Your thoughts on hailstorm

• Zeo wrote on 2011-01-24 01:58
  [video=youtube;ZbiDY-Y-a1w]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbiDY-Y-a1w&feature=player_embedded[/video]
• Akemii wrote on 2011-01-24 02:05
  How much MP does he have? I can't tell o -o
• radionoise wrote on 2011-01-24 02:09

  Quote from Zeo;302258:

  [video=youtube;ZbiDY-Y-a1w]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbiDY-Y-a1w&feature=player_embedded[/video]

  
  
  The skill is certainly powerful, but in Alexina the monsters have extremely fast reaction time when the server isn't completely laggy.
  
  Even in basic difficulty and at maximum range, I was not able to load the skill before getting hit unless I used a pet to stun the enemy in that same mission... The enemies in that video just stand around until load time is over, while in the aggressive AI we're experiencing in NA servers it won't go that smoothly.
• Zeo wrote on 2011-01-24 02:12
  Are you sure, Radionoise? I was be able to load the Hailstorm in SCC before the enemy started to aggro me today this afternoon.
• Akemii wrote on 2011-01-24 02:17

  Quote from radionoise;302268:

  The skill is certainly powerful, but in Alexina the monsters have extremely fast reaction time when the server isn't completely laggy.
  
  Even in basic difficulty and at maximum range, I was not able to load the skill before getting hit unless I used a pet to stun the enemy in that same mission... The enemies in that video just stand around until load time is over, while in the aggressive AI we're experiencing in NA servers it won't go that smoothly.

  
  Maybe this is a useful skill for party play? ;3
• radionoise wrote on 2011-01-24 02:28

  Quote from Zeo;302271:

  Are you sure, Radionoise? I was be able to load the Hailstorm in SCC before the enemy started to aggro me today this afternoon.

  
  
  I was ranking the skill yesterday during the less busy hours... trying to do strongs. The enemies are already running towards me in SCC not a second after I hit the Hailstorm hotkey.
• ugonna100 wrote on 2011-01-24 03:44

  Quote from radionoise;302284:

  I was ranking the skill yesterday during the less busy hours... trying to do strongs. The enemies are already running towards me in SCC not a second after I hit the Hailstorm hotkey.

  
  
  moar use for Alchemy barrier spikes *sigh*
• Akemii wrote on 2011-01-24 03:47

  Quote from ugonna100;302378:

  moar use for Alchemy barrier spikes *sigh*

  
  
  Which brings up another wonderful question! Can it go through barrier spikes? >:D
• gentrone wrote on 2011-01-24 03:50

  Quote from Pride;302388:

  Which brings up another wonderful question! Can it go through barrier spikes? >:D

  
  
  Nope.
• ugonna100 wrote on 2011-01-24 03:56

  Quote from gentrone;302395:

  Nope.

  
  
  i now despise this move.
  
  We should move on to a new topic. such as what the next advanced magic will be!?
• Tatsigi wrote on 2011-01-24 03:57

  Quote from Pride;301760:

  So I've been ranking hailstorm, so far rank D cause I don't have AP to rank it any further.
  
  So far I like it, but ionno if it's worth it.
  
  Anyone have thoughts an opinions on? I know some people will be getting it to R5 for the 5 charges, but is it worth even ranking?

  
  
  Well i have rank 3 hailstorm and rank 4 ice mastery, and I loves it. Hailstorm is not meant for aoeing as said earlier and more of a mage's boss killer skill, because it has a much better dps and does more damage to single targets than any other spell. I admit ranking this skill is not a must, but using this skill will make you much more efficient in hard and elite missions where TH, IS, and FBL will not kill the monsters and make them charge at you. Hailstorm allows you to focus high damage on one monster.
  
  Some cons of the skill is that if you plan on making good use of it, rank 5+ is a must. I absolutely fell in love with the skill at rank 5. The faster crystal loading and increased range was helpful, but the greatest thing in you finally get the ability to charge 5 crystals. The 5 charge crystals do much more damage then there 1-4 charge counterparts, and I must do some research to see if 5 charges give it a 6.5x damage multiplier like with IS and firebolt. Another con is that it doesn't ignore protection, but even without critting it still does massive damage. Having a high crit will just make you a better hailstorm user. Another bad thing is the mana cost, but it is only 10 more mp then a human fully charging IS. Also while IS gives you that 1 high damage hit to x amount of monsters, Hailstorm allows you to do the damage of 5 ISs to one or multiple monsters for only 10 mp more.
  
  While discussing the MP cost, it is being questioned if hailstorm uses less mp with more int like I posted in other post due to reading it on the jp wiki. I have just tested it myself. Without trans I had 565 int when i tested this. I went from 515mp to 395mp in a full hailstorm usage. That is 120 mp used. Then i transed and tested it again. I had 895 int in trans. The mp usage with trans went from 791 to 671. Still 120 mp....So it seemed that hailstorm isnt affected by int. And The thing on the jp wiki is wrong, but if int doesnt affect it I'm wondering why I'm using less mana than I should be. With my mana reduction set and my rank 4 ice mastery. It should be 170x.9x.85 because its .9 from mana reduction set and .85 from ice mastery. With that info I should be using 130mp. Hmm...Let me test is with my base intelligence. I have 494 base, and since according to the jp wiki its -2% per 100 int. I'll use .92 which gives me the equation 170x.9x.85x.92 and then I get 119.6 which rounds to 120... This brings me to the conclusion that hailstorm is reduced by 2% with int, but it is only your base int and that would explain why the bonus int from my enchants and trans didnt affect it. Oh look i may have found something interesting. If there are any other mages who would like to tes it be my guess, but so far i'm sticking with my conclusion that hailstorm is reduced by int but only by base int.
  
  Those are the only cons that I see, but even with them I still think hailstorm is a wonderful addition to a mage's arsenal. For example, in Golden Apple HM I usually use fireball then play dead. Fireball takes 1/5-1/4 of their hp unless it crits and takes a little bit more. Then I have to play dead because after the fireball they will all rush at me and if I get up after playing dead they still rush at me. I ran golden apple HM today and felt much more helpful because I was using hailstorm and was hitting 1.5k with 5 charges like 5 times giving me a total of around 7.5k total damage done on it allowing me to effectively kill my own monsters and keep me from being mobbed. Also this was without crit because my crit rate epic fails....
  
  Well thats just my thoughts..heres some pics I just took. O ya, I transed for the last 1 because I was trying to crit on that bear....but my 30% crit just wasnt cutting it...gotta make a crit set...
  
  

  [Image: http://i54.tinypic.com/zin4g7.jpg]

  
  

  [Image: http://i53.tinypic.com/21edgfn.png]

  
  

  [Image: http://i54.tinypic.com/29zpn2v.png]
• Tatsigi wrote on 2011-01-24 04:06

  Quote from Pride;302388:

  Which brings up another wonderful question! Can it go through barrier spikes? >:D

  
  
  Oh yes, it actually does. I was told it didn't by my japanese friend, but a alchemist put a spike in front of me in Provocation and it went through. So if you have high rank spikes switching to a cylinder putting up spikes then swtching back to hailstorm is actually feasible
• Akemii wrote on 2011-01-24 04:09

  Quote from Tatsigi;302416:

  Oh yes, it actually does. I was told it didn't by my japanese friend, but a alchemist put a spike in front of me in Provocation and it went through. So if you have high rank spikes switching to a cylinder putting up spikes then swtching back to hailstorm is actually feasible

  
  
  Ugh so many things to rank, so little AP. I use lightning bolt a lot, would you suggest ranking Lightning Mastery?
  
  It's my main attack really, since I can't mellee at all o -o
• Tatsigi wrote on 2011-01-24 04:12

  Quote from Pride;302423:

  Ugh so many things to rank, so little AP. I use lightning bolt a lot, would you suggest ranking Lightning Mastery?
  
  It's my main attack really, since I can't mellee at all o -o

  
  
  Even though, I use thunder and lightning alot. I still have rank novice lightning mastery and my lightningbolt does more now then pre-g13 lightningbolt and my thunder does the same damage, maybe a little bit more. I've only been focusing on hailstorm and ice mastery currently, but I do suggest ranking the masteries asap for the +damage and mana reduction.
• Akemii wrote on 2011-01-24 04:18

  Quote from Tatsigi;302425:

  Even though, I use thunder and lightning alot. I still have rank novice lightning mastery and my lightningbolt does more now then pre-g13 lightningbolt and my thunder does the same damage, maybe a little bit more. I've only been focusing on hailstorm and ice mastery currently, but I do suggest ranking the masteries asap for the +damage and mana reduction.

  
  
  Yeah I know. Lightning does a really nice amount. I have 6%+ from bolt mastery, thought it would reduce MP.
  
  Thing is rarely use Icebolt now, is damage decent with it at a high rank mastery?
  
  I have 10% staff, with 15% icebolt of course, and 6% from bolt mastery.