Frostwall - specced to fire, better than expected

Mage
1

So I’m level 77, finishing up the normal monoliths, and so far, frostwall (fire specced) is shredding everything. It can be difficult to place sometimes, because there is no obvious ‘width’ to it, so you have to place to right on top of mobs, or infront of them if you think they are going to close the distance with you.

I’ve built it up around ignite and also using glyph of dominion, to give a highly mobile and effective play style. I’m literally running through packs of mobs, causing them to train up behind me, then just drop Frostwall and glyph, and everything’s dead a second or two later.

Drop both spells on rares and they also die really fast. The odd thing that gets through that, is finished off with disintegrate.

What I’m not sure of, is how far into empowered this is likely to last… Anyone played something similar ?

2

One of my favourite builds…

3

Interesting that you are using the firestarters torch.
I have a no LP version of that torch, but I assume it really only comes into its when the LP affixes are on it.

Even so, my current weapon is a wand with +56 spell damage, +50 mana, and -3 spell cost. with some nice affixes like 110% increased elemental damage and 79% incresased spell damage.

Given the +56 base, thats a huge damage increase vs the firestarters torch, so what makes that torch so good ? What am I missing ?

4

The torch inflicts Spreading Flames and you do 41% more damage to those enemies so inflicted, did you take this into account?

5

His is a DoT build, and flat spell damage doesn’t work on DoTs, plus Firestarter is an easy source of Spreading Flames DoT. Combined with Ignite and Brand, it’s triple dipping in DoTs.

6

I am DoT-based. Spell damage (flat or %) is irrelevant. Even Fire damage is inferior to DoT, Ignite chance and Ignite duration.

If you are hit-based, a decent Ladle might be the best choice.

Torch (and Spreading Flames) delivers the satisfying effect of burning everything screens away before you even knew they were there. :slight_smile:

7

Ladle lacks the flat spell damage aswell.
AFAIK Ladle is popular, because most Mages stack INT, so Ladle can provide amazing Cast Speed from a single item.

However, if you already have decent Cast Speed, you will get way more damage from using an Exalted +60 spell damage wand. Especially so if you use hit spells that have higher Effectiveness (Meteor says hi!).

8

And 48% MORE spell damage.

I am not expert though, I tend to use DoT builds.

9

For example, lets have 1000% increased damage and 200% more damage from skill nodes. How much bonus damage is added with Ladle vs. an Exalted 60 spell damage wand?

Ladle

16 spell damage * (1 + 10) increased total * (1 + 2) more from skill nodes * (1 + 0.48) more from Ladle
16 * 11 * 3 * 1.48 = 781.44 per hit

Exalted 60 spelldmg wand

60 spell damage * (1 + 10) increased total * (1 + 2) more from skill nodes
60 * 11 * 3 = 1980 per hit

Base damage is king.