ascension choices

11-07-2016, 04:34 PM

Hi everyone. I'd love to know what everyone is currently thinking in terms of what ascension class you are leaning towards once you get that chance.

I'm feeling like etherealist is the clear dps choice, especially for people who perhaps won't quickly level up the class or who will mostly be playing heroic content. The early access of single target, aoe, and potency buffing skills just puts this ahead of the others by a good margin. Kind of makes me sad that my noxious debuff abilities on my necro may not do anything much if all of my damage is turned to magic, but...the skills just seem much more suited to a pure dps class than thaumaturgist.

On my Templar, I think I would lean more towards the elementalist. My templar already has one skill that debuffs the enemy defenses vs physical mitigation, so having the few that elementalist offers plays in line and boosts something that I'm already used to, while giving a couple of single target and evennnnnntually an aoe. But for a priest, I don't worry as much about damage as I do about helping the group/keeping them alive. Honestly, none of the ascension classes offer anything that excites me on a priest, so it's kind of like if I'm going to pick etherealist on my dps character, I may as well choose something different on my priest. Also, my priest is a sage, so he will eventually be able to make both of these class abilities. So having one of each type that I can actually make myself is kind of cool.

If I was going to bring my ranger into the expansion, i would go with geomancer. Seems like the melee option. If I was going to bring my Paladin into the expansion, I would go with thaumaturgist for the self heal plus damage attack and verdict. If he was a shadowknight, I would definitely do thaumaturgist. If I brought my defiler into the expansion, I would go blood mage as well.

What are some thoughts on this? Are all mages going to pick etherealist? Is it too early to tell? Thanks for the discussion.

11-07-2016, 04:46 PM

As far as Ranger concerns i am in between etherealist/geomancer for right side spec and elementalist for left side spec. What are your thoughts.

11-07-2016, 04:59 PM

Because of the earlier aoe skill (level 4 compared to 9 or 10), i would go geomancer on my ranger. And yeah, as a solo/heroic ranger, I tend to stick to right side prestige. I like salvo. It feels like getting to level 10 ascension is going to take quite a while, and on elementalist, you don't get an aoe skill until the end or close to the end. So that would be the determining factor for me.

Between etherealist and geomancer, I feel that the geomancer is created with a melee character in mind, whether tank or dps, so that's what I would go with. Play what the game is pointing at. Even the person who makes the skills (jeweler for geomancer) also makes scout skills. So that is maybe another hint at where to go with your choice. Not that someone won't eventually have multiple classes to switch between. Personally, I don't feel that will be my case for quite some time.

Kari · 11-07-2016, 05:45 PM

I am toying with the idea of Thaumaturge for my defiler. I like the idea of an additional death save and verdict. Currently we don't have a full time inquisitor and we swap in a dps player's alt for fights that we want verdict, so if I pick it up it may help overall dps by keeping that player on his dps toon.

My biggest concern is that I already have all nox damage skills, so if there is a need for another damage type I wouldn't be able to use the ascension form to change up my damage type.

Arieva · 11-07-2016, 10:34 PM

I want to pick elementalist..I really do but I feel it needs some dev attention before it is a viable choice. Final swarm ability is very underperforming. Single target nuke is well under cascading force. Potency ability is 1000x mode useful than a few seconds of less elemental damage. My concern at this point is most dps and utility may gravitate towards etherealist leaving little diversity elsewhere

11-08-2016, 01:04 PM

This is why from the start, I wish it had been much more clearly designed as an archetype upgrade rather than pick whatever you want.

11-08-2016, 01:04 PM	#6
captainbeatty451 Active Member Posts: n/a	Arieva said: ↑ “I want to pick elementalist..I really do but I feel it needs some dev attention before it is a viable choice. Final swarm ability is very underperforming. Single target nuke is well under cascading force. Potency ability is 1000x mode useful than a few seconds of less elemental damage. My concern at this point is most dps and utility may gravitate towards etherealist leaving little diversity elsewhere” This is why from the start, I wish it had been much more clearly designed as an archetype upgrade rather than pick whatever you want.

11-07-2016, 04:34 PM	#1
captainbeatty451 Active Member Posts: n/a	Hi everyone. I'd love to know what everyone is currently thinking in terms of what ascension class you are leaning towards once you get that chance. I'm feeling like etherealist is the clear dps choice, especially for people who perhaps won't quickly level up the class or who will mostly be playing heroic content. The early access of single target, aoe, and potency buffing skills just puts this ahead of the others by a good margin. Kind of makes me sad that my noxious debuff abilities on my necro may not do anything much if all of my damage is turned to magic, but...the skills just seem much more suited to a pure dps class than thaumaturgist. On my Templar, I think I would lean more towards the elementalist. My templar already has one skill that debuffs the enemy defenses vs physical mitigation, so having the few that elementalist offers plays in line and boosts something that I'm already used to, while giving a couple of single target and evennnnnntually an aoe. But for a priest, I don't worry as much about damage as I do about helping the group/keeping them alive. Honestly, none of the ascension classes offer anything that excites me on a priest, so it's kind of like if I'm going to pick etherealist on my dps character, I may as well choose something different on my priest. Also, my priest is a sage, so he will eventually be able to make both of these class abilities. So having one of each type that I can actually make myself is kind of cool. If I was going to bring my ranger into the expansion, i would go with geomancer. Seems like the melee option. If I was going to bring my Paladin into the expansion, I would go with thaumaturgist for the self heal plus damage attack and verdict. If he was a shadowknight, I would definitely do thaumaturgist. If I brought my defiler into the expansion, I would go blood mage as well. What are some thoughts on this? Are all mages going to pick etherealist? Is it too early to tell? Thanks for the discussion.

11-07-2016, 04:46 PM	#2
CSP84 Member Posts: n/a	As far as Ranger concerns i am in between etherealist/geomancer for right side spec and elementalist for left side spec. What are your thoughts.

11-07-2016, 04:59 PM	#3
captainbeatty451 Active Member Posts: n/a	Because of the earlier aoe skill (level 4 compared to 9 or 10), i would go geomancer on my ranger. And yeah, as a solo/heroic ranger, I tend to stick to right side prestige. I like salvo. It feels like getting to level 10 ascension is going to take quite a while, and on elementalist, you don't get an aoe skill until the end or close to the end. So that would be the determining factor for me. Between etherealist and geomancer, I feel that the geomancer is created with a melee character in mind, whether tank or dps, so that's what I would go with. Play what the game is pointing at. Even the person who makes the skills (jeweler for geomancer) also makes scout skills. So that is maybe another hint at where to go with your choice. Not that someone won't eventually have multiple classes to switch between. Personally, I don't feel that will be my case for quite some time.

11-07-2016, 05:45 PM	#4
Kari Active Member Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 3	I am toying with the idea of Thaumaturge for my defiler. I like the idea of an additional death save and verdict. Currently we don't have a full time inquisitor and we swap in a dps player's alt for fights that we want verdict, so if I pick it up it may help overall dps by keeping that player on his dps toon. My biggest concern is that I already have all nox damage skills, so if there is a need for another damage type I wouldn't be able to use the ascension form to change up my damage type.

11-07-2016, 10:34 PM	#5
Arieva New Member Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 0	I want to pick elementalist..I really do but I feel it needs some dev attention before it is a viable choice. Final swarm ability is very underperforming. Single target nuke is well under cascading force. Potency ability is 1000x mode useful than a few seconds of less elemental damage. My concern at this point is most dps and utility may gravitate towards etherealist leaving little diversity elsewhere