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Effective Ways to Apply Smolder
pointsman
Member Posts: 2,327 Arc User
So the ways that a MoF have to apply smolder appear to be as follows:
1. Fanning the Flame in Spell Mastery
2. Combustive Action class feature, and using a daily that spreads smolder (such as Furious Immolation or Oppressive Force)
3. Critical Conflagration class feature, and critting
4. Scorching Burst at-will
5. Drifting Embers feat in Thaumaturge tree, after applying Smolder via Fanning the Flame (but doesn't have to be in Spell Mastery)
So which of these is the most reliable and effective way to apply and maintain smolder on a mob?
I can open with tabbed FtF but it has a relatively long cooldown so I have to refresh the smolder with something like Scorching Burst. Which is fine.
But there are also times when I'd like to have CoI on tab in order to apply chill, and so then I have to rely only on class features and Scorching Burst to apply smolder.
Which is better?
1. Fanning the Flame in Spell Mastery
2. Combustive Action class feature, and using a daily that spreads smolder (such as Furious Immolation or Oppressive Force)
3. Critical Conflagration class feature, and critting
4. Scorching Burst at-will
5. Drifting Embers feat in Thaumaturge tree, after applying Smolder via Fanning the Flame (but doesn't have to be in Spell Mastery)
So which of these is the most reliable and effective way to apply and maintain smolder on a mob?
I can open with tabbed FtF but it has a relatively long cooldown so I have to refresh the smolder with something like Scorching Burst. Which is fine.
But there are also times when I'd like to have CoI on tab in order to apply chill, and so then I have to rely only on class features and Scorching Burst to apply smolder.
Which is better?
Post edited by pointsman on
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For AoE situations, use Scorch at-will and then lay down icy terrain. Everything melts around you. For boss/elite single-target, use FtF/scorch and then keep chill stacks rolling through ray of frost/COI(if on tab)/icy terrain. You can pin them down inside the freeze and tee off on them mercilessly and keep it going for a long time if you have Orb of imposition slotted and maxed. Mix in extra scorches to keep busy if you want to do more DPS, but the rimefire will keep ticking for 5 secs all by itself every time you add a chill.
Remember that you can go to trade of blades PVP dummies and play around with your powers to get a feel for how long stuff ticks down for, etc. and you can have a nice environent to see debuffs/DoTs on the dummies clearly without having to worry about dodging.
Scorching Burst. It applies smolder 100% of the time to five add's per cast and refresh's their duration. That is the answer to that question.
Generally speaking put Critical Conflagration into one of your two class skill slots and profit. This assumes you have decent Charisma and at least 2000 Crit Rating. This is, of course, speaking to level 60+ only. Without knowing more about what you plan to do with your MoF, this is the best answer I can give you. It should also be noted that if Smolder is applied with a crit, it also becomes a crit.
Also, CoI/Icy Terrain crits will proc Smolder as well. Kind of a big deal with Icy Terrain, slightly less so with CoI.
As a random aside, Drifting Embers is pretty useless unless for some reason you plan to never use any option other than FtF for smolder. Something that, as you point out, doesn't really work very well.
This is the most important thing to remember. And Critical Combustion or whatever it is called for a class feature makes adding smolder super easy, if like spacejew said you have a good crit consistency. Which as a MoF I am sure you will have since we have that free feat bonus to crit severity.
PVPer rocking it Solo queue style since the dawn of Neverwinter
I've always liked COI on Tab. Larger area = more targets = more damage the encounter deals, meaning up to 25% more. The problem i have with MOF or rather aspects of it are the compromises in encounters. Ideally, exacting the full benefit of FTF would require it to be on tab. But taking COI out of tab would be like borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. Cancelling out any improvements over the other.
edit: Every tick of CoI is often calculated as an exclusive cast, meaning if you managed to crit with CoI, every subsequent critting tick of CoI would refresh smolder. Someone could verify this for me. MoF is interesting, but isn't for me.
On a boss fight, the story changes. Since the game is mostly thrash clearing, CoI brings about various benefits including stacking chill, speeding freezes with Icy terrain where necessary, whereas FTF is just... damage.
Personally, if i were to ever go MOF (not in the foreseeable future), I'd stick with Thauma still. Many CWs associate lifesteal and fat green numbers with survivability. And many of these same CWs ran into Major HEs in Mod 3 with sudden storm without slotting icy terrain, failing miserably to solo it. Whenever I'm soloing a HE and a random CW comes along, I step aside half expecting them to die, and I get to see what I was expecting most of the time. Last thing I want is to tank 2 groups of elite mobs relying on lifesteal and some halfwit casting Singularity over me. Once bitten twice shy.
My point is, MOF has consistent damage through smolder. Combined with Endless Consumption (Dread ring final tier) and Elemental Empowerment (4th tier feat), just do the rough math in your head how much HP you're gaining every second. And I stress on every second. I differentiate from getting 70k green numbers and dividing it over 10 seconds, this sort of spike gains does not keep you alive. Consistent gains will.
Summarized version. Killling faster is also a form of CC. Which works. Orb of imposition is unnecessary, so is Oppressor for PVE. I'm a CoI on tab fanboy.
However, if they are all stunned and grouped on top of each other it's very value added.
Basically, not all controls are created equal. A skilled control person is great, but a person who wants to deal damage and lock things down might or might not be useful. Just my opinion on the issue, but I play MoF as a control/debuff class.
I'll fully admit that while some might look down on you for that, there are many more who will thank you for lining up all their shots for them perfectly once you get the hang of it.
Epic DV is a great example of where Orb of Imposition is really great.
I was MoF Thaum in Mod 3. I was Spellstorm Thaum in a previous CW before that. And even before that, I was Spellstorm Renegade. I did MoF Oppressor now because I wanted a change. Also because I wanted to be able to solo Major HE's. (Which is hard, BTW.) I may switch back to MoF Thaum, I don't know.
1.Very Good source of Burst damage and Damage Reducing Debuff + Smolder Application (only tab this if other cw tab their CoI)
2.If you door to door pull in CN/VT/MC, I find Furious Immolation's daze+debuff (specced) better if Focus on Elite Mobs than OF, Controlling the Elites are always a top priority of MoF (a good source of DoT damage as well
3.Use this if you got a good crit %, and aiming to do some dps, its smolder application is based on your crit%.
4.I use this when my encounters are in cd, to light some mobs that don't have smolder yet. Or Use it, if your AP is near full and you need to drop the daily for control/damage
5.I tried this, but its very redundant. Not a good source of Smoldering :P
FtF doesn't leave my tab unless other CWs uses other encounter on their tab.
CoI will be a good option if your pug party is only composed of 2 cws.
BlackberryCheesecake CW
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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Honestly, I don't feel FtF is worth it anymore after the unneeded nerf to it.
Aelar Hawkwind - Archer
Karrin Feywinter - Mistress of Flame
Errin Duskwalker - Executioner
Darquess - Soulbinder
FtF just doesn't have a spot anymore except in Boss fights with overgeared teams when someone else is already freezing with CoI. That's basically it. Even if you're a thaum build using FtF on Tab and doing everything you can you're still being out damaged by Spellstorm Thaum so really what's the point? If that's the direction you want to go, that being damage, it's really go SS/Thaum or go home for PvE.
MoF can do control, debuff, and a whole lot of add gathering for the actual DPS but that is about it for PvE. Do not expect to be competitive with other damage geared wizards.
Agreed. I've been trying to test a MoF build for PvP, but to be honest there isn't anything near capable enough to challenge the SS Thaum or SS Oppressor. It's not even about Storm Spell, it's the fact that you don't get to choose Orb as well (and get the 75% buff on control).
Running CC + SoD is a no-brainer, but without the burst damage or control that you get as a SS; you're dead. FtF is a waste of time on or off TAB now, so it's all about getting crit hits to apply smoulder to targets. There is something to be said about applying it through Scorching, but then you don't get to apply to chill stacks via RoF; and over-all it slows the rotation down.
In all honesty, i don't know why they nerfed FtF; they really did it for no reason.
That is fine. I never wanted to be the "Top Paingiver".
Rim fire ( keep em chill)
Shoot for either assalant or (better) shattered for more CC goodness
imposition and crit conglag can work,
best advice is try what works for you fellow and your fingers.
Remember that dots work in slower motion so learn to dodge / back of and then come at em again if you can.
Avoid trying to burn down something until you know what you can burn. esp S S wizards, dot em , CC em etc and back off and come at em again and again.
Expect to die some learning a different aspect.
To be honest when I am on my MOF I seem to play batter after a couple beers have slowed me down and I get a more relaxed need to attack going.
Once you dot em you are always doing damage, and 5 seconds of so of dots gives you time to move while still doing damage. Nice for things that damage keeps from being used like shield etc as the ticks will diminish it for you, then choke and hit em and leave em with another dot that will hopefully finish em off.
It isn't that easy, but it is effective except against people who have learned how to counter MOF, they can be a problem, and having help in those cases is the best answer.
I don't want to give all the secrets away as surprise is an advantage. Play it and pretty soon you will see what worked and what failed. Always analyze what worked and what didn't and try to do more of what works.