Curious about Blacksmithing Damage arts VS Deathblow

[Hyperius 0]

Which is better overall? I know different cases can change ones answer but what would you all say is "Usually" the better? I am level 30 on my shopper/smith Inquisitor, Gruesome/Supremacy with an emphasis on Area of Effect(magic more so than melee)

I'm still new-ish to sacred so I'm not sure if I should be throwing DB items into those sockets, straight Damage arts in or a mix. Grr Is there a general consensus here? plz lord don't tell me it's completely user taste Thanks!

[gogoblender 3,071]

Hi Hyperius

It ultimately comes down to kill speed. Uber amounts of one or the other can actually cripple your kill speed if you're looking to be competitive. When playing with other players online, I find that my uber base damage doesn't cut it, and I can't take down champs in one hit anymore.

I then console myself to a two hit maximum per any enemy on the screen when leveling via mobs, and focus on putting just the right amount of deathblow to make sure I match a champ's highest hp to my dblow damage.

 

Always works.

 

Good luck

 

 

gogo

 

P.s. don't know how good your shopper is...but at around gold levels if your shopper is REALLY good, you can beat out smith arts damage with hard phys damage rings easily...plus they come with sweet secondary mods... shop shop shop Course the smith arts give damage via anything either spell or melee...so you'd have to think out what is your most used enemy killing Combat Art and perhaps focus on bringing that up to it's max...or instead perhaps taking less damage in your main killing strategy and be happy with having a general level of an average of less high damage with no huge accent on any single damage coming from either magic or melee

[Hyperius 0]

Well, I'm much more magic oriented atm. My main combo is Clustering Maelstrom + Raving Thrust + Levin Array Anything of 4-5+ mobs everything dies including champs in silver and most things being +4 levels(orc area) atm. Even in the orc cave where I sometimes only get the 4 champ orcs if I grab all 4...they usually die or are so close one melee and they are dead. So yes, magic is my thing with melee mainly being for groups of 3 or under or bosses. Now that I think of it I think I should change my question to mean mainly Boss level mobs with VERY high HP totals etc. Maybe 2 sets of weapons(yuck lol! sometimes it takes enough time for just the dual wield to be filled out nicely lol) one with ALL damage etc for mass murder points and one with higher DB as I'm sure I could just use the high damage set till the Boss hits my % level and then swap to DB to Double KO them down? Anyhow, thanks gogo!

 

My shopper is right now at 30 fully buffed 74 Bargaining. So, about 2.5 times my level which gets me what I need atm. I know it's not the 3X people recommend but honestly I'm not sure how people get that level after about 20 if it's their FIRST shopper lol. in Gold I can see it. I have plenty of +4 all skill rings/amulets and have 2 swords waiting that have +6 all skill AND 2 slots(I have blacksmith to...so even though silver they are easy to slot) I know it can be done, mainly through pumping bargaining directly a little more but not sure I need to atm as even when I hit the shop to just sell and am sitting around 44 bargaining I still occasionally see light sabers and I believe they are rank 12 items yes? I actually find no difference when I have my full set on for 74 and when I just walk in and have 44 lol. Anyhow, I hope by gold I can have around 180 buffed for 3X level will be fun! I love shopping lol. Thanks!

[jackahole 0]

Wait, wait, wait.

 

GOGO,

 

My lvl120 blacksmith can insert a damage mod that allows for an extra 37% GOLD damage

 

You are stating that there are rings out there that compete?

 

I need to know cuz I've re-rolled a char, and am considering bargaining BUT ONLY for that reason.

[locolagarto 15]

Wait, wait, wait.

 

GOGO,

 

My lvl120 blacksmith can insert a damage mod that allows for an extra 37% GOLD damage

 

You are stating that there are rings out there that compete?

 

I need to know cuz I've re-rolled a char, and am considering bargaining BUT ONLY for that reason.

 

 

My lvl124 bargaining master can buy elemental damage rings/Amu in the 30-45% range. I don't find them all the time( maybe about as often as +10all skills) the smith art does all elements. what I buy are single and sometimes double elements.

[jackahole 0]

Hmmmm, have you ever found DROPS via Enhanced Perception that were better than what you have found via vendors?

 

I am pumping EP since starting my new Ice and Blood build since they added alot of new items (unique armors)

 

But am really focused on damage, and am doing so by using my really good blacksmith and EP drops.

 

SO.....ehhhh.....such a basic question, sorry

 

EP or Bargaining?

 

***edit***

 

The damage insert the blacksmith skill allows for is + GOLD damage, not just "elemental damage rings/Amu"

 

And since ANY build could always change due to EP finds and bargaining finds.....would gold damage be better than a specific type?

Edited October 24, 2009 by jackahole

[locolagarto 15]

Since I'm on console I can only assume your +gold damage is the same as my Blacksmith +damage%. And this only effects native damage for a Combat Art or Weapon. So if you have only phys + fire for example you are only going to boost those 2 elements. A HE that could have fire, ice, and magic would boost all 3 native damage elements. Can't really say which is better, but the +damage% only uses 1 slot to catch em all! I'll steal a line from Gogo, "it doesn't really matter which is better, it matters which one you have." And it sound like you have better black Smith arts

 

As far as EP vs. Bargaining.

 

This is a discussion with no end. Some guys like shopping for hours for those premium pieces so that they can go play for a few more hours. Others would rather just play and pick up what the find. I guess I like Bargaining for the +all skills, and EP for the uniques and legendaries. I would say I find better stuff in general with EP, but If I am looking for something in particular Bargaining is the way to go. My Bargainers never have any money cause I'm spending it at the merchants, my Ep's have boat loads of Money cause theres nothing to buy. .

[jackahole 0]

Correct, the blacksmith art insert is +gold damage (all types of damage)

 

I've never had a build (in my 1 year of playing) where I strongly focused on EP or Bargaining.......I've taken them as skills, but never got a chance to max them out (or hell even get them over 100)

 

Now, I'm really curious if I should take bargaining to get rings that are better than the blacksmith GOLD damage mod, or if EP will help (as I've already chosen EP)

[locolagarto 15]

http://forum.sacredeng.ascaron-net.com/sho...ead.php?t=56777

 

Here a link to a thread that talks about how Bargaining and EP work from a quality if item standpoint. How may hard and soft points are needed for high quality gear etc.

 

Maybe this helps