I think the spell is really lackluster in comparison with the other schools’ level 8 spells and there is almost no reason to go for for it besides imbuing a spellforged servitor with it and Bombard spell is almost the same in that case. The spear is very mana ineffective and niche by now not least of all by its short range even with Vehumet, a miss possibility and single targeted nature. Maybe channeling it for 3-4 turns would get the spell at the level with the others. What do you think, people?
I thought it had the highest potential damage output?
Ignition (one school requirement) easily overcomes the spear DPS with three of more monsters on the screen,
Refrigeration, Polar Vortex (get and win), Shatter (except flying monsters). Chain Lighting, Orb of Destruction is 1 mp less. The thing is that there are a lot of spells of almost the same cost but much more damage output / screen covering and at least two spells with almost same damage output (the Orb is one school spell, Bombard is cheaper and almost the same DPS for a character with mediocre INT points) so the Spear for me is just for amusement. It lacks some solid advantages and cost a lot of MP.
I think LCS might be for characters who are all-in on casting, and it’s supposed to take out panlords and tanky uniques. It can one or two-shot many uniques if it highrolls. For example, at half power (assuming it scales linearly), it can four-shot Tiamat, Lom Lobon, and Mnoleg, assuming high rolls, but 8-shot if average. Not terrible, but it can also two-shot ancient liches and orbs of fire if you get lucky (and a high chance of a one-shot at max power). This spell seems good against exetended game uniques and some of the harder Zot:5 enemies.
I could see this being pretty good when combined with Vhi’s Electric Charge then Dispersal to get the enemy away from you, but still within LCS range.
1 Thank
LCS does about 50% more damage than Bombard (if I’m not bungling my math) at the cost of 2 extra MP and 1 range, that’s pretty okay, especially when your action economy is more important than your MP economy. It also doesn’t have various restrictions of alternative single target spells and works in any situation, which is worth something. At high power the accuracy becomes pretty decent. I think it fits its niche well.
So I can put a Firestorm, a Polar Vortex (Hi, Lom Lobon, now try to use your) 9 mp (one school) instead of dubiously effective by itself two school spell. One have to get to INT 50 or so + have to get a couple of augmentations in order to hit the max (and you have to hit it and not miss it) damage about 230, If you’re lucky. With such parameters you just go Chain Lighting and make the same with the almost all screen (3d133 to the closest enemies (no misses) and part of it to the rest vs 10d23 single targeted missing one, 8mp). The choice is evident.
I had a Deep Elf EE character not so long ago, got no luck with Firestorm and Polar Vortex with Vehumet and went to the Shatter + the Spear. I’ve gotten Tiamat on Z5 and had to drink potion of Brilliance + Haste and make a little praying to take her down alone before she gets me (Spellcasting 27, MP over 50). I had the same fight with Polar Vortex and I just walked around the draconian escort and watched (no potions swallowed). So there is a really big gap in efficiency between the Spear and the other spell of the same level. Maybe going one-school for it will be OK. Pretty good for two school high level spell combined with other’s school high level spell is not what you look for your victory, imho)
It does with high spell power, but when you get to the parameters, there are already more appealing and effective choices. If you play mages, just remember how often you go for the spear for its own advantages.
Nah, it has more accuracy at any power, and 50% more damage at pretty much any power. I play mages a lot and have a pretty decent winrate with them, I go LCS when it makes sense for the run, or when I just fancy using LCS, cause at that point in the run spell picking is mostly about personal preferences, picking one or the other 8+ lvl spell won’t make or break a run by itself.
The drawback of Chain Lightning is that it can do 67 dmg to you, or 33 if you have rElec. The spear can one-shot an ancient lich at 100% power, and the damage is non-elemental, while Chain Lightning can’t bypass rElec; not an uncommon resistance in the late-game (Orb of fire, ancient lich, most residents of Dis, etc.)
MCC is 3-4 turn channeled one shot LCS… also just a single spell school.
Ignition + MCC is a better investment than LCS, unless you already have a ton of earth for shatter but at that point just stand on the stair case and spam Shatter.
Plasma Beam and Permafrost Eruption are both spell level 6 and can out DPS LCS (and you can probably get both online for less overall skill investment) when you consider their range and multi-enemy hit. The peanut butter blaster is so good, even better on Servitor because it can shoot offscreen.