Carthus Flame Arc, or Magic Weapon Buff?

[SundayMornin]

I am trying to decide which one to use on my pyromancer.

[Brave and Fearless Sir Shiba]

or. orrr fire resin and use that slot for something else saves on FP too

[SundayMornin]

Originally posted by Kitsue:

or. orrr fire resin and use that slot for something else saves on FP too

True, but right now I havent really figured out what I want to take with. Right now I am running fireball/fire orb, and then whatever I feel like in the third slot.

[Brave and Fearless Sir Shiba]

Originally posted by The Legend:

Originally posted by Kitsue:

or. orrr fire resin and use that slot for something else saves on FP too

True, but right now I havent really figured out what I want to take with. Right now I am running fireball/fire orb, and then whatever I feel like in the third slot.

fire surge is annoying and if your far enough for 2 slots great chaos orb hits hard and leaves the trademark lava mark.

[Funpire]

MWB

[bloodymonarch]

Originally posted by The Legend:

I am trying to decide which one to use on my pyromancer.

If you're actually refining your pyro flame and raising the int and faith stats why wouldn't you use carthus flame arc? Pretty sure the AR it adds to the weapon scales with all those things.

Or do what I would do late game: Infused chaos and dark weapons that scale int/fth for PVE and scaling buffs for PVP.

[SundayMornin]

Originally posted by Kitsue:

Originally posted by The Legend:

True, but right now I havent really figured out what I want to take with. Right now I am running fireball/fire orb, and then whatever I feel like in the third slot.

fire surge is annoying and if your far enough for 2 slots great chaos orb hits hard and leaves the trademark lava mark.

yea unfortunately, as much as I would love to have that, I am not far enough. Im not even sure how you get that tome. I am assuming it is after crystal sage. Beat the abyss watchers and got the carthus tome.

[Ǵ̶͓̂͑lí̴̤̀̄́tcĥ̸]

You'll get both the tome and the soul for another awesome chaos pyro skill in Smouldering Lake. Below the catacombs. You can definitely get them since you're past Abyss Watchers.

[Epithet Lost]

flame arc: better base buff; magic weapon: worse base, better scaling.
Therefore it depends on how much INT you have. High INT - magic weapon, low INT - flame arc.

[SundayMornin]

Originally posted by ⊂╫i└└ i∩':

You'll get both the tome and the soul for another awesome chaos pyro skill in Smouldering Lake. Below the catacombs. You can definitely get them since you're past Abyss Watchers.

Ouch smouldering lake. I am taking a look at the cathedral of the deep, but from the looks of it I dont think I am supposed to go here yet.

[SundayMornin]

Originally posted by Seyfert QSR:

flame arc: better base buff; magic weapon: worse base, better scaling.
Therefore it depends on how much INT you have. High INT - magic weapon, low INT - flame arc.

Currently my int is higher than my faith, but I am just running the flame arc since it means less weapons management (no catalyst).

[Ǵ̶͓̂͑lí̴̤̀̄́tcĥ̸]

If you've beaten Abyss Watchers, the Cathedral should not be an issue for you at all. You have to go there anyway before you can do anything beyond the Catacombs, excluding Smouldering Lake (you require an item dropped by the Cathedral boss in order to proceed to the area beyond the Catacombs).

[troponin1979]

I know infused weapons aren't quite as strong, but melee is supplemental to my pyro, so I prefer infused weapons. I keep one with lightning, fire, and dark. Those three with cover everything in the game. I don't care for magic because few enemies are weak it and nothing is resistant to any of the ones I carry.

[SundayMornin]

Originally posted by troponin1979:

I know infused weapons aren't quite as strong, but melee is supplemental to my pyro, so I prefer infused weapons. I keep one with lightning, fire, and dark. Those three with cover everything in the game. I don't care for magic because few enemies are weak it and nothing is resistant to any of the ones I carry.

Currently I am running a Battle axe with the heavy infusion upgraded to +3. Only problem I have with infusions is that they take away scaling. Other than that I run carthus flame arc, although I do have greater magic weapon buff but I dont use that. Currently running swamp ring fire clutch ring saints ring, and the initial pyromancers ring and I am doing really good damage.

[Xengre]

Originally posted by The Legend:

Originally posted by ⊂╫i└└ i∩':

You'll get both the tome and the soul for another awesome chaos pyro skill in Smouldering Lake. Below the catacombs. You can definitely get them since you're past Abyss Watchers.

Ouch smouldering lake. I am taking a look at the cathedral of the deep, but from the looks of it I dont think I am supposed to go here yet.

I did Cathedral of the Deep before Farron/Abyss and Carthus and you really should as you need the key item from the boss to enter the area just after Carthus or you hit a dead end until you get it in the game. Smouldering is entirely a side area, too, and dead ends but has numerous items/tombs and multiple bosses/mimics in it.

Greater magic weapon sucks imo since it only lasts 60 seconds vs Magic Weapon. Carthus Flame Arc lasts a long enough time and adds more damage in general.

You may want to consider keeping an eye out for the spells Hidden Body (turns invisible, supreme in PVE, semi useful in PVP), along with Spook (or w/e it is called, makes u silent and needed to utilize Hidden Body properly unless you have ring with this effect), and Rapport (mind control many enemies to fight for you, doesn't work on some).

Some weapons (Staffs/etc.) don't scale or scale very poorly with spell boost until you reach a certain stat point and that is when you really see the value of Reinforcing said weapon (to get higher spell boost).

[Burusagi]

You get Magic Weapon way earlier than Flame Arc.

Magic Weapon needs 10 INT, meanwhile Flame Arc needs 10 INT and 10 FTH.

So the obvious answer would be to use Magic Weapon early and then, if you decide to, get the extra level of FTH and use Flame Arc.