Hailstorm for fb19 runs?

Lenestro - Sanctuary
Lenestro - Sanctuary Posts: 490 Arc User
edited November 2010 in Wizard
As long as Ive been a wizard, hailstorm has been one of those forbidden spells that is useless to level, but now that I'm a higher level and starting to solo more fb19's I wonder if hailstorm would be worth leveling because of how it compares to our other AoE's in terms of efficiency:
Emberstorm- too much health cost for a pure wizzy like myself
Will of the Phoenix- AoE is too small to hit most an effective amount of mobs
Dragon's Breath- The skill i use most to kill large amounts of mobs, but I dont always have that treasure spark to bust.
BIDS, BD, and MS (the 3 ultimate skills)- Powerful yes, but they cost a ton of chi, and the casting time makes them almost impossible to cast on the 15 mobs surrounding me, without getting interrupted.

Am I completely off base on looking into this skill? should I suck it up and stick with dragon's breath? tell me what ya think.

Thanks so much!!
Post edited by Lenestro - Sanctuary on

Comments

  • Borsuc - Raging Tide
    Borsuc - Raging Tide Posts: 1,526 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Hailstorm is very useful, although the damage is low, it is our only spell of its kind. No, ultis are different because they aren't spammable at all and require tons of chi, which we can't build fast.

    I've only started levelling it after maybe lvl68 though, but it definitely is a useful spell.

    DB serves a completely different purpose: it's centered around yourself, and is useful for DPS most of the time, not hitting far away targets or paralyzing them (unreliable though).

    Emberstorm is complete **** if you let it charge, maybe just useful to double-click it for some burst damage. If you get demon it will have more uses, but otherwise, a total trash skill. (I'm sure some will disagree here and point some examples where it's useful, but meh I'm talking in general).
  • Lenestro - Sanctuary
    Lenestro - Sanctuary Posts: 490 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    So do you think i should level it for solo fb19 runs? or would it be faster to continue gathering mobs and using DB?
  • Galox - Heavens Tear
    Galox - Heavens Tear Posts: 178 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    It looks like Hailstorm does have it's uses, but I wouldn't suggest levelling it at all until Sage/Demon.

    I'd say keep up with levelling your Sandstorm and Masteries; preferably earth and water first. After that, I started to level my snare (Very useful for PvE. Start with G.Snare, follow with Gush to make them even slower, then Sandstorm/Pyro->Gush until there dead.)

    Theres not really much point to levelling Hailstorm, if your only purpose is to solo FB19 then it's really not worth the Spirit or Coin to level it. I hardly run FB19 at all, unless a fac member needs it, and you can do just fine without a maxed Hailstorm. It might take a little longer without the AoE, but if you take it slowly you have a lower risk of dying. (I think I first managed to solo FB19 at level 56-60. Charmed. Using health pots all the time. Yeah, it was kinda suckish xD, to say barbs could probably do it during 4x and veno's possibly as low as 2x.)

    I suppose if you have the extra spirit and coin, then levelling it shouldn't be a problem, but I'd suggest making sure Gush,Pyro and Stone Rain are maxed first if they aren't now, then move on to Sandstorm/Masteries, then G.Snare. Tbh, the ulti's may look lovely and flashy, but I haven't levelled any of mine past level 1, because I think Sutra and Spark+ are much more usable in PvE. I've heard that Ultis are lovely in TW, though!

    Good Luck,

    ~Galox
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] b:victory
  • Magicsaber - Dreamweaver
    Magicsaber - Dreamweaver Posts: 727 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    I had leveled all skills except Emberstorm and Frostblade.

    I can tell that all of them useful.

    If you have some of your spells at level one you can't test it.

    Fb19 (without "Call to Duty token" of course) first time had been completed by my Wizard at 31 level at solo mode. If I help sometimes now, I not see any problems with using random spells (Will of the Phoenix, Hailstorm, Dragon's Breath) at fb19 to kill dozen mobs.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Shevanel - Sanctuary
    Shevanel - Sanctuary Posts: 436 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Gush overwrites the slow on gs. wotp is amazing. Hs can still get interrupted very easy.
    Koiz - omfg my life is now complete
    Shevanel - haha oh?
    ~~~
    Koiz - i took this massive dump
    Koiz - while listening to im on a boat hahahah
    Shevanel - hahahahaha
    Shevanel - haha
    Shevanel - Oh wow

    Certain levels of Boredom..
    ThaMessiah: I'd rather endlessly wack it till I shot a load that hits my ceiling than do a 3-2
  • JanusZeal - Heavens Tear
    JanusZeal - Heavens Tear Posts: 3,852 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    I'm pretty sure if you're doing all the mobs to the boss it's way more than 15, especially if you're getting their quests done as well. I'd just start off with full sparks, maybe DS if you need to from being slowed, then just DB and expel. I never really bothered to see if expelling myself during the animation of an ulti or maybe using AD would help significantly in reducing the chances of the ulti getting interrupted. I just know that the chances of getting interrupted using that or HS or anything that takes a few seconds or more to channel is very high. Don't even think of using emberstorm unless you have like 10K HP and a truckload of pdef.
  • Hitori_Hanso - Sanctuary
    Hitori_Hanso - Sanctuary Posts: 139 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Galox - Heavens Tear wrote: »
    It looks like Hailstorm does have it's uses, but I wouldn't suggest levelling it at all until Sage/Demon.

    I'd say keep up with levelling your Sandstorm and Masteries; preferably earth and water first. After that, I started to level my snare (Very useful for PvE. Start with G.Snare, follow with Gush to make them even slower, then Sandstorm/Pyro->Gush until there dead.

    Glacial Snare and Gush's slows don't stack. If you start with Glacial Snare then use Gush, Gush's slow overrides Glacial Snare's slow.
  • Borsuc - Raging Tide
    Borsuc - Raging Tide Posts: 1,526 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Galox - Heavens Tear wrote: »
    I'd say keep up with levelling your Sandstorm and Masteries; preferably earth and water first. After that, I started to level my snare (Very useful for PvE. Start with G.Snare, follow with Gush to make them even slower, then Sandstorm/Pyro->Gush until there dead.)
    You're doing it wrong.
  • Lenestro - Sanctuary
    Lenestro - Sanctuary Posts: 490 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    aaaanyway, last question on the fb19 hailstorm topic.... around when would fully the leveled hailstorm be able to one hit KO a group of mobs.... 60s? 70s? 80s? or would i have to wait until the whole sage/demon thing?
  • Borsuc - Raging Tide
    Borsuc - Raging Tide Posts: 1,526 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Mobs your level? Highly unlikely.

    Besides most of the power and damage of hailstorm comes from your base magic attack, endgame. So to 1-hit KO mobs with it you'll probably need an epic weapon.

    I don't know about the fb19 mobs... but remember that hailstorm gets most of its damage from your weapon/base magic attack which is always the same regardless of skill level.

    To 1-hit KO mobs use Blade Tempest works most of the time. :P
  • Lenestro - Sanctuary
    Lenestro - Sanctuary Posts: 490 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    no lol, im pretty sure hailstorm will always be essentially useless for mobs my level, but i see what you saying with the base magic attack and all, i think im still a hefty ways from being able to one hit fb19 mobs consistently with this skill, and if it cant do that its pretty much useless for this purpose. thanks for you input everyone! this all really helped!
    -Lene
  • prof
    prof Posts: 1,111
    edited November 2010
    I use hailstorm in pk and in gv when I can't zhen as a 'filler' aoe.
  • DaKillanator - Raging Tide
    DaKillanator - Raging Tide Posts: 2,965 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    I'd level it if I were you. Sounds like you have a use for it, which means you should level it accordingly.

    If you're using it on groups of mobs, then you're going to see the paralyze effect come into play alot. It procs 33% of the time, which means every time you use it, 1/3 of the mobs will be left behind as the rest continue to charge at you.

    Now if you really wanna be flashy, just use holy path, run around the cave collecting mobs, make some distance between yourself and them, then cast Blade Tempest, or BIDS if it's the human fb19 (lots of fire mobs). If that doesnt kill them all, then one more WoP or Hailstorm will.
  • Mizuoni - Dreamweaver
    Mizuoni - Dreamweaver Posts: 3,533 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    I one shot people with demon/sage hailstorm crits b:pleased
    Sins are Scissors. Psychics are Rocks.
    Archers, Venos, Barbs, Wizards, BMs, Mystics, Seekers are Paper.
    ...and Clerics are Mushrooms.
    Paper beats Rock. Scissors beats Paper. Scissors also happens to beat Rock...until Rock gets 50k+ soulforce at which point Rock becomes an unstoppable killing machine that beats Paper... and would beat Scissors but it can't find Scissors, because Scissors are invisible.
    So Scissors beat Paper and avoids Rock, and that is called BALANCE. -cheze
  • Mr_Mokona - Lost City
    Mr_Mokona - Lost City Posts: 95 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Hailstorm is a decent skill, an if you use/want use it then by all means level it.
    Mines level one an use it occaisionally an it gives decent damage.

    For soloing fb19 purposes i'm not sure, maybe maxed it could one shot all mobs?...u might need to be a bit higher yet/have good gear.

    What i use for soloing fb19 is have stone barrier on, agro all or as many mobs as u can handle and use Dragons Breath, have Tree of Protection/pots at the ready if needed, but i was easily able to handle the cave with that at 7x so that maybe something for you to try/think about.
    Just remember to chi up before you start ^.~
  • Borsuc - Raging Tide
    Borsuc - Raging Tide Posts: 1,526 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Mizuoni - Dreamweaver wrote: »
    I one shot people with demon/sage hailstorm crits b:pleased
    lol wtf you tick charms with non-crit hailstorm? So Gush (tick)->Pyro->Gush kills them? b:shocked
  • Mizuoni - Dreamweaver
    Mizuoni - Dreamweaver Posts: 3,533 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Borsuc - Raging Tide wrote: »
    lol wtf you tick charms with non-crit hailstorm? So Gush (tick)->Pyro->Gush kills them? b:shocked

    b:surrenderok if they are in my gear range.
    b:shockedwarsoul archers get a little more complicated
    Sins are Scissors. Psychics are Rocks.
    Archers, Venos, Barbs, Wizards, BMs, Mystics, Seekers are Paper.
    ...and Clerics are Mushrooms.
    Paper beats Rock. Scissors beats Paper. Scissors also happens to beat Rock...until Rock gets 50k+ soulforce at which point Rock becomes an unstoppable killing machine that beats Paper... and would beat Scissors but it can't find Scissors, because Scissors are invisible.
    So Scissors beat Paper and avoids Rock, and that is called BALANCE. -cheze
  • HarmOwnie - Dreamweaver
    HarmOwnie - Dreamweaver Posts: 574 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    with lvl 10 hailstorm you should be able to 1hit FB19 mobs in 70 even with crappy weapon.
    the main prob with having a low lvl haistorm is that the aoe range is quite small + the cast range is also quite low ( this improves with lvl of the player)

    Personally i use Hailstorm when i want to aoe kill mobs with my ultis
    ulti --> hailstorm --> will of phoenix ( this is the tricky part because you have to make moves standing in a line to hit em)

    overall will of the phoenix > hailstorm because dmg is fast and knockback rox whereas even with lvl 10 hailstorm the freeze is unreliable

    greetz harm0wnie
  • Lenestro - Sanctuary
    Lenestro - Sanctuary Posts: 490 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    ok enough people are saying yes so i think im gonna decide to level it just to try it out lol. If it sucks, holy path->dragons breath works fine i guess, but if im tryin to look cool for the level 19's, i wanna have more than one AoE ya know? especially if theirs a bm showin off in the cave.... honestly i didnt need to make this thread cus the most practiacal option is probably dragons breath anyway.... maybe i just wanted an excuse to add another AoE to my arsenal...

    thanks again everybody! this really did help

    -Lene
  • Borsuc - Raging Tide
    Borsuc - Raging Tide Posts: 1,526 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    If you want to look cool use Blade Tempest or BIDS. :P
  • Lierwyn - Dreamweaver
    Lierwyn - Dreamweaver Posts: 2 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    HarmOwnie - Dreamweaver wrote: »
    with lvl 10 hailstorm you should be able to 1hit FB19 mobs in 70 even with crappy weapon.
    the main prob with having a low lvl haistorm is that the aoe range is quite small + the cast range is also quite low (this improves with lvl of the spell)

    i believe...
  • evilvoid
    evilvoid Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    I would say for fb19, refrain from Hailstorm. You can roll fine sandstorming and stoning the entire place at your level.
    However, for higher leveled instances, Hailstorm has its uses. Gush and Glacial Snare sometimes won't work on elite mobs, but Hailstorm still has its freezing effects. It's pretty nifty stopping the mob or group mobs chasing your cleric down and "hopefully" waiting for your barb to come and aggro it.

    As for the other AOE's, I didn't bother leveling Dragon's Breath until I started FC runs.
    WOF I left at level 1, but I'm planning on leveling it later when I'm around 8x.
    I usually use the ultimates for pvp purposes or generally looking awesome and trolling classes that doesn't have decent, or if not better animation. Spark+ is generally better because of the mana regen, and with the added attack bonus, you can deal more damage in the time that you channel and fire off an ultimate.
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