Should I buy strength as an archmage?

[Skavies]

I'm currently level 15, and doing tier 2 dungeons. I have found only 1 item in the stores with +3 strength. I have armor I want to wear (very badly want to wear), need 14 strength, have 8....

The armor is a +89 health, 20% heal mod, 4.2 life regen troll leather. This would add almost 50% more health to me.

Is it stupid enough to spend 3 (or even 6 to get the armor skill so I can use metal gloves and boots) that I should put in my big girl panties and wait for str gear to show up, or just wimp out and spend the strength?

I do know I am supposed to max magic first, will second and cunning third, but I don't know how many extra stat points I'll end up with after doing all that.

(oh its a wildfire mage, or will be)

[HousePet]

Be aware that fatigue increases mana costs by twice the fatigue amount, as a percentage.
As in, 10 fatigue equals a 20% increase in mana costs.

[Skavies]

I am aware of the extra mana cost for fatigue (actually, with disruption shield, wasting mana is a good thing...), what I want to know is how many stats can you max out? Will I have enough from leveling alone (not including escort or alchemy quests) to spare some for strength if I want to max magic, willpower and cunning?

By my math, you get 150 stat points at level 50, or enough to max out only 3 stats. I know you can get stats from alchemy quests and escort missions, but aren't you better off with skills from them? So, unless there's another source of attribute points I don't know about, am I going to hurt myself in the long run by spending a few attribute points on strength?

[Cathbald]

By the end of the game you can max 3 stats and have ~20 left for other stats.
It's never wrong to put a few points of strength to get to 20 and so have more choice in armor. Of course if you find enough gear with strength don't invest in it but sometimes you don't find enough, especially with some race/class combination

[HousePet]

You are correct there, you can max out 3 and a bit stats.

One thing to consider is that there aren't many Archmage suitable artefact armours.
Another thing to consider is that you can make as many characters as you want, so a wrong decision isn't forever.

[Skavies]

the armor I want to wear(for now) is troll hide leather, so only needs a 14 strength, and no skill. I see a lot of old guides that say to basically give everyone the first heavy armor skill so they can wear iron gloves and boots-if you find good ones. I have no iron armor I want to wear currently, it's just a matter of should I invest early stat points in a mostly useless stat (strength) so I can live in the early game? Wearing armor that will bump my health from ~200 to 289, or close enough to a 50% increase to call it that is a great idea, but it will cost me 3-5 stat points in strength. 3 to get what I need to put it on (do have a pick now with +3 strength I can equip temporarily) and 2 more if I should follow the guides and get heavy armor level 1 so I can equip boots/gloves-which I don't currently have, so right now that extra 2 points is a no-at least a not until I find something I think I need.

[Micbran]

Fatigue is a good thing for archmage, so you might as well get heavy/massive armor. This'll greatly increase your survivability vs archers and the like (unless you want to bathe in light + stonewall your way through the whole game in which case it doesn't matter what you wear).

[bpat]

Con isn't useless on Archmage since healmod gives you bigger Arcane Reconstruction shields increasing you EHP by a good amount. You should be able to get enough Strength even as a Yeek with just +3 from tool and +6 from rings/hat/gloves.

[Coldbringer]

how often are you losing your arcane shielding and needing the HP and regen? Unless you're an inexperienced player or on a high difficulty setting that shouldn't be too often, right? Maybe in the very early levels before you unlock the tier 4 skill