Best combat spell loadouts
You get 4 spell hotbars × 4 spells = 16 active. The full spell list is much bigger; the trick is loadout grouping so each hotbar covers one job. (Arekkz Gaming's video below walks every single spell + how it unlocks if you want the full reference.)
Combat reading — the most important rule
Combat is built around the symbols above your character's head, not enemy animations:
- Yellow symbol → block + counter window
- Red symbol → unblockable, you must dodge
Watch your wizard, not the enemy. You'll be reacting to off-screen attacks half the time.
Hotbar 1 — Crowd control (the workhorse)
- Levioso — float enemies
- Accio — pull them in
- Glacius — freeze airborne or grouped enemies
- Bombarda — AoE damage on frozen / grouped
The combo: Levioso a target → Accio them close → Glacius to freeze → Bombarda the cluster.
Hotbar 2 — Burst damage
- Diffindo — bleed stack
- Confringo — fire damage
- Expelliarmus — disarm + counter
- Stupefy — stun for opener
Hotbar 3 — Stealth + utility
- Disillusionment — invisibility
- Petrificus Totalus — stealth one-shot
- Lumos — attract moths / reveal
- Revelio — find hidden
Hotbar 4 — Unforgivables (if learned)
- Crucio — DoT
- Imperio — control enemy temporarily
- Avada Kedavra — instant kill
- Diffindo — bleed combo
Talent priority
- Stupefy Mastery (Core tree) — auto-stun on Stupefy
- Spell Knowledge (Core) — increases capacity
- Glacius Mastery (Spells tree) — slow on hit
- Bombarda Mastery — bigger AoE
- Avada Kedavra Mastery — affordable cooldown reduction
If stuck: if combat feels overwhelming at level 15+, check your gear traits. Three pieces with Cooldown Reduction trait = much smoother flow.