Mystic Stormite Versus Arrant Pyromancer

[Hooyaah 2,823]

I have done well building a High Elf mage using Mystic Stormite Lore & Focus and have progressed through the Niobum level, completing the main quest successfully with no resurrections. I started a new toon, using Arrant Pyromancer Lore & Focus, but wondered about the seeming lack of the armor protection boost when not using the Crystal Skin buff. Adding power to the buff by reading runes slows down the regen of all other combat arts but Mystic Stormite. Incandescent Skin doesn't seem to offer the protection, although toasting ones opponent does seem much more fun. I'd be happy to share the chosen skills of my previous H.E. build; although she only carried a weapon for the attributes it had and the sockets that were convenient, especially the Officer's Saber. (I would occasionaly hit an opponent, but merely by accident) So then, what's a good Arrant Pyromancer build, one that is well protected to the bitter end?

[wolfie2kX 528]

The idea behind a pyro high elf - you turn the enemies into crispy critters before they can do anything bad to you... In conjunction to that philosophy, there's the Incandescent Skin buff. Modded correctly, that should offer you enough protection to get through most fights. Blazing Tempest needs to be spammable. Few enemies can withstand that kind of punishment for very long - even those with fire proof undies..

 

There should be a number of posts in this forum section that have good Pyro elf builds... Also, check out Locolagarto's posts about his Piromante build.

[chattius 2,526]

Try to have armour resistances in all 5 damage types to prevent peak damages.

The pyro elf is a runner:

You should use expulse magic to block most spells and run to avoid melee while sending out rings of fire.

[Flix 5,116]

I think the Stormite is more durable due to her buffs but either type built properly can annhiliate anything quickly enough that she won't be in serious danger.

My Pyromancer skills turned out like this:

 

Concentration

Arrant Pyromancer Lore

Armor Lore

Arrant Pyromancer Focus

Delphic Arcania Focus

Ancient Magic

Constitution

Combat Discipline (not really neccessary, can replace with Bargaining)

Spell Resistance

Delphic Arcania Lore

[Hooyaah 2,823]

 

This is totally wicked! How does his toon take all of those hitpoints without any noticable loss of health points?

 

 

[wolfie2kX 528]

The answer to your question is in the post I linked to above.

[Augmint 109]

Build I use - fallen angel

Skills - Pyro Lore and focus, Delphic Lore and focus

Concentration, Sheild Lore

Armour, Constitution, ancient magic, Bargaining - could swap with something else

 

For mobs use Blazing tempest combined with shadow step explosion mod - lets burn damage kick in. Magic coup on any survivors.

Bosses - Magic coup or meteors, expulse for defence

 

Early game - run speed is handy, and eat alot of G. I runes for regen & wear a belt with HP bonus

Defence - Sheild Lore, fire skin reflect - use a BUFF suit, NIOB smith runes - armour, Robe of innocence (all channel armour), Life energy mod on Grand invigoration ( HP regen).

Great fun. Regen is never a problem, mobs die quickly, and shadow step complements BT.

[Hooyaah 2,823]

The answer to your question is in the post I linked to above.

Yes, I know, my question was more of a shocked, rhetorical one, thanks for the link, it is a well thought out and detailed accounting of what Loco did and why.

[Aegis 256]

I can tell you as one who normally likes defense over offence, I prefer the pyro elf over the ice elf. Her ability to kill things en masse is something to behold. Even when you have to risk being up close and personal while boss killing, it's just more fun to watch her drop a meteor shower on someone's head, especially given the amount of damage it does with just a few runes. Also, the armor set for the pyro elf is much easier on the eyes than the ice elf.

[Hooyaah 2,823]

I'm going for a build like that now, but I have six runes memorized on each CA, Ancestral Fireball, Incendiary Shower, and Blazing Tempest. When you mentioned a "few" runes I hope that more than three is OK.

[Aegis 256]

I don't even have six for BT or IS. I think they have three runes memorized, possibly four, and she's at platinum. I also don't have pyro focus at mastery, I'd say 25 to 30 points off the top of my head, thus her damage has been coming from pyro lore, ancient magic, and to a little extent, combat discipline.

[chattius 2,526]

Don't care about the runes you read. It depends on how long you want to play with the character: silver, gold, platin, niob.

 

You can either read runes and use 'chance to halve regeneration times' to counter it

or

socket +ca-level equipment

 

I noticed that end gold/ early platin there is a break even point for my dragon mages. You need as many sockets to reach 100% chance for half regeneration as you would need to socket the ca-levels you have read.

Climbing in level the 5% chance in silver reaches 15% in niob per amulet. My daughter played even silver with a 100% chance for half regeneration

[Hooyaah 2,823]

I started my build over and she's already at level 50. I am keeping the regen time for CAs to well under 2 seconds. Plus All Skills, Stamina, etc., really help with doing so. It's still rather fuzzy at what level Loco added more runes to Incandescent Skin and just how many. AF seems to be more needy for runes than BT and IS; I only add runes when the regen time is under 1.3 seconds when mounted on the Wind Serpent and both buffs are active. I intend to play through the Niob level. Still, it would be good to know when to add more buff runes for Incandescent Skin, rather than the CAs. Loco's build model is quite the devastating toon, indeed.

[Aegis 256]

Loco's build relied on buff suits, so while he ate grand invigoration to his heart's content, he only ate one rune for incandescent skin till he brought arrant pyromancer focus to mastery.

[Hooyaah 2,823]

Ah, well his post indicated more at level 45, but I could have misunderstood. I have only read three at level 52, but I still have fast regen time of the three CAs. I believe that Loco indicated that he stacked his armor with IS runes at Niob. Still I wonder what his limit was for IS runes used at that level.

[Aegis 256]

Well, the guide actually said 'late game' as opposed to leaving to mastery. Still, the point stands that he kept IS at only 1 rune for much of the game, and likely didn't start eating more till platinum or mayhap close to level 70 or so. For you, level 52 is still 'early game'. Also, the level 45 refers to the level he could start socketing niob runes for buff suits. It is not saying he would eat runes at level 45. But really, you just need to keep your regens low and not go crazy trying to eat runes to level, especially when you will end up with armor pieces that will have IS built into them.

Edited September 30, 2013 by Aegis

[Hooyaah 2,823]

Thanks for the advice, it makes more sense to me now.