Gray Spells: Retire them or Not?

[Darkfirestri]

<DIV>I'm having a really hard time wrapping my mind around this particular concept. I know that we 'grow into' our spells. By the time its blue or green, we should be hitting with it as hard as we are ever going to, right? But what about when the spells go gray? Is it time to just focus on the newer (better?) upgrades? Like Blazing Intimidation over Freeze or Plasmatic Pulse over Freezing Whorl? How can gray spells still be useful when you have to face tougher opponents who won't be affected by them? Does anyone out there have a hotbar exclusively of old, grayed out spells they keep around just in case? I guess I have sort of a singlemindedness when it comes to my wizard. Why use my old BB gun, when I just got the MK-47 I've been waiting for the last ten levels? How can the BB gun still possibly have any use? How in Gods name can it be doing more damage to that goblin over there than my MK-47 is?? Am I just more familiar with the spell? Is that all that matters? Should I not even be using any Orange or Yellow conned spells when I first get them??? AAAARRRRGG!! Make sense EQ2 spells! I command you!!</DIV>

[Zcenicx]

<P>Well...</P> <P>At highest possible level (50) the hardest hitting spells you have are the following:</P> <P>1. Ice Comet (50) Orange</P> <P>2. Immolation (39) Blue at 50</P> <P>3. Ball of Flames (37) Green at 50</P> <P>4. Ice Flame (35) Green at 50</P> <P>5. Ice Spear / Ball of Fire (30 / 23) Both grey at 50.</P> <P> </P> <P>There are no worthwhile (DD) damage spells between 39 and 50 so you end up with greens and greys some of the time. The AEs however all recycle at T5, leading me to believe that most DDs should too at 50-60 when that's available.</P>

[Stavenh]

I keep Breath of the Tyrant up, for completing HOs. Not many spells have the Flame HO icon, that cast fast.

[Lady Uaelr]

<DIV>Ice Spike completes HO's also and you need filler while other spells are refreshing- Breath of Tyrant progresses HO and is good filler as well.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Guess what soem of those grey spells work on high end mobs more than some higher level spells.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Ice Spike almost nevet gets resisted.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I was wondering if any uber wizards can provide info on the difference between adept 3 ice spike and adept 1 ice spike.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Take Care</DIV>

[Stavenh]

Ice spike adept three does up to 308 damage, making it a nice spell. Though I have noticed that on higher mobs, it can do about half damage.Grey spells are easier for you land, it seems, but easier for mobs to resist, or partially resist.

[Articulas]

I would diffinatly keep ice spike and BoT. Ice spike and Plasma pulse is still a pretty good combo even if its resisted a bit more, its still got a chance to pour some carnage out.

[RSZ]

<P>Ice Spike can be used thruout your career. Good thing about this spell is its power efficiency.  In raid situations I find it preferable to chain cast ice spike than ball of flames which makes me go oop fast and need to repower myself which takes time.</P> <P>Immolation is even more efficient I think but during recast use Ice Spike <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></P>

[bad]

<P>I keep my grey Freeze available when soloing. Blazing Intimidation is the main stun, but Freeze is on another timer so i dont have to spend time doin nothing waiting for Blazing Int. recast time before nuking.</P> <P>Humi 31 Wiz Najena</P> <p>Message Edited by badat on <span class=date_text>04-15-2005</span> <span class=time_text>09:07 AM</span>

[Articulas]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> badat wrote:<BR> <P>I keep my grey Freeze available when soloing. Blazing Intimidation is the main stun, but Freeze is on another timer so i dont have to spend time doin nothing waiting for Blazing Int. recast time before nuking.</P> <P>Humi 31 Wiz Najena</P> <P>Message Edited by badat on <SPAN class=date_text>04-15-2005</SPAN> <SPAN class=time_text>09:07 AM</SPAN><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR> <DIV>so far in my experience creatures 36+ are completely immune to Freeze. targets are to powerful. i hate that, it was a very valuable weapon and i havent' recieved an upgrade to it so i'm stuck just using Blazing intimidation, i consider it a huge blow to me without freeze at lvl 34 and 35.</DIV>

[RSZ]

Freeze is junk once you hit ferrott and above.

[Starwind13]

I am lvl 35 and i still use grey spells, I find that for some reason my grey spells get resisted less than all my other ones..

[Ennis]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Starwind13 wrote:<BR>I am lvl 35 and i still use grey spells, I find that for some reason my grey spells get resisted less than all my other ones.. <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR>Correct.</P> <P>Was that way in EQ1, too. I found that in many a raid situation where my level appropriate nukes would be consistantly resisted my "lower level" spells would hit just fine. In EQ2 I have found this to be the case, too. Along with high level mobs having some nasty resists to fire/ice damage where their resists to poi/dis are low. That explains the damage Warlocks can do at higher levels. SoE has never designed mobs with high poi/dis resists, guess they don't want to pi&& off all those poison using melee classes.</P>

[Zcenicx]

<P>Seriously. I *have* an adept 3 Ice Spike - I never use it. Whatsoever.</P> <P>I never have 'fill' time between my 6(!) main spells and 4 secondary.</P> <P>If I can kill a mob with the 100ish damage Spike actually lands for - I leave it to the tank or scout, I dont waste the mana.</P> <UL> <LI>1. Immolation (Adept 3) - Flame</LI> <LI>2. Ball of Flames (Master 1) - Lightning</LI> <LI>3. Ice Flame (Adept 3) - Lightning</LI> <LI>4. Ice Spear (Adept 2) - Lightning</LI> <LI>5. Piercing Icicles (Adept 3) - Flame</LI> <LI>6. Icy Coil (Adept 3) - Flame</LI> <LI>7. Paralyze (Adept 3) - Star</LI> <LI>8. HO</LI> <LI>9. Icy Wind (Adept 3) - Star</LI> <LI>0. Fiery Pulse (Adept 3) - Star</LI> <LI>-. Inferno (Adept 3) - Star</LI> <LI>=. Ring of Cold (Adept 3) - X</LI></UL>