Will we finally see items for CC, Insta Kill, int Wizards again in Isle of Dread

[droid327]

It would be great if there was some other way to contribute outside of tanking as your fall back for Wizard. When there are not a bunch of immune mobs insta killing is fun, it is just terrible too much of the time and certain quests are really tedious.

If they gave wizards negative energy bypass for constructs in addition to undead that would be one way. Or some sort of insta kill that worked on constructs.

Outside of that for most people DPS caster is going to be a lot easier if you do Druid/Sorc you can just pick an element without worrying about it.

I think Constructs are intended to be a weak point for IK casters. They dont want to create a situation where you can literally IK everything, because that reduces the difficulty of the game down to just DC and Spell Pen, and negates many of the "knobs" they have to try and scale difficulty

[EinarMal]

I think Constructs are intended to be a weak point for IK casters. They dont want to create a situation where you can literally IK everything, because that reduces the difficulty of the game down to just DC and Spell Pen, and negates many of the "knobs" they have to try and scale difficulty

Yeah then currently there is no point to it, easier to just blast things to oblivion. I just don't get why killing with IK, which already requires a lot of gear/feats/enhancements to get DC and spell penetration is bad, but doing insane ranged damage is ok, melee DPS is ok, caster DPS is ok.

Why is greater ruin ok to one shot and effectively IK a construct ok, but not a "finger of death" like spell? A ranged can effectively one shot a construct as well. It doesn't make a lot of logical sense to me.

[GramercyRiff]

i'm all for everyone having their power fantasy in video games. it's great. but we don't really need more buffs to casters at this point

[droid327]

Yeah then currently there is no point to it, easier to just blast things to oblivion. I just don't get why killing with IK, which already requires a lot of gear/feats/enhancements to get DC and spell penetration is bad, but doing insane ranged damage is ok, melee DPS is ok, caster DPS is ok.

Why is greater ruin ok to one shot and effectively IK a construct ok, but not a "finger of death" like spell? A ranged can effectively one shot a construct as well. It doesn't make a lot of logical sense to me.

Every build has its blind spots. Even nukers with full immune breakers still have to deal with resistances. IK is necessarily binary, you cant be resistant, just vulnerable or immune...so something needs to be immune or you could just IK your way through R5000 if you cheese your DC high enough

Also, if GRuin is such an effective counter for constructs....then take GRuin

[EinarMal]

Every build has its blind spots. Even nukers with full immune breakers still have to deal with resistances. IK is necessarily binary, you cant be resistant, just vulnerable or immune...so something needs to be immune or you could just IK your way through R5000 if you cheese your DC high enough

Also, if GRuin is such an effective counter for constructs....then take GRuin

I just stopped playing Wizards that is the best current solution for Wizards aka Druid or Sorc. Getting high DC is not cheese, it takes a lot of effort, gear, past lives, feats, etc... It is not worth the effort to totally gimp your boss DPS, if you can't reliably contribute in a lot of quests.

If I take GRuin than I am running a Sorc build and can bypass immunites as well as use GRuin. It is a terrible choice for a DC wizard build.

[EinarMal]

i'm all for everyone having their power fantasy in video games. it's great. but we don't really need more buffs to casters at this point

Wizards need something, they are currently pretty bad compared to other casters.

[Ulfo]

Or some sort of insta kill that worked on constructs.

Trap the Soul, Prismatic Ray, Prismatic Spray still work for non-warded. Flash to Stone too. And Shadow Mastery, if i remember correctly.

Getting high DC is not cheese, it takes a lot of effort, gear, past lives, feats, etc... It is not worth the effort to totally gimp your boss DPS, if you can't reliably contribute in a lot of quests.

How exactly you gimp your boss DPS? You have same Dripping with Magma from your robe/weapon, same Acid DoT from ring, more Water DoT from your Legendary Alchemical Orb/Shield, and because you're caster, your SP much better than any non-caster can obtain and you do much more damage with it. T3 Inevitable in DI mantle provide more DoT, and as IK caster you anyway take Enervation, Rend the Soul, Arcane Tempest and one or all from Arcane Pulse/Ruin/GRuin. In reality your DPS so high so you just don't need gimp your DC to get more, you can do both. And for some boss-fight, like Lord of Blade in LLoB, you easy overperformed or at least compete with any nuker.

You not gimp your boss DPS... of course, if you don't do it purposely. 8)

[EinarMal]

Trap the Soul, Prismatic Ray, Prismatic Spray still work for non-warded. Flash to Stone too. And Shadow Mastery, if i remember correctly.

Trap the soul does not work on most constructs, I am 95% confident flesh to stone does not work either, I will admit not recalling 100% and I am not running a Wizard any longer.

Prismatic ray/spray is a fishing expedition, sometimes it can take 4-5 casts to kill them. In heroics that is worth it on a few named constructs like in reach for the sky (doesn't work in epics). It is a C- strategy at best in heroics and pretty much a D in epics.

Shadow mastery, it has a 5 minute cooldown lol.

[EinarMal]

How exactly you gimp your boss DPS? You have same Dripping with Magma from your robe/weapon, same Acid DoT from ring, more Water DoT from your Legendary Alchemical Orb/Shield, and because you're caster, your SP much better than any non-caster can obtain and you do much more damage with it. T3 Inevitable in DI mantle provide more DoT, and as IK caster you anyway take Enervation, Rend the Soul, Arcane Tempest and one or all from Arcane Pulse/Ruin/GRuin. In reality your DPS so high so you just don't need gimp your DC to get more, you can do both. And for some boss-fight, like Lord of Blade in LLoB, you easy overperformed or at least compete with any nuker.

You not gimp your boss DPS... of course, if you don't do it purposely. 8)

Do you play casters? To be clear I am not talking about running R1 from 1-30, in that case you can pretty much do both DC and DPS well enough, pretty much any reasonable build works.

For R10 at cap, not sure where even to begin with what is wrong here for a CC/IK caster build. A CC/IK caster is very unlikely to use Draconic, you are also not taking Ruin/Gruin. You likely don't have empower or intensify (probably most would have maximize).

There is no such thing as too high DC, every point matters in Illusion/Necro/Enchantment. You are taking SF feats over damage, a lot of your gear is obviously DC focused, you don't have a crit damage item, plus you can't just pick any one element as a Wizard.

Even if you swap in some items, you are not going to switch feats/enhancements/destiny points. I would guess a DC/IK typical build is probably putting out 30% the DPS of Druid/Sorc/Alchemist build at best.

[Ulfo]

Trap the soul does not work on most constructs, I am 95% confident flesh to stone does not work either, I will admit not recalling 100% and I am not running a Wizard any longer.

You need begin play wizard again, then you must know better, what works really and what no.

Prismatic ray/spray is a fishing expedition, sometimes it can take 4-5 casts to kill them. In heroics that is worth it on a few named constructs like in reach for the sky (doesn't work in epics). It is a C- strategy at best in heroics and pretty much a D in epics.

It works. It all. I personally remove many scarecrows with it in RLoft quests on high reaper. It universal or best spell? No. It used for IK constructs? Yes.

Shadow mastery, it has a 5 minute cooldown lol.

Sure. 20 sec non-saved IK must be balanced, lol.

Do you play casters? To be clear I am not talking about running R1 from 1-30, in that case you can pretty much do both DC and DPS well enough, pretty much any reasonable build works.

Yea, i play casters, Necro-Illusionuist PM mostly. 8)

That is why I am of the same opinion as Slarden:

...since the ED pass my perspective is that a high DC generalist caster is the way to go. I wouldn't make major sacrifices for DC instead go for all the low-hanging DC fruit in ED trees (cores, Tier 5 and 2x tier 3 DCs), embolden, maxing stat and DC with gear as much as possible. With current gear you can get solid DCs and DPS so there isn't much need for trade-offs as there has been in the past.

I really like a combo of draconic and magus for a wizard. With wizard spell book I personally favor focusing on illusion + enchantment as primary school. That synergizes nicely with scion of feywild and magewright set.

Since the ED pass casters still kill bosses much slower than melee but casters are useful in all aspects of a dungeon now and not just for trash clearing. In other words your DPS contribution for bosses and higher hp mobs matters so it doesn't make sense to completely dump DPS on a caster used primarily for group play anymore. If you end up short-manning or duoing you will be happy you didn't dump dps even in high Rs.

For R10 at cap, not sure where even to begin with what is wrong here for a CC/IK caster build. A CC/IK caster is very unlikely to use Draconic, you are also not taking Ruin/Gruin. You likely don't have empower or intensify (probably most would have maximize).

Game balance not spin arouind r10, you know? 8)

Not take DI, second best ED for CC/IK caster? I don't know what caster type play you, but it clearly not what type play mostly player base. Mebbe it's why you have misconception about low DPS output for CC/IK casters, lol.

20% spell CD from both Shadowdancer/DI mandatory to well builded caster, same as 10% bonus to spell cost very good for mana management. Furthermore, you need both DI t2 Epic strike and T3 Inevitable +T3 Daunting Roar for damage and CC! And you inprove your damage much more with T4 Improved Draconic Breath.

There is no such thing as too high DC, every point matters in Illusion/Necro/Enchantment. You are taking SF feats over damage, a lot of your gear is obviously DC focused, you don't have a crit damage item, plus you can't just pick any one element as a Wizard.

Here is such thing as balance between DC and DD. I pref lose 3 DC from Spellsinger + PA EDs to quadruple (at least, much more really) my damage output from DI any time day or night. 8)

And, of course, you have exactly same crit damage and spell power items as any nuker, lol. You read what i type above carefully? Same Robe/weapon, same ring, +Shield/Orb for more DoT. You pick at least 3-4 more Element than nukers really. Lower amount, better diversity.

Even if you swap in some items, you are not going to switch feats/enhancements/destiny points. I would guess a DC/IK typical build is probably putting out 30% the DPS of Druid/Sorc/Alchemist build at best.

You clearly mistake. You need play more in live, not in forum. 8)

[EinarMal]

You need begin play wizard again, then you must know better, what works really and what no.



It works. It all. I personally remove many scarecrows with it in RLoft quests on high reaper. It universal or best spell? No. It used for IK constructs? Yes.



Sure. 20 sec non-saved IK must be balanced, lol.



Yea, i play casters, Necro-Illusionuist PM mostly. 8)

That is why I am of the same opinion as Slarden:




Game balance not spin arouind r10, you know? 8)

Not take DI, second best ED for CC/IK caster? I don't know what caster type play you, but it clearly not what type play mostly player base. Mebbe it's why you have misconception about low DPS output for CC/IK casters, lol.

20% spell CD from both Shadowdancer/DI mandatory to well builded caster, same as 10% bonus to spell cost very good for mana management. Furthermore, you need both DI t2 Epic strike and T3 Inevitable +T3 Daunting Roar for damage and CC! And you inprove your damage much more with T4 Improved Draconic Breath.



Here is such thing ass balance between DC and DD. I pref lose 3 DC from Spellsinger + PA EDs to quadruple (at least, much more really) my damage output from DI any time day or night. 8)

And, of course, you have exactly same crit damage and spell power items as any nuker, lol. You read what i type above carefully? Same Robe/weapon, same ring, +Shield/Orb for more DoT. You pick at least 3-4 more Element than nucers really. Lower amount, better diversity.



You clearly mistake. You need play more in live, not in forum. 8)

Again why not just play Sorc or Druid, I am not sure what class you are event talking about Wizard? There is no real upside to Wizard atm. No one uses the rings you mentioned, I really don't know what to say, but sure insult away. Please post this build that has all this gear slotted and amazing DPS as well as CC/IK for a Wizard I would love to see it.

Going T4 in Draconic is certainly a tough trade off, you are giving up +3 DC on enchantment I guess, plus at least +1 DC in either fatesinger or primal.

Wizards don't have the same crit damage/spell power/crit chance as a single element nuker, or you can pick one, no way you can do negative/force/fire/acid etc... you have to limit to something.