[Sorcerer] Sub-par skills?
Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2020 7:44 pm
I recently got my Sorcerer 60+ and loving the class, it's so much fun! I've mostly been playing a really fun PBAoE build (aka "Bomb build") that has been working pretty well for me (and also being really fun, being guarded is a must though).
Recently I started to check out some skills that I haven't been using, and noticed some being really sub-par.
I know many classes have skills and tactics (and morales) that could be improved upon, same goes for the Sorcerer, however these 2 skills really stood out to me as being especially sub-par. Maybe I'm missing something though.
I tested both abilities a bit on the new DPS-Golems with 100 Dark Magic and at 207.8 Damage Bonus (and 15% base crit).
https://imgur.com/a/qHR9xl6
First skill is the 13 point Destruction skill Shadow Knives [SK]:
It is very similar to Pit of Shades [PoS], but seems to be worse DPS than PoS.
SK hits every 2s, PoS hits every 1.5s. - (PoS a bit better, counting procs and more even spread of damage/time. PoS also lasts longer, costs less AP/s, and have less CD (with tactic equipped))
Both have 80 ft range and 20 ft AoE. - (Same)
SK requires a target (and follows a target), PoS is stationary. - (Different utility)
Damage-wise (with my current stats)..
SK seems to be roughly 306/2=153 DPS (non crit) and 730/2=365 DPS (crit at 100% DM)
PoS 255/1.5=170 DPS (non crit) and 630/1.5=420 DPS (crit att 100% DM)
https://imgur.com/a/OTNC8hS
..which is a pretty large difference in my eyes, especially as SK is at the highest spot for a skill (13 points) in the Destruction tree. Maybe if there were something unique to SK (like utility) it would be worth it, but right now a Sorcerer is better off using the base skill PoS which fill a similar/the same role as SK but offer more DPS.
The second skill is the 13 point Agony skill Shades of Death [SoD]:
No similar skill for the Sorcerer, the only ability for the Sorcerer doing what it does.
Places a Curse on the target for 10s that procs damage when target is hit by direct damage, maximum 5 times.
Since it is a proc, it never crits. The damage also seems to be really low, especially considering (again) that it is a 13 point skill in the Agony tree.
From my test it does a tad bit more damage than a non-crit Arctic Blast (2s cast base ability with slow if cursed), and since SoD never crits it will almost always be worse damage-wise (and it lacks utility that AB has).
In total, the skill seems to do about 131*5=655 damage, if all 5 procs proc before fading. AB meanwhile does about 605 damage (non crit)
https://imgur.com/a/jDejXch
As both of these 2 abilities offer nothing but damage, I feel like at least their damage should be considerable? They are after all 13 point abilities, yet they have lower power than basic core abilites.
Am I missing something?
Recently I started to check out some skills that I haven't been using, and noticed some being really sub-par.
I know many classes have skills and tactics (and morales) that could be improved upon, same goes for the Sorcerer, however these 2 skills really stood out to me as being especially sub-par. Maybe I'm missing something though.
I tested both abilities a bit on the new DPS-Golems with 100 Dark Magic and at 207.8 Damage Bonus (and 15% base crit).
https://imgur.com/a/qHR9xl6
First skill is the 13 point Destruction skill Shadow Knives [SK]:
It is very similar to Pit of Shades [PoS], but seems to be worse DPS than PoS.
SK hits every 2s, PoS hits every 1.5s. - (PoS a bit better, counting procs and more even spread of damage/time. PoS also lasts longer, costs less AP/s, and have less CD (with tactic equipped))
Both have 80 ft range and 20 ft AoE. - (Same)
SK requires a target (and follows a target), PoS is stationary. - (Different utility)
Damage-wise (with my current stats)..
SK seems to be roughly 306/2=153 DPS (non crit) and 730/2=365 DPS (crit at 100% DM)
PoS 255/1.5=170 DPS (non crit) and 630/1.5=420 DPS (crit att 100% DM)
https://imgur.com/a/OTNC8hS
..which is a pretty large difference in my eyes, especially as SK is at the highest spot for a skill (13 points) in the Destruction tree. Maybe if there were something unique to SK (like utility) it would be worth it, but right now a Sorcerer is better off using the base skill PoS which fill a similar/the same role as SK but offer more DPS.
The second skill is the 13 point Agony skill Shades of Death [SoD]:
No similar skill for the Sorcerer, the only ability for the Sorcerer doing what it does.
Places a Curse on the target for 10s that procs damage when target is hit by direct damage, maximum 5 times.
Since it is a proc, it never crits. The damage also seems to be really low, especially considering (again) that it is a 13 point skill in the Agony tree.
From my test it does a tad bit more damage than a non-crit Arctic Blast (2s cast base ability with slow if cursed), and since SoD never crits it will almost always be worse damage-wise (and it lacks utility that AB has).
In total, the skill seems to do about 131*5=655 damage, if all 5 procs proc before fading. AB meanwhile does about 605 damage (non crit)
https://imgur.com/a/jDejXch
As both of these 2 abilities offer nothing but damage, I feel like at least their damage should be considerable? They are after all 13 point abilities, yet they have lower power than basic core abilites.
Am I missing something?