Wizard Spell Reviews

[Mocker22]

Hey guys, there's been plenty said about the high end nuke potential of wizards. I'm looking for some reviews of some particular spells I'm considering and if they are worth it and "feel" good. Most were powerful in POE1 but I have not seen a lot of talk about them here. Mostly it's the higher tier CC spells.

 

Confusion - still OP?

Arkemyr's Capricious Hex

Tayn's Chaotic Orb

 

Mechanically how do the last two work? Does each affliction get a separate roll vs. will? Would greatly increase the chance of a few things landing I would think. Any other extremely good CC spells that might not be totally obvious?

 

Thanks for the time.

[baldurs_gate_2]

Hey guys, there's been plenty said about the high end nuke potential of wizards. I'm looking for some reviews of some particular spells I'm considering and if they are worth it and "feel" good. Most were powerful in POE1 but I have not seen a lot of talk about them here. Mostly it's the higher tier CC spells.

 

Confusion - still OP?

Arkemyr's Capricious Hex

Tayn's Chaotic Orb

 

Mechanically how do the last two work? Does each affliction get a separate roll vs. will? Would greatly increase the chance of a few things landing I would think. Any other extremely good CC spells that might not be totally obvious?

 

Thanks for the time.

Confusion is pretty bad now. Terrified is the new CC to go (Ryngrim's Repulsive Visage + Enervating Terror), because enemies are unable to attack you. The higher your INT, the longer the effect.

 

Ningauths freezing pillar is a pretty good AoE spell and minoletta's missile salvo possible the best nuke in the game.

[Hulk'O'Saurus]

From what I can see Confusion is not worth your time. Tayn's orb produces short times, although the effects seem strong, in practice the spell is kind of meh, to be honest. I feel the same with the Hex. It's just that the dynamics since poe1 have changed--you have less spells per combat.

 

Chill Fog has a great utility. Gaze of the Adragan applies a very strong debuff. Be on the lookout for mobs who have got weakness because those will get upgraded--Eotens get paralyzed if you cast web on them and it lands all the time. Arkemyr's wondrous torment is an excellent single target spell. Fog of dull-mindedness is a very good enabler. Essential Phantoms take heat, so very good. Ryngrym's Repulsive visage is a good friend.  

Edited September 5, 2018 by Hulk'O'Saurus

[Mocker22]

Thanks guys. With the limited casts I feel like there are some wizard PLs that just have too many good spells, while others feel largely unused(lvl 7 especially feels weak to me personally), while level 2 has an absurd amount of stuff I want to use like Combusting wounds, mirror image, Miasma, etc, etc. Level 3 feels rough too as I'd almost always want to use Llengraths and DAOM which leaves nothing for some of the nice debuffs and nukes that are available here. I really miss how versatile wizards felt in POE1, where as now I feel like every fight I would just self-buff and use the same 3-4 nukes(1-3 once you get pl 8 and 9).

[Hulk'O'Saurus]

Play with scrolls. It will add more goodness. 

[Logos]

Arkemyr's Capricious Hex is very good not only because of its effects but also because of its giant area, and once I got it I started almost every fight with it. Wall of many colors is really really good on larger enemies that don't move as much - they'll keep standing in the wall and will keep getting hit with debuffs over and over. As mentioned above Ryngrym's spells are also great, especially if you quickly want to take a couple of enemies out of the fight. I found Gaze of the Adragan less useful, it seemed to mostly not land and when it did it only lasted a short while. 

 

I used Tayn's occassionally but not as often as Arkemyr's Capricious Hex.

Edited September 5, 2018 by Logos

[InsaneCommander]

I love when I can cast Wall of Many Colors in the direction of the enemy units. Even if they move they'll be constantly on the wall.

[1TTFFSSE]

Here are the best selections per level I think, you want them in the grimoire or to complement with grimoire + per level selection:

 

Level 1

 

Eldritch Aim (2.1 its a fast cast) !

Dazzling Lights (gather enemies to nuke from stealth/ splitpulling)

Spirit Shield (good +ar and fast cast)

Slicken (nothing immune to prone)

Fleetfoot (fast cast good buff)

Chillfog* in early game or steetfighter flanked builds

 

Level 2

Infuse with Vital Essence !

Mirrored Image !

Combusting Wounds

Bulwark 

Grimoire Slam (melee) or Rolling Flame (if you choose a damage spell on evoker but optional)

 

Level 3

Deleterious Alacrity of Motion !

Llengrath Displaced Image !

Expose Vulnerabilities

Arcane Dampener 

Fireball (comes in most grimoires)

 

after those Ryngrims is good but not as good as the level 5 version which is great and Blights has its uses in certain builds

 

Level 4 

Ninigauth's Shadowflame (in grimoire only)

Ironskin !

Wall of Flame

Pull of Eora (nice spell, slow cast, unfortunately)

 

Level 5

Rymgrim's !

Llengrath Safeguards !

Citzal's Lance * on martial builds

Torrent of Flame or Blast of Frost for your damage spell

 

Level 6

Minolletta's Precice Missile Burst !

 

nothing else is perticularly good at this level though ...Arcane Reflection is nice

 

Level 7

Crushing Doom (grimoire only)

Delayed Blast Fireball (comes in most grimoires)

Wall of Draning

Citzal's * martial builds

 

 

Level 8

Piercing Sigal ! best spell at this level technically 

Wall of Many Colors

Wilting Wind ! (on evoker)

 

 

Level 9

They are all good but it's easier to say that Petrification, Corrosive Skin and Citzal's are probably less useful than the others

Honestly, for versatility, I would take one of meteor storm or missile salvo and then take something else for the utility like Cloak of Death or Llengrath Reflection.

 

Edit: but technically at level 8 and level 9 there are very few wizard spells and I think all of them are represented in grimoires so you might at that point start taking talent points into lower level spells you may have skipped or into passive talents as well as empower talents. 

Edited September 6, 2018 by 1TTFFSSE

[Mocker22]

Thanks for taking the time to do that man. I've be designing level up choices based on using Llengrath's and Ninagatuh's grimoires mostly, with things like Iron-clasped available for specific spells. those two though cover like 80% of the good stuff.

[Teclis23]

Because of the new PEN vs AR mechanics introduced into Deadfire Raw damage has become much more powerful

 

For example i started the new expansion Beast of Winter at level 13 on Path of the Dammed which is considered quite a low level to start it. The main problem i encountered was that nearly all of my enemies had higher AR then my PEN. I had no legendary weapons.

 

I was able to complete the expansion at such a low level on the hardest difficulty in big part due to the level 3 wizard spell "Niniguaths Death Ray" . It is a beams spell that does raw damage per tick. My tactic for most fights was to cast either fleet feet or DOAM, buff my accuracy and then position myself and melt the enemies with the raw damage  from the death ray.

 

Because of what i was able to accomplish with this spell i would say it is probably one of the most powerful wizard spells in the game. I haven't been able to utilize any other spell to anywhere near this kind of effectiveness. It is an evocation spell too so and evoker subclass will be able to put it to good use. 

 

The level 5 spell you get from Arkemyrs grimoire is 100% the most powerful spell in the game. Easily, aboslutely no contest 100% the most powerful.

It basically grants you immortality and lets you attack at the same time for around 20 seconds. Attacking will not break Invis with this spell.  Insane!

Edited September 6, 2018 by Teclis23

[Hulk'O'Saurus]

I solo multi-class wizard on potd+ all the time. 

 

Freezing Pillar is my staple. It's a very cost-effective spell. It practically hits like a fireball every tick. I wonder why people don't send some love it's way. 

[brasilgringo]

 

 

The level 5 spell you get from Arkemyrs grimoire is 100% the most powerful spell in the game. Easily, aboslutely no contest 100% the most powerful.

It basically grants you immortality and lets you attack at the same time for around 20 seconds. Attacking will not break Invis with this spell.  Insane!

Arkemy'rs Wondrous Torment?

https://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Arkemyr%27s_Grimoire

 

/confused .. what spell?

[Teclis23]

 

 

 

The level 5 spell you get from Arkemyrs grimoire is 100% the most powerful spell in the game. Easily, aboslutely no contest 100% the most powerful.

It basically grants you immortality and lets you attack at the same time for around 20 seconds. Attacking will not break Invis with this spell.  Insane!

Arkemy'rs Wondrous Torment?

https://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Arkemyr%27s_Grimoire

 

/confused .. what spell?

 

Sorry it is the level 6 one.

 

Brilliant Departure

[brasilgringo]

 

 

 

 

The level 5 spell you get from Arkemyrs grimoire is 100% the most powerful spell in the game. Easily, aboslutely no contest 100% the most powerful.

It basically grants you immortality and lets you attack at the same time for around 20 seconds. Attacking will not break Invis with this spell.  Insane!

Arkemy'rs Wondrous Torment?

https://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Arkemyr%27s_Grimoire

 

/confused .. what spell?

 

Sorry it is the level 6 one.

 

Brilliant Departure

 

Thanks. I tried to do a quick test, and it looks like it breaks on attacking?

[dunehunter]

 

 

 

 

 

The level 5 spell you get from Arkemyrs grimoire is 100% the most powerful spell in the game. Easily, aboslutely no contest 100% the most powerful.

It basically grants you immortality and lets you attack at the same time for around 20 seconds. Attacking will not break Invis with this spell.  Insane!

Arkemy'rs Wondrous Torment?

https://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Arkemyr%27s_Grimoire

 

/confused .. what spell?

 

Sorry it is the level 6 one.

 

Brilliant Departure

 

Thanks. I tried to do a quick test, and it looks like it breaks on attacking?

 

 

Yes, as I said in another thread, it breaks on attacking, but u can still cast offensive spells without break invisibility.

[1TTFFSSE]

 

 

 

 

 

 

The level 5 spell you get from Arkemyrs grimoire is 100% the most powerful spell in the game. Easily, aboslutely no contest 100% the most powerful.

It basically grants you immortality and lets you attack at the same time for around 20 seconds. Attacking will not break Invis with this spell.  Insane!

Arkemy'rs Wondrous Torment?

https://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Arkemyr%27s_Grimoire

 

/confused .. what spell?

 

Sorry it is the level 6 one.

 

Brilliant Departure

 

Thanks. I tried to do a quick test, and it looks like it breaks on attacking?

 

 

Yes, as I said in another thread, it breaks on attacking, but u can still cast offensive spells without break invisibility.

 

That seems like an oversight. I can see a spell that grants invisibility for 20 seconds until dealing damage allowing a character to rebuff/buff during combat but it makes no sense that offensive spells can be cast and you stay invisible and not generic weapon attacks. 

[dunehunter]

Or if we can have True Sight from D&D Let the inquisitors have instantly-cast Dispel Magic and True sight plz!

[Teclis23]

 

 

 

 

 

 

The level 5 spell you get from Arkemyrs grimoire is 100% the most powerful spell in the game. Easily, aboslutely no contest 100% the most powerful.

It basically grants you immortality and lets you attack at the same time for around 20 seconds. Attacking will not break Invis with this spell.  Insane!

Arkemy'rs Wondrous Torment?

https://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Arkemyr%27s_Grimoire

 

/confused .. what spell?

 

Sorry it is the level 6 one.

 

Brilliant Departure

 

Thanks. I tried to do a quick test, and it looks like it breaks on attacking?

 

 

Yes, as I said in another thread, it breaks on attacking, but u can still cast offensive spells without break invisibility.

 

Really i didnt no that. From memory i just tested it with casting more spells while invisible.

 

So what are you are saying is that attacking with melee weapons will break invis but casting offensive spells like fireball wont break it?

 

Thats still pretty good 

Edited September 6, 2018 by Teclis23

[Haplok]

That still sounds like a bug.

[Teclis23]

yep 

 

but its a dam good bug

[Boeroer]

If I had to decide which spell of each level is the "best" (although that really depends on what you want to do with your wizard) then I'd say:

 

- Slicken (casting it two times makes one of the strongest hard CC effect in the game)

- Combusting Wounds (best boss killer wizars spell I know - combine with Wall of Flame)

- Ryngrim's Repulsive Visage (Terrified is very strong)

- Essential Phantom (because you can do great things with it and your item choice: try Spirit Lance + Phantom)

- Llengrath's Safeguard

- Arkemyr's Capricious Hex

- Thayn's Chaotic Orb

- Wall of Many Colors

- Minoletta's Missile Salvo

 

This is without the grimoire-exclusive spells like Cobra Strike, Shadowflame and Brilliant Departure and so on.

 

I would not pick them in this collection though since there are better choices for certain build directions.

 

For example I really like Cloak of Death on a melee single class wizard better than Missile Salvo. It is hard to keep yourself out of the AoE and use the AoE effectively when you are surrounded by enemies.

Edited September 6, 2018 by Boeroer

[Teclis23]

Boerer what do you think about the cobra strike spell? 

 

Ive never really used it. Is it any good and what can it be best used for?

[InsaneCommander]

- Slicken (casting it two times makes one of the strongest hard CC effect in the game)

 

I'll have two wizards on my next pt. Can't wait to do funny double casts like this.

[Boeroer]

Boerer what do you think about the cobra strike spell?

 

Ive never really used it. Is it any good and what can it be best used for?

It's ok but not overly powerful. I think they are still considered ranged weapons - so maybe they work with Driving Flight? They did work with the Marksman Ring in the past.

[brasilgringo]

 

Boerer what do you think about the cobra strike spell?

 

Ive never really used it. Is it any good and what can it be best used for?

It's ok but not overly powerful. I think they are still considered ranged weapons - so maybe they work with Driving Flight? They did work with the Marksman Ring in the past.

 

Seemed pretty weaksauce when I messed around with it on a build even trying to stack poison boosts (the helm of grotto deep, spider silk robe, alchemy skill, scion of decay etc.)