Scorching Ray vs Niacs

[Carpone]

Thank you very much Junts. That's exactly the kind of information I've been looking for.

[Sloyo]

Thank you also, this helped me out extremely. I've been frustrated trying to play my sorc recently because it seems like niacs was being resisted at least 2 times per mob..rarely would it hit on the first try. Good info here though thanks again.

[ddoer]

...

very well said.

other than haste+displacement+jump, other combos are web + firewall and glitterdust + firewall. imho, when there are melees, it's better not to jump around. not every caster can manage to do shield blocking and web or glitterdust could help a lot. web + firewall requires some techniques but it is not hard to master. In the past, sollid fog + firewall works too but SF was nerf'd significantly now.

[PopeJual]

At low-ish levels, though, Niacs is the only spell you'll be throwing around that makes your opponents freeze into blocks of ice and shatter when you kill them. I'm playing a Paladin right now and covet the death animations and sound effects that the Wizards and Sorcerers get.

Is it as much DPS as other spells? Probably not.
Is it more awesome simply because death-by-cold is more awesome by default? Definately!


YMMV.

[richieelias]

PopeJual: You do realize you can get the exact same effect with a simple frost weapon right?

[YakoSpiritFist]

Niac's was great for me at lower levels but it eventualy just got resisted all the time. Especialy on elite. I ended up using snow storm and firewall most of the time after that.

[richieelias]

If you can cast Wall of Fire there is no reason to even have niacs anymore. If you must have a single target cold damage spell, take Frost Lance.

[Gunga]

Do you want to kill fire stuff or ice stuff?