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Howdy,
I'm training up a WM for the first time and have a few general questions:
1. Summoning: I've hit 100 ranks but all I've been doing so far is admit/impede while sitting around outside combat. I've noticed that Pathways teach decent in combat, but I'm not sure how to incorporate them into my routine to maximize their use for training and hunting. Any suggestions?
2. Another summoning question, what are your general strategies for managing e-charge? Should I go into the fields with a full pool, try to use TM spells that boost e-charge while hunting, etc.?
3. What are some must-have spells for a newer WM? I'm currently circle 20. I'm Air aligned, but not married to it. I've been using GZ to train TM and sometimes FB. I've also been using ANC for Debil, but am working to get Tingle so I can hunt weapon-carrying critters more easily.
4. I love the idea of the Elemental weapons. Is this something I should sit on for awhile, or can I make good use of them early on?
Thanks,
GENT
<<1. Summoning: I've hit 100 ranks but all I've been doing so far is admit/impede while sitting around outside combat. I've noticed that Pathways teach decent in combat, but I'm not sure how to incorporate them into my routine to maximize their use for training and hunting. Any suggestions?
I start a pathway that's the same as my elemental alignment right before casting any TM spell and then stopping it right after. I also add a check to make sure I don't drop below 6/12 or so charge, so I tend to sit around that level. This lets me lock Summoning easily enough and keep a reserve of charge for elemental weapons.
<<2. Another summoning question, what are your general strategies for managing e-charge? Should I go into the fields with a full pool, try to use TM spells that boost e-charge while hunting, etc.?
I usually try to go in with full charge to give myself a window of opportunity where every TM spell is pathway enhanced before the above strategy starts to do it slightly less frequently. This lets me quickly build up a good base of Summoning experience right from the outset before it levels off on its way to a slower mindlock. As for maintaining and build charge, I make sure my alignment is the same as the spells I cast most frequently. I.e. TM and debil. The element of your buffs is of much less concern since they're usually only recast at most every 10 minutes.
<<4. I love the idea of the Elemental weapons. Is this something I should sit on for awhile, or can I make good use of them early on?
I too love elemental weapons, and built my character and hunting style right from circle 1 entirely around their exclusive use with good effect. I also use mundane missile weapons in order to train every single weapon. In order to do this, however, I found I needed to align to Earth or the costs were too prohibitive at early level. Because of this, I chose Stone Strike and Anther's Call as my main TM and Debil spells. I didn't worry about using all the air buffs, since they only need to be cast once every 10 minutes at the most so I incorporated those in without worry. As for pathways, there isn't an earth one until pathway power, so just don't use the air based pathway quickness and you'll be fine until then.
You might be able to get away with aligning to something other than air as long as you don't switch out weapons a lot. The main reason I went with Earth is because I like to switch weapons before locking in order to keep them all moving as much as possible. If you were limiting yourself to fewer weapons and switching less frequently then I could see this being more viable. The most important part is making sure that most of your casts match up with your aligned element. I can't imagine frequent elemental weapon use being viable aligned to Air, even if using almost exclusively air spells. Four times the charge cost compared to being aligned to earth is a hefty amount of charge per weapon.
All this changes once you are able to alter your opposition element to whatever you want of course. Any elemental alignment would become viable then.
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I start a pathway that's the same as my elemental alignment right before casting any TM spell and then stopping it right after. I also add a check to make sure I don't drop below 6/12 or so charge, so I tend to sit around that level. This lets me lock Summoning easily enough and keep a reserve of charge for elemental weapons.
<<2. Another summoning question, what are your general strategies for managing e-charge? Should I go into the fields with a full pool, try to use TM spells that boost e-charge while hunting, etc.?
I usually try to go in with full charge to give myself a window of opportunity where every TM spell is pathway enhanced before the above strategy starts to do it slightly less frequently. This lets me quickly build up a good base of Summoning experience right from the outset before it levels off on its way to a slower mindlock. As for maintaining and build charge, I make sure my alignment is the same as the spells I cast most frequently. I.e. TM and debil. The element of your buffs is of much less concern since they're usually only recast at most every 10 minutes.
<<4. I love the idea of the Elemental weapons. Is this something I should sit on for awhile, or can I make good use of them early on?
I too love elemental weapons, and built my character and hunting style right from circle 1 entirely around their exclusive use with good effect. I also use mundane missile weapons in order to train every single weapon. In order to do this, however, I found I needed to align to Earth or the costs were too prohibitive at early level. Because of this, I chose Stone Strike and Anther's Call as my main TM and Debil spells. I didn't worry about using all the air buffs, since they only need to be cast once every 10 minutes at the most so I incorporated those in without worry. As for pathways, there isn't an earth one until pathway power, so just don't use the air based pathway quickness and you'll be fine until then.
You might be able to get away with aligning to something other than air as long as you don't switch out weapons a lot. The main reason I went with Earth is because I like to switch weapons before locking in order to keep them all moving as much as possible. If you were limiting yourself to fewer weapons and switching less frequently then I could see this being more viable. The most important part is making sure that most of your casts match up with your aligned element. I can't imagine frequent elemental weapon use being viable aligned to Air, even if using almost exclusively air spells. Four times the charge cost compared to being aligned to earth is a hefty amount of charge per weapon.
All this changes once you are able to alter your opposition element to whatever you want of course. Any elemental alignment would become viable then.
Elanthipedia - https://elanthipedia.play.net/mediawiki/index.php/Main_Page
Epedia Admins - https://elanthipedia.play.net/mediawiki/index.php/Elanthipedia:Administrators
I'm useless for elemental weapons (didn't appeal to me + mostly run low level characters for poking guild things).
But for elemental charge I've always just aligned to the element I'm going to cast multiple times in combat, and then run pathways 24x7. Won't really work if you want to use elemental weapons, but it's brute simple.
As far as low level WM spells, I consider zephyr and SW pretty mandatory; one of the biggest limiting factors for low level characters is stamina. Zephyr's boon effectively gives you a huge stat increase.
And the so-obvious-you-probably-already-have-it ES. Only real option for warding unless you learn a scroll spell.
I also like sure footing, great buff. Even if it's anti-aligned for you, casting it once and 3-4 air spells once will be fine.
Debilitation...is kind of a mixed bag. Best bet is basically ice patch, I think. It works in almost any room, indoors or out, on almost any critter. The other options have a lot more restrictions, some are AoE and quite powerful. Tingle I'd probably skip honestly. Critters with weapons either A) grab them up instantly anyway, or B) are more powerful without them. Plus the hassle of having to tingle every single critter of the 10,000 you'll be fighting...blech. Even with a script, blech.
But for elemental charge I've always just aligned to the element I'm going to cast multiple times in combat, and then run pathways 24x7. Won't really work if you want to use elemental weapons, but it's brute simple.
As far as low level WM spells, I consider zephyr and SW pretty mandatory; one of the biggest limiting factors for low level characters is stamina. Zephyr's boon effectively gives you a huge stat increase.
And the so-obvious-you-probably-already-have-it ES. Only real option for warding unless you learn a scroll spell.
I also like sure footing, great buff. Even if it's anti-aligned for you, casting it once and 3-4 air spells once will be fine.
Debilitation...is kind of a mixed bag. Best bet is basically ice patch, I think. It works in almost any room, indoors or out, on almost any critter. The other options have a lot more restrictions, some are AoE and quite powerful. Tingle I'd probably skip honestly. Critters with weapons either A) grab them up instantly anyway, or B) are more powerful without them. Plus the hassle of having to tingle every single critter of the 10,000 you'll be fighting...blech. Even with a script, blech.
Ice patch is actually terrible. So many creatures are simply immune to it. If it has more than 2 legs, crawls on it's belly, is immune to stuns, has any connection to "cold", is immune to elements ice patch simply fails and does not teach at all. This includes things like warklins, malchata, celps, eels, vipers, angiswaerd, unyns, and more. It's garbage. I think anther's call works pretty well. I use thunderclap all day long, but if you hunt in any justice zones it's bad. Swains being an example where you go to jail. Tremor is nice. Frost bite surprisingly has fewer issues than ice patch. But these all are bad ideas in justice.
I would not start/stop pathways. There is a substantial flat cost to starting pathways. If you start/stop with each spell, you'll burn through charge faster than just letting it rid. There is a 10 second timer on gaining charge from spells, just as an fyi. If you're able to summon domains, that's a good idea. It doubles the charge bonus from spells.
As for weapons, it takes me about 10 spell casts to summon a weapon. You can always stop your pathway while you build up some charge to summon/adjust your weapon. At 700 summoning I can shockwave, thunderclap, prep ab, summon admit, stand, and cast to get an extra boost in charge, but even then it's pretty tight for me. Basically, I don't think it's possible to summon admit in combat as a general rule.
As a WM, you are always going to be slowed down by your defenses, so I consider SW/SuF/AEG to be mandatory. You get massive bonuses to all your defensive skills and stats with that set up.
For TM, I run ring of spears all day long. Cyclic TM is going to be removed eventually because they don't like passive xp, but it's nice for now. For warding, I use symbiosis discern with MAF. Debilitation I run thunderclap. If I have to go to justice, I'll just switch to vertigo. I'm wind aligned so this shapes my spells. I use AB for utility. Even though I cast air spells every 30 seconds, I cannot keep pathway quick up all the time. You might be able to keep your pathway up if you cast TM spells closer to the 10 second timer. Air lash is great for that. Air lash + pathway quick + faster targetting gets you a cast time of about 5-6 seconds so you can get the charge every other spell.
Final word, as soon as you're able, set your opposing element to electricity. Never get any electrical spells. They're all awful.
I would not start/stop pathways. There is a substantial flat cost to starting pathways. If you start/stop with each spell, you'll burn through charge faster than just letting it rid. There is a 10 second timer on gaining charge from spells, just as an fyi. If you're able to summon domains, that's a good idea. It doubles the charge bonus from spells.
As for weapons, it takes me about 10 spell casts to summon a weapon. You can always stop your pathway while you build up some charge to summon/adjust your weapon. At 700 summoning I can shockwave, thunderclap, prep ab, summon admit, stand, and cast to get an extra boost in charge, but even then it's pretty tight for me. Basically, I don't think it's possible to summon admit in combat as a general rule.
As a WM, you are always going to be slowed down by your defenses, so I consider SW/SuF/AEG to be mandatory. You get massive bonuses to all your defensive skills and stats with that set up.
For TM, I run ring of spears all day long. Cyclic TM is going to be removed eventually because they don't like passive xp, but it's nice for now. For warding, I use symbiosis discern with MAF. Debilitation I run thunderclap. If I have to go to justice, I'll just switch to vertigo. I'm wind aligned so this shapes my spells. I use AB for utility. Even though I cast air spells every 30 seconds, I cannot keep pathway quick up all the time. You might be able to keep your pathway up if you cast TM spells closer to the 10 second timer. Air lash is great for that. Air lash + pathway quick + faster targetting gets you a cast time of about 5-6 seconds so you can get the charge every other spell.
Final word, as soon as you're able, set your opposing element to electricity. Never get any electrical spells. They're all awful.
>To build off of what was said earlier, I do think ALA, Zephyr, SW is an excellent choice for the first three spells. At that point you'll get elementalism which will open up any number of disablers.
Just FYI, getting only ALA, zephyr, and SW will put you at 5th (ALA:1, Zephyr:1, SW:3), and elementalism is 8th.
That said, it gives you TM, utility, and augmentation. Pick up ES at 6th and that's warding. Then I usually just ride it out till 8 and get some debilitator.
Just FYI, getting only ALA, zephyr, and SW will put you at 5th (ALA:1, Zephyr:1, SW:3), and elementalism is 8th.
That said, it gives you TM, utility, and augmentation. Pick up ES at 6th and that's warding. Then I usually just ride it out till 8 and get some debilitator.
Another very good way to lock up your summoning. Align to your element. Summon admit till its full. Start pathway damage, which I think you get at 4th circle when you complete your first quest. Then go do a power walk till you lock Attunement skill. You will generally find you have also locked summoning during the same time frame. Till higher skill levels of course and it takes longer to lock it. Running pathway damage and doing most anything else will train your summoning skill pretty well.
Ranger Pfanston and his soggy pup.
i just tried this approach..
Aligned to Fire
Full Admittance
Pathway Damage:
when attunement locked at 629 due to the power walking
Summoning at 550 was at thinking, never rose above that state during the power walk.
just a data point
Rehlyn
A Maelshyvean shadow beast slows long enough to deeply inhale some of the swirling shadows surrounding it. After a moment, it sighs with great releif and blackness oozes from its ears and nostrils.
Aligned to Fire
Full Admittance
Pathway Damage:
when attunement locked at 629 due to the power walking
Summoning at 550 was at thinking, never rose above that state during the power walk.
just a data point
Rehlyn
A Maelshyvean shadow beast slows long enough to deeply inhale some of the swirling shadows surrounding it. After a moment, it sighs with great releif and blackness oozes from its ears and nostrils.
That procedure's going to work a lot better for mages with lower summoning.
Try using one of the Pathways you get later if you're training that way - they will burn through your Charge faster and teach more. You can also throw in a Summon Weapon every couple of minutes for a nice little mindstate bump. Whether you lock depends on a lot of things - length of your power walk, which pathway you use, how much summoning you have, etc. At your ranks you probably won't.
Mazrian
Try using one of the Pathways you get later if you're training that way - they will burn through your Charge faster and teach more. You can also throw in a Summon Weapon every couple of minutes for a nice little mindstate bump. Whether you lock depends on a lot of things - length of your power walk, which pathway you use, how much summoning you have, etc. At your ranks you probably won't.
Mazrian
Oh I understand, I don't use this for training summoning.
Tried it so as to find out where it trails off. Quite frankly I was surprised it even got to thinking.
Rehlyn
A Maelshyvean shadow beast slows long enough to deeply inhale some of the swirling shadows surrounding it. After a moment, it sighs with great relief and blackness oozes from its ears and nostrils.
Tried it so as to find out where it trails off. Quite frankly I was surprised it even got to thinking.
Rehlyn
A Maelshyvean shadow beast slows long enough to deeply inhale some of the swirling shadows surrounding it. After a moment, it sighs with great relief and blackness oozes from its ears and nostrils.
