Earlier this evening, I put my players against a Magus and two friends.
Aasimar Druid who fights mounted on a wolf
Half-Orc Hexblade
Halfling Rogue
Human Alchemist who focuses on bombs
Tiefling Wizard/Cleric/Mystic Theurge
Human Summoner
Half-Elf Warlord (home brew found here.)
HP: 95 (11d8+55)
AC: 22 (27); 10 +2dex +8armor +2def (+1haste +4shield)
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +8, Will +10
Skills: Spellcraft +18, UMD +13
Stats: Str 18 Dex 14 Con 16 Int 18 Wis 10 Cha 8
Feats:(h) Toughness, (1) Exotic Weapon (falcata), (3) Power Attack, (5) Iron Will, (B) Weapon Focus (falcata), (7) Improved Initiative, (9) Lightning Reflexes, (11) Weapon Specialization (falcata), (B) Improved Critical (falcata)
Gear: Belt of Physical Might +2 (Str and Con), Ring of Protection +2, Cloak of Resistance +1, Chainmail +2, Headband of Int +2, Falcata +2
Special: Arcane Pool - 9 points, Cantrips, Spell Combat, Spellstrike, Pool Spell, Knowledge Pool, Medium Armor, Improved Spell Combat, Fighter Training, Improved Pool Spell, Arcana - Pool Strike, Wand Wielder and Hasted Assault
Spells:
4th - Greater Invisibility, Black Tentacles, Fire Shield
3rd - Vampiric Touch, Displacement, Slow, Dispel Magic x2
2nd - Glitterdust, Mirror Image, Web, Scorching Rayx2
1st - Grease x2, Shield, Shocking Grasp, Expeditious Retreat, True Strike
Lvl 11 Trip Fighter (Polearm Master)
These three are evil adventurers after the treasure within the temple. I give the party no time to negotiate or feel them out. My group simply attacks.
The Ranger casts Entangle catching two or the party.
The Magus casts Black Tentacles. A roll of 16 has the entire party grappled. Forced penetration ensues...
Ranger*: Casts Gravity Bow, watches the party struggle.
Druid: Fails to escape grapple, his wolf succeeds.
Magus*: Swift action to active Arcane Weapon, moves, casts Slow. Alchemist is the only one who fails the save (DC 17).
Fighter*: Moves to the edge of the Entangled/Tentacled area, readies the same action.
Rogue: Escape Artist from the grapple, succeeds and moves. Ends turn in the area of the tentacles and entanglement.
Summoner: Escapes the grapple, moves out of the affected area. Eidolon does the same.
Alchemist, Warlord and Theurge: Fail to escape the grapple.
Hexblade: Fails to escape the grapple. Succeeds in Cursing the Fighter.
Ranger*: Full round of arrows at the Hexblade. Ouch.
Druid: Wild Shapes to an Earth Elemental, Wolf moves out of affected area away from the enemies.
Magus*: Casts Shield. Tentacles grab the Rogue again and hurt everybody grappled. Laughs maniacally.
Fighter*: Readies the same action.
Rogue: Escape Artist from the grapple, succeeds and moves. Ends turn in the area of entanglement only.
Summoner: Hastes the party minus the rogue, Wolf, Summoner and Eidolon. The Summoner and Eidolon move into the cover of the nearby brush.
Alchemist: I rule that the Alchemist can drink potions (since it only takes one hand and the tentacles don't threaten him). He drinks a mutagen.
Theurge: Makes the nigh-impossible Concentration check to cast Freedom of Movement and moves out of the affected area.
Warlord: Escapes grapple, moves into Fighter's reach setting off readied action. Gets knocked down and hit.
Hexblade: Fails to escape the grapple.
Druid: Fails to escape the grapple, Wolf moves around affected area.
Magus*: Casts Fire Shield on the team. I forget to hurt people with the tentacles. Bummer.
Fighter*: Full round of attacks on the prone Warlord. Deals about 75 damage over three hits.
Rogue: Rogue moves carefully through the brush, remaining out of sight.
Summoner: Casts Invisibility and Eidolon move through the cover of the nearby brush.
Alchemist: Drinks a potion of Barkskin.
Theurge: Casts Spectral Hand.
Warlord: Stands, provokes from Fighter, gets knocked unconscious.
Hexblade: Escapes the grapple. Casts Swift Invisibility and moves near the Fighter.
Druid: Fails to escape the grapple, Wolf moves around affected area.
Magus*: Casts Greater Invisibility. Tentacles hurt the Alchemist and Druid. Moves to investigate the brush where the Summoner is hiding.
Fighter*: 5' steps and readies an attack against the Hexblade.
Rogue: Rogue moves carefully through the brush, pops out into the open.
Summoner: Casts Displacement on the Eidolon and both move (unknowingly) toward the invisible Magus.
Alchemist: Drinks a potion of Cure Serious Wounds.
Theurge: Successfully Dispels the tentacles. There was much rejoicing.
Warlord: Using a home brew variant for dying, the Warlord miraculously wakes up at 25% HP. He full rounds the Fighter from the ground. He hits 3 times and goes unconscious again to Fire Shield damage. Fighter is "bloodies."
Hexblade: Pulls out a Blowgun and hits the Fighter with it. The Fighter fails the Fortitude save and takes 1 Con damage. Casts Swift Invisibility.
Druid: Earth glides to meet up with Wolf behind brush cover.
Magus*: Activates Hasted Assault. Spell Combat (Woo-Hoo!). Successfully casts Dispel Magic on the Eidolon's Displacement. Hits the Eidolon twice.
Fighter*: Moves and trips the Rogue.
Rogue: Tumbles up and away, fleeing to cover.
Summoner: Casts See Invisibility on the Eidolon which misses the Magus with its super-slam attack by one (thanks Hasted Assault!).
Alchemist: Drinks a potion of Cure Moderate Wounds.
Theurge: Casts Invisibility.
Warlord: Unconscious, remains stable.
Hexblade: Moves up to the Ranger and lays some damage into him with a great sword.
Druid: Mounts Wolf, casts a buff.
Magus*: Spell Combat (Again!). Hits the Eidolon twice. the second is a critical with the falcata. Bye-Bye Eidolon. Casts Scorching Ray at the Hexblade, bringing him very close to death.
Fighter*: Double moves toward Alchemist. The Entangle slows him down.
Rogue: Flees. Lame.
Summoner: Flees. Very lame. He could have easily summoned a babau to engage the Magus.
Alchemist: Full round of bombs at the Fighter. Payback is a b*tch. Fighter is near death.
Theurge: Uses Spectral hand to heal the Warlord to consciousness plus a bunch.
Warlord: Drinks a Cure potion.
Hexblade: Drops unconscious, unable to do anything useful.
Druid: Wolf leaps out of the bushes and attacks the Ranger. Druid fast dismounts, heal the hexblade, fast mounts.
Magus*: Moves and Spellstrikes the Warlord with Vampiric Touch. Barely hits. Deals like 48 damage. Uses falcata two-handed.
Fighter*: Fails Fortitude save and blow gun poison kills him.
Rogue, Summoner: Flee more.
Alchemist: Moves and bombs the Ranger. Ranger is "bloodied."
Theurge: Casts Displacement on the Warlord.
Warlord: Full rounds on the invisible Magus. One of the three attacks hits, but doesn't get past his temporary HP.
Hexblade: Drinks a potion.
Druid: Spring Attack with the Wolf. Druid cures the Wolf. Automatic trip attempt is thwarted by Ranger's Luck ability.
Magus*: Spell Combat. Successfully casts Dispel Magic on the Warlord's Displacement. Hits him twice, dropping him.
Fighter*: I say you he's dead.
Rogue, Summoner: Flee more.
Alchemist: Full round of bombs at the Ranger. Ranger is near death.
Theurge: Casts Displacement on the Warlord.
Warlord: In another unbelievable stroke of luck, he wakes up at 25% HP (again) but can't get to the Ranger.
Hexblade: Attacks the Ranger, missing.
Druid: Pursues the Ranger.
Magus*: Decides to retreat now that he's all alone.
At this point, the remaining party members regroup and heal up. The Druid eventually let's the Ranger go, though he could have likely killed him in the chase.
I couldn't help but compare the Magus to a Wizard. The start of combat would have likely played out the same way. Black Tentacles wrecked the players. Either the Magus or the Wizard could have done that.
The real differences came when the party began to recover from the ambush. Instead of being a soft, spongy Wizard, I had an armored warrior ready to face them. A Wizard could likely accomplish the same things if dedicated to doing so. An 11th level Wizard could cast a Quickened Scorching Ray and a fireball (or whatever) and done the same thing that the Magus did.
Regardless of that, the Magus was fun to play. I liked being able to move up to face my opponents. As a Wizard, I would had to shirk away from the beefy Eidolon. Not so with the Magus.
The versatile Magus had an answer for all the player's tricks. Being able to Dispel (or, in hind sight, cast True Strike) the Displacement was great. I found myself using spells first, but considering my Arcane Pool as my options dwindled. In this encounter, the Magus only used 2 of 9 points. Had the group cast any other problem spells, I'd have used the points to cast Dispel Magic again.
The option to switch between trickery and damage really sets this class apart from previous attempts (read Duskblade).
The sheer success of Black Tentacles left the Magus with little to do but buff (I know... so terrible /sarcasm). Dealing with the results of one's own spells is a problem for all casters though.
I didn't use the Pool Strike or Wand Wielder arcana. Had this character been expected to continue on that day, I feel these would have become very important. I like that a Magus could use all his spells and still be potent (then or in the next encounter or two).
I'm not sure how many encounters a character is supposed to be able to do a day, but I think this Magus could do 3 tough fights in a day.
Since this was only a single encounter, I didn't get much of a chance to uses skills, but I think the Magus would act much like a Wizard in that respect.
Thoughts? Questions?
Oh, I'll also add a few more things I just thought of.
I didn't have to make any Concentration checks thanks to Greater Invisibility and a few 5' steps. I believe that this Magus would pass 1st and 2nd level spells 95% of the time, with 3rd at 85% and 4th at 75%.
The penalty for Spell Combat seemed fair. I missed twice because of it, but otherwise got all my spells off.
All NPC stats are Elite Array +2 points. Hit points are average. Wealth is high (about 33K per bad guy). I give them the favored class hit point every level. PCs had better stats and about the same wealth (though they are 2 levels lower).
The NPC's worked loosely as a team. The Magus could have Hasted them, but opted for Slow in light of his Hasted Assault Arcana.
Random notes: Criting with a falcata is devastating. Made my night.