S3 Wizard Team Progress

[Yelgis]

I like the Dual Hydra build. All my damage comes from Hydra and the meteors from the set. I use Wicked Wind just to proc the arcane meteor and I use Blizzard with the rune that stuns on cast and setup a macro for my 3 wizards to cycle through skills so one is always casting Blizzard while the others are using different skills.

This allows me to stunlock most things at range. Only some elites and rift bosses can't be stunlocked by this. For that I run Nova and Shield Glare on my team in round robin to lock them down. I am still in the process of finalizing my CDR gear on the sader to get able to keep a proper round robin going.

Other skills might be better clearing T6, but the damage of Hydra can't be touched. I am only using non-ancient Sparkers between 2100-2300 dps. All three characters are at the 2.5 attacks/sec BP on hydra because of the Sader running Laws of Valor. That is 2.5 Hydra attacks/second and the Hydras on my main do around 60 million dmg/tick. With them attacking 2.5 times a second and having two of them out, the damage is pretty crazy.

[Cmoidudu]

I would gladly use Wicked Wind too but since I'm non-season I don't have the pull-stuff-bracers. Also the cost (35 Arcane Power) is a little expensive IMHO since you need to cast Blizzard too for another 40 Arcane Power...

I tried to switch my set of random ancient weapons for a set of non-ancient sparkers (I have 4 of them). Theorycrafting shows that it's a decrease in Meteor damage (obviously), an increase in Hydra damage (obviously), but overall DPS should be higher with the non-ancient sparkers...

However theorycrafting and testing are 2 different things. I like the setup with ancient weapons better: it's hard to have all 8 Hydras to do their job at the same time, because some of them might be blocked by obstacles, etc. when in the meantime Meteors are computer-generated so they don't fail (unless the target is already dead).

Of course, a set of ancient sparkers would do well, but I don't have that yet

[Devile]

Finally got my last F&R on Season 3. Tried a GR42 for kicks and finished it very fast. Upgraded key to 46 and this is what I got on first try ... didn't have any higher keys:



Granted, it was the perfect rift with good density and red zombies, but even then, I'm pretty sure I can push it a little higher without problem. Frost Hydra + Black Hole + Slowtime + Paralysis gives me all the CC I need. Even the RG slows down drastically.

I round robin Black Hole in just 2 wizards. Every time I cast a Black Hole it will cast Energy Twister Wicked Wind and Slow Time (if available ... need to get Ancient Gesture of Orpheus) which will pull almost all screen to my Black Hole and the bubble (if not on cooldown), all locked in place for my meteors. That pretty much gives me the Strongarm, Cold Blooded, Bane of the trapped and Slow time debuffs on every cast ready for my meteors to strike on all mobs. Wizard #2 uses a Crown of the Primus so I have all runes for Slow Time. With a Diamond on Helm and a Gesture of Orpheus I can spam those bubbles and make it even more efficient and safe.

Profiles dont seem to be updating at all, but anyway:

http://us.battle.net/d3/en/profile/D.../hero/60277963
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/profile/B.../hero/60278009
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/profile/T.../hero/60278185
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/profile/F.../hero/60278330

Blizzard Apocalypse is very nice to cover large areas, but I don't think it will be enough for GR50+. For now is fun and I can play ranged from VERY far away without much risk. Right now this build will let me farm pretty fast.

[Yelgis]

Nice job Deville and yes you got a great rift heh. Grats on 46.

[Devile]

Ty Btw, have u tested Frozen Solid round robin to stun lock elites and RG? Isn't there any timing that works on them? I will switch to Mammoth Hydra and Blizzard Frozen Solid after I hit 500 or so to push 50s. Until then, I'll just work on my gear to be able to do fast GR40 for exp/shards.

[Yelgis]

You need to have 53.5% CDR or more on 4 wizards to do a stunlock with nova. I swapped to a Sader to alleviate that gearing requirement. A full CDR geared Sader with Fervor and Towering Shield Passives have a 1.96 second cooldown on Shield Glare. So my plan is to do a round robin with Sader and 3 wizards.

The wizards only need 20% cdr with Cold Snap to have a 6 second cooldown. The rotation would be Glare -> Wiz 1 Nova -> Glare -> Wiz 2 Nova -> Glare -> Wiz 3 Nova and then repeat.

Since Cold Snap last .9 seconds at full resist and Glare lasts 1.2 seconds you have a 2 second period for each Glare+Nova rotation so cycling between three wizards for the rotation gives a total time of 6 seconds. Plenty of time to keep that rotation going forever.

I am missing 1% CDR on my shield and neck right now on my Sader and my leorics is only 88%. Once I get a better leorics and get Gogog leveled. I should be able to keep it up.

I need to test how the new Zodiac ring works with Glare as well. It might be possible for the Sader to keep up stunlock entirely by himself with that ring and if so, I can swap nova for Force Weapon on my Wizards and change their evocation passives to something else to pick up more damage. That would be the ideal situation. I need a Gyrfalcon's Foote to see if Zodiac still works with the spender if it is free. If so I will change weapons to that isntead of the Involiable Faith I am using currently.

[Cmoidudu]

Upgraded key to 46 and this is what I got on first try ... didn't have any higher keys

Very impressive, congratulations, specially since you are only in the early 300's of Paragon

[Devile]

You need to have 53.5% CDR or more on 4 wizards to do a stunlock with nova. I swapped to a Sader to alleviate that gearing requirement. A full CDR geared Sader with Fervor and Towering Shield Passives have a 1.96 second cooldown on Shield Glare. So my plan is to do a round robin with Sader and 3 wizards.

I really don't like the idea of being so close to elites. I rather lose permaCC but play safe a mile away, than have permaCC at melee range. With a melee char, u have no choice, but ranged chars? meh. Sure wizards can tank much more now, but I trully hate dsyncs caused by elite affixes. It's so annoying to get knocked back or feared cause u are at range of lightning or other affixes and have full team wipes. Besides, unless u initiate with teleport to be right on top of the pack FAST, sometimes they are able to cast something and that's never good. At GR50+, I'm pretty sure 1 mistake will mean 4 dead wizards since u are so close to everything.

I think using Frozen Solid in round robin + 1 wizard casting bubbles + paralysis will give me enough CC. Maybe I can even drop Gizzard gem for Zei depending on how much I'm getting hit.

Very impressive, congratulations, specially since you are only in the early 300's of Paragon

ty

[Ellay]

Really impressed it's already hit grift 46. I think it could definitely take it to the next level.
Messing around with the Wizards as well, working on not feeling so squishy still.

[Cmoidudu]

I'll be far from a keyboard during the next days, what I should have tested is :

- Have one character use Slow Time + Time Shell and then Tal Rasha amulet + Crown of the Primus + Gesture of Orpheus (like Devile did).
- Have one character use Frost Hydra(s) with Tal Rasha amulet + Frostburn gloves for the freezing thing.
- Definitely switch to Energy Armor + Force Armor for higher Greater Rifts...

Have fun guys