The Magus Circle Spell Tier List

This spell tier list for The Magus Circle is a preview. The full game is listed for 24 September 2026. Footage comes from the Steam Next Fest demo that opened on 23 February 2026 and from designer shorts. By Witchlight talked about growing the unique spell list from about 12 to 20. We only rank names that appeared on screen or in studio voiceover. Everything else is a blank slot in your spellbook, not a secret S-tier.

A spell you cannot finish under a timer is F-tier no matter what a VOD said. Keep how to draw spells and the spell sigils table next to this page.

Preview S

Ice Spear. Multiple Next Fest recordings treated it as the aggressive carry. One no-commentary VOD called it the damage winner over meteor swarm. It wants you to keep drawing instead of hiding. If your circles collapse when a pack touches you, Ice Spear will look worse than the internet promised.

Spellblade (Rum). Official short: one blade per mana spent, crit identity, an upgrade so blades do not shatter on crit, a parry upgrade, prestige names Drenal, Ido, and Lonlight Chakras. This is Rum’s signature, not a generic chest drop you should expect on Milk. S-tier on Rum. Not a spell you force onto every mage.

Riptide (safety). Lower raw damage in one VOD because the player saved it for emergencies — which is the point. Upgrades shown in commentary:

• Quazar — the riptide becomes a beam from your center, pushing monsters both ways.
• Wattatsumi — a sea dragon on the initial wave, heavy damage, multiple instances, vertical cast mentioned.

Riptide sits in S as a survival pick. If you never press it, of course Ice Spear wins the meter.

Drawing mechanic and spell upgrades in The Magus Circle

Preview A

Meteor swarm. Visible, loud, and not the damage winner in at least one long demo. Still a fine coverage tool when you can draw it without stopping. A-tier because it is documented and useful, not because it is a meme.

Chain lightning. Named in store-adjacent talk and playthroughs as a spellbook option. Good for packs if recognition accepts your zigzag. A until we have a dedicated tooltip page.

Magic missile. The classic. Easy to understand, easy to underrate. A as a reliable third slot while you learn Leviathan timing on how to beat bosses.

Preview B

Unnamed remaining spells. If the list is heading toward 20 unique glyphs, most of them are not in this table. B is “playable when offered,” not “bad.” Log the in-game name after the run and we can promote it.

Off-kit signatures. Taking Spellblade ideas onto a mage who is not Rum, or expecting Bunny Form to appear as a spell instead of Milk’s ability, is how you brick a hand. B for “you can, but the kit pages exist for a reason.”

How a chest should use this list

The Magus Circle deals a hand. Store copy says you adapt around fate. Practical rules:

1. First pick: whatever you can already draw. If that is a B-tier missile, take it.
2. Second pick: a different job. If you have Ice Spear, add Riptide or a pack spell, not a second poke.
3. Upgrade the spell you finish, not the spell you wish you had. Types are on the upgrade tier list.
4. Prestige lines (Wattatsumi, Quazar, Drenal) are specialist. They need the base glyph to exist in the book.

HUD reminder from screenshots: potions left, spell slots right, XP bonus, timer, kills, level. Version labels like 0.4.6 are demo, not launch.

Mage pairing

• Milk + Ice Spear or Riptide: near-miss mana feeds more circles. See her build page.
• Rum + Spellblade: the intended pairing. Coverage spell in slot two.
• Matcha: no unique spell published. Use this list as-is.
• Coffee, Chicha, Anchan: mages hub. Do not invent a house spell.

Character ranks: character tier list. Loop: how to play. First hour: Getting Started. Festival VODs: demo guide and Next Fest.

What will change

Twenty spells is still a small list compared with 250 upgrades, but it is large enough that launch week will shuffle letters. Ice Spear might get nerfed because VODs made it famous. Riptide might become mandatory on Leviathans. Spellblade prestiges might be Rum-only forever or opened to the Circle. This page will follow Steam patches after 24 September 2026, not rumor spreadsheets.

Until then the only honest S-tier is a glyph you can complete while the timer is red. Draw it twice. Then argue about Ice Spear.