Wizard's best used spell combos

[QuiteGoneJin]

I keep reading that wizards are combo based and can't help but feel that I am inefficient at playing them. I used to use them in combo with cipher but now that I'm debating a party without a cipher (hush now it's just a thought) the idea crossed my mind that I should learn the stronger early, mid and late game spell combos for wizzies. 

[Boeroer]

Eldritch Aim + Chillfog usually will do the trick.

 

Later you can combine Pull of Eora, Expose Vulnerabilities and multiple Chillfogs plus Combusting Wounds. This works best with multiple wizards.

 

Generally you always want to have this pattern:

 

Buff ACC - debuff/disable foes - deal damage.

 

Just look at the spells which raise ACC, debuff defenses and/or disable completely and then those which deal damage and combine them accordingly.

 

Combusting Wounds is a special one: for each hit the target will get a small burn DoT effect. It's very powerful if you can generate a lot of parallel hits via Chillfogs, Wall of Flames, Concussive Missiles and so on.

[Elric Galad]

Shadowflames + Shadowflames + Shadowflames is usually a great combo.

 

What I mean is that wizards are very strong and usually don't require combos to be played effectively. They are slighly hard to use at low level, even if a well-placed chillfog is devastating.

 

Simple combos like Eldricht aim + offensive spells work well, and Reflex debuffs + AoE damages are great too.

[Livegood118]

Eldritch Aim + Chillfog usually will do the trick.

 

Later you can combine Pull of Eora, Expose Vulnerabilities and multiple Chillfogs plus Combusting Wounds. This works best with multiple wizards.

 

Generally you always want to have this pattern:

 

Buff ACC - debuff/disable foes - deal damage.

 

Just look at the spells which raise ACC, debuff defenses and/or disable completely and then those which deal damage and combine them accordingly.

 

Combusting Wounds is a special one: for each hit the target will get a small burn DoT effect. It's very powerful if you can generate a lot of parallel hits via Chillfogs, Wall of Flames, Concussive Missiles and so on.

 

Do you know how Combusting Wounds interacts with DR? Like will it always do 5 damage per tick?

[peddroelm]

 

Do you know how Combusting Wounds interacts with DR? Like will it always do 5 damage per tick?

 

old game version test

 

..

Combusting Wounds (tested of ring)

damage per activation is 5 * (1 + might_mod) - TargetBurnDR * 0.25

It does NOT benefit at all from scion of the flame (BUG REPORT) ..

It will trigger on DOT effects (tested with deep wounds and searing flames)

...

 

https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/78410-proper-debugger-breakpoints-dot-hot-tests/?do=findComment&comment=1674511

[Boeroer]

It no longer works with DoT effects. That was patched some time ago.

 

Scion of Flame and all the other elemental boosters don't work with DoT damage. As far as I know Combusting Wounds is a DoT effect itself.

 

It's hard to monitor because the combat log doesn't say anything about it. But you can witness it's awesomeness if you cast it on an enemy and put him into a Wall of Flame (preferably when debuffed).

 

It also makes a huge difference if you cast it onto a group before delivering a Heart of Fury (=a lot of hits in one second).

[MaxQuest]

Do you know how Combusting Wounds interacts with DR?

Confirming, that each CW's procced DoT's tick will go against 1/4 of target's fire DR.

 

Like will it always do 5 damage per tick?

No. The last tick might deal less damage, if the duration is not divisible by 3.

Also CW DoT's damage is affected by Might, so it can be greater than 5.

 

old game version test [...]

Combusting Wounds are no longer working that way.

 

For the sake of completeness:

- CW_Spell was slightly bugged prior to v3.02 (although I don't remember what exactly already)

- CW_Spell was completely broken in v3.02 (no procs at all)

- CW_Spell was fixed in v3.03

 

That's how CW works now:

 

 

- CW_Spell is an AoE Spell that debuffs all enemies in the area

- When an affected target receives a non DoT instance of damage, it is affected by a completely stackable CW_DoT (no ticks are lost). 

- CW_Spell itself is not stackable. If cast by the same or even other caster, older (or shorter?) instance will get Suppressed.

 

- CW_Spell debuff has a base duration of 20s.

- CW_DoT has a base duration of 5s. Each tick deals 5 burning damage (provided the target has 0 DR) every 3 seconds.

- CW_DoT's last tick is likely to deal less damage, depending on the duration elapsed from the previous tick.

- CW_DoT's damage IS affected by enemy DR. Specifically each tick goes against 1/4 of target's burning DR.

- CW_DoT's damage IS affected by Might (of the CW_Spell caster).

- CW_DoT's duration IS affected by INT (of the CW_Spell caster).

- CW_Dot's duration is affected by hit quality. Example:

At 10 INT / 10 MIG (against 0 DR), CW_DoT damage/duration are:
hit_: 13.3 dmg over 5.0s | ticks for: 5, 5, 3
crit: 17.5 dmg over 7.5s | ticks for: 5, 5, 5, 3
graze: 9.2 dmg over 2.5s | ticks for: 5, 4

- Heart of Fury and Blasting Minor Blights can result in a lot of hits. HoF with 5 adjacent targets will result in 5 hits + 20 carnage hits. Twice if you DW. That's 50 CW_DoT procs.

 

 

 

------------------------

 

As for OP post:

- Kalakoth's Minor Blights + Blast/Penetrating Blast + Combusting Wounds, is the main combo that comes to mind.

- Others are related to debuffing one defense with spell_1, and then strike with spell_2 that targets that defense. E.g. target has low will, but high reflex; so you can Call to Slumber first, and follow up with Minoletta's Precisely Piercing Burst, Kalakoth's Freezing Rake or simply Fireball spam.

- Also quite notable is the use of stunning/paralyze spells in combination with Sacred Immolation/Dragon Thrashed/White Worms. In case your paladin or chanter lack the accuracy, this will provide them a huge bonus.

- If your wizard is a cc-offtank with a shield you could use Dimensional Shift + Ectopsychic Echo; and Arcane Veil + Defensive Mindweb 

- And lastly there is Gaze of Adragan. Want to make the most out of your barbarian's Barbaric Blow or Heart of Fury? Gaze first and enjoy the carnage (since petrified targets take x2 the damage). Or maybe you'd like to double your cipher's focus generation?

Edited January 4, 2017 by MaxQuest

[mosspit]

Spell combos?

 

Currently I am using Wizard's Double, Llenegrath's Displaced Image, Flame Shield and Acrane Veil (Hardened Veil). This char can hold the attention of end game bosses if my paladin is preoccupied.

 

Speaking of Wizard's Double, any particular reason why the lvl1 Wizard's Double (+40 defl, no duration in description, until hit or crit) is more effective than lvl2 Mirror Image (+25 defl, limited duration, until hit or crit)?

 

Edit

Ok I think I got the answer or at least part of it. Mirror Image adds 30 defl and the bonus decreases by 5 defl everytime a hit or crit is scored. Wizard's Double is lost entirely if a hit or crrit is made.

Edited January 4, 2017 by mosspit

[Livegood118]

At 10 INT / 10 MIG (against 0 DR), CW_DoT damage/duration are:

hit_: 13.3 dmg over 5.0s | ticks for: 5, 5, 3

crit: 17.5 dmg over 7.5s | ticks for: 5, 5, 5, 3

graze: 9.2 dmg over 2.5s | ticks for: 5, 4s

 

Interesting – so on a hit there's a tick as soon as it hits, a tick at the 3 second mark, and then a tick for the remainder - and each tick is 5 damage.

 

At 25 Might/20 Intellect vs a 16 DR foe a crit would be:

 

Duration =  5 * 1.5 * 1.5 = 11.25 seconds = 4 full ticks (including initial tick on hit) then a remainder tick

4(5*1.45 - 4) + ((5*1.45)0.75 - 4)

= 4(7.25 -4) + (7.25*0.75 - 4)

= 4*3.25 + 5.44 -4

= 13 + 1.44

= 14.44 damage per critical proc

 

That's not bad at all! 

Edited January 4, 2017 by Livegood118

[Livegood118]

Hold on a sec ... I just did some more Math.

 

Assuming the Wizard and a Chanter both have 25 Might and 25 Intellect, a hit of the Dragon Thrashed, the Dragon Wailed on an enemy with 20 DR and combusting wounds would =

 

Combusting wounds =

 

= 5 * 1.75 = 8.75 Duration = 3 Ticks + 0.91 remainder tick

3(5*1.45 - 5) + (5*1.45*0.91 - 5)

= 6.75 + 1.6

= 8.35 Per proc of combusting wounds

 

Dragon Thrashed Hit =

 

4 + 4*1.75 = 11 seconds = 4 ticks + 0.66 remainder tick

Damage = 4(10*1.45 - 5) + (10*1.45*0.66 - 5)

D = 2(38 + 4.57)

= 85.14 dmg + 10 ticks of combusting wounds

= 85.14 + 8.35*10 = 

= 85.14 + 83.5

= 168.64

 

That's crazy! How have I never used this before now!???

[Boeroer]

Keep in mind that HoF's carnage attacks also can reach enemies that are out of your initial reach. So if you can reach 5 enemies with HoF directly but there are more around in carnage range around each initial target, you will produce a lot more carnage hits than 20. It's one of the abilities that you can pair with combusting wounds. A dual wielding HoF barb loves his Ring of Searing Flames.

[Boeroer]

Combusting Wounds doesn't work with DoT effects and therefore not with The Dragon Thrashed. Well, it might work with the initial, first hit, but not with the ticks.

 

That's why I recommended things that hit often and quickly, like HoF, Wall of Flame and so on. Multi retaliation is also good with Combusting Wounds. A cipher with Pain Link can retaliate in an AoE for example. If you stack retaliation and use Pain Link, foes who hit you will melt.

Edited January 4, 2017 by Boeroer

[Livegood118]

Combusting Wounds doesn't work with DoT effects and therefore not with The Dragon Thrashed. Well, it might work with the initial, first hit, but not with the ticks.

Ah - thought it might be too good to be true.

 

Nevertheless, still seems like an amazing synergy for pressure cooking large groups of enemies with Blights.

[MaxQuest]

That's not bad at all!

No. No it isn't.

 

 

And to add to the synergy list it can also work nicely with beams. Iirc those hit every second just like the walls.

And perhaps White Worms, depending on number of corpses.

[peddroelm]

Could try something funny with combusting wounds. 6 * blunderbuss party.  36 projectiles per full salvo * combusting wounds damage ) .. Maybe take a chanter to help with reloads. 

Edited January 4, 2017 by peddroelm

[Elric Galad]

Hold on a sec ... I just did some more Math.

 

Assuming the Wizard and a Chanter both have 25 Might and 25 Intellect, a hit of the Dragon Thrashed, the Dragon Wailed on an enemy with 20 DR and combusting wounds would =

 

Combusting wounds =

= 5 * 1.75 = 8.75 Duration = 3 Ticks + 0.91 remainder tick

3(5*1.45 - 5) + (5*1.45*0.91 - 5)

= 6.75 + 1.6

= 8.35 Per proc of combusting wounds

Dragon Thrashed Hit =

4 + 4*1.75 = 11 seconds = 4 ticks + 0.66 remainder tick

Damage = 4(10*1.45 - 5) + (10*1.45*0.66 - 5)

D = 2(38 + 4.57)

= 85.14 dmg + 10 ticks of combusting wounds

= 85.14 + 8.35*10 =

= 85.14 + 83.5

= 168.64

That's crazy! How have I never used this before now!???

You should retry your maths with Sacred Immolation. Sacred immolation works with combusting wounds.

[Livegood118]

Sacred Immolation = 20 – 30 Burn Damage per 3 secs for 30 seconds, affected by Might (45%) and Scion of Flame (20%)

 

Assume 25 Might, 25 Intellect vs 20 Burn DR (Also that Sacred Immolation goes against full DR rather than .25 DR?)

 

Duration = 30 * 1.75 = 52.5 secs = 18 full ticks + 1 remainder tick (0.5)

20–30 * 1.65 = 33 – 49.5

18(33 – 49.5 -20) + ((33 – 49.5 * 0.5) -20)

18(13 – 29.5) + (16.5 – 24.75 - 20)

= 234 – 531,  + 3.3 (MIN) – 4.75)

= 237.3 – 535.75, + 19 Procs of Combusting wounds

= + 8.35*19 = 158.65 from combusting wounds

 

Pretty damn good. This is of course assuming that every attack is a hit, whereas in reality it could be less or more depending on how much you crit.

[Boeroer]

Could try something funny with combusting wounds. 6 * blunderbuss party. 36 projectiles per full salvo * combusting wounds damage ) .. Maybe take a chanter to help with reloads.

In fact, I made a blunderbuss wizard just because of combusting wounds. You don't even need 6 guys. Island Aumaua with Arms Bearer and four blunderbusses. Expose Vulnerabilities + Pen. Shot + Combusting Wounds is so great with four blunderbuss shots. I also added Concussive Missiles and all the other stuff from time to time.

It's debatable if this is better than an implement wizard - but it surely is a lot of fun to watch even powerful single enemies die after seconds. Who needs rogues?

[QuiteGoneJin]

This thread really delivers. Ty guys.