Question about Warden skills and lack of aoe

Joxer61

Ok, new here so not a complete understanding of what skill is best and why but after seeing many posts on the PTS thread about Wardens lack of an aoe, why is Fetcher Infection used and not Growing swarm? According to the tooltip swarm hits 6 other mobs after the effect...is that not an aoe? Does it just not hit hard enough to warrant its use? Again, trying to get a clue as to why we use what is suggested for builds and all and it just "seems" like an aoe but I could be waaay off?

(sorry, this is for pve btw)

Jarryzzt

I am confused by this. Is Deep Fissure not an AoE? And does a typical rotation not involve spamming it with considerable frequency? [Especially now that a) both will have Breach or Fracture and b) the timer gets dropped to 5 seconds from 10?]

On topic, I can only speculate that Swarm's 10-second delay before infection is an issue. Fetcher you just apply to everybody and every second cast gets a boost...still. I usually relegate Fetcher to single target and use the Fissure/Winter's Revenge/Elemental Blockade combo for my AoE needs. Hence my confusion about this topic.

Joxer61

yea, more about me not completely understanding the mechanics of it all, and reading Swarm on paper one would think it hits 6 targets therefore is a better aoe. That's all.

Lynx7386

Swarm does roughly 1k dps to a single target. Infection does 1500 with a double cast. Growing swarm takes 10 seconds of single target dps before it becomes a 6 target "aoe" for, still, only 1k dps.

Most other aoe effects including blockade and winters revenge deal more than twice as much dps.

Swarm is a *** ability and for unknown reasons zenimax refuses to improve it.

Skander

Swarm could use a little utility buff. Idk

Growing swarm could apply minor fracture and minor breach

When Fetcher infection could use a minor snare


What i would like to see is a decrease in cost of some Ice abilities. The warden aoe for exemple is just underwhelming when it comes to a magicka toon, why? becouse blockade does better work, it's bigger and costs the same.
If for exeple Winter revenge was only on you BUT granted to stun 1-2 targets. then it would have its uses

Silver_Strider

Growing Swarm should just be an AoE by default, not this whole delayed by 10 seconds thing because most groups of mobs die well before those 10 seconds are up, unless the group DPS is exceptionally poor.

Gargath

I use Growing Swarm and I think it's okay for those situations when we are close to out of magicka, the fight isn't over and the flies just infected few more nearby, almost dead but still hitting, enemies. I like this skill and use it as opening any fight, then Deep Fissure, Winter's Revenge, Elemental Blockade. I don't think the Swarm needs any update. If it was an AOE from start the Warden would have 4 AOEs i.e. could be too powerful.

Vaoh

Warden AoE Damage isn’t so bad actually.

Magicka Wardens use Winter’s Revenge, Blockade of Elements, Deep Fissure, and Lightning Staff Heavy Attack for AoE.

Stamina Wardens use Endless Hail, Razor Caltrops, Subterranean Assault and maybe something like Steel Tornado/Shrouded Daggers/Brawler/etc.

In other words, Wardens have Scorch which is pretty great at AoE Damage.

Fletcher Infection provides greater single target damage while Growing Swarm grants AoE - since Magicka Warden very much lacks single target damage, they choose Fletcher Infection every time. Growing Swarm only good for grinding Skyreach lol.