[X] My Assistant

Always wondering about advantages and disadvantages among all spells.
Why not compare?
I'd like to invite you to comment on your ideas on different spells.
I'll go first (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
And a poll (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/happy.gif)

My current build: Elec mage.
My ideas:

Fire Mage: Don't know why it's so unpopular.
Cold Mage: I think Charged Niflheim will be the best defensive mage build, Dragons are afraid of Cold as well.

Wind Mage: Seems to be the most popular, don't know why. Against Dragonkin & Giants? 10% miss doesn't seem superior.
Elec Mage: Seems to be the second popular. Evade and Resist reduction: 10% is really useful in my opinion. Against Giants

Holy Mage: I think it have the best DPS(?). Maybe lacks defense if budgets are limited.
Dark Mage: Hmmm……Don't know for sure. It seems that a lot of old players like the build.

This post has been edited by ArbiterErii: Sep 8 2016, 19:04

Fire Mage: Don't know why it's so unpopular.

Because fire is the second most resisted element (but elec gives a better proc and fire resisting monsters are more common), a lot of people go for the equation fire = bad.
And that equation is true for melee strikes.
But for mages elements are pretty much the same.
Procs are the only differences between them.
Once you imperil, the damage is the same.
(holy does slightly more with the proc btw)

Holy first, because SGs and FSM.
Dark second, because SGs.
Wind third, because Konata.

This would be my (condensed) reasoning at least. Currently building into 1H Cold Arcanist though, since that is what I have on hand.

I used to be a happy-go-lucky elemental mage.. then I took an arrow to the knee.. (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

And now I'm quite satisfied frolicking with a shield and warrior's armor (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) .

Anyway, since I'm a warrior I love Void! and second best would be Holy and Dark.

This post has been edited by Frostbite: Sep 8 2016, 21:38

my first build is 1H Power - IW10 Ethereal Rapier with Elec strike. maybe switching with whatever random Leg prefix i'll manage to find.
second build is DW Shade - same Rapier + IW 10 Hallowed Waki. just a random prefix. moving towards a newly acquired Ethereal one, but too lazy to IW it. other DW combos include Club of Slaughter/Nimble, Rapier of Balance/Nimble, Shortsword of Slaughter... i don't even remember what i own and whatnot (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

tertiary builds are 2H Power (Ethereal Mace) and Niten Shade (Ethereal Katana + above Waki). not even worth mentioning.

pretty much all Ethereal weapons though.


recently i started to use a Holy mage build as well for SGs. i don't like it very much though, i'm more oriented to melee styles

This post has been edited by Scremaz: Sep 8 2016, 21:20

I've tried just about every set/element and have found Holy to be the fastest and overall best.

What do resists matter when you can 1shot most things and 4-5shot a SG?

I've tried just about every set/element and have found Holy to be the fastest and overall best.

What do resists matter when you can 1shot most things and 4-5shot a SG?

Do you do it with all maxed stats and with all the same peerless, maxed stats, maxed proficiencies, and the same circumstances? (for example: using all the buffs, flower vase, bubble gum, etc). and to the same monsters' set?
It's hard to tell because the variables are just so many to be handled meticulously.

This post has been edited by Frostbite: Sep 8 2016, 22:25

Cold mage. Just because it's cool. It's the coolest element (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

Once you imperil, the damage is the same.

It depends on prof factor, so for low-medium level mage it still matters.

See this post from sssss2.
You really need close to 69% reduction to really even out the differences.

Moreover only wind and elec have willow, and that makes for a visible difference @PFUDOR.

Dark and Holy, if we just look at the damage, they are consistently better than elemental:

• Willow has 8 EDB advantage when used for dark (and oak has similarly very high EDB for holy)
• DoT proc
• Stronger T1 and T2
• Only minor EHP difference at ~0.7 prof factor
• SGs with low mit
• Viable both with imperil and without

On the other hand they have longer cast time and significantly higher mana cost, so they can easily perform worse for low-level/low-forge players.

For elemental it all comes down to willow vs redwood, with willow being better for imperil @PFODOR (counter-resist + high depr prof).
Proc is not that important since a T3 should pretty much decimate everything, really doubt that the inflicted prof has a very big influence (elec may be slightly faster while the others slightly safer, but it's really minor).

This post has been edited by Sapo84: Sep 8 2016, 23:08

Electric is the best because years ago evade was more op, but now once you get enough accuracy monster evade is pointless. So the debuff is a bit like holy that adds 10% damage except that it only adds 2.8% damage. zzzzz.

My unforged dark set already clears SG faster than my fully forged mjolnir set.

Soul mage, now we have infinite mana, it may be interesting now. (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

For GF, elemental mages

For arena, holy and dark.

there is no answer about which is best, just depends on where, what, and when you are fighting.

BUT, remember, No warriors.

This post has been edited by gc00018: Sep 9 2016, 04:53

At current time holy/dark indeed is slightly better. Mostly because its very flexibly and sometimes gives significant advantage, but its also expensive. If ppl dont have very high budget then its much better to play elemental style (something like fire). So it indeed depends on conditions. In some cases even 1h mage which is absurdly cheap gives good pffest clear (1,5-2 hours), but awful sg clear or even hellfest.

Do you do it with all maxed stats and with all the same peerless, maxed stats, maxed proficiencies, and the same circumstances? (for example: using all the buffs, flower vase, bubble gum, etc). and to the same monsters' set?
It's hard to tell because the variables are just so many to be handled meticulously.

There's no point to using items as they all affect damage similarly.
Each melee style has inefficient skills where it is much better to use spirit stance whenever OC is charged.

All my tests have used equipment that is fully forged and generally Lmax in damage stats.

It's very easy to tell which styles are superior once you max everything.
This topic has been discussed to death and the answer hasn't changed.

Damage
Holy=Dark>Elemental(Differences are minimal)>DW>1H>Other melee

Survivability
1H>>Other melee>Mage>2H/Niten

Soul mage, now we have infinite mana, it may be interesting now. (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

For GF, elemental mages

For arena, holy and dark.

there is no answer about which is best, just depends on where, what, and when you are fighting.

BUT, remember, No warriors.

I agree with all of this.

Except that max holy is viable in PFUDOR GF after mp changes.

DW>1H

i'm a bit surprised. which combo did you use? Axe/Rapier? Club/Rapier?

Each melee style has inefficient skills where it is much better to use spirit stance whenever OC is charged.

^ this.

i'm a bit surprised. which combo did you use? Axe/Rapier? Club/Rapier?

Doesn't matter.
The thing is:
ADB of DW with Spirit Stance > ADB of 1H with Spirit Stance > ADB of DW without Spirit Stance
1H is more reliable since it has permastance, but the damage output of DW is slightly higher than 1H (I reach almost 10k ADB with DW and almost 8k [+15% of overwhelming strikes, but it's not 8000*1,15 since adb seems to not work like that (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/heh.gif) , and even if it worked like that, it wouldn't be more than 10k (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/heh.gif) ] with 1H)

This post has been edited by ppp82p: Sep 10 2016, 00:05

ADB of DW with Spirit Stance > ADB of 1H with Spirit Stance > ADB of DW without Spirit Stance

is there any plan for perma spirit to be added to DW too?

+15% of overwhelming strikes, but it's not 8000*1,15 since adb seems to not work like that (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/heh.gif)

and how should it work, if i may? (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

DW>1H

I'm interested in this too. Surely DW has higher base damage potential, but in my experience the constant parries by monsters, the inability to keep up permanent Spirit Stance and the lack of Counter-Attacks makes 1H reach higher damage on average.

What weapons are you using and are you perhaps using Power over Shade armor?