Diablo III - General Discussion Thread

[Wyvern]

I have to say after playing around a fair bit, I have managed to push my dmg up to 900 odd buffed. Still have to find a weapon that really boosts my dmg tho. But I dont want to sift thru stuff on the AH so will wait patiently for a drop. Could definitely see a huge improvement last night. The only times I died was due to weird lag issues that I had all night. For all wizards out there who didnt know - the familiar with the sparkflint rune & magic weapon = HUGE dmg buff. . .

 

[OmegaFenix]

I have to say after playing around a fair bit, I have managed to push my dmg up to 900 odd buffed. Still have to find a weapon that really boosts my dmg tho. But I dont want to sift thru stuff on the AH so will wait patiently for a drop. Could definitely see a huge improvement last night. The only times I died was due to weird lag issues that I had all night. For all wizards out there who didnt know - the familiar with the sparkflint rune & magic weapon = HUGE dmg buff. . .

I found that putting Topaz in all items classified as "other" and the biggest ruby I can find in my grim wand massively improves Damage output. (http://eu.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/wizard#UiXROm!YcX!aaaa - Build im currently using.) We need char profiles to really show builds. I found that sticking a flawless topaz into a socketed item can often out perform the item of the same type with just a damage boost.

I've switched off Magic weapon as I just felt she was blasing everything away instead opting for Arcane Armor as this boosts my armor to over a thousand, even with the glass canon passive skill. My Damage is around 450 at the moment and considering nothing can really go toe-to-toe with her at the moment I dont see the point in using skills that are going to boost my damage further, maybe on nightmare, hell, inferno.

I am thinking of swapping out Arcane Hydra for Meteor...

 

[Wyvern]

For nightmare act II where we are I found this build to work like a charm - I also have topazes in all my sockets and the ruby in my wand. I finally found a wand and offhand that works well together. And I also wish we could have an armoury like they did in wow.
http://eu.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/wizard#iUlXSj!bcX!ZbaaZa

That is my current build, altho at a later stage I will swop blizzard for something else, for now, it gives the group a nice slowing effect on groups of mobs.

 

[OmegaFenix]

For nightmare act II where we are I found this build to work like a charm - I also have topazes in all my sockets and the ruby in my wand. I finally found a wand and offhand that works well together. And I also wish we could have an armoury like they did in wow.
http://eu.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/wizard#iUlXSj!bcX!ZbaaZa

That is my current build, altho at a later stage I will swop blizzard for something else, for now, it gives the group a nice slowing effect on groups of mobs.

I see you play elective mode. I am considering this also. How is it? You opted out of Arcon? What was the logic behind this choice? I find Arcon to be, OP yes, but a great way to save my bacon should I get ganked.

 

[Wyvern]

I have to say I prefer it, that way I can bind what ever spells I want to the slots where I want them for ease of use. I used it in the beta as well. I tend to swop and play around with my skills till I find the combination that suits my play style best. Currently the way I have it makes me rather OP but not in the ooooh I did 1k crits kinda way. Just more sustainable damage. Also with my setup as it is, I find I have more arcane power ready for use.

 

[panthis]

I have to say I prefer it, that way I can bind what ever spells I want to the slots where I want them for ease of use. I used it in the beta as well. I tend to swop and play around with my skills till I find the combination that suits my play style best. Currently the way I have it makes me rather OP but not in the ooooh I did 1k crits kinda way. Just more sustainable damage. Also with my setup as it is, I find I have more arcane power ready for use.

It all comes down to a matter of preference and play style. I play with groups of friends normally and for that i use my DH for crowd control with Twin Chakram and Frost Elemental Arrow in my task bar which are from the same skill tree, so elective mode is needed.
My DH CC tree so far

 

[Phatso]

I have to say I prefer it, that way I can bind what ever spells I want to the slots where I want them for ease of use. I used it in the beta as well. I tend to swop and play around with my skills till I find the combination that suits my play style best.

This. Elective mode almost exponentially expands the possibilities of builds. For the "last boss" I was running 3 spells from the same category and that was what made the difference. Wouldn't have been possible without Elective mode.

I am running a very similar build to you Wyvern, I find that my AP only runs out when I spam 4 meteor strikes in a row (which looks like armageddon. BOOTIFUL). I still like the increased range of Magic Missile.. Can't shake it with its penetrating blast rune. In nightmare now (only played to SK last night) I found myself getting 1 shotted WAY too often, before I could smash Q and 1 (pot + diamond). So I stand back and let the monkees do the tank work.

Archon is still a gorgeous ability and really makes you feel like a wizard that goes ape shit. Used it all through Act IV until reality kicked in and showed me that you can still get insta-gibbed with it.

There are TOO many options though, I want to try all the spells!

 

[Wyvern]

Archon is a stunning ability but for the group I am in - 2 monks and a barbarian, I stay on the edges of a fight so that I can do my damage without really getting hurt, plus that way I avoid some of the attacks from the blue mobs in nightmare - which you cant see very well when 2 monks and a barbarian is going all out

I start the fight with blizzard, then disintegrate until my AP is done, but currently my regen is so fast I hardly run out, once my ap is at about 1/4 I switch to electrocute and in 2 or 3 secs my AP is full again and I can go mad with disintegrate. Because of my spell rotations mirror images are rather useless, my diamond skin absorbs so much dmg that I can cope.That is why I opted for the extra dmg instead of more spells to dmg with.

 

[OmegaFenix]

Archon is a stunning ability but for the group I am in - 2 monks and a barbarian, I stay on the edges of a fight so that I can do my damage without really getting hurt, plus that way I avoid some of the attacks from the blue mobs in nightmare - which you cant see very well when 2 monks and a barbarian is going all out

I start the fight with blizzard, then disintegrate until my AP is done, but currently my regen is so fast I hardly run out, once my ap is at about 1/4 I switch to electrocute and in 2 or 3 secs my AP is full again and I can go mad with disintegrate. Because of my spell rotations mirror images are rather useless, my diamond skin absorbs so much dmg that I can cope.That is why I opted for the extra dmg instead of more spells to dmg with.

Yeah I guess in a group having Arcon is pretty useless. I'll mess around with Elective mode tonight see what I can come up with.

 

[Wyvern]

Yep for solo its a stunning ability, but being a wizard, for me that means being a ranged attacker, the mobs are not supposed to get to close to you.

I suspect if I played the wizard in solo mode I would have a completely different build.

 

[Isengard]

Archon is a stunning ability but for the group I am in - 2 monks and a barbarian, I stay on the edges of a fight so that I can do my damage without really getting hurt, plus that way I avoid some of the attacks from the blue mobs in nightmare - which you cant see very well when 2 monks and a barbarian is going all out

I start the fight with blizzard, then disintegrate until my AP is done, but currently my regen is so fast I hardly run out, once my ap is at about 1/4 I switch to electrocute and in 2 or 3 secs my AP is full again and I can go mad with disintegrate. Because of my spell rotations mirror images are rather useless, my diamond skin absorbs so much dmg that I can cope.That is why I opted for the extra dmg instead of more spells to dmg with.

It's hard being in the front line, I can hardly see what I'm hitting half the time in those big mobs that we pull in with Cyclone Strike. Also, I'm a big noob, I didn't know about elective mode until now.

Why elective mode is so hidden is beyond me.

 

[OmegaFenix]

Yep for solo its a stunning ability, but being a wizard, for me that means being a ranged attacker, the mobs are not supposed to get to close to you.

I suspect if I played the wizard in solo mode I would have a completely different build.

Yeah, killing from a distance is def what the wizard is all about. With Arcon being so OP I might just stop using it until the game gets harder.

I found this early, playing Solo and Playing co-op I use completely different builds.

It's hard being in the front line, I can hardly see what I'm hitting half the time in those big mobs that we pull in with Cyclone Strike. Also, I'm a big noob, I didn't know about elective mode until now.

Why elective mode is so hidden is beyond me.

I had that through most of Act 3 with the Barb, I would just see chaos on screen with my barb occasionally whirling around.

Blizzard made D3 very casual friendly as such elective is hidden away to stop noobs from building shitty characters until they have learned to use the chars.

Does anyone, who plays solo, use the followers? My Solo char has only had followers during the scripted sections.

 

[Wyvern]

But, but, Isengard we have mentioned it a FEW times on TS

But you lot have the armour and health - hence you get the front lines Go have a play on their build site, so much fun to figure out what to do with the spells.

 

[OmegaFenix]

But, but, Isengard we have mentioned it a FEW times on TS

But you lot have the armour and health - hence you get the front lines Go have a play on their build site, so much fun to figure out what to do with the spells.

Yeah if only the barb felt more like a tank. When me and Spooner co-op I leap in and he sends in his minions. In our games I die most of the time, he's only started dying in Act III.

 

[MOnk]

I used the Templar follower throughout normal and he wasn't bad, not much dps but at least he served to distract some mobs and give me a bit of hp regen.

 

[Wyvern]

Same here, I do the dying and get slightly to excited when one of the others dont make it

But they tend to protect me as well since I am VERY squishy compared to them.

I actually havent played the wizard in solo mode - I have my monk for solo and the wizard is my co-op char.

 

[OmegaFenix]

I used the Templar follower throughout normal and he wasn't bad, not much dps but at least he served to distract some mobs and give me a bit of hp regen.

Didn't that make it incredibly easy?

Same here, I do the dying and get slightly to excited when one of the others dont make it

But they tend to protect me as well since I am VERY squishy compared to them.

I actually havent played the wizard in solo mode - I have my monk for solo and the wizard is my co-op char.

I think when we get to nightmare I might bring my Wizard into CO-OP but she feels entirely too OP and a Wizard Witch Dr would be too spammy. At least as a Barb I can distract the mobs and drop Earth Quake when it gets hairy.

 

[Isengard]

@Wyvern I'm definitely going to play around with the character builder during lunch time. I have high health, but I don't think my armor rating is uber or anything, I do dodge a lot so that helps keep the damage down, just a pity you can't dodge those death dealing laser.

 

[MOnk]

Not really, was playing a barb so I couldn't just kill everything before it got to me like you Wizards. The difference is pretty minimal, I mostly just brought him along for the flavour dialogue.

 

[OmegaFenix]

Not really, was playing a barb so I couldn't just kill everything before it got to me like you Wizards. The difference is pretty minimal, I mostly just brought him along for the flavour dialogue.

LOL! Makes sense I guess. Maybe on Higher diffs I will bring one of them along.