Why doesn't the Blizzard Stick get more respect and worth more?

[rboose]

It has a speed a 0.5sec and Produces excellant DPS and gives chance to freeze.

It appears that it does more damage then any other INT weapon, am I wrong in this statement.

Thanks
Ron

[Moogerfooger]

I'm not sure if it has higher DPS than the glow stick (probably does), but after having used it myself for a while the constant noise from it is pretty irritating. Not an important reason, of course, but sometimes when in a party where someone (myself at one point) is using one, it covers up a lot of other sometimes helpful sounds with the constant whooshing.

[Junside]

I don't understand, since I don't know int items well. Is the item you guys are talking about lower thank lvl 50?

[rboose]

It comes in levels 45 to 50. Which is kind of huge for those that are still working towards level 50.

[Junside]

I'm asking because the lvl 50 pink is so damn cheap in cs

[Moogerfooger]

It works pretty well if you are tight on money, like I was at the time.

I think another reason not many use it is that it does not complete a "set", like the Laser Cosmos wand does for the Cyber set, the mirage staff for the Cosmos set, or the Glow Stick does for the Shadow set (although no set bonus yet).

Plus it is a more common drop than the other "premium" wands.

[Apraxhren]

It appears that it does more damage then any other INT weapon, am I wrong in this statement.

It does not do the most damage, it has the highest damage per second of a wand but that doesn't matter. Why? Because part of the damage of a wand is applied to spell damage. With the Blizzard Stick of Fate you will do 44 more damage to a single target, compared to the Glow Stick of Shadows. However, with the Glow Stick of Shadows you will do about 30 more damage with each spell cast. Seeing as our major spells are AOE that adds up to 150+ per spell cast.

The freeze also is not a big advantage as the cool down on Ice Storm is 6secs and Firestorm 5secs so they should be cast together anyway for the combo.

The Blizzard Stick of Fate is also low on stats compared to Laser Wand of the Cosmos and Glow Stick of Shadows.


Blizzard Stick of Fate: 55-80 Damage, 0.5 Speed, 8 Int, 5% Hit, 2% Crit, 3H/s, 3M/s, 2 armor
Laser Wand of the Cosmos: 95-140 Damage, 1.0 Speed, 11 Int, 7% Hit, 3% Crit, 4H/s, 4M/s, 4 armor
Glow Stick of Shadows: 97-142 Damage, 1.0 Speed, 12 Int, 5% Hit, 4% Crit, 5H/s, 5M/s, 7 armor

[GuyOTN]

To compound on the previous statement: It has horribly low damage per hit. Try it out for yourself. When I was in VL killing mobs it was doing around 10-30 damage a shot. Against bosses, even ones in the Swamp it takes ages to kill them.

[rboose]

Your answers though generated a few more questions.

1. What does AOE mean
2. Then what would be the best int weapon for a level 46-49 mage to use.

Currently I'm a level 47 all int.

[Echelong]

Your answers though generated a few more questions.

1. What does AOE mean
2. Then what would be the best int weapon for a level 46-49 mage to use.

Currently I'm a level 47 all int.

AOE = Area of effect. Means a skill that affects multiple targets at once like firestorm.
There are a lot of cheap once but depends if you prefer a staff or wand. Most are generic look on the CS shop and see for yourself.

PS: referring to the OP The problem I see with the blizzard stick even though its a fast weapon is that it is a fast weapon and even if the DPS seems better check out the damage done by your skills. You will do less damage from skills with a faster weapon.

To check how much damage you do with the skills first equip the weapon, then go to the skills section and check the damage output. This will change based on the weapon you have equipped. Staffs like the keeper will give you more damage on your skills.

[rboose]

Sherman - and others :-)

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.

[Echelong]

Sherman - and others :-)

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.

sighs.... lol np and its not the first nor would be the last time.....

[Royce]

For an Int mage, it's best to just ignore DPS altogether. It's hardly meaningful. Look at your damage, skill damage, and weapon proc when choosing a weapon. For cheap AO3 wands, I'd recommend the burning wand over the blizzard stick unless you really want that freeze proc for some reason.

[Agent]

It has a speed a 0.5sec and Produces excellant DPS and gives chance to freeze.

It appears that it does more damage then any other INT weapon, am I wrong in this statement.

Thanks
Ron

DPS isnt doesnt make it the best weapon.
Worse in armor..

[PhreEkGarden]

I just hit 46... and in my opinion... who cares what you use. It won't take that long to just hit lvl 50 then just get lvl 50 items. I'm just using a dreamers dark wand I believe since it has pretty good damage on it and stats.

Edit: rboose, not sure if you realized this or not yet, but your weapon damage carries over to your spell damage, so having a slower weapon with a lot higher damage is much better, I would think.


Your answers though generated a few more questions.

1. What does AOE mean
2. Then what would be the best int weapon for a level 46-49 mage to use.

Currently I'm a level 47 all int.

[Royce]

I just hit 46... and in my opinion... who cares what you use. It won't take that long to just hit lvl 50 then just get lvl 50 items. I'm just using a dreamers dark wand I believe since it has pretty good damage on it and stats.

If you just hit 46, you're in for a surprise. XP needed to level increases dramatically each level after that, and 47-50 will take you a while. Honestly dreamers wands only go up to level 35 and you are really crippling yourself using such an underpowered item in AO3. Find yourself a green burning wand and you'll be much better off.

[PhreEkGarden]

Hmm ok. Didn't realize it slowed down so much. I almost have the keepers staff set just from selling crap at the auction house and I figured I would just wait til I hit 50.

It just seems so easy (currently anyway) to run around with a couple other mages or whatever and just blow through everything. I'll look up the green burning wand see if I can find it, because the wands I saw in the auction house that are up to lvl 45 just seem like such a little damage increase that it isnt worth it.... anyway, gonna go check the auction see what I can find. Thanks.

Edit: What is a green burning wand? I don't see any on the auction house, is it something else?

I see a D'jinn wand of thoth, or isis. theyre damage is pretty good, but they are pretty expensive.

[Royce]

If you feel like you're doing fine with the level 35 wand by all means see how long you can go with it, but the damage from a burning wand (or an AO2 staff like a dark matter or Apep, or a low level alien staff or even nightmare staff) will make things even faster

[On7H3MooN]

Where do the Blizzard sticks drop?

Is there a Pink Blizzard stick? O-O

[Plasticuproject]

The high DPS is only because the single target weapon fires twice a second, as opposed to the other wands which fire once per second. That is the ONLY reason the DPS is higher, not because the weapon causes more damage. A mages true power is to knock out large mobs with their AOE attacks, which makes this wand fall short of the others. Leave the single target DPS to the birds...

[Tengotengo]

the DPS of the weapon would probably be against a 0 armor enemy. Every hit has an amount of damage removed by armor. If you have a 50 damage wand attacking a 45 armor enemy 2 times a second, you're only getting 10 damage a second in. Compare that against a 100 damage wand against a 45 armor enemy, 1 shot a second. You're doing 55 damage a second.

This is why you almost never see a dagger or stiletto. You can get 300-400dps really quick, but very little actually passes through armor. Blizzard sticks are just like daggers, with a freeze proc added.

[Hullukko]

Where do the Blizzard sticks drop?

Is there a Pink Blizzard stick? O-O

Blizzard stick of Fate, which is just as useless as the more common variants in my opinion.

The enemy armor issue is one thing, the other is that it's puny base damage is reflected to the spell damage whimpering down the pure int damage dealer into a popsicle wielding hobbit.

[UniitsHD]

Sounds like laser wand is better...

[azulflame]

Edit: What is a green burning wand? I don't see any on the auction house, is it something else?



The green wand is referring to an AO3 drop, a rare 'burning wand of ________' ex. burning wand of brilliance

I have a few on Saul, ask if you want one

[Sky../]

Sounds like laser wand is better...

If i was the laser wand, i'd be insulted to even be compared to the blizzard stick.

[On7H3MooN]

Blizzard stick of Fate, which is just as useless as the more common variants in my opinion.

The enemy armor issue is one thing, the other is that it's puny base damage is reflected to the spell damage whimpering down the pure int damage dealer into a popsicle wielding hobbit.

I've been using the Blizzard sticks to farm low lvl recipes from FH4. The enemies slowly spawn around Meathead so I'm able to just click auto attack a few times. The enemies in this dungeon have very low armor.

Oh and I can still one shot the lesser zombies with lightning or kill them with one combo of ice + firestorm. :]

Yes I understand that the Blizzard sticks are pretty much useless other than this application. ;]

P.S. Can't use the Laser Wand of the Cosmos or Glow Stick of Shadows yet, not Lvl. 50

[Angarcher]

I agree with the other posters but its a really great weapon to get if you are low on money

[RahX]

It is only good up to ao3 and not good to use on the aliens. People who use them in balefort sewers barely do anything to those guys. When I was on the upswing from 45 I found it around 46 47 and used it till i hit 50 and switched to the lazer wand. The djinn in ao3 seemed a bit tougher than ao2 and ao but the blizz stick still worked em fairly well. Switching to the laser wand was a noticable improvement though. Even the aliens were dropping quicker. Your best bet is to get to balefort sewers and get a lvl 51 gemstone wand of any kind and you should be set. You will have to run with a lvl 50/51 group to get 50/51 drops though.

[Arterra]

I would skip all wands.

Get both a dark matter staff of Thoth/Isis and a alien staff of fate.
Dark matter darkness proc (ability) lowers armor and hit% of bosses so they are easier to kill, and the alien staff has aoe ice damage with better damage than the apep sunkiller staff.

Seriously staffs over wands. Get a good party so you can survive with less armor.

[Tamino]

Get both a dark matter staff of Thoth/Isis and a alien staff of fate.

Wrong thread, but I have one of the rare lev 45 Alien Staff of Fate...

More on topic, I used the Apep Sunkiller (there are four "flavours" with different damage/dodge/hit%) and a Dark Matter Staff from lev 45 to 50, then switched to the Keeper set (additional stat bonus if you have Jacob's Helmet and Mirage Robe too). Expensive, but it definitely worth the money.

After lev 53 yellow/green weapon stat becomes better than premium level 50 pinks and they are cheap, so I switched again.

[Arterra]

What do you mean wron g thread lol? Suggesting something other than blizz stick

[Tamino]

By saying I have one Lev 45 Aliens Staff I am suggesting the possibility to sell it, then my post reply should go in Trader's Market section...

Anyway you are right, the rest of my post is about equipment alternative to Blizzard Stick. Btw I kept one of them because its annoying sound; it is really fun in my rare low level maps runs (up to Fathom Crypt).

[GELLIO77]

i dont know if any one has answered your questions but the bliz stick doesnt cost much and rarely used cos of the low damage and its not as rare as glow stick or laser wand, following on from what i said about the damage not many int users will pick the bliz stick because the damage isnt enough to break through the armour of the enemys in the higher level dungeons

[RahX]

I wish playing pl required people to come to here and sign up for a forum acct to logon so they could read informative topics such as this. I try to tell people runnin around BS about the shortcomings of the blizz stick and they refuse to hear it because of the mystifying dps. Ive been cussed and told im stupid to which i usually reply with a boot. -sigh-

[FluffNStuff]

Telling people in game that they should not use a certain weapon is like telling a fellow craps player not to bet the field. Statistics be danged, people are going to play how they want and will just get mad if you tell them otherwise.

[JemNI]

I understand what you mean about having to overcome that armor threshold but I don't see the skills behaving like you guys say. I'm level 45 and when i switch from my trusty Dreamer's Bony Fire pin with a speed of 1 to a green Blizzard Stick of Brilliance with a speed of 0.5, my skill damage still goes up slightly. From what you said, I expected it to go down. I think I'll try out the Blizz stick as long as I'm not on AO3 or above.

[sticky420]

Im a lv 53 and I only use blizzard stick of fate in my opinion it rocks. Iv used glow stick and laser wand and got rid of them the same day. All I noticed was my bliss stick kills way faster

[lilbyrdie]

Telling people in game that they should not use a certain weapon is like telling a fellow craps player not to bet the field. Statistics be danged, people are going to play how they want and will just get mad if you tell them otherwise.

You're absolutely right. And it's only made harder by a conversation system that doesn't work well when you need to explain several advanced* and lengthy* topics. But it's hard not to try when someone says, in game, "I do more damage than you because my DPS is higher." And I look at their stats, and see in game performance, and wonder what they're smoking.

I understand why DPS is listed, but it's certainly misused and misinterpreted far more than it's probably worth.


* And by advanced and lengthy, I mean basic math and statistics, plus nearly the entire contents of Physio's mechanics post. :)

[Furyteddy]

I would skip all wands.

Get both a dark matter staff of Thoth/Isis and a alien staff of fate.
Dark matter darkness proc (ability) lowers armor and hit% of bosses so they are easier to kill, and the alien staff has aoe ice damage with better damage than the apep sunkiller staff.

Seriously staffs over wands. Get a good party so you can survive with less armor.

what lvl are those staffs??

[AbsolutePally]

I comstantly tell ppl in game not to use the bliz stick. People listen to me bc I have so many pve kills and pvp kills (over 9000) One time I forgot I was using my low level bird and tried to help someone. They cussed me out, called me a noob said I didnt't know anything and ignored me. Wouldn't of happened if I was on my 55.
In short the blizz stick is a terrible weapon. Dps does not mean anything. Ppl are disillusioned by that amd fooled into thinking it is a great find , "why aren't others using it, it's cheap amd strong."Wrong!! Your spell damage does 90% of the damage, maybe less now bc of gcd so 75% I would say and it is based on the weapons spell damage. Meaning the higher the da,age of weapin, not dps, the stronger the spells. For ex. Keeper staff is slow but does a lot of single hit damage per strike, the spell damage carries over from the actual weapin damage doing,higher spells like fire. Another thing, enemies have armor. I've seen bliz stick users in catacombs, they do 4-20 damage at max to trash heap. Might as well not be there. Seeing as enemies have armor! So u are hitting twice as fast so 8-40 per second. Well I'm doing 80-150 w a staff per second.
Friends don't let friends use blizz sticks.

[superss]

im not much of a dps guy i like more of the hard hitting attacks like guns...

[Moogerfooger]

Im a lv 53 and I only use blizzard stick of fate in my opinion it rocks. Iv used glow stick and laser wand and got rid of them the same day. All I noticed was my bliss stick kills way faster

The Blizzard Stick is way, way inferior to the Glow Stick or the Laser Wand, and definitely any 45+ staff, in terms of actual damage done when accounting for enemy armor. Do not be fooled by the DPS, which is against air and doesn't account for armor.

Read Alwaysdtf's post ^^^ if I remember from looking at numbers, its spell damage is terrible compared to the wands you just mentioned.


Friends don't let friends use blizz sticks.

Absolutely true.

[Herozheng]

For a pure mage , spell dmg is the key , so slow weapon , big weapon dmg are the best

staff > Wand at most time , but you lost armor when you use a staff , so you die fast ,

and each time you cast aoe ,mobs will come to you for sure , try to lvl up your kitting

skill .......

i am a dex / int mage , i love this blizzard stick so much !!!

Solo : it's the one of the best weapon in solo , i do solo alot , i find out this wand
is the best one i use so far , kill fast on mob and boss ,a little low dmg on
aoe ,but not that bad , in boss fight it's way fast then my staff

PuG : i like pug with ppl , but some time pug group just not that good , high dmg aoe
will make die with no time (i dead more then 300 time from lvl45~lvl50 for wear
high dmg staff to aoe ) ,so wear a wand + shield are much better i think .

group : with skill player and friends , a good team , you can do the best dmg you can
so wear a high dmg weapon go AoE as much as you like .but still your dps on
boss are weak , very weak ; so just enjoy to clean the trash mobs .

PvP : dex /int mage are good at 1 vs 1 ,with this wand you can won most ppl , it's
even fast then hunter's bow lol ......

so , what weapon you want it's your choice , you know what weapon better with you
fight style ,with your build and your skill , just need konw one thing in a group it's like team work :

Clean mobs ----
warr tank : run in and Beckon (12m range Pulls targets to you, chance of stun)
+ Taunt hold aggro
+ Hell scream or Stomp.

mage dps : go in with bear , Ice Storm (after bear pull them together )
+ Nightmare (Reduce ARMOR -30, DODGE % -12) rank 6
+ Firestorm and Lightning

hunter kill: go after mage ice storm Shattering Scream
+ Blast Shot
+ Thorn Wall

Bear : Beckon + Stomp = "SMASH" Combo ;
mage: Ice Storm + Firestorm = Hot Flash Combo ;
hunter : Shattering Scream + Blast Shot = Cruel Blast Combo '

bear + mage : Hell scream + Nightmare = Terror Group Combo
Effects: Debuff is 10-25% more effective.

bear + mage : Ice Storm + Stomp = Shattering Blast

hunter + mage : Thorn Wall + lightning = Nature Strike

hunter + bear : Shattering Scream + Hell scream = Terror Group Combo

just like this , in a good group it's always team work , as a mage you don't pull aggro also dont need too much aoe for over kill a group mobs , only in boss fight you need
boot you dps kill asap , that is the key , cuz your goal is not clean the trash , with
group of skill player clean trash mobs are not a problem ..... with a bad group your high aoe dmg only get your killed ,if that is what you want .

http://pic1.kaixin001.com.cn/pic/photo/56/97/71533837_622569723_rotate1.jpg

here is my lvl50 in Mystery set , also i got nice staff from lvl43 ~lvl50

http://pic1.kaixin001.com.cn/pic/photo/56/98/71533837_622569875_rotate1.jpg

here is my mage with Blizzard stick , it's fast but low dmg on each hit , will as a
Dex /int mage i got 122% of hit , so fast weapon is my kind weapon , with 19% crit
and 241 dps , i do better then most mage in boss fight some time better then noob hunters too , H/s and M/s not bad too , Blizzard Stick may not work for some one ,
but for me its just fine for now .

http://pic1.kaixin001.com.cn/pic/photo/49/22/71533837_624492215_rotate1.jpg

bought a Creepy Doll of shadows for my Blizzard stick today , it's the best in my lvl

[Fatpigwarrior]

coz it is a stick

[Herozheng]

coz it is a stick

will what about glow stick ? its cost 250k or more ....

http://pic.kaixin001.com.cn/pic/photo/57/15/71533837_630571534_rotate1.png

about one week ago i complete full set of shadow glow stick set , at first few run i didn't feel any beat then the gear i prior to wear , but after few more run i get it ,why they call this set are the best for lvl50s ....

on dps , its low for weapon dps coz it's slow ,but big weapon dmg good on each spell and aoe , more great thing is the high armor ,make us die hard !!! also the very nice h/s , m/s and good crit + hit + , it is the best set for a pure int mage , also for dex mage , cuz we pull aggro some time on the boss fight , with this set i can tank the keeper without another mage in group, and once i group with 4 hunters in BS , i hold aggro very well and down the boss without a single death ....

with this set i can solo lvl30 elite instance much ez then before , no need use pots , and non death , i love this set more and more every day .... if yo not short on gold ,just get this set for your lvl50s pure and Dex/int mage 。

[WhoIsThis]

For a pure mage , spell dmg is the key , so slow weapon , big weapon dmg are the best

staff > Wand at most time , but you lost armor when you use a staff , so you die fast ,

and each time you cast aoe ,mobs will come to you for sure , try to lvl up your kitting

skill .......

i am a dex / int mage , i love this blizzard stick so much !!!

Solo : it's the one of the best weapon in solo , i do solo alot , i find out this wand
is the best one i use so far , kill fast on mob and boss ,a little low dmg on
aoe ,but not that bad , in boss fight it's way fast then my staff

PuG : i like pug with ppl , but some time pug group just not that good , high dmg aoe
will make die with no time (i dead more then 300 time from lvl45~lvl50 for wear
high dmg staff to aoe ) ,so wear a wand + shield are much better i think .

group : with skill player and friends , a good team , you can do the best dmg you can
so wear a high dmg weapon go AoE as much as you like .but still your dps on
boss are weak , very weak ; so just enjoy to clean the trash mobs .


I have not tested in PvP (and admittedly, my PvPing skill has declined from my not PvPing in so long), but even as a dual spec dex-mage, you should not be using the Blizzard stick in PvE. Skill damage will still account for the majority of your damage, especially when AOE is factored in. As a dual spec dex-int mage, you should be using what int mages use when you are wearing int equipment - either what equipment offers the best protection, or what equipment offers the highest skill damage.

Even looking at weapons damage, you'll find the Blizzard stick significantly less effective against high armor targets. If you don't believe me, go into the Shadow Caves and compare. You'll find slower weapons with higher damage per hit much better in terms of effective damage.

[Moogerfooger]

The Blizzard Stick is lousy in end-game PvE. Fact.

It has terrible spell damage, and terrible actual damage done when you take enemy armor into effect. Fact.

The DPS rating on it is totally useless and misleading. Fact.

In Balefort Sewers/Shadow Caves you deal virtually no damage with auto-attacks because of the high enemy armor and the very low base damage of the Blizz Stick. Fact.

There are so many better option for lvl 50+ Fact :D especially Shadow at 50, if one can afford it.

[WhoIsThis]

I think that this thread can pretty much be put to rest.

[csb]

Well... I put on a Scraper's set (14 damage per item), plus a damage ring, plus my Blessing of Might buff (30 damage). With all the extra damage, the blizzard stick kills single mobs fast. I saved a loadout with this setup for when the group is kiling a boss too slow. Sometimes the regen is too fast on the boss and it takes a long time.

I don't have anything else that can kill a single mob faster than the blizzard stick plus damage gear. If i choose a slower weapon, the damage bonuses are applied less often.

[csb]

I changed my mind. I did a scientific study. I soloed Keeper zone from entrance to shadow men including killing Lorekeeper. I got the following times: (note, i'm a str/int mage)

5:20 -- Gurgox Hammer of the Rift, 194-269/1.4, with hate gear, 210 dps
6:10 -- Shadow Hax of Hate, 85-94/0.8, full set of hate gear, 210 dps
7:00 -- Blizzard Stick of Fate 55-80/0.5, Scraper's hat & robe, flushers bracer, 306 dps

I prefer the Hax of Hate. With hax I have less healing due to having the shield, and
never felt in danger of dying. The Gurgox felt unaccetably slow, but had the best
overall time. The Blizzard Stick kills mummies quick, but the Lorekeeper took *forever*,
i almost gave up and zoned out.

[Tamino]

Every opinion deserves respect; if some of you feel more confortable with a toothprick machine-gun, why not? For a mage I do prefer weapons with a medium number of hits/sec (1.0 is the best, imho) with a decent base damage, because of the impact to skill. The following are DMG figures with my L55 mage, Sewers Queen Robe and Cowl, Lowman's Bracer, for Lev 6 Firestorm and Lightning skills:

Bizzard Stick of Fate (lev 50): Lightning 205-320. Firestorm 215-314
Laser Wand of The Cosmos (lev 50): Lightning 231-347. Firestorm 241-340
Mega Mage's Gem Star Wand (lev 55, for comparison): Lightning 249-364. Firestorm 258-358

As you can see, skill DMG with Laser Wand is 10% better than Blizzard. As a comparison, Lev 55 Mega Mage Star Wand adds only a further 6% to skill damage.

For checking the weapon own damage I went in AO3 Captive Audience and recorded a number of shots to blue aliens there (unbuffed). With Blizzard the damage was 50-63 every 0.5 sec, with Laser Wand 99-121 ever 1.0 sec. Same test on BS Bandit Boys Hideout, Bear-like mobs; Blizzard damage 48-60, Laser Wand 78-116.

In conclusion, for base level mobs in AO3 and BS the DMG added by character skill and gears is enough to overrun enemies armor, so that Blizzard Stick and Laser Wand perform almost the same (maybe different figures with a real lev 50 character?). The skill damage with Laser Wand is still 10% better, so I suggest to use this weapon in preference to the Blizzard Stick even for killing base mobs.

[csb]

How do you calculate damage per second after killing mobs? Where would I find that information? In EQ i had a script that would parse the log file, but i don't know how to do it with PL.

[Tamino]

How do you calculate damage per second after killing mobs? Where would I find that information? In EQ i had a script that would parse the log file, but i don't know how to do it with PL.

Film the screen during battle. The damage is shown red over the mob's head (orange if CRIT).

[Moogerfooger]

Blizzard Sticks are useless against BS bosses. If you are unbuffed you might as well throw a tennis ball at them, and even buffed still not very effective for attacks. I exaggerate, but you get the hint.

The main disadvantage to the Blizz Stick is that its base damage is terribly low. The character's attributes do help, you are correct, plus some added damage possibly from gear, correct.

However, if you go take on a BS or Shadow Caves boss, I will take a nap while you try and solo a boss. A long nap. Not to mention the lousy base damage is made even worse when you take double-damage crit hits into account. This is where the Laser Wand blows it away in the long run with crit hits doing twice as much base damage to begin with, then doubled for crit.

The only advantages are a) a freeze proc that is slightly handly, and b) it is cheap as dirt. Completely not worth the dropoff in skill damage and especially base damage. Go buy a dang Lowman's Wand :rolleyes: they can be had for cheap, and has a Drained proc.

[WhoIsThis]

I changed my mind. I did a scientific study. I soloed Keeper zone from entrance to shadow men including killing Lorekeeper. I got the following times: (note, i'm a str/int mage)

5:20 -- Gurgox Hammer of the Rift, 194-269/1.4, with hate gear, 210 dps
6:10 -- Shadow Hax of Hate, 85-94/0.8, full set of hate gear, 210 dps
7:00 -- Blizzard Stick of Fate 55-80/0.5, Scraper's hat & robe, flushers bracer, 306 dps

I prefer the Hax of Hate. With hax I have less healing due to having the shield, and
never felt in danger of dying. The Gurgox felt unaccetably slow, but had the best
overall time. The Blizzard Stick kills mummies quick, but the Lorekeeper took *forever*,
i almost gave up and zoned out.

Gurgox Hammer of the rift is the best strength-based weapon available for bears for taking on bosses. Watch bears like Ellyidol play. You'll find that they will often use (when using strength gear) the Gurgox Hammer because it has the highest damage per hit. Shadow Hax of Hate set is pretty good for tanking, but Gurgox is better for bosses as your own numbers point out. Furthermore, if you are tanking (which you may be if you are a pally), your job is to pin the boss against the wall and hold the aggro. Gurgox Hammer seems far superior for that.

Go for whatever gets you maximum skill damage for mage when you are int gear as was pointed out. Ideally, this would be the gemstone wand and staff at level 55. Go for either the Lowman's or Mastermind's set if you are short on funds (truth be told, you should buy them and try them out anyways - they aren't expensive) and Mega Mage if you've got a lot of cash.

As has been repeatedly pointed out, don't use a blizzard stick against bosses. Against mobs, as a mage, skills like fire blast/hot flash and lightning will be the main damage dealer, even as a dual spec mage - NOT your main weapon.

[csb]

Go for whatever gets you maximum skill damage for mage when you are int gear as was pointed out. Ideally, this would be the gemstone wand and staff at level 55. Go for either the Lowman's or Mastermind's set if you are short on funds (truth be told, you should buy them and try them out anyways - they aren't expensive) and Mega Mage if you've got a lot of cash... Against mobs, as a mage, skills like fire blast/hot flash and lightning will be the main damage dealer, even as a dual spec mage - NOT your main weapon.

Can you explain "skill damage for mage"? I searched around the forums and still don't get it. I found information on DPS calculations, combos, etc. But nothing clear about skill damage.

For example, if i put all my mage stat points in dex, do i get high skill damage due to having a large amount of one stat? I would expect that having all dex would give me the same skill damage amount that birds get.

I don't need a large mana pool, because all the mana comes from M/s regen. The pool size is insignificant. This is especially true since the gcd nerf that prevents me from casting all my spells as fast as i can push the buttons.

So, unless there is a "skill damage" issue, I don't see a reason to have any int points. And, I would prefer a Gurgox Hammer/Hax/Limbchopper over the Blizzard Stick. I tried the 51+ int gear setup, and I tried 50 hate str gear. Comparing AE spell damage, I don't notice any difference in the amount of damage from AE spells when wearing int gear.

[WhoIsThis]

Can you explain "skill damage for mage"? I searched around the forums and still don't get it. I found information on DPS calculations, combos, etc. But nothing clear about skill damage.

For example, if i put all my mage stat points in dex, do i get high skill damage due to having a large amount of one stat? I would expect that having all dex would give me the same skill damage amount that birds get.


Skill damage refers to how much damage your spells (such as fire blast and lightning) do. It is affected by:

1. Distribution of skill points (int/dex/str)
2. Weapon choice
3. Other equipment choices
4. Rank of skill

Putting all your points into dex will NOT get the same amount of skill damage. Dex boosts skill damage for birds, not mages. Dex does not boost skill damage as much as int (which is why pure int has a more potent AOE).




I don't need a large mana pool, because all the mana comes from M/s regen. The pool size is insignificant. This is especially true since the gcd nerf that prevents me from casting all my spells as fast as i can push the buttons.

So, unless there is a "skill damage" issue, I don't see a reason to have any int points. And, I would prefer a Gurgox Hammer/Hax/Limbchopper over the Blizzard Stick. I tried the 51+ int gear setup, and I tried 50 hate str gear. Comparing AE spell damage, I don't notice any difference in the amount of damage from AE spells when wearing int gear.

Having additional mana reserves can be useful. It's not because of mana regen. You need extra mana reserves because when you activate mana shield, it acts like a second hp bar. Having more mana reserves means more health and more mana to cast spells. Note that many mage defensive rings boost mana.

There is indeed a skill damage issue. Int adds more points than dex, which adds more points than strength. Pure int will have the most potent AOE. It doesn't look like much on paper (if you compare the skill damage of a pally to a pure int, it doesn't seem like much), but in practice it is noticeable, especially around high armor targets.

Gurgox hammer is the best strength weapon at time of this writing for taking on bosses. There will be a difference in spell damage when wearing int gear (if you don't believe me, put on that gurgox hammer with strength gear, write down how much fire blast does, the switch to int gear and write down how much fire blast with int gear does - doesn't seem like much; in practice, switching to int will noticeably increase your effective damage).

[GrandmaBear]

My ears are still ringing from a run with a lvl 50 mage with blizzo...

[Huzurpapa]

i did a side by side test at trash heap. i used blizzard stick and the other mage used mega wand. no skills, just wand. i killed trash can 5 seconds faster. when we used skills we killed can about the same time.

i carry both. i use the blizzard stick for the freeze when one on one and the mega when a big group is about. it kind of depends on if there are powerful birds in the group or not. also if i am in a high level dungeon, or farming in the mid levels.

i haven't done formal testing, but when killing bosses i think the freeze works a bit and everyone takes less dmg.

p.s. i listen to ipod while playing. didn't even know the blizzard made annoying noise, lol

[csb]

The Blizzard Stick can be used at level 45. It's probably the best mage weapon at level 45. This is comparable to the 45 Limbchopper for tanks and 45 Trueshot for birds. All these can be purchased cheap as green or purple drops in cs, or expensive (over 100k) as pinks. I have all three as level 45 pinks :-)

Best weapons at 45:

mage: Blizzard Stick
tank: Limbchopper
bird: Trueshot Bow

[Mennddoza]

Looking at DPS and Speed of the weapon is not everything. How much Critical Damage it adds, the dodge it contributes, and the base attack it gives out. Its just like saying "why isn't daggers more credited because of it's DPS and speed?" F.Y.I. I hate daggers :)

[Ayrilana]

The Blizzard Stick can be used at level 45. It's probably the best mage weapon at level 45. This is comparable to the 45 Limbchopper for tanks and 45 Trueshot for birds. All these can be purchased cheap as green or purple drops in cs, or expensive (over 100k) as pinks. I have all three as level 45 pinks :-)

Best weapons at 45:

mage: Blizzard Stick
tank: Limbchopper
bird: Trueshot Bow

It's actually one of the worst mage weapons. Most of your damage will come from spells. Compare the skill damage with your blizzard stick and let's say a dark matter staff for example. D'Jinn wands if you wand to go that route.

[KingFu]

Here's the skill damage for each wand on a Mage, 67 dex rest int, with no gear but the wand alone equipped:

Blizzard stick of fate(50) skill damage:
http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz133/therealdavid/b7fb8bbc.png

Dreamers Mojo wand(35) skill damage:
http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz133/therealdavid/dd9d9aed.png

Burning wand of fate skill(50) damage:
http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz133/therealdavid/e57acf01.png

[Arterra]

i did a side by side test at trash heap. i used blizzard stick and the other mage used mega wand. no skills, just wand. i killed trash can 5 seconds faster. when we used skills we killed can about the same time.

i carry both. i use the blizzard stick for the freeze when one on one and the mega when a big group is about. it kind of depends on if there are powerful birds in the group or not. also if i am in a high level dungeon, or farming in the mid levels.

i haven't done formal testing, but when killing bosses i think the freeze works a bit and everyone takes less dmg.

p.s. i listen to ipod while playing. didn't even know the blizzard made annoying noise, lol

Pretty sure the cans and gold fever's chests don't have much armor. Hence, dps might be usable there.

[AnRK]

Friends don't let friends use blizz sticks.

Love that and this thread! Been slowly soloing my way up thru the 40s with my dex mage and I'm constantly on the lookout for the best wand/staff until I hit 50. Lots to think about. Saw the stats on a dropped blizz stick and wasn't impressed so sold it and have stuck with my pink bony pin or seer's rod for now until something better drops. Have a burning wand in stash until I hit 50, alas that will still take a while. Have been sticking with ao2 as alien snipers in ao3 take me down too quickly. Logically it makes sense to use a staff instead of wand for the higher damage on spells. My question concerns the sacrifice in armour when moving from wand to staff - is it worth it to lose that extra protection or does it really matter? Especially when considering soloing. Just wondering.

[Tamino]

My question concerns the sacrifice in armour when moving from wand to staff - is it worth it to lose that extra protection or does it really matter? Especially when considering soloing. Just wondering.
It depends, a good idea is to have both so you can switch at need. Wands are better not only because of bigger armor, but also because you can achieve improvements in other stat (crit%, M/s...) you get from the two items (the wand and the bracer) instead of only one.

I usually play with wand/bracer in mob clearing and switch to staff at boss, but I use staff also when the enemy level/damage is low.