[Beta]

....  and for when they won't be able to clean up their spell signatures (and can afford to not play to their strengths -- sometimes you just take your chances and hope that whatever mana barrier you get behind is good enough that they can't trace you)

[Senko]

Sorry thought I edited that I meant the spell increase attribute agility to turn it from a 3 to a 7 potentially.

A boy with magic fingers is tempting since I just realized if you can hit 10 str and agility with the spell and have a rating 10 weapon you can do 12pv-3 at 10, 100, 300, 600 ranges. Its not very concealable though and without smartlink there's no way to boost your accuracy besides skill/agility.

[bdyer]

Sorry thought I edited that I meant the spell increase attribute agility to turn it from a 3 to a 7 potentially.

A boy with magic fingers is tempting since I just realized if you can hit 10 str and agility with the spell and have a rating 10 weapon you can do 12pv-3 at 10, 100, 300, 600 ranges. Its not very concealable though and without smartlink there's no way to boost your accuracy besides skill/agility.

Sr 4 had a collapsible bow that made it easy to lug around at a -1 dv penality.

[Kincaid]

Injection darts are my go-to weapon to use with Magic Fingers.

[Rooks]

Sorry thought I edited that I meant the spell increase attribute agility to turn it from a 3 to a 7 potentially.

A boy with magic fingers is tempting since I just realized if you can hit 10 str and agility with the spell and have a rating 10 weapon you can do 12pv-3 at 10, 100, 300, 600 ranges. Its not very concealable though and without smartlink there's no way to boost your accuracy besides skill/agility.

Sr 4 had a collapsible bow that made it easy to lug around at a -1 dv penality.

plus smart links are usable on bows

[Hobbes]

I go back and forth on this one
Method one: Executioner
Ruger Super Warhawk, Smartlink, Ammo Skip, 'trodes.  Couple Stick and Shock, couple Explosive, one tracker round.  2 speed loaders with Explosive and Stick and Shock.

As a mage you've got access to Increase Agility and Analyze Device, both have high utility outside of buffing your gun skill.  You've also got access to Invisibility, Spirit Concealment powers, assorted mind control, and other horrible things, all of which have uses outside of gun battles. 

If you weren't able to set up the ambush or buffs my own preference is Control Thoughts, "Don't Move" and a coup de grace on your next pass. 

Method two: Mr. Tactical

Automatics skill, any weapon with FA, Open with AoE Debuff, pop (thermal) smoke, lay down suppression fire with Astral sight from good cover from inside your smoke.  Let the team flank and mop up. 


Method Three: Repeat Offenders style. 

Mage with large defense tests (example Int tradition Mysad, maxed combat sense and a deflection prep running, you're around 20 dice without dodging. )   Open with AoE debuff, walk up to point blank and shoot them in their ugly face. 

Note, Method Three requires a fairly specialized build to pull off.  Method one and two can be done with Automatics or Longarms if your mage is able to cart around a big gun. 

[Tarislar]

No, 'Geek the Mage First' is there for a very important reason. A mage can royally screw up a team's day if they don't have magic of their own to compensate. Sure, not all are combat mages or force-multipliers like illusionists or summoners, but you can't tell which is which until it is too late, so you geek them first. And if you can't spot a mage, your next priority target is the troll with the assault cannon. Sure, the stealthy assassin type or the street samurai may be the more dangerous threat overall, but you take out the mages and heavy weapons first because there's just too much at risk there.

Agreed. 
In our last campaign I learned quickly to not fire off a Stunball/Lightning bolt as soon as the bag guys appeared.
My GM awarded me loads of agro when I did that.  Even more than the Troll Tank with a Shotgun would get.
But if I fired off a few bursts w/ my SMG or MP instead I would have less NPCs shooting at me.
This worked to my advantage even more so since it gave me some time to figure out where most the badies were & then target spells more accurately when it was time to unleash.

[farothel]

Mostly if I play a mage my first action is: if I already know who the enemy mage is, try to take him/her out.  If not, look in the astral to see who lights up like a christmas tree.  Next pass and/or round, attack that person.  'Geek the mage' goes both ways.

[CitizenJoe]

Looking into the astral lights you up like a Christmas tree also.

[Duellist_D]

Not limiting myself to the "What should a Mage should chose":
When you have a single Weapon Skill to put your Karma Focus in, stick with Automatics.

You'll always face different situations requiring different approaches, Automatics gives you the means to cover a lot of situations in a convenient way, while making yourself not a one-trick pony and also not requiring to many Skillpoints of investment.
You also don't put yourself in a trap of chosing an option that is a waste of points later one.

Start out small, 1-2 Points with specialization? A Automatic Pistol is a viable tool to defend yourself and assist your teammates, while still being not-that-hard to conceal.
Later in the game or if the need arrises, you can always switch to bigger guns without your initial Investment becomming nill.

Pistols are not as good in my opinion, because they require you to actually HIT somebody to get some sort of effect, which might be diametral to the "low dice pool" premise you might be working with from the start.
Full-Auto on the other hand is easily done and if nothing else, at least allows you to flee after making them drop the deck.

[Senko]

The thing about machine pistols is that if you do manage to hit they only do 6/7 P damage.

[Facemage]

The thing about machine pistols is that if you do manage to hit they only do 6/7 P damage.

True, but with pistols you don't get essentially more.

[Rift_0f_Bladz]

With one MP that has base AP of -1. Besides one light pistol, and of the heavy pistols, 6-7 is the pistol dv range. Kinda like ARs are 10-12 dv with most being 11 dv.

[Senko]

True there's that too.

[Hobbes]

Ruger Super Warhawk with Explosive Ammo gets you to 10P with -3 AP.  Ex-Explosive and Hand Loads can up that a little more even when available.  Heavy Pistols are not bad for damage output.  ARs and Longarms are of course more damage, but they're also non-concealable and heavier.  Heavier often matters to a Mage  : )