Crushing shock and PVP

Dracindo

I often tend to misread skill descriptions, where I end up with a skill morph that is less effective than I had hoped.

Now, there are two ways I read the second line:

• This skill interrupts casting, sets enemies of balance, and stuns them for 3 seconds. Cast it is profit.
• This skill interrupts casting, sets enemies of balance, and stuns them for 3 seconds, but only when they are casting. If they're not casting, they'll only take damage.

In other words, I expect the first scenario, but fear for the second. To not waste too many skill points (and gold for resetting them), which of these two cases is correct for Crushing shock?

In the second case, what would you guys recommend for a Magicka Sorcerer pvp skill, that can stun enemies?
Or do you have a link to a proper build? All help is welcome.

Thanks in advance.

Panth141

OP - the stun only occurs when you interrupt a casting enemy.

It's incredibly effective vs. Stam Sorcs/Templars/Rezzers in PvP, and very good all round in PvE.

psychotic13

Destructive reach is good, although flame gives a knock back, ice gives a root and lightning gives the stun, depends what you like to use.

Beardimus

To me they read the same! So if they are casting, when u hit them it interupts, but only if they are casting. It's handy in pve, o prefer it, and pvp its your only real spammsble anyway (or force pulse)

Crystal frag is your knockdown, and rune is also good, or streak/ball of light to stun.

Dracindo

Beardimus wrote: »

To me they read the same! So if they are casting, when u hit them it interupts, but only if they are casting. It's handy in pve, o prefer it, and pvp its your only real spammsble anyway (or force pulse)

It's mainly about the stun and off-balance part. It's hard to interrupt if the enemy isn't casting anything, sure, but does the enemy need to be casting in order for Crushing Shock to stun and set the enemy off-balance?
Bringing back both scenario's:

• I can just spam this ability on an enemy to keep him stunned forever, as long as I have the Magicka for it.
• I can spam this ability on an enemy, and if he just happens to cast something, I get a stunned enemy as a bonus.

Also, thanks for the advice.

Waffennacht

Yes, your opponent needs to be casting something. If they are not casting they will not be interrupted, they will not be set off balance and they will not be stunned.

NordSwordnBoard

You can interrupt a rezz with it, and it has uses proccing monster sets even in pvp.

AverageJo3Gam3r

Sorcs have 3 options for CC:
-defensive rune is stellar for gank defense. Best anti gank skill in the game.
-frags gives you a knockdown as an added bonus
-streak stuns all enemies you streak through. This is the best sorc option for a hard cc, IMO.

Crushing shot interrupt is really a bonus. The most useful time to use it is against a magplar spamming Jesus beam on you.

Calboy

I started using crushing shock a while back and it's actually crazy how often you end up interrupting people

catalyst10e

Calboy wrote: »

I started using crushing shock a while back and it's actually crazy how often you end up interrupting people

Pretty much this. I switched a long while back and never looked back. That stun comes in handy in so many occasions. When someone tries to rez the healer in PVP, you keep stunning them to keep it from happening. Certain enemies in PVE dungeons need to be stunned, and it provides a cheap and effective way to do so. Also, certain bosses like the Minotaur can be stun locked at a certain point. its a really useful ability.

oTheTownDrunk

Why not destructive clench? Flame knocks the enemy down.

AverageJo3Gam3r

@oTheTownDrunk clench is slow and easily blocked/dodged/shuffled. Streak is nearly instant, hits an entire group, and can proc implosion on low health targets. Plus, as a sorc you're running streak anyways for positioning. Sorc bar space is precious, I don't see where clench would fit.

oTheTownDrunk

Destructive Clench instead of Crushing Shock. It doesn't hit quite as hard but knocks the player down.

Minalan

oTheTownDrunk wrote: »

Why not destructive clench? Flame knocks the enemy down.

Clench you see coming from a mile off. Most people block it or just break it before they even fall down completely. Then they kick your ass. Plus. Clench and Reach are extremely expensive, do relatively little damage, and are not spammable without a ton of sustain.

Stick with force pulse weaved in between heavy flame attacks if you run a destro.

Fire heavy (procs spell damage glyph). 10-12K for vampires
Force pulse weaved - 3K
Curse
Frags - 5-6K
Curse explodes and wrath execute: 6K and 18K. dead

Similarly for lightning staff: start with pulse/light attack and curse/frags. Finish off with a lightning heavy when they hopelessly try to dodge roll away. Laugh.

Berenhir

Nothing teabags your opponent alive quite like interrupting their snipes and jesus beams. It also hard counters spam sorcs dark deal spam.
There is no reason to use the other morph. Even in PVE you constantly interrupt the boss from the other side of the room.

Ashamray

Berenhir wrote: »

Nothing teabags your opponent alive quite like interrupting their snipes and jesus beams. It also hard counters spam sorcs dark deal spam.
There is no reason to use the other morph. Even in PVE you constantly interrupt the boss from the other side of the room.

DPS is a reason.
Both morphs are valuable, I like when choice is hard)

Lord-Otto

I permanently switched to Force Pulse in PvP when I realized I was getting interrupted/stunned by my own attacks against a DK. They already counter sorcs so hard, don't need to give them yet another edge.
More damage is more damage in PvP, something destro staves are already lacking. More damage and reliable mini-AoE in PvE make Force Pulse a winner. The only time I would consider Crushing are round 8 VMA and Voriak Solkyn himself. But you can do it without just fine if you mind your stamina. Also, screw that lame place!

Dracane

Interrupting someone is usually a bad idea. It's much better to exploit their castime/Channeltime to deal damage and use a CC to kill them.

For example a beaming templars gives you 4 seconds time to deal enough damage to kill him, if he doesn't interrupt himself. If you interrupt him, he will just turtle and spam heals again.

Izaki

catalyst10e wrote: »

Calboy wrote: »

I started using crushing shock a while back and it's actually crazy how often you end up interrupting people

Pretty much this. I switched a long while back and never looked back. That stun comes in handy in so many occasions. When someone tries to rez the healer in PVP, you keep stunning them to keep it from happening. Certain enemies in PVE dungeons need to be stunned, and it provides a cheap and effective way to do so. Also, certain bosses like the Minotaur can be stun locked at a certain point. its a really useful ability.

Funny you say this, cause once I tried Force Pulse I never went back. Main reason I switched was for trials, but when I forgot to switch morphs for PvP, I realized that the 10% damage increase is actually pretty substantial. But I don't use a destro staff anymore so yeah.

Dracane wrote: »

Interrupting someone is usually a bad idea. It's much better to exploit their castime/Channeltime to deal damage and use a CC to kill them.

For example a beaming templars gives you 4 seconds time to deal enough damage to kill him, if he doesn't interrupt himself. If you interrupt him, he will just turtle and spam heals again.

^ This. She knows.

Sinolai

Crushing shock is really handy as it allows mage users to stun PvE bosses from a long range, without stamina costs and you are spamming it anyways so bosses will be stunned every time they try to perform their deadly channel attacks. However, the damage boost from force pulse is not small either and for pure DPS it does give a noticeable increase. I'd say crushing is for solo play and 4 man dungeons, while force is for trial dps. for PvP both are useful, crushing for support players and firce for those who want to hit hard.

Dracane

Sinolai wrote: »

Crushing shock is really handy as it allows mage users to stun PvE bosses from a long range, without stamina costs and you are spamming it anyways so bosses will be stunned every time they try to perform their deadly channel attacks. However, the damage boost from force pulse is not small either and for pure DPS it does give a noticeable increase. I'd say crushing is for solo play and 4 man dungeons, while force is for trial dps. for PvP both are useful, crushing for support players and firce for those who want to hit hard.

Don't forget, that almost all significant bosses are completely immune to interrupts and CCs.

Izaki

Dracane wrote: »

Sinolai wrote: »

Crushing shock is really handy as it allows mage users to stun PvE bosses from a long range, without stamina costs and you are spamming it anyways so bosses will be stunned every time they try to perform their deadly channel attacks. However, the damage boost from force pulse is not small either and for pure DPS it does give a noticeable increase. I'd say crushing is for solo play and 4 man dungeons, while force is for trial dps. for PvP both are useful, crushing for support players and firce for those who want to hit hard.

Don't forget, that almost all significant bosses are completely immune to interrupts and CCs.

I don't think there's a single non interruptable boss in the game. Cc immune sure, but everything can be interrupted.
The only uninterruptible attack i think is that machine gun thing that Rakkhat does, but I don't tank so I wouldn't know.

Minalan

Question for the smart guys. Does FP scale with just spell damage, max magicka, or both?

I use crushing shock, weave it with a light attack and the damage is perfectly fine.

Dracane

Minalan wrote: »

Question for the smart guys. Does FP scale with just spell damage, max magicka, or both?

I use crushing shock, weave it with a light attack and the damage is perfectly fine.

All damage abilities scale with both
Only summoned pets and sets don't

Minalan

Dracane wrote: »

Minalan wrote: »

Question for the smart guys. Does FP scale with just spell damage, max magicka, or both?

I use crushing shock, weave it with a light attack and the damage is perfectly fine.

All damage abilities scale with both
Only summoned pets and sets don't

Thanks! I thought destro staff stuff might be different.

I remember when destro staff scaled with weapon damage...

Minalan

Dracane wrote: »

Interrupting someone is usually a bad idea. It's much better to exploit their castime/Channeltime to deal damage and use a CC to kill them.

For example a beaming templars gives you 4 seconds time to deal enough damage to kill him, if he doesn't interrupt himself. If you interrupt him, he will just turtle and spam heals again.

Two cases it helps.

First a pet sorc, once you tear apart their favorite little abominations, use crushing shock spam weaved to make sure they can't recast. That means their ability bars have two useless skills on them each, and they're down 4K max magicka on their whole build. Easy picking.

A stam sorc getting free resources back with dark deal. Stop that and it makes a win against one far easier to do.