Caster weapon
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A caster weapon is any weapon or offhand that aids a spellcaster. Typical spellcasting weapons are staves, wands, and focus items. Casters can also make use of martial weapons (if they are properly modded) and shields. Generally, caster weapons are combined in any one of the following ways:
Wand sets[edit]
Meeting a wand's requirement is only necessary for weapon damage, but meeting a focus item's requirement is necessary to receive the full energy bonus.
General purpose set[edit]
A wand and a shield can be combined for the usual HSR or HCT along with extra armor rating and health. Some shields provide an extra benefit with an upgrade for physical damage absorption or +10 armor against certain damage types.
40/40 set[edit]
Fast Casting set: A wand and a focus item can provide up to 36% HCT and HSR for a single attribute, which is useful for spamming spells and avoiding interrupts.
- Components
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| A 40/40 Fire magic set |
High energy set[edit]
A wand and a focus item, when equipped with a "Seize the Day" and "Live for Today" inscriptions, can provide a "high energy set" with two +15 energy /-1 energy regeneration upgrades.
- Components
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- The highest energy combination is +42.
- Substituting a shield lowers maximum energy, but allows a substantial increase in your armor rating (casters can get armor rating +8 from the shield itself plus the inscription bonus).
- Usage
This combination is used as a secondary set, which a spellcaster can swap to when they need extra energy. This avoids the drawback of -2 energy regeneration since they can immediately weapon swap after casting the spell.
- Swap to the high-energy set when lacking the energy needed to use a critical skill.
- Switch back to your normal set when otherwise casting to avoid the -2 energy regeneration.
Staff sets[edit]
Meeting a staff's attribute requirement is only necessary for weapon damage.
General purpose set[edit]
- Universal Set: A staff can have 20% universal HSR, which is useful for builds with multiple attributes or PvE-only spells. It can also have enchantment duration upgrades, and if combined with a Insightful staff head and "Hale and Hearty" inscription, can provide more energy than a standard wand/focus combination.
40/20/20 Enchanting set[edit]
- The primary use for a staff in most builds is to lengthen critical enchantments. This set uses an "of Enchanting" Staff Wrapping for the enchantment duration and an Adept staff head and "Aptitude not Attitude" inscription to achieve 36% HCT (helping avoid interruption). When not casting enchantments, another weapon set should be swapped to. Builds that don't fear interruption (ex: when farming foes lacking interrupts or carrying interrupt-prevention) may instead use an enchanting martial weapon+offhand combo (outlined in the martial sets section below).
Martial sets[edit]
Meeting a martial weapon's attribute requirement is only necessary for weapon damage, but meeting a shield's requirement is necessary to receive the full armor rating bonus.
- Spellcasters wielding a martial weapon have the benefit (or drawback) of causing the AI of foes and allies to not activate certain skills that target them (e.g. Weapon spells, Backfire, etc.).
- Spellcaster heroes should not be equipped with caster melee weapons, since they will waste time by running up to within-range of foes (and chasing kiting foes) to attack them instead of casting spells.
- A spear is technically the optimal choice for a caster martial weapon, since it keeps the user at range if they need to auto-attack (ex: to build adrenaline for certain defensive skills and to keep heroes from chasing foes). However, if a caster does not have any reason to auto-attack, a sword or axe will be just as good.
General purpose set[edit]
Martial weapons can combine an of Enchanting upgrade with the +5 energy inscription "I Have the Power!" or a 10% universal HSR inscription, which makes maintaining enchantments viable with a one-handed martial weapon and a focus item or shield.
- Examples
- For this combination, examples of unique caster martial weapons include:
- Acquisition
- The following collectors offer a +5 energy martial weapon:
- The following weaponsmiths offer +5 energy martial weapons:
Defensive set[edit]
Combine a weapon with an of Defense upgrade and a shield of Fortitude for an unconditional +13 armor rating (+21 if requirement of the shield is met) and +30 health. In PvP, multiple shields each with different +10 vs. [element] inscriptions are carried in inventory to be swapped into this set depending on the damage types used by the enemy team.
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- The highest armor combination is an unconditional +21 armor and +33 versus a certain damage type when equipping a shield with one of the armor +10 inscriptions and a martial weapon of warding or of shelter.
- Usage
- Equip if under pressure or if you are about to be spiked.
- If not casting anything it's generally wise to swap to this set to avoid becoming a priority target (and potentially saving you if you are targeted anyway).
Low energy set[edit]
Combine a weapon with the "Brawn over Brains" inscription (lowering energy by 5) and a shield or low-energy focus for an energy hiding set. Energy hiding is a weapon swapping tactic to lower your available energy pool to reduce the impact of energy denial by foes or the cost of skills that use up all available energy (e.g. Rebirth, Purge Signet, or Ether Lord).
A focus item inscribed with "Ignorance is Bliss" that you do not meet the attribute requirement for can lower your base energy by another 2 points. This will also provide an unconditional +10 armor.
A shield simply provides no energy, but will allow the use of the element specific armor inscriptions on top of a shield's armor bonus.
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- The lowest energy combination is -7
- Due to the armor bonuses available on either offhand this set can double as a defensive set if a defense mod is added to the main hand weapon.
- Usage
- Equip the low-energy set when idle, when at risk of energy denial, or when about to use a skill that uses up all energy.
- Switch to a regular or high-energy set when otherwise casting, which will increase your energy pool by at least 5 points, but more likely by 12, 20, or even 37 points.
- You can also use the low-energy set to meet low-energy requirements of certain skills (e.g. Ether Signet).
Other specific uses[edit]
- Create a particular weapon set for a specialized gimmick build (such as a bomber: a poisonous upgrade is used to increase the duration of the poison from Death Nova).
- Combine a weapon with a shield or focus item for an unconditional +60 health of Fortitude upgrade for an unconditional health bonus.
See also[edit]
| Weapons (edit) | ||
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| Requirement • Swapping • Sets • Bonus | ||
| One-handed | Melee: Ranged: |
Axe • Sword Spear • Wand |
| Two-handed | Melee: Ranged: |
Daggers • Hammer • Scythe Bow • Staff |
| Off-hand only | Focus • Shield | |
| Types | Caster • Martial | |
| Upgrades | Bundles • Components • Inscriptions Rewards • Inherent modifiers • Perfect 20/20 • 40/20/20 • 40/40 | |
