Unstable Wall of Elements.

Zsymon

Does anyone know in what category the damage of the explosion is? What skill does the explosion compare to in terms of damage? What is your general opinion on this morph, because most people seem to be using the other morph.

Zanzu

It's based on the element of your destruction staff, basically how it functions is your wall does it's normal DoT it did, in the elemental form of your staff (Best being fire as it gets a 10% boost, and other walls don't get a bonus based on element.) Then does another tick of damage at the end of the duration to anything remaining inside, the final explosion is roughly 50% more damage than a single damage over time tick of the wall, so provides a considerable boost in damage to anything remaining inside at the end.

Zanzu

Just for a reference my wall currently does about 60 per tick, 2 ticks hit. 1 extra tick would make it 180 damage pet cast. Unstable deals about 90 damage on the explosion, which brings the total up to 210 damage per cast over a shorter duration at the moment. It's actually not quite as bad as you're thinking it is honestly. 50% more, as in 150% of a ticks damage. From what you're saying one form just had a longer duration, 1 extra tick, and a much larger AoE while the other is smaller, shorter duration, but higher damage potential/cost efficiency. Assuming of course it is only 1 extra tick, 2 ticks would make it superior in most regards.

The skill isn't bad considering most small packs i'm running in, casting the wall just before I run into agro range and then proceeding to spam impulse as additional AoE, 1 Unstable Elemental Wall plus 3 or 4 Impulse will drop the average packs for me in late 30's.

ArRashid

Blockade has 4 ticks, the Unstable got 2 plus explosion. But I like Blockade more since it has really big area of effect.

hukaka

the other morph has larger area and longer time

Zsymon

Yeah I know that, I was just asking what kind of damage the Unstable Wall explosion does, and what people's opinion on that morph is.

Chryos

meaning explosion = fire based damage? or physical damage... of course i merely make wild speculation. (burst fire damage)

Zsymon

50% more damage than one of those normal itty bitty ticks? That's really horrible though.. that's a tiny, tiny increase in damage, no wonder everyone takes the other morph, it is miles better, considering it gets at least one whole tick extra. That's 50% of a tick more damage than Unstable Wall and at a much, much wider area. Thanks for the answer though, really appreciate it. I wonder though why they made one morph inferior in every aspect to its counter morph, what's the point.

Zsymon

Yeah, Blockade has 4 ticks, which means it does more total damage than Unstable, over an area that is three or four times larger. Blockade is superior to Unstable in every way, there is absolutely no reason to take Unstable Wall of Elements.

Zanzu

Zsymon wrote: »

Yeah, Blockade has 4 ticks, which means it does more total damage than Unstable, over an area that is three or four times larger. Blockade is superior to Unstable in every way, there is absolutely no reason to take Unstable Wall of Elements.

Actually I just turned on recount addon, tested it on a few mobs. Unstable actually does get 3 ticks plus the explosion, it seems there is an initial tick on cast that I wasn't aware of when I said 2 and 3 while blockade gets the initial on cast and 3 more ticks. So no, Unstable still does slightly more damage albeit on a smaller AoE.

-Edit-
Can't really say the extra 30-40 damage per cast justifies the loss of significant increase to AoE though, but there are situations where unstable is better. Primarily when mobs decide to run out of the AoE on a longer duration skill as the shorter duration + more damage during the duration makes it more reliable in said scenario, of course with a larger AoE it's not going to happen often so eh...

-Another edit-
It appears the explosion damage is capable of inflicting status ailments, I just set mobs on fire with the explosion.. so.. I guess there is that to factor in on unstable as well.

ArRashid

Blockade is setting them on fire as well... as do all damage dealing Destro Staff abilities. It even procced the Inferno staff Tri-focus passive effect (knockdown) today a few times (yes, Tri-Focus seems to grant a chance to knock target down, instead of increasing crit susceptibility by 10% versus destruction spells. Even light staff attacks can knock down.. which means that flame staves are superior in every damn way possible)