The Life and Times of a Balance Wizard
Life Damage
by , 9-25-11 at 11:36:17 PM (955 Views)
Look, I am not an expert here. I am certain that there are those among us with spreadsheets about damage and yadda yadda. I'm going to go into the more practical application.
I've been out and about, primarily avoiding others unless I get a 'Defeat 10 of these mobs' for a drop that turns out to take 20 to get. In my travels, I've met up with many random Wizards. Several times when partnering with someone for more than one fight, they've asked me why my Life damage is so high. It's not, I reply. It's certainly no higher than any other Life Wizard's possibility. I do not have a direct line to Merle Ambrose for higher damage, he's hardly speaking to me at all these days. I don't know a secret handshake, or a ritual dance under a full moon either. I just do what others before me have suggested, and that is to keep the deck small, use the blades/traps when applicable and pay attention to the rhthym of the fight. I believe I mentioned using Strong TC's in a previous blog post but she hasnt really needed them. They sit in my inventory collecting dust.
I do not believe that there is a single school in Wizard101 that is incapable of soloing. Certainly we all run across some mobs that give us trouble from time to time. When we find them, we may pause and rethink or strategy, or phone a friend. Fiona still shudders when she sees a Balance mob, although life has gotten a bit easier with a Gargantuan Spectral Blast. Having a Prism makes life a whole lot easier, let me tell you. I digress.
This evening Esmee was partnered with a Death Wizard. Seemed a nice enough fellow but was all over the board. He seemed quite enamored with his Firezilla spell that he recieved from his Firezilla pet. That's all fine and dandy, except he fizzled it more often then it actually was cast. Not to mention that the pip cost is higher, he had no way to buff it (I never saw an Elemental Blade go up) and while I did not assess his gear, I'm certain what he had equipped was more suited for Death damage. It's no wonder the poor dear couldnt solo, and he was following Esmee around like a lost puppy. For the most part, I was glad for it because I was in the part of Dragonspyre that was the 'Defeat 10 mobs for X' and he brought more in. On the occasion that we fought a boss together, he was a meat shield.
I suppose the reason Esmee does so much damage (and boy that insults me every time I get asked) is because she doesnt mess around. First round Lifeblade (unless I need a Prism), second round Centaur. I realize there are those among you that will state the Seraph is more pip efficient but the Seraph and Esmee aren't on speaking terms. This is probably because the Seraph is picking up on Esmee's sincerest wish that the Seraph were more like the Lady Judgement. Thus insulted, the Seraph takes every opportunity she can to fizzle and always with the worst timing. Anyway, that opener is usually worth about 1000 points there, although this does vary depending on the school of mob. The point being, Esmee pays attention to those subtle things, and adjusts accordingly.
It's important to watch your numbers. What spell did you cast? Were you buffed, unbuffed? The lesson from watching numbers is to learn what you can get away with. Do you really need a Blade and a Trap? Can you get away with only a Blade? What happens when you get a Weakness? Is it worth it to hammer out a quick spell and then wait 2-3 rounds for the pips to cast another? The goal for Esmee is to as accurately as possible predict her damage against a mob so that she knows what will take it down fastest. I do not need large numbers, I simply wish to be the victor as quickly as possible so I can move along. In any case, it is universally important for all Wizards to be aware of the numbers they can throw out so they can adjust their strategy midstride when necessary. And it is necessary. As predictable as some mobs are, they are ever so sneaky with those Weaknesses and Tower shields.
I spoke of Prince Winston in an earlier blog post and his usefulness ran its course by the time Centaur rolled around. Esmee has now adopted a delightful Brown Spider that offers a card at adult: Giant Spider. It gives a Life damage bubble that I will be hard pressed to give up. It is not used often, usually only on boss fights or large mob groups where I am the main source of damage. And the point of this paragraph is simply to state, arming yourself with knowledge about the little things ingame that can boost you up is as equally important as knowing your numbers. While this Spider may only get used every so often, sometimes that 25% edge is all I need when I get in a pinch, or to save myself another few rounds of battle.
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