Aether Ray vs Panetti's Missile

[Slashimus]

As the title says, I've been investing into PRM for my current Warlock build but I'm eyeing Aether Ray.

Does Aether Ray kind of replace PRM, making it pointless? Do I spec out of PRM once I have AR?

[Ficelle]

PRM is mostly a screen cleaner.
It does decent enough damage to kill lot of things at the same time, but is somewhat on the weak side against strong single target.
Needs lot of points to be of any use.

Aether ray is just the opposite, super strong, but single target.
No matter how fast it kills, it will never be as fast as killing whole screen like PRM, but ti destroys single target.

Choose one and build around it and ignore the other, or try to have the 2, but you will miss quite a lot on other areas.

I prefer PRM as the game is 99% of the time about killing tons of stuff on screen.

Nothing says you cant try the 2, respes are cheap (for a while...)

[Slashimus]

Hmmm...thanks. I was somehow thinking that AR was a piercing skill. I will likely put a few points in it for tough single targets and see how I like it, but I will keep investing in PRM.

[OnlyOffensive]

Ray is one trick ability, you will use ONLY it as offensive because it is channeling ability, so if you want 1 ability character ray is ok choice. Good ability to mix with occultist for his curse and chaos bonuses ( if you will take chaos modifier ), if you gona break channel to use other offensive abilities, than i don't see why even bother with ray. Might be good with tempest or smth, PRM imo slightly different in type of damage to spread stats between them two. I actually tried one time something similar of what you are talking, thinking i can take ray as "ability to use whenever i need" and i found that it is usefull only as long channeling and it was hard to find time to use anything else that require cast time. Imo something like occultist curse is the best to add, because it is spreading ability that require only use it once and after you can spam ray.

Ideally for PRM will be ability like Doom bolt ( which is for sure poor choise because of very different schools ), with long CD and great damage against hero/bosses and between you can spam lesser stuff, can't really tell a similar elemental ability, except sky shards maybe, but they require ALOT of points to be good. I think i would try improved Calidor tempest with 6 sec cd. and maybe devastation? it is also aether/fire damage, could be good.

[Slashimus]

Was considering Calidor but the knockdown is finicky. Works on some things, not on others.

Was thinking that the -fire resist from Olexa would help the AR mow down stuff quick.

[Tatanka]

Originally posted by Ficelle:

as the game is 99% of the time about killing tons of stuff on screen.

so much this, every single char i make is about aoe, yea you never get the massive single shot big numbers, but its FAR more effective in the long run

[Tatanka]

Originally posted by Slashimus:

Was considering Calidor but the knockdown is finicky. Works on some things, not on others.

Was thinking that the -fire resist from Olexa would help the AR mow down stuff quick.

yea dont go that way tried it, takes to much to make them both usefull, focus on either one, it will be fast on normal and elite but in ultra with mobs resisting, you are going to have a bad time
It is a nice idea on paper, but put to use it fails miserably compared to focusing on one of them.

[OnlyOffensive]

Originally posted by Slashimus:

Was considering Calidor but the knockdown is finicky. Works on some things, not on others.

Was thinking that the -fire resist from Olexa would help the AR mow down stuff quick.

Are you sure flash freeze do -fire resistance? I don't have arcanist right now, but i checked calc and there is only -40% physical resistance on absolute zero? Anyway flash freeze give good control for 1 point, if you want -resistances again occultist curse is good, it also slows aswell, but slows don't really work on bosses.

[Knightmare]

Originally posted by OnlyOffensive:

Originally posted by Slashimus:

Was considering Calidor but the knockdown is finicky. Works on some things, not on others.

Was thinking that the -fire resist from Olexa would help the AR mow down stuff quick.

Are you sure flash freeze do -fire resistance? I don't have arcanist right now, but i checked calc and there is only -40% physical resistance on absolute zero? Anyway flash freeze give good control for 1 point, if you want -resistances again occultist curse is good, it also slows aswell, but slows don't really work on bosses.

Flash freeze have -% fire resist. Grimcalc doesnt show it.

[Slashimus]

Originally posted by OnlyOffensive:

Originally posted by Slashimus:

Was considering Calidor but the knockdown is finicky. Works on some things, not on others.

Was thinking that the -fire resist from Olexa would help the AR mow down stuff quick.

Are you sure flash freeze do -fire resistance? I don't have arcanist right now, but i checked calc and there is only -40% physical resistance on absolute zero? Anyway flash freeze give good control for 1 point, if you want -resistances again occultist curse is good, it also slows aswell, but slows don't really work on bosses.

That's what the description says. Increasing -fire resistance per level.

[OnlyOffensive]

yea, anyway occultist curse should be better overall, maxing olexa just for -fire resist isn't worth imo or look for other abilities.