test content
Logo
What is the Arc Client?
Install Arc
Options
CW feels underwhelming.
monarrch
Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 164 Bounty Hunter
Been pveing and pvping and I must say that the class isn't bad but not great either. I don't feel we have the control that a "control wizard" would have and our damage doesn't justify our frailty. Any advice on powers or feat placement from any knowledgable players would be appreciated.
Post edited by monarrch on
0
Comments
If their abilities actually worked on bosses, it would be a good class. As is - not so much.
As long as nothing takes a huge turn for the worst a higher lvls, I will be sticking with it.
I have gone 1v1 with every class now and while I have won 100% of the battles I can def hold my own and finish them off where before going into more controller feats I was struggling.
HONOR - ABOVE - ALL - ELSE
VICE LORD
KILLER BEE SANTOS
--Nom Anor
Are we talking level 60? Level 20? Level 12? Just need some details from you in order to suggest things.
I apologize. I am lvl 17. I find that I cannot place higher than 3rd in the first instance at any given time and I've done it several times. I find in PVp that as I said, my squshiness cannot justify my lack if DPS.
Forgive me for calling you out on this but full control over everything? Come on. That's not even remotely accurate and a broad generalized statement like like sounds like someone who hasn't even played the class.
In PvP, you might be unlucky with opponents or your own team. In the 10-19 bracket, I found it easy to nearly always finish with the top score. It's not about killing people (not only), it is about being in the right places. In fact, you get far more points if you fight over nodes and either capture or defend them. How much damage you do is not really relevant. CC people, push them off the capture nodes (either with Repel, Ice Storm or Singularity -- place it so that people get sucked away from the stone circles). CW feels very good in PvP to me. Plays a lot like a frost mage in that other game, if you get the hang on blinking and using CC on the right targets at the right times (I put blink on "mouse wheel forward", Repel on the middle button, etc.). One rogue is fine, two means you croak (but that IS 2vs1).
I also have no trouble scoring #1 or #2 damage in dungeons. It is also not what matters (that is, you can play poorly and get more dps or you can play smartly and help your group, and do a bit less dps). Bunch up mobs, use AoE, lift up heavy hitters, use your daily powers when they are ready. A good rogue will always outdamage you, but you should be able to do better than the average rogue.
Now, where I agree that the CW feels underwhelming is solo questing in the 40s. Things started to get more tricky around 35 as the cleric companion stopped gaining ranks, and by now (43, swamp) I need a potion nearly every fight. The 200-250ms to the servers doesn't help with very fast mobs. But I have yet to try a tank companion (the one from the Zen store) and I can swap in more defensive abilities. I'm usually lazy and use my dungeon set of skills.
There are, of course, things that need tweaked, but I find CW to be a pretty strong class.
I will say I HATE their level 50 spell, it was a huge let down and I want them to change it so bad I could cry. Actually I think I did cry when I first cast it.
*~Serixil Kor'hedron- Drow Trickster~*
So far, in most cases where I had a boss that couldn't get cc'ed, there were adds that could. In a dungeon the GF's job is to handle the boss, and CWs deal with adds. It would make some encounters very trivial if we could chain-CC them, so the alternative would be severe diminishing returns and that would then affect our solo abilities. I feel it is okay the way it is.
It didn't work well for me, either. I generally don't like "stand there and charge up a skill" abilities, though, mostly because I rarely get to stand and channel!
I've just been experimenting with Shield, in the mid 40s, and this really was a solid improvement for solo questing (especially if you have some lag at times). It doubles as damage reduction and emergency pushback/AOE. I had Chilling Strike in its place before, but this will now stay in the bag, except for dungeons.
One more level for Steal Time!
*~Serixil Kor'hedron- Drow Trickster~*
now imagine if Rogues couldn't backstab bosses.
If guardians couldn't taunt them.
etc.
Control wizards are the ONLY class that has the majority of their class focus "Disabled" on bosses, while no other class has that problem.
it would be handy if we could get our debuffs on them though. Im am enjoying levelling the class and don't feel underwhelmed.
Powers:
At-Will = Storm Pillar (i know, whats this silly kid thinkin no magic missile?) and RoF
Encounters = Conduit, entangling force, enfeeble, and probably chill strike in tab. I'm considering a couple others, as force choke is a wasted slot on bosses.
Daily = Black hole and Ice Knife for PvE, Opressive Force and Ice Knife for PvP.
Planned Feats:
Heroic -
5/5/1/0
3/0/0/3
0/0/3/0
Paragon;
Oppressor - 5 in bitter cold.
Thaumaturge -
5/5/0/0/
0/5/0/5/1
Renegade - 5 in Critical Power.
Renegade is neat, but I needs me my range, i.e. 80 > 30 > 19. The amount of hits I'm getting combined with the debuffs and buffs is something I'm hoping will pay off. I plan on stacking power and recovery mainly. I'm at lvl 42 currently, so I haven't played with steal time, but I really want storm pillar to pay off. And I've wanted to make a solid thaumaturge build since I got my grubby mits on this game. That being said, the mitigation and damage buffs I should be reaping will hopefully effect storm spell as well. Keeping my cooldowns on everythang low should keep them debuffs a rollin (as well as better control), and the amount of hits that'll come in from hits over time will hopefully proc metric butt tons of damage.
Feedback/discussion is welcome. Updates will be provided.
Edit: Concerned with Arcane mastery. Lookin at you avalanche. Wondering if it's worth it, maybe tab slot?
The debuffs did used to occur to bosses, just not the slow/holds/stuns. If it isn't now, then I'd bug report that.
I was only thinking 5 in renegade too for the crit...nothing more though.
Hope someone is working on a good feat calculator.
This helped me with an outline. I'm hoping it becomes more comprehensive soon. Still good work though.
I prefer Renegade by a good margin, but that is playstyle preference. I like being close to the action, blinking in and out, and generally living on the edge.
Note that my 3 human bonus feats are not spent yet. The remaining paragon points go into the first two Thaumaturge feats. It's very beastly when solo questing and I still out-dps rogues in dungeons (not on bosses, just overall).
Can anyone explain what this means? What is a paragon path and how does it work? Or point me in the direction of where I can find the proper information about this?
Yea that's very similar to where I'm headed. 49 now and having absolutely no issues solo or in groups. Still rarely using potions and only when things are really disgusting (pull 3 groups or ugly boss fights in dungeons). Even though the cleric falls a lot more I find she keeps me topped off between fights and gets enough agro during them I can still mop up everything with little difficulty. Will be interesting to see what she's like at rank 30.
Paragon paths are like your specialty path once you hit level 30. They give you a title and access to some new abilities. Unfortunately right now every class only has access to one Paragon path, so everyone is the same in that regard. Your heroic and paragon feats (along with how you slot your powers) are the only differences between us all. Every control wizard will eventually be a spellstorm mage.