I'am up to the Belial fight in Nightmare mode and seem to be really struggling.
I've bulked up on Int. thinking my dps will go through the roof but that doesnt seem to be the case.
I watched the fight on Youtube and the guy in that had similar Int. but his dps was roughly the same as mine but with half the Int.
A mate of mine has a little more Int. than me but has double the dps.
These guys are all around the level 43 mark same as me So I'am really lost to where I've fallen down.
I have 1237 Int. with dps at 1365.
My other stats are :
Strength 50
Dex. 353
Vit. 150
Armor 801
So the only thing I'am seeing a difference with is Vitality but I've purposely kept that low for Energy armor/Force armor when it comes time to get it.
From what I've read on other forums its the way to go but I'am starting to think maybe I've gotten that part wrong.
I chose to have a lot of health regen in my gear as well and use Galvanising Ward with Storm Armor/Power of the Storm so I dont struggle there.
By increasing my Vitality for now will that increase my dps?
I dont know what other stats to look at to see where I'am going wrong.
In theory my dps should be a ton more.
Thanks for any help.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Even in the heart of Heaven angels can still feel fear...
I just cleared nightmare Belial earlier today with my Wiz so I can see where you're coming from.
If you're at 43 currently, Force armour is a loooong way away. Almost none of the gear you're using now will still be with you at lvl 57, so I wouldn't worry about working towards FA. Find a setup that works for you now and stick with that. You're making things very tough for yourself by building your wizard around a skill you don't have yet.
What defensive skills are you using currently? Diamond Skin (With Crystal Shell) is an absolute bacon-saver in tough fights. If you can trigger it just before a fist slam or a meteor, you should be able to walk through it unscathed.
Don't be afraid to sacrifice a bit of dps for life, at least temporarily. I swapped over a few pieces of high-int gear for high-vit during this fight and the extra 1000hp made all the difference.
Int helps multiply your damage, but if you're multiplying a low base number, it's going to take a lot more work to get to the same amount.
Edit: Also, if you're finding your damage really lacking like you mention, that might be to do with a weak weapon. If you've got some spare gold, check the auction house for a weapon with 100+ damage.
Thanks guys great advice, I'am actually using a spear and shield for my weps, the spear has +5-13 damage, 50 dex, 152 int and a +13-26 red gem, the shield has +6-13 damage, 51 dex, 94 int, regen 6 life per second and a yellow +26 int. gem so I assumed that was fine to use.
I have no trouble with phase 1 and 2 its phase 3 I'am struggling with.
All my gear is yellows, no blues, so yeah I didnt think I had crap stuff just maybe not the right stuff.
Diamond Skin with Crystal Shell is what I use so with that, Galvanising Ward with Storm Armor/Power of the Storm and Magic Weapon with Force Weapon I thought I had it worked out.
I use Disintergrate so attack speed wouldnt really be beneficial I dont think.
It just blows me away how my int. is so high but my dps is so low.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Even in the heart of Heaven angels can still feel fear...
I'am up to the Belial fight in Nightmare mode and seem to be really struggling.
I've bulked up on Int. thinking my dps will go through the roof but that doesnt seem to be the case.
I watched the fight on Youtube and the guy in that had similar Int. but his dps was roughly the same as mine but with half the Int.
A mate of mine has a little more Int. than me but has double the dps.
These guys are all around the level 43 mark same as me So I'am really lost to where I've fallen down.
I have 1237 Int. with dps at 1365.
My other stats are :
Strength 50
Dex. 353
Vit. 150
Armor 801
So the only thing I'am seeing a difference with is Vitality but I've purposely kept that low for Energy armor/Force armor when it comes time to get it.
From what I've read on other forums its the way to go but I'am starting to think maybe I've gotten that part wrong.
I chose to have a lot of health regen in my gear as well and use Galvanising Ward with Storm Armor/Power of the Storm so I dont struggle there.
By increasing my Vitality for now will that increase my dps?
I dont know what other stats to look at to see where I'am going wrong.
In theory my dps should be a ton more.
Thanks for any help.
Weapon damage on the mainhand is essential... Int helps but the biggest jump you will get is by equipping a really nice MH weapon.
One other comment... Force armour has been nerfed... Just letting you know before you go too far down that path.
Good luck. I personally think Belial is one of the hardest bosses for a wizard.
Familiar + Spark Flint is a good way to up your damage a bit, but you may have to sacrifice a defensive slot.
Blue gear can still be really helpful. Both of my rings are blues and together they give me about 1.5k extra life and 400 extra damage.
I assume you're using the templar as your follower (a finer meat-shield there never will be). If you train him in all the healing/regeneration related skills, he can do a pretty good job keeping you alive.
Really though, most of your damage is going to come down to your weapon. Int improves your damage by increasing the percentage it's multiplied by. If you're multiplying a small number, you're going to have to work much harder to get substantial increases.
When you first open up the auction house, it will send you a page of recommended items depending on which piece of your gear is the least appropriate for your level. I would wager that once you open the AH, it will show you a page of weapons.
Oh, and while you're fighting 1 on 1 with a big boss, you'll have a much easier time with Ray of Frost + Snow Blast as opposed to Disintegrate.
I love Disintegrate for groups. Love it. But when there's only one target, RoF is handy since it hits MUCH harder.
Well I got him down at last, I did use Ray of Frost with SB, didnt look like it was doing much but it must have worked
Stuck to the edges for the aoe then hid up with my hydra on the top right corner and gave it to him.
What weapon stats should I be looking at?
And, also, what weapon?
Int. I know, attack speed I'am unsure about because I will go back to Disintergrate so I guess its +damage and red gems?
Again, I dont think what I'am using is too bad.
And strength, I dont need it, but a lot of weps and gear have it in there.
Do I just ignore it if the other stats are better than what I have?
When I do open the auction house the first 15 pages are all the same thing, rings.
I swapped my int. ones over for less int. and more vit., overall I changed 4 pieces of armor and went from 3199 health to 7139, 349 vit. now for the sake of losing just over 100 int.
But my dps didnt increase, well it did because I could stay alive longer to do it, but from a number point of view not much changed.
Still trying to figure out what the misisng link is between my int. pool and dps.
Ok, I did add a little +damage in gems and attack speed on some items and yes it made a difference.
Wont go and buy new stuff just yet but next lot of upgrades will incorporate these.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Even in the heart of Heaven angels can still feel fear...
The three easiest ways to substantially increase your dps:
1. Weapon. Pay attention to the dmg listed on the weapon. Having +INT on it is nice as well, but focus more on the actual dmg. This is your most important piece of gear, so don't skimp on this. Shell out the big bucks on the AH for a good one.
2. Magic Weapon with Force Weapon rune. Takes a skill slot, but gives a substantial increase do your dmg.
3. Glass cannon. I personally don't run with this, but if you're willing to sacrifice survivability, you'll notice a hefty dmg increase.
Beyond those three things, its all about stacking INT and VIT, and in some cases attack speed.
What you need to know about attack speed is that it does increase your dmg indirectly. Hydras will shoot faster and disintegrate will tick faster, for example. However, it can also be a bad thing because it can rapidly deplete your AP (such as with disintegrate). Spammable spells and damage-over-time spells benefit the most from attack speed. Hydra, ray of frost, disintegrate, blizzard, and all of your signature spells are good examples. Harder hiting, AP-expensive spells such as arcane orb and meteor are much less ideal for attack speed.
Thanks guys its all making a lot more sense now and I seem to be melting things again which is a good sign.
Before I go buy a new weapon though there seems to be the argument over using a 2 handed weapon compared to a one hander and off hand.
A slow 2 hander with lots of damage is one option people say, the other is go with a quicker one hand and off hand for better stats.
A lot of 2 handers have strength in them, I dont need it, so just ignore it for the other more useful stats right?
So which is the preferred way to go?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Even in the heart of Heaven angels can still feel fear...
Thanks guys its all making a lot more sense now and I seem to be melting things again which is a good sign.
Before I go buy a new weapon though there seems to be the argument over using a 2 handed weapon compared to a one hander and off hand.
A slow 2 hander with lots of damage is one option people say, the other is go with a quicker one hand and off hand for better stats.
A lot of 2 handers have strength in them, I dont need it, so just ignore it for the other more useful stats right?
So which is the preferred way to go?
I used to use 2H weps on my wizard, i started using an offhand and 1H wep and wont ever go back, so try out a 1H with offhand. Also thanks for the posts, they really helped.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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I'am up to the Belial fight in Nightmare mode and seem to be really struggling.
I've bulked up on Int. thinking my dps will go through the roof but that doesnt seem to be the case.
I watched the fight on Youtube and the guy in that had similar Int. but his dps was roughly the same as mine but with half the Int.
A mate of mine has a little more Int. than me but has double the dps.
These guys are all around the level 43 mark same as me So I'am really lost to where I've fallen down.
I have 1237 Int. with dps at 1365.
My other stats are :
Strength 50
Dex. 353
Vit. 150
Armor 801
So the only thing I'am seeing a difference with is Vitality but I've purposely kept that low for Energy armor/Force armor when it comes time to get it.
From what I've read on other forums its the way to go but I'am starting to think maybe I've gotten that part wrong.
I chose to have a lot of health regen in my gear as well and use Galvanising Ward with Storm Armor/Power of the Storm so I dont struggle there.
By increasing my Vitality for now will that increase my dps?
I dont know what other stats to look at to see where I'am going wrong.
In theory my dps should be a ton more.
Thanks for any help.
If you're at 43 currently, Force armour is a loooong way away. Almost none of the gear you're using now will still be with you at lvl 57, so I wouldn't worry about working towards FA. Find a setup that works for you now and stick with that. You're making things very tough for yourself by building your wizard around a skill you don't have yet.
What defensive skills are you using currently? Diamond Skin (With Crystal Shell) is an absolute bacon-saver in tough fights. If you can trigger it just before a fist slam or a meteor, you should be able to walk through it unscathed.
Don't be afraid to sacrifice a bit of dps for life, at least temporarily. I swapped over a few pieces of high-int gear for high-vit during this fight and the extra 1000hp made all the difference.
Int helps multiply your damage, but if you're multiplying a low base number, it's going to take a lot more work to get to the same amount.
Edit: Also, if you're finding your damage really lacking like you mention, that might be to do with a weak weapon. If you've got some spare gold, check the auction house for a weapon with 100+ damage.
I have no trouble with phase 1 and 2 its phase 3 I'am struggling with.
All my gear is yellows, no blues, so yeah I didnt think I had crap stuff just maybe not the right stuff.
Diamond Skin with Crystal Shell is what I use so with that, Galvanising Ward with Storm Armor/Power of the Storm and Magic Weapon with Force Weapon I thought I had it worked out.
I use Disintergrate so attack speed wouldnt really be beneficial I dont think.
It just blows me away how my int. is so high but my dps is so low.
Weapon damage on the mainhand is essential... Int helps but the biggest jump you will get is by equipping a really nice MH weapon.
One other comment... Force armour has been nerfed... Just letting you know before you go too far down that path.
Good luck. I personally think Belial is one of the hardest bosses for a wizard.
Blue gear can still be really helpful. Both of my rings are blues and together they give me about 1.5k extra life and 400 extra damage.
I assume you're using the templar as your follower (a finer meat-shield there never will be). If you train him in all the healing/regeneration related skills, he can do a pretty good job keeping you alive.
Really though, most of your damage is going to come down to your weapon. Int improves your damage by increasing the percentage it's multiplied by. If you're multiplying a small number, you're going to have to work much harder to get substantial increases.
When you first open up the auction house, it will send you a page of recommended items depending on which piece of your gear is the least appropriate for your level. I would wager that once you open the AH, it will show you a page of weapons.
Oh, and while you're fighting 1 on 1 with a big boss, you'll have a much easier time with Ray of Frost + Snow Blast as opposed to Disintegrate.
I love Disintegrate for groups. Love it. But when there's only one target, RoF is handy since it hits MUCH harder.
Stuck to the edges for the aoe then hid up with my hydra on the top right corner and gave it to him.
What weapon stats should I be looking at?
And, also, what weapon?
Int. I know, attack speed I'am unsure about because I will go back to Disintergrate so I guess its +damage and red gems?
Again, I dont think what I'am using is too bad.
And strength, I dont need it, but a lot of weps and gear have it in there.
Do I just ignore it if the other stats are better than what I have?
When I do open the auction house the first 15 pages are all the same thing, rings.
I swapped my int. ones over for less int. and more vit., overall I changed 4 pieces of armor and went from 3199 health to 7139, 349 vit. now for the sake of losing just over 100 int.
But my dps didnt increase, well it did because I could stay alive longer to do it, but from a number point of view not much changed.
Still trying to figure out what the misisng link is between my int. pool and dps.
Ok, I did add a little +damage in gems and attack speed on some items and yes it made a difference.
Wont go and buy new stuff just yet but next lot of upgrades will incorporate these.
1. Weapon. Pay attention to the dmg listed on the weapon. Having +INT on it is nice as well, but focus more on the actual dmg. This is your most important piece of gear, so don't skimp on this. Shell out the big bucks on the AH for a good one.
2. Magic Weapon with Force Weapon rune. Takes a skill slot, but gives a substantial increase do your dmg.
3. Glass cannon. I personally don't run with this, but if you're willing to sacrifice survivability, you'll notice a hefty dmg increase.
Beyond those three things, its all about stacking INT and VIT, and in some cases attack speed.
What you need to know about attack speed is that it does increase your dmg indirectly. Hydras will shoot faster and disintegrate will tick faster, for example. However, it can also be a bad thing because it can rapidly deplete your AP (such as with disintegrate). Spammable spells and damage-over-time spells benefit the most from attack speed. Hydra, ray of frost, disintegrate, blizzard, and all of your signature spells are good examples. Harder hiting, AP-expensive spells such as arcane orb and meteor are much less ideal for attack speed.
Before I go buy a new weapon though there seems to be the argument over using a 2 handed weapon compared to a one hander and off hand.
A slow 2 hander with lots of damage is one option people say, the other is go with a quicker one hand and off hand for better stats.
A lot of 2 handers have strength in them, I dont need it, so just ignore it for the other more useful stats right?
So which is the preferred way to go?
I used to use 2H weps on my wizard, i started using an offhand and 1H wep and wont ever go back, so try out a 1H with offhand. Also thanks for the posts, they really helped.