Auto-explore usage on archmage

[Dracos]

I'm used to after many plays generally using auto-explore to wander levels. For most classes, this works well enough on normal, with very rare 'you turned a sharp corner and got murdered by a dozen breathing dragons'. I know using track/arcane eye/vision becomes a big thing to avoid that, but it also drags playing a level to a crawl. Archmages though have a particularly hard time, as their lifebar is basically their shields and I find the divergence in survivability between auto explore and manual slow and shielded to be pretty tremendous. I do use auto-shield on sight, but I was wondering:

Anyone have any tricks to make auto-explore use as an archmage less trivially fatal? Ways to hook up area scanning talents so they can just auto-fire alongside motion?

[0player]

Well, as far as I remember, shield runes are instant, so if you have a decent one, it should be able to take a first blow on auto use. Unfortunately, as diffficulty goes up, scouting becomes crucial for any class.

[Dracos]

Yup, and that totally works if I see them coming and the auto-use triggers (definitely a relaxing choice for certain). But if I don't scout them, losing 80 percent or more health on the opening blow isn't too surprising in early game, and definitely gets worse as it goes there.

[Delmuir]

Later in the game there are some solutions such as setting the celestial/light skill barrier to auto-cast (assuming you get it, of course).

In the early stages well, I just endure the hit. Of course, I highly suggest focusing on +life gear early on more than any other type. It really helps keep you alive.

I absolutely refuse to use arcane eye because as you noted, it slows the gameplay down to a brutal, brutal crawl.

[donkatsu]

This is why I usually take Cauterize as my first prodigy. It's not even that great for regular combat, I just take it so I can autoexplore.

[0player]

I actually think there needs something to be done about Divination, as its sheer usefulness is far surpassed by its overwhelming tedium.
In the game where talents like Track or Earth's Eyes exist... Yeah.