Tempest Shield
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I currently use this on my Elemental Equilibrium witch.
I'm in close quarters using/shotgunning with Fireball with Lesser Multiple Projectiles and Ice Nova with Faster Casting and cycle between those two spells. I'm just about willing to have less than 25% reserved (using Reduced Mana) for 4% extra block, and see the lightning damage as a perfect fit as it switches monster resistances to an element that I'm not using. This is the thing; I don't think it's that good even tho' it's perfect for my character. You want to use supports but the cost explodes and becomes not worth it. I wouldn't mind it being a percentage, just lower. Sometimes I think about using no multiplier cost supports like Knockback and use Fending from passive tree... Currently I just don't want to spend the passives for Unwavering Stance. |
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I used this skill for a while but determined that it was not worth using because it barely adds much block percentage. Shouldn't the block percentage go up as it levels?
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Got a 14% quality tempest shield gem and tried using it on my ice spear totem build, but with no scaling of block chance on level, it just seemed to be a waste of a huge chunk of mana (25% is high) for very little return, especially on a ranged char.
If they added an additional block % on quality or as you leveled up i may pull it out of the bank |
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Maybe slapping skills haphazardly onto a random character isn't the best use of those skills. :P
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This skill certainly can make do with less mana reservation. I'd say 15% would fit perfectly. It used to offer 10% block which's broken but 4% honestly isnt that much, like 2-3 more points and any characters investing in blocking would get it. On the offense side, high block characters (which are always melee) dont have much to improve the lightning while low block characters (which are always ranged) dont get hit often enough to justify it as a mean to deal damage.
Please pardon my bad english Last edited by rephikul#3337 on Mar 23, 2013, 4:32:57 AM
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Why in the heck does Tempest Shield NOT STAY ACTIVE when you zone to new maps? Why can't it work just like Auras??? This is more annoying than you know and is driving me to never touch this skill again.
Last edited by Wape#3508 on Mar 23, 2013, 6:02:54 PM
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"Dont forget that it goes off it you gear switch too EVEN THOUGH THERE'S ALSO A SHIELD IN THE OTHER GEAR SET. Please pardon my bad english
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Oh god the horror.
Tempest Shield deactivates when you transition because it wouldn't deal damage otherwise. It's an engine limitation. |
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First and foremost, damage of this spell is WAY WAY too low.
Especially compared to Molten Shell, which acts in a rather similar way (defensive buff causing damage to ennemies attacking the caster) Sure, Molten Shell is supposed to last some seconds. But it instantly explodes most of the time, causing 2000 damage on average with a lvl 20 gem. Tempest Shield requires you to block (can't happen more 75% of time) with about 180 damage with a lvl 20 gem. Considering a 75% block rate, we consider at best 135 damage on average ... 4% Block chance vs 1300 armor ? Consider that Tempest Shield reserves mana on top of that ? Apart from its insane visuals and 4% Block chance, which is meh, this skill is useless. This skill can't deal enough decent damage by itself to consider it viable. Many options are actually viable to render it more useful. As a buff, enhance the block chance it provides, to about 6/8%. Mana reservation could stay the same since it will mainly act as a shield enhancer. As a damage dealing skill, greatly boost its damage. Even doubling it would not even close to be enough. Could act as lightning reflect skill ? Damage which would have been suffered by the player without blocking are sent back as lightning damage. This skill definitely needs improvements because it's one of the most successful visuals in the game :) |
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Molten Shell has a tiny range. Hitting archers with Molten Shell can be quite annoying, especially the fast ones. MS does literally nothing against Elemental/Chaos Spells, and lets all Elemental/Chaos damage on Attacks through.
It is extremely powerful against Melee, without a doubt, but that's not all you face. Tempest Shield cares not for range or even source. It triggers against Melee and Ranged Attacks by default, and can easily be made to react to Spells. It will also actually prevent Elemental and Chaos damage. That 180 damage is assuming you have zero support for it, which is... Quite unlikely. Iron Will is free damage, and I rather hope you pick up at least some Elemental, Spell and/or Lightning damage. If you don't, well, maybe that's the reason the damage sucks. It can also act as a powerful, passive Shock spreader: Elemental Proliferation combined with Static Blows and/or Crits. "This skill can't deal enough decent damage by itself to consider it viable." Which is entirely sensible. If Tempest Shield alone would clear maps, botting would be hilariously easy. Last edited by Vipermagi#0984 on Mar 24, 2013, 1:26:46 PM
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