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New CW here, questions on companions.

drakenwardrakenwar Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 10 Arc User
edited June 2014 in The Library
Okay I have quite a few questions and have yet to find any answers.

I have the Ioun Stone of Allure but should I increase the max rank from 25 to 30 and why or why not?
What stones do you recommend for PvE at max rank?
Should I get a binding stone to put into it?
What companions would best max my dps?

I'm sure I have more questions but for now this is a good start. I have started looking at Stox's PvE guide and so far I'm usually the top dps in dungeons, even while being in there with other CWs but I know I can always be better.
Post edited by drakenwar on

Comments

  • chaoscourtesanchaoscourtesan Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited June 2014
    I think no, don't upgrade Allure. The stat boosts are not that great and last I knew the active bonus didn't work on purple versions.. (bug, might have been fixed, I don't know.)
    If you get a chance at a Stone of Radiance, that might be good to rank up.
    I don't know anything about binding stones.

    I mostly just look at whatever active bonus gives me stats I need. I have a few chars with pets that give me Pwr/Rec and its more points than one stat alone, that way. (+55/+55{110} vs. +100) With two such pets (different ones...) It's plus 110 of each stat...

    There are a lot of pets that give bonuses that don't show on your char.. one of my CW's has Wisp and Cant mage. These give control/control resist bonuses. I can't tell if they are working or not. But she's doing fine, so I don't worry about it.
    Rhyon Cawdorian GWF | Opa Loka TR | Cormac Argentus III DC | Annika Thornblade GF | Aerys Skydark HR | Bartin Findlor TR | Aellia Baalthrall CW | Lucan Hawkmoon CW | Opa Brahk GWF | Korzbyrk DC | Den Kruk GWF | Jherek Skarsin CW |
    Roland Mac Sheonin GF | Tarron Direheart SW |
  • kozi001kozi001 Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 876 Arc User
    edited June 2014
    Well if you already had P. Vorpal, purple pets and Rank 8 everywhere then you cant do anything but upgrading your Stone.

    Hard to tell which one is the best! Black Ioun stone is really good too! Gives lots of stats and no need for an icon.

    My Pets:
    Allure
    Dancing Blade
    Fire Archon
    Wild Hunt Rider
    Sellsword/Blink Dog
  • onodrainonodrain Member Posts: 334 Arc User
    edited June 2014
    I have not priced bonding stones versus level 9 runestones. But they are level 7 and have 260 power or defense, at level 10 they provide 380 power/defense.

    FYI, the bonding stones were added a few weeks ago to make the companions purchased from the zen store more desirable. It is a level 7 runestone that has offense: 260 power/defense 260 defense and provides you with 20% your companion's stats for 20 seconds when they use an ability. So for a stone that does not use an ability, you never see that part of the bonding stone. The perfect bonding runestones provide 65% of your companion's stats.
  • silverquicksilverquick Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 1 Arc User
    edited June 2014
    drakenwar wrote: »
    Okay I have quite a few questions and have yet to find any answers.

    I have the Ioun Stone of Allure but should I increase the max rank from 25 to 30 and why or why not?
    What stones do you recommend for PvE at max rank?
    Should I get a binding stone to put into it?
    What companions would best max my dps?

    I'm sure I have more questions but for now this is a good start. I have started looking at Stox's PvE guide and so far I'm usually the top dps in dungeons, even while being in there with other CWs but I know I can always be better.

    Well I think you're starting out very well, and it sounds like so far you're very successful.

    I have a friend who upgraded his Stone of Allure to Epic, but he did say afterwards that it wasn't really worth the AD for it it.

    Still Kozi is right, if you've got nothing left to upgrade, then upgrading the Stone as high as it will go is pretty much one of the few things left to do.

    I've run with Multiple Companion Active Bonuses.

    Currently depending on Setup.

    1: Ioun of Radiance (Upgraded, all offensive slots, and good lifesteal active bonus)
    2. Sellsword (huge power boost once upgraded)
    3. Blink Dog (upgraded, and Two artifacts that give Combat Advantage Bonus, And I have Nightmare Wizardry Feated)
    4. Orc Wolf (upgraded, great crit bonus) / Swap for Wild Hunt Rider (upgraded)
    5. Owl (Threat reduction, Boy do I need this sometimes) / Mystagog (upgraded, Great Power/Recovery combo) / Fire Sprite (Upgraded, Action Point Bonus)
  • drakenwardrakenwar Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 10 Arc User
    edited June 2014
    thank you for the advice. What artifacts do you recommend? I was thinking about maybe getting the Thayan Book of the Dead
  • silverquicksilverquick Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 1 Arc User
    edited June 2014
    drakenwar wrote: »
    thank you for the advice. What artifacts do you recommend? I was thinking about maybe getting the Thayan Book of the Dead

    Well its actually a really good artifact,

    I had that one before. I used to run Waters, Lantern, and Thayan Book.

    It was a great combo. Used that combo for a long time and honestly you can't go wrong with it.

    However there was a change recently in Combat Advantage damage so I've switched over to using, Beholder, Lantern, Sigil of Controller artifacts for the bonus combat advantage damage with Nightmare Wizardry.

    Still considering building a GWF to get theirs though, I think theirs is a really nice one too.
  • ghoulz66ghoulz66 Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 3,748 Arc User
    edited June 2014
    drakenwar wrote: »
    thank you for the advice. What artifacts do you recommend? I was thinking about maybe getting the Thayan Book of the Dead

    I just piled crit and power. You'll probably get enough recovery from gear and armor pen, not really needed to mow things down. Also have a blood crystal, so more recovery and bonus regen on top of high vizer's. So it's Sigil of CW/Lantern/Blood crystal.

    If I was a spellstorm mage I would drop my Lantern for probably Sigil of the HR or anything with power.
  • smulchsmulch Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 625 Arc User
    edited June 2014
    Ideally, you want rank 10 radiants,
    a fully upped ioun stone of allure with 2 bonding rank 10 and an eldritch rank 10 in the defensive slot.

    Artifact, I think the best is lantern, beholder and sigil of the hunter (kessel's spheres of annihilation will be better once obtainable).

    Obviously, it's quite unlikely that you'll have enough money to go all out on everything since it cost around 60-70m to do so. So, work your way up.

    Armor pen to 20% for pve.
    Recovery around 3300 (very easy to get without trying)
    crit around 3300 (big diminishing returns after)
    As much power as you can get since it's the only thing without diminishing returns now.


    As for companions

    I think the best would be
    Ioun stone of allure (active)
    sellsword (300 power)
    Blink dog (5% combat advantage bonus)
    Dancing blade (5% crit severity)
    Archmage's apprentice/skeleton (165 lifesteal/power)*

    *Fire archon is better in some situations.
  • drakenwardrakenwar Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 10 Arc User
    edited June 2014
    Thank you all for your advice. This is extremely helpful and much appreciated! :)
  • drakenwardrakenwar Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 10 Arc User
    edited June 2014
    What about the hunting hawk? "Damage bonus increases as the range increases with a maximum of +7% bonus damage at 100'." Staying at max range would seem to be better I would think. Thoughts?
  • smulchsmulch Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 625 Arc User
    edited June 2014
    drakenwar wrote: »
    What about the hunting hawk? "Damage bonus increases as the range increases with a maximum of +7% bonus damage at 100'." Staying at max range would seem to be better I would think. Thoughts?

    A lot of our powers are small range.

    Shards of endless avalanche, sudden storm and steal time to name a few.

    If you are renegade spec, there's also a number of feats that benefit from being in close quarters rather than afar.
  • silverquicksilverquick Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 1 Arc User
    edited June 2014
    drakenwar wrote: »
    What about the hunting hawk? "Damage bonus increases as the range increases with a maximum of +7% bonus damage at 100'." Staying at max range would seem to be better I would think. Thoughts?

    Smulch is basically right in what he's telling you.

    The way you do a lot of AoE damage as a mage is at very very close range. Now, it means walking the razer's edge, but you will do greater damage up close.

    Example: Shards will exceed its normal target limit and likely crit.... IF you do it at point blank range and literally standing in a crowd of mobs. So its a summon it before they kill you option. I'm sure its supposed to be a save your butt type move that crits and prones everything and DOESN"T MISS at that range as it goes off instantly without you even needing to push it... But you can do it IF you're willing to stand in the middle of danger and or wiling to take a great deal of damage and potentially get killed before you can summon it and get it off (In IWD).

    .... so being a CW is more a question of how cool you are under pressure. We don't tend to do a lot of things at range as mages, because our AoEs generally don't allow it.
  • niadanniadan Member Posts: 1,635 Arc User
    edited June 2014
    Single best damage enhancing companion for a pve wizard is wild hunt rider. I have gone all power for the rest including stone of radiance.
  • jagerblue2jagerblue2 Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 15 Arc User
    edited June 2014
    niadan wrote: »
    Single best damage enhancing companion for a pve wizard is wild hunt rider. I have gone all power for the rest including stone of radiance.
    Is there any way to currently obtain the stone of radiance? I've been eyeing it for a while..
  • drakenwardrakenwar Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 10 Arc User
    edited June 2014
    I don't believe there is after researching into it Jager. It's a shame really.
  • silverquicksilverquick Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 1 Arc User
    edited June 2014
    jagerblue2 wrote: »
    Is there any way to currently obtain the stone of radiance? I've been eyeing it for a while..

    It was a promo where you had to transfer Zen into the game.

    I was late on the offer and got it anyway, so I don't know if they still give them out with Zen transfer. You can always check the Promo vendor opposite Sgt Knox. Its on the other side of the palace on the opposite side as Knox is on.

    If you've previously transfered Zen you may be able to pick it up there.
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