Build & Load Out Questions =-)

nathan

Howdy!!

Been away from the game for a bit and finally back in the mix. Was hoping I could ask some questions to anyone who might have some more insight since a lot has changed since I took a hiatus. I've probably got too many questions, but if you can chime in on any one or combination of them, please do!

I'm working on building an AOE load and a Single Target Load out.

1) How important is elemental empowerment? Any tests that I read or have done in the past notes it as one of my lowest sources of damage. I noticed in the mechanics guide that it doesn't increase in damage but just increases the percent to activate. Is there any merit towards only allocating a couple points in it and splitting those points elsewhere? If so, where would you recommend to place them? Would you use this skill for AOE/Trash or for Boss or both? Since it can't stack, I would assume that it's 12 second duration makes it less useful in short fights, and I'm unsure of how it effects longer fights.

2) For a single target load out, IE. boss, is it viable to use Destructive Wizardry instead of Malevolent Surge? I know most bosses usually have small bursts of adds, but not sure how frequently that happens in the span of the 15 second duration.

3) Is it still not recommended to use Sudden Storm over Disintegrate in and AOE / trash build?

4) Abyss of Chaos Vs. Icy Veins. When would you use either?

5) Any recommendations for single target rotations ? Is there a GWF equivalent of focusing on certain %dmg increase powers / feats that would chain together to make Ice Knife do the most amount of dmg possible?

6) I have both Wheel of Elements & Sigil of Devoted at legendary. Should I still use these? I got destroyed in DPS the other day by a lower geared CW that was using mostly equivalent gear as mine, but lower enchantments, yet he was using Sigil. He outpaced me in ETOS by about 40mil =-( For reference, I have full r12 bondings and a combo of adorable bites and avenger for the arm pen. r11 brutally on the comp.

So thats a long list above, I would love for my single target build to focus on spamming daily powers. I love casting ice knife and OF. For my AOE build, just doing the most amount of damage instantly, since most fights are super short. Any advice is super appreciated. Thanks all!

rjc9000

Btw, take my knowledge with a few packets of salt, because I'm not a CW of the likes of Sharp, Freedom, or Syndra.

1. Even if Warped Magics and Creeping Frost aren't your biggest source of damage, it's better than most of the other comparable feats (lolfarspell and loltranscendedmaster) that far up in Thaum. You could argue that Frozen Power Transfer is an alternative, but in my experience, the 3rd hit of Cloud is too slow to cast.
2. Most of the time, probably not. The issue is you need to fully cast Storm Pillar, which is super hard to fit into a Spell-Twisting rotation because Pillar takes a few seconds to charge and those precious seconds are seconds in which you could be flinging more encounters. However, there *are* fights, such as Fangbreaker Island Boss 1 and 2, where you can prepare a fully charged Storm Pillar without worry.
3. Never ever give up Disintegrate. Ever. Its damage is daily tier and its cooldown is ridiculously low. I would just use Conduit on Mastery/Icy Terrain/Sudden Storm/Disintegrate, as Sudden Storm doesn't have to deal with pesky thing like target caps (compared to Steal Time).
4. Depends. On mobs, I'm lazy and use Icy Veins for insta-freeze goodness. On most bosses, Abyss beats Icy Veins because it's super easy to keep up chill stacks on bosses, so you might as well take Abyss for more damage.
5. Can't say, because I, unlike Sharp, am not used to the CW's tactical button mashing. I believe you'd want to use Conduit on Mastery/Ray of En/Chill Strike/Disintegrate, swap out Chill Strike for Fanning the Flame if on MoF.
6. I wouldn't use other CWs in lfg/pug runs as a meterstick for your build, unless you play with said CW so much that you can generally judge your DPS compared to them. This is because there are a variety of factors in which you may not know of, such as the other player hitting the mobs first (you can't damage mobs with no health)

I personally would just use DC sigil, as the CW's biggest sources of DPS, procs (Storm Spell, Aura of Courage if you have an OP, proc based weapon enchants, Assailant, Creeping Frost/Warped Magic) don't proc Wheel of Elements Fire, which reduces the effectiveness of Wheel of Elements Fire.

kieranmtorn

Are you using a summoned non-augment for the bonding stones? If not do so.

mamalion1234

rjc9000 said:

Btw, take my knowledge with a few packets of salt, because I'm not a CW of the likes of Sharp, Freedom, or Syndra.

1. Even if Warped Magics and Creeping Frost aren't your biggest source of damage, it's better than most of the other comparable feats (lolfarspell and loltranscendedmaster) that far up in Thaum. You could argue that Frozen Power Transfer is an alternative, but in my experience, the 3rd hit of Cloud is too slow to cast.
2. Most of the time, probably not. The issue is you need to fully cast Storm Pillar, which is super hard to fit into a Spell-Twisting rotation because Pillar takes a few seconds to charge and those precious seconds are seconds in which you could be flinging more encounters. However, there *are* fights, such as Fangbreaker Island Boss 1 and 2, where you can prepare a fully charged Storm Pillar without worry.
3. Never ever give up Disintegrate. Ever. Its damage is daily tier and its cooldown is ridiculously low. I would just use Conduit on Mastery/Icy Terrain/Sudden Storm/Disintegrate, as Sudden Storm doesn't have to deal with pesky thing like target caps (compared to Steal Time).
4. Depends. On mobs, I'm lazy and use Icy Veins for insta-freeze goodness. On most bosses, Abyss beats Icy Veins because it's super easy to keep up chill stacks on bosses, so you might as well take Abyss for more damage.
5. Can't say, because I, unlike Sharp, am not used to the CW's tactical button mashing. I believe you'd want to use Conduit on Mastery/Ray of En/Chill Strike/Disintegrate, swap out Chill Strike for Fanning the Flame if on MoF.
6. I wouldn't use other CWs in lfg/pug runs as a meterstick for your build, unless you play with said CW so much that you can generally judge your DPS compared to them. This is because there are a variety of factors in which you may not know of, such as the other player hitting the mobs first (you can't damage mobs with no health)

I personally would just use DC sigil, as the CW's biggest sources of DPS, procs (Storm Spell, Aura of Courage if you have an OP, proc based weapon enchants, Assailant, Creeping Frost/Warped Magic) don't proc Wheel of Elements Fire, which reduces the effectiveness of Wheel of Elements Fire.

I guess you mean if i do frozen power transfer the other dps would kill the monsters before the third cast. But there is a but dont forget you can do the buff before even someone arrive on the monsters which will have and the result to do and pull on you ( that doesnt bother me ).
Truth is is not needed so much for t2 t1 dungeons.
but in fbi and sp it is very good boost for aoe.

devlindragons

QQ ! Why you use Ray of Enfeeblement ? He debuffs the goal not only for you, but also for a colleague. Instead Ray of Enfeeblement, can be used Icy Terrain. Icy Terrain is spam damage and additional lightning damage. I am for MoF.