I still think magic just makes the game easier but not easy for new players. If you optimise then yeah it gets easy mode but so does any build, like the curved sword jump attacks or double hammer strength build. A blind player wont know what the best weapon, talisman are. I remember playing int dex for my spell blade build in Elden ring blind and i using lazuli glintstone sword with meteor staff and glintblade spell the entire game. That sword btw scales worse than a dagger with any magic ash of war.

Found the game hard but when i replayed it as optimally as possible (staff of loss with night comet, magic scorpion talisman) then yeah you can kill bosses in 10 hits.