[Build Guide] Combusting Wizard

Hi, i noticed the lack of a vanilla wizard guide in this section and here it is! The build is very simple and straightforward, Wizard is a super strong class and doesnt require any gimmicks to deal a lot of damage and control the field.
 

This guide is POTD/Upscaling party oriented but its completely viable for solo which i will give some insights. My experience comes mostly from full-party play, but i provided and some tests in solo runs.

 

If you are looking for an advanced solo run check Sintee's triple crown solo guide for for a complete walkthrough.

His guide helped improve this build, so thanks a lot. Check it here.

 

 

 

Character Creation

 

 

 

 

 

Wizard (No subclass)

 

Nature Godlike

The solid choice for the wizard's race: Infuse with vital essence provides us an easy +1 power level.

This is not mandatory, so feel free to change it if you want. Elf is also is an optimal choice for +1 perception if you want to wear a mask.

 

Culture

 

The white that ends, Deadfire Archipelago and The Livings Lands are the best choices.

 

White that ends is the most optimal choice being the best for solo play. Perception is our most important stat.

Deadfire Archipelago is the best choice for the dialogues and +1 dex is great.

The living lands is decent because more damage is always good, but its not optimal.

 

Skills & Background

 

This is up to you. I recommend Alchemy for active skills, but a few points in Atletics can help. Invest your points in Alchemy and you can take Laborer as background so you can be Eora's working class hero.

 

For passive its your call. Later in the game you will want to respec to max History for Giftbearer's Cloak. Tip: If you are playing Huana, you will want 9 points in Metaphysics (with party assist) for an important check.

 

 

Party oriented atributes

 

Might   18

Con      5

Dex      19

Per       18

Int         14

Res       3

 

We want to maximize our damage output by boosting perception, dexerity and might. Intellect is important, but 14 is ok.

If you are going to solo, i suggest not dumping any stat, so lowering your might and dex to get at least 8 in res and con. Always max perception in this case.

 

 

Grimoire: Ninagauth's Teachings (found at Archemyr's Manor).

 

Weapon specialization: Medium shield, Flail and Pistol.

 

 

 

Choosing your abilities

 

Passives (they are NOT in picking order)

 

Snake's Reflexes

Scion of Flame

Secrets of Rime

Weapon and Shield Style

Farcasting

Rapid Casting

Tough

Uncanny Luck

Improved Critical

Accurate Empower

Potent Empower

Accurate Empower

Prestige

 

Active spells (does not include from Grimoire neither are in order)

 

PL1

Chill Fog

Spirit Shield

Wizard's Double

 

PL 2

Combusting Wounds

Infuse with Vital Essence

 

PL 3

DAOM (Deleterious Alacrity of Motion)

Llengrath's Displaced Image

 

PL 4 

Minolettas Concusive Missiles

 

PL 5

Ryngrims Enervating Terror

Llengrath's Safeguard

 

PL 6

Minolettas Precisely Piercing Burst

 

PL 7

Skip

 

PL 8

Minolettas Piercing Sigil

Wall of Many Colors

 

PL 9

Minoletta's Missile Salvo

 

 

 

Important spells and strategy:

 

 

Early Game:

 

Chill fog, Weapon & Shield.

 

These two will help you make it. Port Maje in POTD is really hard and the chill fog is the key to survive it. Weapon & shield style + medium shield modal boost your survival a lot and will be useful the whole game in some situations.

 

 

Your DPS bread and butter:

 

Combusting Wounds: Doesnt look that much strong? Combine it with with your damage over time spells and this spell is one the most important DPS spells for wizards. High accuracy and fire power level helps to land this awesome ability.

 

Ninagauths Death Ray: Works with C. Wounds. The raw damage works versus high armor enemies. You will use it less later in the game because PL3 will be taken by Displaced Image and DAOM when you get Ninas Bitter Mooring, but until that its one of your most important sources of damage.

 

Nina's Shadowflame: Stronger fireball with paralyze chance and greater ranger.

 

Nina's Freezing Pillar: Works with C.Wounds. Colossal damage.

 

Wall of Flame: Clunky to land but combined with C. Wounds its one of the strongest sources of damage versus big guys that dont move around.

 

Minolettas: Pick every kind of Minoletta's Spells except for the level 1. They work with C.Wounds (especially PL9 Salvo). So good its hard to talk about.

 

Meteor shower: Works with C.Wounds too. Its clunky and Salvo is better, buts can come in handy.

 

Other very good skills used often: Wilting Wind, Delayed Fireball, Nina's Killing Bolt, Fireball, Wall of Many Colors. Empowered fireball + Fireball as stealth opener is a cheap strategy, but it works...a bit too much.

 

 

 

Buffs

 

Spirit shield: Always use it. +AR and most importantly: Concentration.

 

Wizards Double: This skill is not that great, i know. But Mirrored Image and Arcane Veil are PL2 skills, which our resources are used by Infuse V.E and C.Wounds. We dont use Chill Fog that much later in the game and we get 3 resources for PL1 spells (+1 from Nemnok).

 

DAOM: Action speed. You will use it more and more later in the game when you have more resources.

 

Infuse with Vital Essence: ALWAYS use this buff first, the Intellect bones will make your following inspirations last longer.

 

Llengrath's Displaced Image: +Reflex, convert to grazes. Your reflex will be very high so you dont get hit by AoEs.

 

Llengrath's Safeguard: Very good but situational, PL5 gives us Enervating Terror and Bitter Mooring which we use more often.

 

 

Gear

 

 

Chest: Miscreant's Leather or Garari’s Cuirass (if are you solo or you want Exchange DPS for survival)

Miscreants he best choice for DPS. You get it very early in the game by killing Benweth. Good stats with very low recovery and +8 reflex. Uncanny luck and Kidney Gyard can come in handy. Garari's Cuirass provides Hits to Grazes and Damage reduction from weapons, very good for a light armor with 20% recovery.

 

Necklace: Stone of power
+1 power level per rest.

 

Rings: Ring of focused flame and Kuaru's Prize.
You get ring of focused flame very early in the Dark Cupboard (Periki's Outlook shop at Neketaka). Kuaru’s prize you will get later but its good to skip.

 

Gloves: Firethrower's gloves.
You can buy it very early at the shop activated with Berath's blessings (5 points) in Port Maje. If you dont activate it, you get it later in the game. Use accuracy gloves until that.

 

Boots: Bounding Boots

Leap grants us a lot of mobility, works for positioning and escape.

 

Waist:The Maker’s Own Power
There's a lot of good viable options early game, but this is my final choice which saved me quite a few times.

 

Cape:

There's a lot of good early game options which include Cloak of Greater Deflection, Cloak of Greater Protection and the Magnificent Escape Cape. But my final choice is the Giftbearear's Cloth which is obtained later in the game and increases with History skills.

 

Pet:

Otto Starcat provides +1 Fire Power level which is insanely good and is obtained early in the game. Nemnok is another great option if want +1 resource for level 1 spells.

 

Mask: If you dont pick Nature godlike, Whitewitch mask is great and is obtained early in Delvers Row.

 

 

Weapons:

 

There's a lot good choices for wizard weapon. But some standout:

 

- Sun and Moon (Flail). +2 Fire PL during the day +2 Ice PL during the night. 5% chance to repeat Fire attacks:

This flail is a beast and is easy to obtain. Its around 25-30k in the Shop at Radiant Court in Dunnage. You can start with +50k gold with Beraths Blessing.

 

- Magran's Favor (Axe): +2 Fire PL and looks really cool.

Notice that when the description says "kills with Magran's favor" it means that you need to kill WITH THE WEAPON, so spells dont work for Living Pyre stacking, but Enduring Flame does. If this has changed, let me know.

 

- Nerian's Ward (Medium Shield). Weapon damage reduced as health is lost and 15% Hits to Grazes.

Very good choice for early-mid game. Wizards starts very frail and you get a lot of enemies attenton, and this will help you a lot. Get Weapon and Shield specialization as soon as possible.

 

Considerations: Sun and Moon + Nerian's is your primary kit. You will get them quite fast and will stay with you. Later you replace Nerians with Magran's Favor for increased Fire Power Level, but keep Nerian in your secondary kit if **** goes down.

 

Some other great options:

 

- Griffins sword. +10% spell damage/+5 will.

 You will probably get it first than S&M and it one of best weapons for wizard.

 

- Eccea's Arcane Blaster (Fractured Bullet + Elemental Shot Fire)

Really good if you run out of spells in longer fights and against Enemies with high armor.

 

____

 

 

- Fire in the Hole & Hand Mortar (COMPANION).

 

I havent tested much but these 2 hand cannons have a lot of sinergy with Combusting Wounds. I recommend a Ranged DPS companion use them. You can use them yourself with DAOM and your high dex but its not optimal because you are already busy casting your spells.

 

 

And thats it. If i missed anything let me know. Please, share your thoughts!

Edited August 3, 2018 by eschu101

If you are building a combusting wounds build did you know that Rod with blast model triggers combusting wounds in a AOE?

But it's also very slow...

Yes - dual hand mortars are better.

 

I think there is no other spell than Wall of Flame that works so nicely with Combusting Wounds. Both last a pretty long time. That is as long as you can make sure the enemy doesn't move around.

 

I simply made a wizard tank, let the enemy engage and then cast Wall of Flame right in front of me. They are too stupid to leave and die very fast.

Edited August 3, 2018 by Boeroer

Minoletta's Minor Missiles and Malignant Cloud are also excellent ways to also proc Combusting Wounds damage. Pull of Eora and Binding Web are good ways to keep the enemies in place for surface spells.

 

Also while it does comes late, the Chromoprismatic Staff is easily the best caster weapon for this build.

Edited August 3, 2018 by Wolken3156

If you are building a combusting wounds build did you know that Rod with blast model triggers combusting wounds in a AOE?

Its too slow. Kitchen Stove + Hand Mortar works better, but still not worthy. Give it to your ranged DPS companion, and if you are solo you will need Sun and Moon and Nerians Ward.

 

Minoletta's Minor Missiles and Malignant Cloud are also excellent ways to also proc Combusting Wounds damage. Pull of Eora and Binding Web are good ways to keep the enemies in place for surface spells.

 

Also while it does comes late, the Chromoprismatic Staff is easily the best caster weapon for this build.

Yes, minolettas works with anything. Worth it picking every single spell except lvl1.

Could you elaborate why do you think Chromo is the best weapon? I think its most suited for a battlemage or warlock for auto attack DPS.  Also it comes very late in the game compared to S&M.

Sun and moon gives more Fire PL which is the most important stat and can be used with Nerians (necessary for solo) or a offhand (magrans) in group. 

Yes - dual hand mortars are better.

 

I think there is no other spell than Wall of Flame that works so nicely with Combusting Wounds. Both last a pretty long time. That is as long as you can make sure the enemy doesn't move around.

 

I simply made a wizard tank, let the enemy engage and then cast Wall of Flame right in front of me. They are too stupid to leave and die very fast.

2 hand mortars? How do you get two of them?

Actually the second one is called Fire in the Hole and is significantly better. Has an upgrade, which makes the aoe bounce once at the cost of 15% damage.

It's gotten by pursuing Serafen's questline.

Could you elaborate why do you think Chromo is the best weapon? I think its most suited for a battlemage or warlock for auto attack DPS.  Also it comes very late in the game compared to S&M.

Sun and moon gives more Fire PL which is the most important stat and can be used with Nerians (necessary for solo) or a offhand (magrans) in group.

It comes with an Action Speed boost and also improves the PL of Chill Fog, Freezing Pillar and Chain Lightning (Which I neglected to mention, opps). It isn't strictly better per se, but its definitely a strong option IMO.

 

Also once everything is up, yeah I smack enemies heads with it.

 

EDIT: Actually never mind, the Action Speed only applies to attacks with the staff. The only advantage in this case is having both fire and ice PL boosts without messing around with the time constraints with Sun and Moon.

Edited August 3, 2018 by Wolken3156

I find chain lighting good if the field is chaotic and you cant properly land a Freezing Pillar or Minolettas Piercing Burst, but its a good skill, just not worth if we are focusing in Combusting. I dont think its worth trading +4 Fire PL or +2/Shield for +1 PL for a single spell from a weapon that comes very late in the game. And its not viable for solo i think. Sun and Moon also gives +2 Ice PL if you use it during the night.

I just recruited Vatnir as his robe is a good option por pure DPS armor. +10% damage/+10% damage taken and +action speed when HP decreases. Also looks really cool.

Edited August 3, 2018 by eschu101

My favourite combusting caster is the sorcerer for wall of thorns + wicked briars + wall of flames. It's just so satisfying to melt enemies rather then nuking them :D

Is it possible to do reasonable DPS with just auto-attacks via wands - that is, without actively casting spells?

I don't see reason behind MIG that high

I played CW Wizard (Transmuter to be precise) with 3 might, and if i landed CW it obliterated everything despite having only 3 MIG. Even if you don't penetrate (so only 25% damage goes trough) you'll kill things quickly due to nature of this spell.
The great thing about this build is that you can be really tanky and do ****load of damage,

 

Plus, it's really important to realize that INT increases damage more than MIG, because both CW debuff and stacks last longer.

You can even use heavy armor - after all the character has only one job: to land CW. Anything else is extra.

My Maia runs 2 Blunderbusses, Aloth has Frostseeker. They trigger enough hits to abuse CW and kill everything nearly instantly

 

Is it possible to do reasonable DPS with just auto-attacks via wands - that is, without actively casting spells?

 

Yes, but not with wands. Equip 2 blunderbusses and you're good to go, especially if you use wizard's DEX buffs and/or Citzal's Prowess.

Edited September 11, 2018 by Somnium_Meum

Man Obs just makes PL so cheap to get. I don't understand the logic that they nerf empower from +10 PL to +5 PL, while u can get overall +6~7 PL from gears, and it works on every spells...

Yes - dual hand mortars are better.

 

I think there is no other spell than Wall of Flame that works so nicely with Combusting Wounds. Both last a pretty long time. That is as long as you can make sure the enemy doesn't move around.

 

I simply made a wizard tank, let the enemy engage and then cast Wall of Flame right in front of me. They are too stupid to leave and die very fast.

How did you build this wizard tank- I'm struggling atm.