Frozen Manacle or Ice Spike to Adept III ???

[Jos]

<DIV>Greetings,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I have the ink to make one T2 adept III spell. I originally was going to make FM at adept III, but now I'm almost leaning towards Ice spike instead.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>What would you choose, and why? (I'm thinking more of for the long run, not just the next 10 levels.)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thank you for your time and help answering.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Peace and safe travels,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Sandi - lvl 20 Warlock</DIV> <DIV>Josza - lvl 45 Coercer (on hold)</DIV> <DIV>The Walking Dead</DIV> <DIV>Lucan D'Lere</DIV>

[Vanra]

I actually recommend Ice Spike over Frozen Manacles. I still use it all the time at 46, it's still one of my top 5 most used nukes at the moment. It's great because it's on a totally different timer, so it's useful for finishing HO's when your other timers are waiting to refresh. Same goes for finishing off a mob that only has a sliver of health left and you don't want to waste a recast timer on another big nuke spellcast. Plus it will make the next ten levels easier <span>:smileywink:</span> I still use FM at App4, as the extra damage Adept III does is pretty much trivial and it doesn't hold better as it gets upgraded, it only upgrades the damage component. Ice Spike is still really useful to me, use it all the time. I don't regret Adept III-ing it either. Hope this helps. <div></div>

[Dart]

<DIV><SPAN class=109062615-23062005><FONT face=Verdana size=2>So I am facing a similar dilemma.. I have a tier 2 rare, and I was contemplating upgrading </FONT><A href="http://eq2.ogaming.com/db/abilities/DarkDistortion.php" target=_blank><B><FONT face=Verdana size=2>Dark Distortion</FONT></B></A><FONT face=Verdana size=2>, but the more I read I see maybe I should go with Ice Spike? </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=109062615-23062005><FONT size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=109062615-23062005><FONT face=Verdana size=2>What the recommendation, when did you stop using </FONT><A href="http://eq2.ogaming.com/db/abilities/DarkDistortion.php" target=_blank><B><FONT face=Verdana size=2>Dark Distortion</FONT></B></A><FONT face=Verdana size=2>?</FONT></SPAN></DIV>

[Kven]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Darton wrote:<BR> <DIV><SPAN class=109062615-23062005><FONT face=Verdana size=2>So I am facing a similar dilemma.. I have a tier 2 rare, and I was contemplating upgrading </FONT><A href="http://eq2.ogaming.com/db/abilities/DarkDistortion.php" target=_blank><B><FONT face=Verdana size=2>Dark Distortion</FONT></B></A><FONT face=Verdana size=2>, but the more I read I see maybe I should go with Ice Spike? </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=109062615-23062005><FONT size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=109062615-23062005><FONT face=Verdana size=2>What the recommendation, when did you stop using </FONT><A href="http://eq2.ogaming.com/db/abilities/DarkDistortion.php" target=_blank><B><FONT face=Verdana size=2>Dark Distortion</FONT></B></A><FONT face=Verdana size=2>?</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR>Darton,</P> <P>    I assume you mean a T3 rare... since DD is level 23.</P> <P>    Moving along... Ice Spike is a DEFINATE upgrade... I'm almost 49 now and I still use Ice Spike to finish off low mobs / finish HOs.</P> <P>    As far as DD, I stopped using it at 37 when BSS started doing more than DD.  I had DD made Adept III back before I was even 23, so was it worth it? hell yes.  But only if you have the money to spare.  I upgraded Steal Breath too... and it owned <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></P> <P>    In the end, it's a personal decision.  Both of those are worth upgrading IMHO but if you're REALLY strapped for rares/cash, you CAN wait on DD to use BSS instead [ get BSS at lvl 30, if you have Adept I or less of DD, it's worth using immediately, otherwise wait til 37 ].  Ice Spike is being used at level 50.</P> <P> </P> <P>    Hope that helps.</P>

[Dart]

<DIV><SPAN class=109062615-23062005><FONT face=Verdana size=2>Solid advice thanks for the heads up on the DD upgrade at 30. And yes I meant Tier 3 for the 20 to 29th level spells. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=109062615-23062005><FONT face=Verdana size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=109062615-23062005><FONT face=Verdana size=2>Cheers~</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=109062615-23062005><FONT face=Verdana size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=109062615-23062005><FONT face=Verdana size=2>Phinny Itgoboom</FONT></SPAN></DIV>

[Frozen]

Upgrading FM will only increase the damage part (and the mana cost)

[Jos]

<DIV>Thank you all for your time and help with this.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I think I will definitely be going with Ice Spike.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Peace and safe travels,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Sandi - lvl 20 Warlock</DIV> <DIV>Josza - lvl 45 Coercer (on hold)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The Walking Dead</DIV> <DIV>Lucan D'Lere</DIV>

[jaythedogg]

FM all the way, Ice spike is replaced by better later on, FM will still be used to 50, unlike Bony Grasp if the nerf goes live.... <div></div>

[Kven]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> jaythedogg wrote:<BR>FM all the way, Ice spike is replaced by better later on, FM will still be used to 50, unlike Bony Grasp if the nerf goes live....<BR> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR>Ice Spike is never replaced.</P> <P> </P> <P>And leave the Bony Grasp crap out of this thread.  </P> <P>I'm almost 49 and I still use Ice Spike to finish HOs and finish off low mobs when others aren't refreshed.</P>

[jaythedogg]

Yea, quick (3 seconds instead of 2 mind you) for 100+ more dmg, plus other effects, we get dark pyre. IMHO it is a good replacement at the 45+ levels when things start resisting my Ice Spike more often than not. <div></div>

[Molr]

<DIV>aaaagghhhhhh!!!  i wish ths post didnt come out.  I, unfortuanately, have made a FM A3 to sell and it isnt selling.  My Freeze A3 sold in a day at 30G.  I was the one who read the posts on how people still use FM A3 at lvl50 and love the root on it.   I would definetely go w/ ice spike over FM.  the dmg is sooo worth it.</DIV>

[Fepp]

<div></div>If your level 20-30 you will see little to no advantage from upgrading FrozenM - I would not do it unless you have money to burn. Ice Spike I think you would see a nice increase on your damage and you'll probably continue to use the spell into your 30s.  I would choose this. Then when you get to 40 I would consider upgrading FM to Adept3.  By then it will be pretty cheap to you, and worth spending the money just to reduce resist rates. Edit - I thought of a better way to describe when its time to upgrade  FM - When you start using it for crowd control in groups - or hit 40. <div></div><p>Message Edited by Fepple on <span class=date_text>06-27-2005</span> <span class=time_text>09:46 AM</span>

[Signal9]

<P>I was lucky enough to find several rares with my main (Coercer is good for farming, anyway), and so have upgraded Ice spike, FM, and several other DD spells, including DD at 23.</P> <P> </P> <P>Worth. Every. Copper.</P> <P> </P> <P>I had fair luck with FM before the upgrade, and it does *seem* to be holding a bit better now.  I get an enounter every now and then that the root lasts through the whole time.  It never lasted the entire fight at Ap4.</P> <P> </P> <P>Ice spike?  Yeah, well worth it.  The damage increase is enough that I'm not having to cast another nuke for the last 50 hp or so on the mobs.</P> <P> </P> <P>With Adept3 spells, including FM, I have been able to take out +6 lvl mobs at times.  You still have a high resist rate, but if FM does stick, you can usually burn him down fast.  I am certain that this would no happen with Ap4 or Ad1 lvl spells.</P>

[yzyh]

<P>Myself i went with Frozen Spike and I really like my choice. hitting for 200 at lvl 20 its just a blast. FM over app2 is useless untill higher lvl since its almost never get resisted for now.</P> <P>I am lvl 22 with 81%EXP and I can't wait to use my Ice spike adept3 with my Dark Distortion Adept3 spell sleeping in my bank for a month. Even zerker will have problem to keep aggro out of me I think.</P>