Fire and Ice - "I'm actually a sorc" evocation leveling build

[AtomicMew]

This is a build meant for people who are simply trying to grind out wizard past lives and are looking for ideas. The idea is to play as if you were a sorc nuking everything to death with fast recharging nukes rather than wait for long cool down insta-death spells. Of course, it doesn't have as much raw power as a sorc, but it has a few tricks that a normal sorc doesn't. Spec'ing heavily for both fire and ice means you'll frequently be able to leverage elemental vulnerabilities. There are a lot of mobs resistant or immune to one or the other, but nothing that I know of that are to both. Fire and ice both also have top tier AoE nukes (otiluke's, delayed blast fireball) as well as very efficient and fast single target nukes at very low levels (scorching ray, frost lance). Barbarian fast movement and sprint boost are also ridiculously powerful. Having played this for my third and final wizard past life, it's definitely the most "powerful" feeling wizard build I have ever played and is very much viable all the way up to cap.

Warforged true neutral: 17 Wizard/1 Barbarian

Level ~12-14 leveling gear (nothing really hard to get):

Head: Cove hat (Superior false life/+10 concentration)
Goggles: Min II HP GS
Trinket: Vibrant Purple Ioun
Neck: Torc/Noxious Embers
Docent: Elf-crafted Docent
Belt: +6 Strength
Ring 1: +6 int
Ring 2: +6 con
Bracers: Conc-opp SP GS
Boots: Striders/FF/FoM boots/Rock boots etc
Gloves: Bramble casters
Weapon set: Superior potency VI/Skyvault or other mithral shield, various swap clickies etc


Level ~12: AP

Wizard Wand and Scroll Mastery I
Warforged Inscribed Armor I
Barbarian Sprint Boost I

Repair Manipulation 1
Force Manipulation 1/1/1
Frost Manipulation 4/1/1
Flame Manipulation 4/1/1
Acid Manipulation 1/1/1

Improved Concentration III (pre-req)
Wizard Energy of the Scholar III (pre-req)
Wizard Intelligence II
Wizard Archmage III
Evocation I - Magic Missle
Archmage Spell Mastery I: Evocation


Feats (in rough leveling order):

Mental Toughness
Toughness
Empower
Maximize
Spell Focus Evocation
Quicken
Greater Spell Focus Evocation
Past Life: Wizard
Heighten
Insightful Reflexes
Spell Penentration

[Bacab]

Another thing you can do is spec Acid since it basically hits everything.

But its pretty bad on mana-dumping to finish off a boss quickly.

[wax_on_wax_off]

I've loved the acid/fire spec that I'm running at the moment. Next life I'll try force/fire or something for Wizard PL SLA, Ice Storm, Chain Missiles, Disintegrate etc, maybe force/fire/acid if I can fit it in.

I feel a bit useless against fire elementals but that's about the only time, vs everything else the fire/acid feels awesome and Acid Rain is just that powerful.

Arcane Blackbones are immune to fire/cold and there are enough around to be annoying (depending on what you run).

[SoloPhalanx]

I've loved the acid/fire spec that I'm running at the moment. Next life I'll try force/fire or something for Wizard PL SLA, Ice Storm, Chain Missiles, Disintegrate etc, maybe force/fire/acid if I can fit it in.

I feel a bit useless against fire elementals but that's about the only time, vs everything else the fire/acid feels awesome and Acid Rain is just that powerful.

Arcane Blackbones are immune to fire/cold and there are enough around to be annoying (depending on what you run).

Same feeling on acid/fire, though I belong to the master race!

Concerns! Why Mental Thoughness at level 1? Take it @7 when you need it for Archmage.
Also, Wizard PL at at 3 is untouchable, IMO (definitely before GSF: Evoc anyhow)

[AtomicMew]

What would you take before mental toughness? Seems to me the biggest limiting factor for wizards at low levels would be spell points.

Also, ice is really powerful at low levels too and I think points are better spent than in acid. Frost lance is really powerful at level 7 when you get two lances. I still used acid rain a whole lot but I don't think it would have made a whole lot of difference whether it was 1/1/1 spec vs. 7/1/1. It doesn't gain that much in power, since either way it is slow. On the other hand, full ice spec is really quite important in being able to insta-kill mobs with your nukes.

[Inferno346]

I spec full 7/1/1 in cold/fire/acid with one point in force and repair

I like to get maximize at level 1... most dungeons up to level 6 consist of invis'ing past everything and killing the boss (ok, that describes most dungeons from 1-20), so you can afford to turn on maximize. The active sorc past life feat is extremely powerful at low level (take it at 3).

I haven't used frost lance in forever because aoe damage is where it's at from level 6 onward, but niac's ray is useful for low level. So cold is useful for me mostly 3-5 and 10+ (cone of cold/otiluke's).

[wax_on_wax_off]

What would you take before mental toughness? Seems to me the biggest limiting factor for wizards at low levels would be spell points.

Also, ice is really powerful at low levels too and I think points are better spent than in acid. Frost lance is really powerful at level 7 when you get two lances. I still used acid rain a whole lot but I don't think it would have made a whole lot of difference whether it was 1/1/1 spec vs. 7/1/1. It doesn't gain that much in power, since either way it is slow. On the other hand, full ice spec is really quite important in being able to insta-kill mobs with your nukes.

I took empower/maximise at 1 so that at 3 my PL:sorcerer would be maxed out, the damage on it is very variable so having it hit for as much as it could was sometimes overkill, sometimes not.

Next life I'll go max/emp at 1 again (maybe a third feat if I swap to human) and then PL:Arcane Initiate at 3 and PL: Sorc at 6, <3 SLA's.

[sirgog]

Currently levelling a Pale Master variant of this build and it is incredible.

As a WF AM, you need to spend spellpoints to deal with all damage. As a PM, you really do not (except for activating Death Aura and the occasional emergency NEB). More SP for nuking. Plus, you have roughly equivalent SLAs for OOM situations, and top-notch instakills at high levels for orange nameds.

I've specced max Acid, near-max Fire, and just a touch of Cold. DBF alone with its extreme radius and high damage is worth speccing Fire, but Acid covers the three weaknesses of pure Fire:

- the lack of a good damage over time spell (Firewall is weak except on undead, damage per mana is OK but damage per second is abysmal)
- the lack of a good way to deal with Evasion mobs (Acid Rain and Black Dragon Bolt at high level, Melfs at lower). Fire does have Burning Blood but a good number of Evasion mobs are heavily fire resistant so it becomes just a more SP intensive version of Melf's in a lot of situations (and you get it after a max-empped Melf's no longer really kills anything)
- the lack of a good way to deal with fire immune mobs. There are a lot of these in game at all levels, compared to a modest number of cold or elec immunities and very few acid immunities.

Add to this that the 16 Rock Boots have arguably one of the best guard effects in the game and you have a potent levelling spec.

At endgame you can respec for more spellpen, or just swap the Fire offspec out to maximize Eladars and Niacs damage and take some crit enhancements for them while keeping Acid.

[wax_on_wax_off]

Add to this that the 16 Rock Boots have arguably one of the best guard effects in the game and you have a potent levelling spec.

Do the L16 Earth Grab boots BTC at T2 or T3?

[Cyr]

Do the L16 Earth Grab boots BTC at T2 or T3?

T3. It's when they gain the craftable modifier which is uber because you can make them ML14.

[Faent]

Having played this for my third and final wizard past life, it's definitely the most "powerful" feeling wizard build I have ever played and is very much viable all the way up to cap.

Perhaps it is viable all the way to cap, but it is utterly and completely dominated by a max Necro wizard from level 17/18 (the split is given b/c of your barb level, which postpones your full set of instakills by one level) on, and probably dominated by a max Necro wizard from level 13/14 on. Up to 13/14, I prefer Fire/Acid, as well. Acid Blast, Acid Rain and Firewall do not break webs. I almost never use Fireball or Delayed Blast Fireball.

At level 18, you can be running a sustainable 42 Necro DC as a WF AM. Even the most competent sorcerer will struggle to keep up with this kind of killing power, and you're far, far behind that sorcerer in terms of your killing power. If an Evocation wizard is the most powerful wizard build you've played, I'd suggest that you aren't playing your wizards anywhere near their potential. And I wouldn't recommend it for leveling purposes. Here's my feat setup for an Archmage's third life (feel free to postpone and/or drop Toughness if you want):

01 Feat: Toughness
01 Bonus Feat: Mental Toughness
03 Feat: Insightful Reflexes
05 Bonus Feat: Empower
06 Feat: Wizard Past Life
09 Feat: Spell Focus Necro
10 Bonus Feat: Maximize
12 Feat: Greater Spell Focus Necro
15 Feat: Spell Focus Conjuration
15 Bonus Feat: Heighten
18 Feat: Quicken
20 Bonus Feat: Spell Focus Enchantment

[AtomicMew]

Perhaps it is viable all the way to cap, but it is utterly and completely dominated by a max Necro wizard from level 17/18 (the split is given b/c of your barb level, which postpones your full set of instakills by one level) on, and probably dominated by a max Necro wizard from level 13/14 on. Up to 13/14, I prefer Fire/Acid, as well. Acid Blast, Acid Rain and Firewall do not break webs. I almost never use Fireball or Delayed Blast Fireball.

At level 18, you can be running a sustainable 42 Necro DC as a WF AM. Even the most competent sorcerer will struggle to keep up with this kind of killing power, and you're far, far behind that sorcerer in terms of your killing power. If an Evocation wizard is the most powerful wizard build you've played, I'd suggest that you aren't playing your wizards anywhere near their potential. And I wouldn't recommend it for leveling purposes. Here's my feat setup for an Archmage's third life (feel free to postpone and/or drop Toughness if you want):

01 Feat: Toughness
01 Bonus Feat: Mental Toughness
03 Feat: Insightful Reflexes
05 Bonus Feat: Empower
06 Feat: Wizard Past Life
09 Feat: Spell Focus Necro
10 Bonus Feat: Maximize
12 Feat: Greater Spell Focus Necro
15 Feat: Spell Focus Conjuration
15 Bonus Feat: Heighten
18 Feat: Quicken
20 Bonus Feat: Spell Focus Enchantment

Nice theorycrafting. At level 18, otiluke's still insta-kill's most mobs in a lot of quests. And is on a timer of 6 seconds. Wail and circle of death are on 30 second timers. So how is it that you're doing better when you can't even run as fast?

At level 18, you can be running a sustainable 42 Necro DC as a WF AM. Even the most competent sorcerer will struggle to keep up with this kind of killing power,

LOL. No, no sorcerer has any trouble keeping up with a wizard for leveling purposes.

[sirgog]

Nice theorycrafting. At level 18, otiluke's still insta-kill's most mobs in a lot of quests. And is on a timer of 6 seconds. Wail and circle of death are on 30 second timers. So how is it that you're doing better when you can't even run as fast?

This.

In some quests at high level (all epics, some elites, especially Dreaming Dark/IQ/House C) mobs have 2000+ HP and nuking isn't useful.

For everything else, there's Delayed Blast Fireball (sometimes followed up with another spell). Like Wail it's a save-or-die. Unlike Wail, it's spammable, has range, and ignores SR.

[wax_on_wax_off]

This.

In some quests at high level (all epics, some elites, especially Dreaming Dark/IQ/House C) mobs have 2000+ HP and nuking isn't useful.

For everything else, there's Delayed Blast Fireball (sometimes followed up with another spell). Like Wail it's a save-or-die. Unlike Wail, it's spammable, has range, and ignores SR.

It should be taken into account that the spells affect different saves (which usually favours nuking) and costs different SP (which greatly favours instant death).

I'm about to take 13 and it'll be my first genuine go at using DBF as I've never had superior inferno VII available before, I'm expecting good things.

I'll make those boots, should be fun for BDB at 15 and the guards in general.

Overall, my theory is that fleshy+upgraded shroud of the abbot>WF; any complaints?

[Faent]

So how is it that you're doing better when you can't even run as fast?

I allowed for the comparison wizzie to have a barb level. I said the Necro wizzie probably dominates your Evo wizzie from 13/14 on and definitely dominates it from 17/18 on. See that last number? That's the level at which the Necro wizzie owns your Evo wizzie if she's splashed one level of barbarian.

[Faent]

Nice theorycrafting. At level 18, otiluke's still insta-kill's most mobs in a lot of quests. And is on a timer of 6 seconds. Wail and circle of death are on 30 second timers.

I wasn't aware that anyone who was zerging needed to cast a spell every six seconds. Maybe I'd need to if I was trying to zerg on an Evo wizzie, though. ;-)

[SoloPhalanx]

I wasn't aware that anyone who was zerging needed to cast a spell every six seconds. Maybe I'd need to if I was trying to zerg on an Evo wizzie, though. ;-)

You really should listen to others....

[AtomicMew]

I wasn't aware that anyone who was zerging needed to cast a spell every six seconds. Maybe I'd need to if I was trying to zerg on an Evo wizzie, though. ;-)

... Oh.

[Nephilia]

I've loved the acid/fire spec that I'm running at the moment. Next life I'll try force/fire or something for Wizard PL SLA, Ice Storm, Chain Missiles, Disintegrate etc, maybe force/fire/acid if I can fit it in.

I feel a bit useless against fire elementals but that's about the only time, vs everything else the fire/acid feels awesome and Acid Rain is just that powerful.

Arcane Blackbones are immune to fire/cold and there are enough around to be annoying (depending on what you run).

True but they still get bludgeoning damage from ice storm (the only mob I found in difficult to kill on my last life was the named skelly from litany... disintegrate FTW!) and a nice disintegrate should be enough to finish one of those fun-breakers!

Anyway, very nice build!!!!
I'll try this at 80% soon on my next life (and ty for pointing me out!)

For everything else, there's Delayed Blast Fireball (sometimes followed up with another spell). Like Wail it's a save-or-die. Unlike Wail, it's spammable, has range, and ignores SR.

Well... I'm trying to use it on my fire savant but I still have some prob :\
Maybe I just need to figure out how it works and how much is the delay between casting and landing :\
Can someone tell me if there are some trick i should know about Delayed Fireball?

[sirgog]

I allowed for the comparison wizzie to have a barb level. I said the Necro wizzie probably dominates your Evo wizzie from 13/14 on and definitely dominates it from 17/18 on. See that last number? That's the level at which the Necro wizzie owns your Evo wizzie if she's splashed one level of barbarian.

If you think your Necro wizzie is so great at 13-16 then solo Running with the Devils Hard in under 9 minutes with optional. No pots.

That's what nuking lets you do.


I levelled this life on my wizzie as a PM, but they were very much a nuker because until you start running level 18+ elites (~2000hp mobs), nuking outclasses Wail and Circle of Death.