Pyro vs Electro vs Geo

[funkmonster7]

What are you guys' take on this? I don't have much time to test different builds these days, so I'm hoping for an overview.

The recent Geomancy nerf to attack range makes it feel a lot different than how it used to be (ICBM). But it makes enemy Geomancers far more manageable...

[jotwebe]

Played an E-mancer in the early days, then an E-mancer/Geo hybrid, then a Pyro, currently nerfed Geo. For one thing, I've soured a bit on WIL - tried the latter two with more PER and VIT, and didn't really feel the lack of CD reduction. Pyro especially likes Accuracy to make Barrage hit reliably, and everybody likes bonus range and vision. Miracle chance also doesn't hurt. VIT 15 saves you a lot of splints and is better to offset armour than WIL.

E-mancy is probably the strongest, or feels like it at least since Geo is so slow early on. I'm a bit surprised at the praise Pyro keeps getting from people, I think it's the weakest school at the moment.

Pyro's problems:

1. New AI behaviour has non-mindless enemies avoid burning tiles religiously. Makes sense, but also makes it a massive PITA to reliably set people on fire, which you need to do if you want to do reasonable amounts of damage. So your second most important spell, after FB, is Runic Boulder.
   
2. Rain shuts you down hard. Wet people don't keep burning which means your damage is laughable, and that's before the fire resistance from Wet adds insult to injury. Make a Halt recommended so you can sleep through it. Seems likely to me it'll trip up newbies.
   
3. Armour is quite noticeable later on.

My pure Geo run is ongoing, so I can't comment on the high-level stuff, but so far I like it. The range nerf seems fair, and enemies still love to whale on your boulders for no discernible reason, so reduced durability there makes sense. Geo-flavoured SoP is lovely for a hybrid playstyle, even when not investing in any non-magic skills.

Elektro I think is basically unchanged from early 8.0 days after the initial balancing was done: start with hybrid play where you lightning-curse fools with Impulse, and then either daze-lock them against a wall or keep them at a distance and slowly dying via Jolt. Be a bit more wizardly with Static Field and cackle madly when you get Ball Lightning.

Geo/Elektro hybrid worked surprisingly well; you're the king/queen of CC and Ball Lightning plus Earthquake is hilarious. Magic Power from SoI is useful here, while SoP doesn't play too well with switching schools. In the endgame, the lack of specialised gear becomes a bit noticeable, but currently you're overleveled enough that it's not too bad. Geo Hat with Elektro robes did the job.

I think for all three schools the smart early play is to toss your mage gear into the ditch and grab a weapon and some armour instead. Early mage gear bonuses are just to minuscule to justify wearing it when you regularly will end up in melee. You can buy a decent 2h club for 60 gold, or buy a fist shield to use with a refurbished bandit weapon. Then switch to wizard panoply with exquisite gear earliest or even wait for the specialised gear to become available.

I've seen people rag on SoI, and yeah early on it's pricey, but I've found Dash complements it nicely. SoF, then SoI, then Dash gets you set up quickly and doesn't reduce SoF stacks.

Dissipation is a fun way to regen some energy off your backfires.

[funkmonster7]

Thanks for the detailed opinion. I have had my suspicions about Pyro for a long time, based on my own tests. Your advice confirmed a lot of things I've been thinking about, and informed me of what else I don't yet know. I also think Pyro is the weakest element right now, and I've been thinking how to make Pyro work because the other two kings of CC can easily pair up with a staff build for hybridizing. (Then again, Elec doesn't need hybridizing...)

Pyro has Ring of Fire and Blaze, both which have pretty low range that cannot be boosted with Perception. I wonder if it will need a rework at some point... Or maybe it just needs a buff.

I'm still working through the Magic Mastery tree. It is quite complicated, haha.

[Kirkis]

Well... I have 2 Mancers currently; a Pyro and Electro both about lvl 18. They use sword and shield. They are both extremely good at surviving and both deal substantial damage. That said... the Pyromancer is an absolute damage monster. Once you get Lava, and Ray most enemies are a joke. Once you get Inferno you are basically a fire god.

For Magic Mastery get seal of insight, seal of finesse and seal of power. You will want to max out this skill tree eventually as its a source of enormous power.

[Rhapsody]

Pretty bummed out by electro at level 10, I don't think magic is for me, or at least not that particular flavor of it, or maybe it just requires beelining for ball lightning. If I had to choose which to try next, I'd go for Geo, at least that one is a bit different from the usual spellcasting tropes.

[Lava]

MAGIC IS FOR COWARDS - Be a real man and use only your fists.

Anyways has anyone ever gotten past the first dungeon yet?

[jotwebe]

Originally posted by Rhapsody:

Pretty bummed out by electro at level 10, I don't think magic is for me, or at least not that particular flavor of it, or maybe it just requires beelining for ball lightning. If I had to choose which to try next, I'd go for Geo, at least that one is a bit different from the usual spellcasting tropes.

Electro is pretty nice as hybrid with staff, I think. I did a hybrid staff/electro/geo/athletics build early in 8.0 and, while around Brynn it felt a bit too spread out, it ẃas pretty fun and interesting up until then.

You owe it to yourself to play around with Ball Lightning before it gets nerfed, that skill is ballers, pun very much intended. Wizard duels with the MM active skills are also great fun, it's hilarious when skelly priests curse themselves.

[Kirkis]

Originally posted by Rhapsody:

Pretty bummed out by electro at level 10, I don't think magic is for me, or at least not that particular flavor of it, or maybe it just requires beelining for ball lightning. If I had to choose which to try next, I'd go for Geo, at least that one is a bit different from the usual spellcasting tropes.

Use raise shield + magic master skill tree (all of it, but magic insight to start.)

Just Magic insight into a place of power. Stand there and knock enemies against the walls... most enemies will drop after this manner of attack. Use a magic boosted sword and a strong shield (with raised shield) and you should kill pretty much anything.. even things 4 levels above you.

[Rhapsody]

Originally posted by King Emmanuel:

Stand there and knock enemies against the walls... most enemies will drop after this manner of attack.

Yes, it's just very repetitive and not always successful due to enemies resisting the knockback. It defies reason to let enemies advance on to a robe-wearing mage in the first place, especially the late-game brigands and some proselytes who have gap-closer abilities or attacks with extra reach.