It gives you extreme survivability. Wizzards does not lack the resistances due to high amount of int but they do lack armor. The Ice Armour is way better then Arcane one as bumping armor gives a lot more than bumping resistances.
Armor also reduces all damage, the ranged one as well. Having 6k armor and 10k armor makes huge difference. A lot more than having 1,7k ares and 2,2k ares.
I'm not talking about prismatic armor here. When doing GR's 47+ you're using Force Armor anyway, cause you just can't get enough toughness to mitigate the incoming damage by a decent amount and still have enough damage to clear the rift in time.
Force armor makes you take 3 hits, no matter how big they are.
And about the additional max. AP: you really don't need that. At all. A little ressource management assumed.
About Shoko's Argument: the tactics you describe work perfectly on lower GR's, which are currently still the Top ones in season.
As stated above: when fighting GR 47 or above even one spear or arrow hitting you might be enough to kill you without the support by Force Armor (or a good Eye of Ettlich).
Of course again this goes for softcore. I can't say much about hardcore since i don't play it myself at all.
Imo it may find it's place in HC Wiz setups but doesnt really have a purpose on softcore, since the damage you lose through the SoJ is just too good.
To give the ring some offensive potential you would have to take FN-Bone Chill, which makes you lose Magic Weapon. -20% +33% (non permanent), plus you have to stand in meleerange which makes you lose the Zei's bonus. Another huge downside.
Another problem: With HoA Ice Armor - Crystallize gives you 60% Meleereduction and 60% armor. Still no defense against any ranged attacks though, and ranged attacks are the wizards biggest problem anyhow (archers/speermen etc.). Since this damage is physical the esoteric alteration gem won't help here either.
TL;DR: Gain of toughness and utility vs. huge loss of damage. Nice for chilly farming of low GRifts, not suitable for highend progress in my opinion.
53% direct damage buff in class A yes. You're just leaving out everything else there right now.
In this class A there's also the WD's toxin gem, haunt and strongarm bracers. Also the DH's Steady Aim, Cull the Weak, Bane of the Powerful, CA Bonus and Sentry Bonus. Maybe I forget something here but you get the point.
Overall stacking more class A buffs becomes pretty terrible at some point, so yes 14%CC and 100% CD actually beat that extra 53% by far in reality.
Edit: It's 15% IAS on top by the Law.
And about Wizz vs WD? It's always WD. Because of the superior crowd control. Nothing comes close to horrify, when it comes to perma-cc.
Also two more points:
1: WD got the ZDog option, at least in non-season (I know this is a pure seasonal discussion at the moment, but in a few months it will be wizz vs. ZDog). You can't face up against infinite ressource generation and permanent RG stun.
2: Wizard just dies. To procc the HoA you have to get hit. And you don't survive being hit on level 55+. Easy as that. 60% Meleereduction and 60% Armor yay or nay, you just die.
Also you can't weave in blackthornes in the gear setup you posted. One molten pack and you bite the dust. Same goes for electrified exept you take the Xephirian amulet, which let's you lose some damage again.
WD is not mainly there for damage, but for control.
Crusader got: 20 CC, 100 CD, 15% IAS, 20%dmg through shield glare, 10% through toxin gem, 30% through strongarm bracers.
= way more than the wiz can offer.
About pulling: CD is almost the same yes, but Vacuum got a WAY bigger range. Also more important the crus got steed charge - draw and quarter to pull mobs in from further away. Really important for range mobs.
About the stun: stun is just not enough. Even stunned and frozen elites still trigger jailer/thunderstorm/mortar/frozen etc. The WD's fear is the only ability in the game that can prevent those affixes from triggering.
Another problem: Black hole cast breaks the WD's fear effect, making the wizard a danger to the DH's lives.
Well to sum all this mess up:
HoA in HC: Maybe. Could turn out good.
HoA in SC: Probably not. Damage loss is too big, pure support mage doesnt work either.
Yah, sorry that I'm abusing your thread a little bit with further discussion, but this is relevant for softcore too.
I'm not talking about prismatic armor here. When doing GR's 47+ you're using Force Armor anyway, cause you just can't get enough toughness to mitigate the incoming damage by a decent amount and still have enough damage to clear the rift in time.
Force armor makes you take 3 hits, no matter how big they are.
And about the additional max. AP: you really don't need that. At all. A little ressource management assumed.
About Shoko's Argument: the tactics you describe work perfectly on lower GR's, which are currently still the Top ones in season.
As stated above: when fighting GR 47 or above even one spear or arrow hitting you might be enough to kill you without the support by Force Armor (or a good Eye of Ettlich).
Of course again this goes for softcore. I can't say much about hardcore since i don't play it myself at all.
Imo it may find it's place in HC Wiz setups but doesnt really have a purpose on softcore, since the damage you lose through the SoJ is just too good.
To give the ring some offensive potential you would have to take FN-Bone Chill, which makes you lose Magic Weapon. -20% +33% (non permanent), plus you have to stand in meleerange which makes you lose the Zei's bonus. Another huge downside.
Another problem: With HoA Ice Armor - Crystallize gives you 60% Meleereduction and 60% armor. Still no defense against any ranged attacks though, and ranged attacks are the wizards biggest problem anyhow (archers/speermen etc.). Since this damage is physical the esoteric alteration gem won't help here either.
TL;DR: Gain of toughness and utility vs. huge loss of damage. Nice for chilly farming of low GRifts, not suitable for highend progress in my opinion.
53% direct damage buff in class A yes. You're just leaving out everything else there right now.
In this class A there's also the WD's toxin gem, haunt and strongarm bracers. Also the DH's Steady Aim, Cull the Weak, Bane of the Powerful, CA Bonus and Sentry Bonus. Maybe I forget something here but you get the point.
Overall stacking more class A buffs becomes pretty terrible at some point, so yes 14%CC and 100% CD actually beat that extra 53% by far in reality.
Edit: It's 15% IAS on top by the Law.
And about Wizz vs WD? It's always WD. Because of the superior crowd control. Nothing comes close to horrify, when it comes to perma-cc.
Also two more points:
1: WD got the ZDog option, at least in non-season (I know this is a pure seasonal discussion at the moment, but in a few months it will be wizz vs. ZDog). You can't face up against infinite ressource generation and permanent RG stun.
2: Wizard just dies. To procc the HoA you have to get hit. And you don't survive being hit on level 55+. Easy as that. 60% Meleereduction and 60% Armor yay or nay, you just die.
Also you can't weave in blackthornes in the gear setup you posted. One molten pack and you bite the dust. Same goes for electrified exept you take the Xephirian amulet, which let's you lose some damage again.
WD is not mainly there for damage, but for control.
Crusader got: 20 CC, 100 CD, 15% IAS, 20%dmg through shield glare, 10% through toxin gem, 30% through strongarm bracers.
= way more than the wiz can offer.
About pulling: CD is almost the same yes, but Vacuum got a WAY bigger range. Also more important the crus got steed charge - draw and quarter to pull mobs in from further away. Really important for range mobs.
About the stun: stun is just not enough. Even stunned and frozen elites still trigger jailer/thunderstorm/mortar/frozen etc. The WD's fear is the only ability in the game that can prevent those affixes from triggering.
Another problem: Black hole cast breaks the WD's fear effect, making the wizard a danger to the DH's lives.
Still not viable, because you can't perma CC Elites like the WD can, and you can't pull mobs in as efficiently as the crusader can.
Also the buffs are weaker than the crusader's.
Still no reason to take wizards in GR's. Sad but true.