Magic is utterly confusing me.

• Zeo wrote on 2011-01-10 12:48
  Ice Spear is pretty good at rank 1... Plus.. elves uses less manas than humans/giants uses for Ice spear too.
  
  Set the finishing rules to "Anyone" for ice spear, though.. make it more stronger and does more chain reaction.
  
  [video=youtube;teKRedscKrA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teKRedscKrA[/video]
• Roy Mustang wrote on 2011-01-10 16:14
  There's a big difference between Fireball and Thunder.
  
  Fireball takes time to prepare and if you get aggroed well then...forget using Fireball, it just isn't going to happen unless you have r1 barrier spikes to protect you or a pet to distract long enough to get it off.
  
  Thunder you can get off much easier at any time and CAN stack! Stacking Thunder is a very helpful strategy and can even be cased right after a wm before you even finish the animation!
  
  Icebolt is great for pushback but is generally weak. Lightning bolt is great for quick one charge damage and can be utilized for multi-aggro situations or efficient magic counter.
  
  Fireball is great, don't get me wrong, but unless you have time to cast it, you won't be able to get the most of it. Also, it's best used in orb rooms or spawns of 10+ monsters for a quick wipe out.
• Cucurbita wrote on 2011-01-10 16:46
  Thunder does get reduced damage against stronger enemies with more defense. Since it hits 5 times instead of just once, damage reduction is applied 5 times.
  
  But its not that significant.
  
  I just think unless you're stacking thunder, fireball is better against a boss fight.
• gentrone wrote on 2011-01-10 17:19
  Since we're discussing FB and Th, don't you find a little imbalanced that the only penalty in fully upgraded Phoenix Wand is a mere -6% damage? You get a whooping -40% casting time (which is a lot), compared to the -35% damage Thunder gets for a -40% mana reduction. I don't think that's well balanced, do you? Also, you can go for the 235 path, which has no damage penalty whatsoever.
• Kenero wrote on 2011-01-10 18:03
  g13 int bonus gives fireball a great boost... I mean what's greater? 20% magic bonus for a thunder that hits individually for 100~300 dmg originally or a whooping 2,400 dmg?
• Offspring wrote on 2011-01-10 19:24

  Quote from Kenero;285022:

  g13 int bonus gives fireball a great boost... I mean what's greater? 20% magic bonus for a thunder that hits individually for 100~300 dmg originally or a whooping 2,400 dmg?

  
  
  I thought thunder's damage was reduced by 20% in G13's release...?
• Kenero wrote on 2011-01-10 20:01

  Quote from Offspring;285078:

  I thought thunder's damage was reduced by 20% in G13's release...?

  
  
  All int magic is reduced by 20%. I may be wrong on my math on how to reduce it 20%, but my point I was trying to get across that because Fireball has a high max damage compared to Ice Spear and Thunder, it enjoys greater benefits. ^^;
• jking012 wrote on 2011-01-10 20:09

  Quote from Raj;284370:

  I have all three bolts, I don't know how to efficiently use them, I don't see why anyone would use Thunder when Fireball has got ... a LOT more power. I don't know if I should use Lightningbolt or Icebolt as a primary skill and I don't know if I made the right decision with a Crystal Lightning Wand.
  

  
  
  Thunder adds mp... a mages Life blood, Fireball adds int.. which is still useless until g13, plus like "Dixon" said thunder can be cast a 1-5 charges fireball can only be cast at 5.... gl rafting spending 125 mp or 150 mp.. per fireball... instead of said 50 or so....
  
  

  Quote from Offspring;285078:

  I thought thunder's damage was reduced by 20% in G13's release...?

  
  
  Correct... same thing with Fireball and icespear..
  Blaze is 25% dmg reduced
• Cryosite wrote on 2011-01-10 22:08
  g13 thunder rk1 max damage = 400 per charge. +20% dmage to that is +80 per charge. +480 damage on 5 charges. 2880 total.
  
  g13 fireball rk1 max damage = 2400. +15% to that is +360 damage. 2760 total.
  
  Lightning master > fire mastery.
  
  Fireball's advantages are the quick cast time (with upgraded phoenix wand) and area effect. Thunder's advantages are speed/flexibility to use lower charges, or greater overall damage when fully charged, and mana efficiency.
  
  Using a crystal lightning wand with thunder drastically changes the spell, and brings it close to basic bolt magic in cost, while maintaining greater damage and mana efficiency. A Phoenix fire wand does nothing to really alter fireball, just make it actually usable.
• Iyasenu wrote on 2011-01-11 00:28
  Where'd you get +20% for thunder?
  Wiki still says +15% at r1, 25% with the +10% from master title.
  
  And that's for both Thunder and Fire Mastery. (and ice mastery, but we're not talking about ice spear at this time.
• Cryosite wrote on 2011-01-11 01:46
  Last time I looked at the wiki for lightning mastery it said +20% damage at rk1. Has it been edited again?
  
  Oh. I see. this is what I get for trusting them brits.
  
  

  Quote from Cryosite;285220:

  g13 thunder rk1 max damage = 400 per charge. +15% dmage to that is +60 per charge. +360 damage on 5 charges. 2760 total.
  
  g13 fireball rk1 max damage = 2400. +15% to that is +360 damage. 2760 total.
  
  Lightning master = fire mastery.
  
  

  
  
  Point still stands, fireball does not get more out of the masteries than thunder does.