Pure wizard vs 26/4

[Astral]

Waste a feat on saves on a wizard? maybe not. But having 18 wiz 2 bard at 20 means +2 will/reflex for free. That's yet another good reason for me to prefer the 26/4 build.

[Sockss]

C'mon guys, high saves are good for /everything/.

PFS / mantles only give you an action advantage in PvP if you come pre-prepared (which hardly ever happens with such short duration buffs).

Are they worth taking over other things? Not necessarily, but save are always, always relevant.

You're not wrong, but you shouldn't really waste a feat on +1 uni saves or +2 specific saves when you do have other avenues to ward off spells. And wizard is about being prepared, which is why they have a high skill ceiling and are vulnerable when caught off guard.

As a wizard, if you don't come prepared, you're dead. Really. No matter what you do.

My point is, yeah saves are important, but not worth spending a feat on that could be spent on, say, another spell focus or crafting feat. Your opinion may differ.

Wizards have gsanc.

If you're dead straight away as a wizard, change your tactics to push that first.

You can additionally hellball yourself, iron horn, iron horn pot -> invis pot, invis pot -> haste - depending on the situation.

A well played wizard is never caught out. If someone requires a specific set of spells to beat, you can use these tactics to retreat and rest for different spells.

The avenues you've suggested to ward off spells are only viable vs caster clerics, which are terrible anyway - everyone else will simply breach you. At best, you'll be drawing in action economy, if you have one buff up, otherwise you'll be losing.

Better yet, if you fight a mage that mantles himself as a caster, summon a dragon.

Provided you have a couple of core focuses, you can very easily grab save feats - you won't have the same QoL granted from Arelith epic spells, but you will certainly still be viable - more so in a lot of cases.

[dallion43]

More saves are never a waste on any build. It is just a question what is the trade in. Imho, not all EGSFs or even GSFs/SFs are a must.
Spells like mantle etc are breachable, and most builds have access to it due to UMD.
AQ3 + breach + Great thunderclap, can easily bring you down if one of your saves is relatively low.
SS silence is a new factor.
Poison and many other DC treats like AS and SD DC abilities are a factor after you used your TS and someone is still standing.
Items with saves can be changed with another bonus if enough saves available.
Even in PvE due to many dispelers saves are useful.
Retreat is always a good option but sometimes the wizard isn't alone what handicaps the retreat option, I don't see one retreating so easily if a fellow companion is still fighting ).

Craft feats and QoL/RP EGSFs are a valid option of course, as well as saves, it is a matter of per case choice after one considers all factors he will be involved in on epics.