[Sample Build]Spell Miner

[shroudb]

The magus was always a Crit-fisher, and this hasn't really changed in PF2

His Attack bonus (for the physical attack) is actually decently high, especially when using Magus Potency which after level 7 is ahead of the curve as far as Potency runes go (+2 at level 7 instead of average level 11, +3 at level 13 instead of average level 17) (that doesnt mean you shouldnt invest in your weapon though. Fights where you cant recover Focus do happen often)

Add the best crit-fishing spell in the game via True strike, and we have something going.

And when we're talking about critfishing in Pf2, we're talking about Picks.

So here we go:

Half-elf Magus

18/12/12/16/10/10
19/12/12/18/12/12
20/12/14/19/14/12
21/12/16/20/16/12
24(apex)/12/18/20/18/14

(you can go for a higher Cha instead of Wis if you want to maximise your Marshal Aura but i don't see the need, proficiency and items should give you more than 60% of activating the Aura, at most you lose 1 more action per combat)

Heritage: Half-Elf
Ancestry feats:
1)Natural Ambition
5)Nimble Elf
9)Pinch Time (<-one of the reasons we went with Half-elf)
13)Otherworldly magic
17)Heroic Presence

General feats:
3)Toughness
7)Probably Fleet, but really whatever you want after this point

Class feats:
1)Familiar (After level 9 this is +1 Haste/Day from Innate, Also an additional spell at max level-3)
2)Marshal
4)Inspiring Marshal Stance
6)Martial Caster
8)Spell Parry/AoO
10)Portal Slide
12)Overwhelming Spellstrike/Coordinated Charge
14)Hasted Assault/Pretenatural Parry
16)Pretenatural Parry/Hasted Assault
18)Second Chance
20)Both are pretty good, but since we already have plenty of Hastes we go with Whirlwind

For most of your carrer you will be using a Divination Staff with Shifting Rune to switch it to a Pick

Your offensive spells should be mostly Save DC based rather than spell attack based.

The build really comes together at level 9

Sample level 15:
1 Round to buff with Haste+Potency, 2nd Round is usually Aura+StrikingSpell+Strike, 3rd+ Round you can start weaving in StrikingSpell+True Strike+Strike

Spellparry for the rounds when you dont use True Strike (or second Strike if you missed)

Overwhelming Spellstrike obviously instead of Strike when there are resistances involved.

Portal teleporting to gain flank on the rounds you go for True Strike is what you're looking for.

Optimally you will be using your Focus for Potency as long as you have your 2 Innate Haste+the 1 prepared one, but if it drags for more than 3 battles you sacrifice Potency for Hasted Assault.

Attack: +21(proficiency)+5(str)+3(Magus Potency)+1(Marshal Aura)= +29
Pick: 3d6+11+1d6 flaming, critical 7d10+22+2d6

Spells: 1st: 8xTrue Strike, 2nd: 1, 3rd: 3xHaste, 4th: Fly, 5th: 1, 7th:2, 8th:2

(Don't forget that as a Prepared caster you can sacrifice a spellslot for equal number of charges, so losing the 5th as an example for 5xTrue Strikes)

Average AC for level 15 monsters seems to be around 37.
So, with Flank you Hit with a 6 and Crit at 16
With True strike that makes it about 44% to Crit, which is not shabby at all.

[BlessedHeretic]

Issue with this being you are counting on shifting staves to be valid to cast from.

We have no clarification so this build is currently DM fiat. Without true strike you also no longer have crit fishing potential outside the norm.

[shroudb]

you'd still have Fighter Attack bonus and access to Keen property.

The chance will naturally be lower without shifting staff, but it's not a DoA concept.

That said, the purpose of the playtest is exactly that.

For our actual game we're planning on two magi, one using the staff and the other not (probably an archer magus) to compare.