Cast order, and your dps in groups/raids.

[Drewz]

I figured this would be a good topic for everyone sharing their cast order, and how much damage they do by using that order.Screenshots of ACT would be great too.

[Katonka]

<p>I don't have a good reply to this,but seen it and am hoping someone else does. I am an 80 illusionist and have been going through the threads here aswell as the threads on eq2 flames to try and find what I am doing wrong.So,*fingers crossed*,someone can give me constructive criticism to better myself and my playing. IMO I am pretty sure I have my aa spread out to what I have been reading to achieve high dps in raids.And I have been working on my spell order,but am still missing something because lately my friends and I have been hitting up SoH and when parse gets thrown up I never make the top 10(but I always notice another illusionist does?) Is there a spell order I am missing? The last raid run the #10 spot was getting about 124,540 on parse and I can not even come close to matching it.The last spell order I used was </p><p>                                    Chrono,beam,brainclot,pessimism,beam,chromatic shower,beam,gamma storm,beam,daunted,beam,brainclot,beam,drain consciousness,beam,pessimism,beam,brain clot,gamma storm...and still I end up,at the very best,at around 15 <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/c30b4198e0907b23b8246bdd52aa1c3c.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" /> granted my gear is not top notch...</p><p>          What am I doing wrong? Maybe someone has a different spell order I should be focusing on? Or is my gear really all that wrong? I have been trying to hit up the zones that drop better gear but have not had any luck with it dropping yet. I WANT HELP! [Removed for Content] please and thank you <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" /></p>

[Banditman]

<p>What was your group setup?  Illusionists depend upon the group to really reach their potential.  Ideally, you want to have a Troubador (Aria of Magic and PotM) and a Wizard (Velium Gift and Rays of Disintegration) in your group.</p><p>Gear is definitely big.  What sort of spell crit do you have?  I run about 90% spell crit in raids.  What about +Damage?  I run about 800.  Choker?  Vine Wrapped Boots?</p><p>What about AA's?  I assume Volatile Magic is a given for everyone.  Make sure you get the "on termination" stuff on the Illusionist side as well, minus Pessimism.</p><p>All of these things add up.  Looking at trash in Wing 2 of VP last night, I was sitting around 4k DPS.</p><p>When I look at the breakdown, I see that a third of my damage came from things I could directly attribute to AA's, gear or other players in my group:  Precise Note (Troubador), Malefic Fury (gear), Dissonant Note (Troubador), Ice Lash (Wizard), Ray of Disintegration (Wizard), Brain Clot (AA), Praetor's Strike (Gear) and Greater Goblin Bane (Gear).</p>

[Katonka]

<p>Thanks for the reply Banditman...after reading this and re-looking at what I have I know where I need some work done at.While in raids I never get grouped with a trouby and wizard <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/c30b4198e0907b23b8246bdd52aa1c3c.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" /> seems they always stick me with the tank/temp/ranger group.</p><p> Gear is the thing that is hurting me now that I went through and looked at everything.My spell crit is way low...only 27% <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/2786c5c8e1a8be796fb2f726cca5a0fe.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" /> and I went through and added up all my +Damage and am only coming out with 627,lol,I need to get better loot! These boots you speak of and this choker....any recollection on where these fine pieces drop? </p><p> My AA set-up for the Enchanter line is as follows: AGI 4-8-8-8-1</p><p>                                                                                INT:6-4-4-8-1(So,yes,I do have Volatile Magic)</p><p>                                                                                STA:4-4-3(still have 4points to get and then spend)</p><p>As far as my Illusionist tree goes I do have my Penetration line,time line and enchanting line. </p><p>So I suppose my main issues underlay with the group set up and my gear?</p>

[zormik]

<p>In raid i sit around 99% crits, 800 boe, i have a wizard and troub in my group.</p><p>Since i see 2nd wing of vp quoted i'm parsing between 7k and 9k on trash there.  I can't show you act cause for some reason it keeps running after the fight and that makes ther parse drop like 1 to 2K dps.  That's extended dps ofcourse.</p><p>Also don't expect to parse those numbers unless you're in a highend raiding guild.</p><p>For gear and aa's you can look up my toon on eq2players.</p><p>Also, the choker drops in Shard of Fear, it's a must for well, pretty much every mage since it's the best item out there.Also, forget about the vine wrapped boots that sombody mentioned here.  The difference is that the choker affects BASE damage and the boots doesn't and just act like normal + spell damage and doesn't add anything if your boe is already high enough. Your boe should be at least 600 (first sweetspot is around there) but i try to have it around 800.  Your boe caps out at 50% of the basedamage of a spell.</p><p>So the gear that is really hot is everything that procs big time and everything that ups your base damage (dark orb of the mind which drops from contested mayong, sash of the volcanic throne which is a belt that drops from trakanon and the choker from sof).  Once you get equiped in raidgear you'll see it's not that hard to go towards 100% crits and 700 to 800 boe. Once you reach that point the only way to improve is getting procgear, gear that shortens casting and reuse timers and base damage increasers on you (i just gave you the 3 base damageincreases in the game for mages).</p><p>The best way to find out about gear is just inspect all the better illusionist in the game and see what they are wearing.</p>

[Banditman]

Vine Wrapped Boots proc a 10% increase to base damage for 7 seconds.  It's like a mini choker.

[zormik]

<cite>Banditman wrote:</cite><blockquote>Vine Wrapped Boots proc a 10% increase to base damage for 7 seconds.  It's like a mini choker.</blockquote><p>No, it doesn't add to base damage, it's just like spell damage, it adds to damage (Its' just like the robe of ancient terrors that drops from leviathan.  The proc on that robe increases the damage of hostile spells by 20%) and not to base damage like the choker.  If it would add to base damage, every mage in the game would be running around with them, including the top-end illu's.  Now check out eq2players and you'll notice none of these will be running around with with the vwb. Wonder why? </p><p>It DOES NOT add to base damage.</p><p> The vwb are crap and only if you can't get your hand on T8 fabled it's a decent choice and even then ...</p>

[Katonka]

<p>Thank you both for your input and sorry for starting a discussion on gear,lol....I am thinking maybe he was suggesting the boots because I am not in a high end raid guild? So most of the time I do not get the chance to go into those zones to get all the best of the best items some of the large raid guilds get for thier illusionist. Just a thought /shrug</p><p>But thank you for your replies and am "on the hunt" for these spectacular pieces you both speak highly of <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" /></p>

[Andu]

Your AA's could use a tweak, if youre going for DPS then STR line is worth about 300 with your fabled epic alone. Grouped with a dirge and berzerker that can double.STR: 4 4 4 8INT: 6 4 4 8 1 (as you have)AGI: 4 4 8 7 1<a href="http://www.eq2flames.com/coercers/17897-rok-recommended-gear-list.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gear here</a>. Just ignore the raid stuff if thats not your bag. Theres also a thread <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=413199" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.As Charmeur said, ignore the Vine Wrapped Boots comment, they're terrible. Phantom Boots of the Wastes can be picked up for a few plat off the broker and are better.Cast advice <a href="http://www.eq2flames.com/illusionists/5409-max-dps-maximimizing-raid-dps-illusionist-4.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. Don't bother going much past page 5 or 6 though unless you're really bored.With the decent instance/quest drops, a mixture of Adept 3 and masters and a Troub in your group you should be able to get 4,000+ dps without much difficulty. Group or raid.

[Hammersmasher]

<cite>anastasia1224 wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>                                    Chrono,beam,brainclot,pessimism,beam,chromatic shower,beam,gamma storm,beam,daunted,beam,brainclot,beam,drain consciousness,beam,pessimism,beam,brain clot,gamma storm...and still I end up,at the very best,at around 15 <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/c30b4198e0907b23b8246bdd52aa1c3c.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" /> granted my gear is not top notch...</p></blockquote>I don't see prismatic adornment anywhere in here.  Since this is my highest parsing spell when I raid, I imagine it should be in your rotation somewhere.  I'd suggest you pre-cast it on pull and then cast it as soon as it's up again.  Follow it with beam, then continue with the rest of your rotation.Did you look at the other Illusionists gear when you raided?  Did this person have their mythical?  Having your pet in raid can give a significant boost to dps.Casting speed will also have an effect... you should be at perpetuality 5 for most (if not all) of the fight.- use a combination of Flash of Brilliance and Illuminate to jump you to perp-5.  I usually alternate between Flash and Illuminate on pull depending on what's up (chain pulling ftw lol).- if a wizzie is in the group casting "rays", it kicks you down to perp-1, so Illuminate (if it's up) will get you back to 5 instantly.Hammer

[Hammersmasher]

<cite>Charmeur@Splitpaw wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>...</p><p>Also, the choker drops in Shard of Fear, it's a must for well, pretty much every mage since it's the best item out there.</p><p>...</p></blockquote>Definitely a must.  It takes a little bit to get the hang of it, but try Shard of Fear solo.  Then when you get to the EPIC, hand pick the rest of your group from friends who already have the choker or are willing to let you have it since you did all the work.  I found that most people didnt' want to run SoF, but if they only had to come in for the last mob they didnt' mind taking the 10 minutes to finish it off.  (hint: stick to the edges of the zone).The first time soloing, it took 3 hours to get to the epic.  I started duoing with a troub for a couple runs and subsequent trips only took an hour.  Both of us have our chokers now, and it only took about 6 runs of the zone.Hammer

[Katonka]

<p>Thank you Hammer...and ooops,I always keep my mana shroud and flash of brilliance going during fights and I cast prismatic adornment on whoever the MT is right before the pull and keep it going whenever its up.Unfortunately I never get a chance to be in the group with a Trouby because they always put me in the group with the main tank and other DPS melee classes....the group is almost always the same(SK,Monk,Dirge,Ranger,and Templar and myself) with the Trouby in the mage grp helping the wizard,conjy and others.The other illusionist does not have her mythical yet,but she does always get put into the grp with the Trouby <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/2786c5c8e1a8be796fb2f726cca5a0fe.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" /> </p><p>Still working on my gear runs...trying to make Shard of Fear a must zone for me til I get that choker! heh</p><p>And Hammer? what is your opinion on going down the str line?</p>

[Hammersmasher]

<cite>anastasia1224 wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>And Hammer? what is your opinion on going down the str line?</p></blockquote>As Anduri indicated, I prefer the INT/AGI/STR road.  If I remember right, the STA line gets you heal crit for the group - the healers on the raids I usually go in have no need for it.  I find the STR line does more for my personal dps as well.  The only catch is that you need to make sure you're in melee range - but my crushing damage is probably about 10% of my overall dps.Oh and putting you in the MT group really does nothing for hate generation on the MT... that's usually a coercer's job.  You'ld be better off in a scout group where you can apply rapidity to those peeps.  (just my 2cp)HammerEDIT** I seem to remember one of our Enchanter lines has hate to the group... maybe that's why you're put in there.  Sorry my bad.  But again, I believe that's where a coercer excels over an illu.

[vinere]

The same line that has the healing crit, has a 2% hate REDUCTION per level, for a total of 10% reduction for everyone in your group that ISNT a fighter.  Thus it really still makes no sence to be in the tank group, unless they think giving the tank haste makes it worthwhile.

[Banditman]

The only thing an Illusionist has for additional hate is the rather dubious end line ability in the Illusionist tree that summons a temporary pet who passes hate to your MT.  It's really quite a crappy line to begin with, and I've never seen another Illusionist who has it.Coercers are far, far superior in the MT group.  If you really don't have one, even a Swashy or Assassin would be more appropriate for hate in the MT.  I just can't think of a good reason to have an Illusionist there.

[zormik]

<cite>Banditman wrote:</cite><blockquote>The only thing an Illusionist has for additional hate is the rather dubious end line ability in the Illusionist tree that summons a temporary pet who passes hate to your MT.  It's really quite a crappy line to begin with, and I've never seen another Illusionist who has it.Coercers are far, far superior in the MT group.  If you really don't have one, even a Swashy or Assassin would be more appropriate for hate in the MT.  I just can't think of a good reason to have an Illusionist there.</blockquote><p>Only good  reason to have an illu in the MT group is if your coercer is offline and you're having a powerfight like byzola.</p><p>And for the rest about aa, don't take anything else but agi, int and str line, all the rest is rubbish if you're mostly into raiding.</p>