Any chance the magus changed from the playtest version? I'm playing one from 1st-level, and mehanically it's a little lacking.
It slightly changed from the revised playtest. It significantly changed from the initial playtest. I suspect, based on your comments, that you're playing the first playtest version.
Personally, I would've rather seen spell combat be made costly in some fashion, perhaps taking up a higher spell slot (as if it were a class-specific metamagic feat), or tapping into the class's arcane pool. Being able to use it infrequently is more satisfying than being able to use it constantly with an improbable chance of success.
Spell Combat is now, essentially, dual-wielding your on-hand weapon and an off-hand spell. (Same penalties, even; -2.)
Spellstrike - which you get at level 2 - allows you to channel a melee touch spell through your weapon
and make a weapon attack in place of the free touch attack such a spell normally gives you. So, at 2nd-level as a full-round action, you can:
Make a weapon attack at -2 and do weapon damage; and
Make another weapon attack at -2 and do weapon damage + spell damage
... in either order.
The spell uses the threat
range of your weapon, and a x2 multiplier. Since my current Magus is using a rapier, that gives my spells an 18/x2 threat stat.
It's pretty cool.
The final playtest revision removed the need for a concentration check when using spell combat. Now it's just a -2 to attack rolls.
You'll still need to make a Concentration check to cast defensively, however, depending on your positioning. You can elect, when taking the Spell Combat action, to take an additional penalty to your attack rolls up to your Intelligence bonus and add that as a bonus to your concentration check to cast defensively.
