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 Post subject: Arctic Blast Druid?
PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 1:39 pm 
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Location: Reno, NV
Just curious if anyone has ever tried to build a dedicated Arctic Blast Druid.

I assume the build wouldn't be too bad, but I've never attempted it nor seen anyone else attempt it.

If anyone has, feel free to comment about it in this thread, I'm really curious to see someone's experience with the build.

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 Post subject: Re: Arctic Blast Druid?
PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 2:52 pm 

Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2009 5:51 pm
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Abominae wrote:
Just curious if anyone has ever tried to build a dedicated Arctic Blast Druid.

I assume the build wouldn't be too bad, but I've never attempted it nor seen anyone else attempt it.

If anyone has, feel free to comment about it in this thread, I'm really curious to see someone's experience with the build.


I have a 99 Wind Druid that does 73k-143k Arctic Blast with level 1 base Arctic Blast but level 45 with +Skills. It's synergies are fully maxed and level 64 with +skills. It kills good and has a long range. I would say it does okay. However Hurricane totally rapes it if you want cold damage. Level 63 Hurricane with max synergy does 31-37k and is practically passive. It hits more people because it's it surrounds your entire body and doesn't travel in a straight, very slow, very easily interruptable line like Arctic Blast does. And even though its maximum damage is less than half of my Arctic Blasts minimum damage it still hits harder unless I'm attacking 1 target for a long time like a boss.

It wouldn't be bad if the mechanics of Arctic Blast were different. Like I said it has many negative aspects of the skill itself but not the damage.

Stand in same spot while using it.
Easily interruptable
Damage doesn't make sense to me as far as numbers vs inflicted damage on monsters. (Hurricane kills better at 37k and My Sorc's Frozen Orb at 13k or 14k kills way better)
Attacks only in straight line.

With only 1 actual cold caster attack on a character it's hard to form a build out of it. I'm not sure what to tell ya.


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 Post subject: Re: Arctic Blast Druid?
PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 5:47 pm 
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I imagine the damage isn't too bad if you were to actually max it and use it in combination with passive cold pierce.

If you weren't aware, the reason the numbers don't make sense to you use because Arctic Blast suffers from the same bug Inferno does. It basically does 1/3 of the listed damage.

I was thinking the build would go something like:

20 Oak
20 Arctic Blast
20 Cyclone Armor
20 Hurricane
20 Twister or Tornado (just for a stronger Hurricane)

I assume you're Hurricane would be much stronger than a Windy's due to the fact you'd be packing a lot more passive cold pierce and it would be a bigger help on trash. Use arctic blast for stronger units and boss fights (IIRC, doesn't cause counters but also doesn't reset heal timer).

Did a quick test on Hero editor and at level 60 w/ full synergies Arctic Blast does around 100k-200k. With the 1/3 bug that's somewhere around 33k-66k which I don't think is too bad for level 60.. This is also without any +% cold skill damage on, which I think would give it a significant boost.
I do believe Frost Wind Cryptic Sword can give up to +12 Arctic Blast? If I'm reading it right, IIRC is +7-9 Arctic Blast and +33 Oskill. I'm assuming the Oskill translates into another +3. Wouldn't be bad I don't think except for the fact the maximum pierce you can obtain with it is -32%.
No other weapon really comes to mind. Course the massive +skill bonus you get from Frostwind opens up your gear for pierce items like Waterwalks, Snowclash, and Eye of Frosts without losing TOO much +skills.



I think it'd be a viable build, probably just not nearly as good as Windy's though. I might try it out when I wanna stop wasting all my time watching Bleach.

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 Post subject: Re: Arctic Blast Druid?
PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 6:42 pm 
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I think it would work very well. AB is bad vs large groups, but you have hurricane which is one of the best trashing skills, imo. My druid uses 1pt AB to kill PI bosses it deals pretty decent damage, especially when someone casts LR. I'm sure if you max it and make it the main skill it could be pretty good and the no counters is icing on the cake.

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 Post subject: Re: Arctic Blast Druid?
PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 6:50 pm 

Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2009 2:09 am
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Mrawskrad wrote:
no counters is icing on the cake.


This is what makes it good. Its damage just doesn't seem to be as good as some nice nados, but unlike nados you can sit and cast freely provided you have something in front of you occupying the boss. The interrupted attack can be a pain in the arse too.


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 Post subject: Re: Arctic Blast Druid?
PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 7:19 pm 
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my windy uses ab for pi/ss kills in hell wsk2...does well specially with merc sporting infinity...

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 Post subject: Re: Arctic Blast Druid?
PostPosted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 12:24 am 
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Just started the build. Currently level 22 with 1k-2k damage (so around 330-666 dmg per second). Definitely a weird switch of playstyles, but the more you use the skill the easier it is to handle.
I decided to make this over an Inferno Sorc because I feel Arctic Blast gets a much better skillset than Inferno does. Unlike Blaze and Inferno, Hurricane works very well with Arctic Blast and doesn't outshine it completely. Plus the higher my life, obviously the less times I'll get interrupted.
Hopefully I don't get bored with it, I imagine things will speed up a little when I get Hurricane.

Question for anyone that knows about the mechanics of Inferno and Arctic Blast. It says X damage per second; is that accurate?
IIRC there are 25 frames in a second. Does anyone know the next hit delay or how this skill applies it's damage? Very curious to know if my listed damage (after being cut to 1/3) is truly dealt over the course of 1 second.

Lots of confusing mechanics with this build, but I can see it being a decent support (errbody likes an Oak bitch) and supplemental damage build. Thinking I'll max Twister (benefits from more synergies skills I maxed than Tornado) for a way to deal with cold immunes, assuming I get that far in this build.
Btw, for you Windy druids out there, how does your 1 pt Grizzly Bear hold up? Seems like summons are very helpful to avoid being interrupted while Arctic Blasting (course, a Druids high health also helps)

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 Post subject: Re: Arctic Blast Druid?
PostPosted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 12:35 am 

Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2009 2:09 am
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Abominae wrote:
Btw, for you Windy druids out there, how does your 1 pt Grizzly Bear hold up? Seems like summons are very helpful to avoid being interrupted while Arctic Blasting (course, a Druids high health also helps)


Holds up ok on some bosses so far with my druid in HC (i was running all of a3/4/5 with a cold sorc only for the most part). Some skills that some bosses cast are too much for the grizz to handle. He can stay alive longer than the cooldown on some of the bosses (this was the case with moloch and de seis in nightmare with 1 point invested), but some other bosses he was falling apart in a couple of seconds (anya dragon IIRC was a problem wit his AB). At that point I think youll need gear to get it nice. Rlore will really give mine a boost at level 95 considering it will add 1 to druid skills and 3 to summoning skills to both my oak and grizzly over my current spirit keeper.


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 Post subject: Re: Arctic Blast Druid?
PostPosted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 12:41 am 
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no NHD in the text files so i'd guess its acurate after the 1/3.

I made a windy not long ago and found 1 point dires and grizzly extremely sturdy for a 1 point investment. Dires cooldown is low enough that you can spam them if needed. Casting grizzly on bosses is obviously risky incase oak dies right after then you have a nasty cooldown till you can summon oak again. Vs trash etc. grizzly is deff worth the point.

Keep us updated. There was a suggestion to alow arctic blast to be used in bear form (like a firestormer) that I think would benefit the build since they have to stat still for long periods of time.

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 Post subject: Re: Arctic Blast Druid?
PostPosted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 3:10 pm 

Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2009 5:51 pm
Posts: 90
I would suggest using a Doom 1 handed weapon as primary.

+425-500% Enhanced Damage
Level 12 Holy Freeze Aura when Equipped
+50% Increased Attack Speed
Prevent Monster Heal
-30% to Enemy Cold Resistance
+2 to All Skills

10% Chance to Cast Level 50 Volcano when Attacking
Requirements -25%
20% Chance of Open Wounds
15% Chance of Deadly Strike
Hit Freezes Target


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 Post subject: Re: Arctic Blast Druid?
PostPosted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 4:19 pm 

Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2009 2:09 am
Posts: 736
5speed wrote:
I would suggest using a Doom 1 handed weapon as primary.

+425-500% Enhanced Damage
Level 12 Holy Freeze Aura when Equipped
+50% Increased Attack Speed
Prevent Monster Heal
-30% to Enemy Cold Resistance
+2 to All Skills

10% Chance to Cast Level 50 Volcano when Attacking
Requirements -25%
20% Chance of Open Wounds
15% Chance of Deadly Strike
Hit Freezes Target


Not a bad idea at all, though I'm more of a fan of using Doom on an Act 5 merc coupled with medusa's shield (uber slowing and lower resist FTW) while getting a huge beefy -res weapon like frostwind or a weapon with a lot of sockets to put a lot of uber sapphires in.


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 Post subject: Re: Arctic Blast Druid?
PostPosted: Tue Jun 29, 2010 6:25 pm 
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Posts: 126
knew Zac always had a soft spot for an Ass Blaster......

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though don't have much faith in melee characters right now, with the huge CB nerf physical melee characters may as well be hitting bosses with a cardboard sword and it doesn't appear the damage boost from str has helped alleviate that.


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