup: Equip Mortal Will where you cannot use your ultimate but gain permanent health and damage boosts. The other abilities do not matter much since you only use the default swing.
Best Magik Traits
Focus all trait points on the red side for this build. The red traits improve your Soulsword in normal form, which is your main damage source throughout matches.
Normal Form Soulsword Traits (Red Side - Recommended)
| Trait Type | Level Values | Health Boost Per Level |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 18 / 24 / 30 / 36 / 54 / 60 / 66 / 72 / 78 / 96 | 46 / 61 / 76 / 91 / 137 / 152 / 167 / 183 / 198 / 243 |
| Attack Range | 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 / 90 / 100 / 110 / 120 / 130 / 160 | 68 / 91 / 114 / 137 / 205 / 228 / 251 / 274 / 297 / 365 |
| Attack Speed | 24% / 32% / 40% / 48% / 72% / 80% / 88% / 96% / 104% / 128% | 103 / 137 / 172 / 206 / 309 / 344 / 378 / 412 / 447 / 550 |
| Limbo's Might Conversion | 3% / 6% / 9% / 12% / 15% / 18% / 21% / 24% / 27% / 30% | 183 / 244 / 305 / 367 / 550 / 611 / 672 / 733 / 794 / 977 |
Darkchild Form Traits (Blue Side)
| Trait Type | Level Values | Health Boost Per Level |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 16 | 11 / 15 / 19 / 23 / 34 / 38 / 42 / 46 / 49 / 61 |
| Attack Range | 45 / 60 / 75 / 90 / 135 / 150 / 165 / 180 / 195 / 240 | 17 / 23 / 29 / 34 / 51 / 57 / 63 / 68 / 74 / 91 |
| Attack Speed | 24% / 32% / 40% / 48% / 72% / 80% / 88% / 96% / 104% / 128% | 26 / 34 / 43 / 52 / 77 / 86 / 94 / 103 / 112 / 137 |
| Base Health | 60 / 80 / 100 / 120 / 180 / 200 / 220 / 240 / 260 / 320 | 46 / 61 / 76 / 92 / 137 / 153 / 168 / 183 / 199 / 244 |
In-Game Shop Priorities
Building the right blessing combination takes Magik from decent to strong. Knowing which cards to prioritize makes clearing waves significantly easier.
Hero-Specific Blessings
Prioritize Soul Domain for increased normal form Soulsword attack range. Attack range is crucial for keeping distance from zombies while still hitting them. Innate Slash boosts your damage output, and Arcane Sword Dance improves attack speed. All three of these blessings enhance your normal form Soulsword, which is what you use constantly throughout matches.
Soul Surge is another good pickup that automatically grants a Demonic Soulsword attack at intervals in normal form. Getting duplicate cards reduces the interval between these automatic attacks. Pick this up when available after covering your main damage and range needs.
Mark Detonation increases your normal form Soul Mark blast range by 50% and damage by 120%, but this is not a priority. Only grab it if nothing better is available in the shop rotation.
General Blessings
Full Moon should be a priority whenever it appears in rotation. This blessing increases the moon power, giving you more points to spend on upgrades between waves.
Vampiric Vitality is extremely important for Magik. The self-healing from converting damage into health keeps you alive during heavy waves. You will really feel the difference if you don't have this blessing before going against Scarlet Witch.
The core general blessing build includes Moonlight Protection for damage reduction, Vitality Boost for extra health, and Power Surge for increased damage dealt. Stack these three whenever they appear in the shop.
Is Magik Worth Playing in Zombie Mode?
Magik performs well across all difficulty levels with the red path build. She sits somewhere between A and S-tier characters in Zombie Mode. Magik handles solo situations reasonably well once built up, though she requires lifesteal.
For players who enjoy melee characters, Magik is a solid choice. She works well in team compositions and can carry games when necessary, though you might need to work slightly harder than you would on Blade to achieve the same results in Nightmare 4.
The blue path build guide will be added once testing is complete with a comparison of which path performs better overall. If you have blessing combinations or strategies that work well for you, share them in the comments and mention which difficulty level you tested on.
