Sandstorm times

[Tgo01]

Screw it, too lazy to do more than 30.

0 skill stats to start Sandstorm:

Total time to start sandstorm count: 30
Longest time to start sandstorm: 12.345862
Shortest time to start sandstorm: 10.053968
Average time to start sandstorm: 10.9537756

0 skill stats for attack intervals:

Total time to attack count: 79
Longest time to attack: 10.458347
Shortest time to attack: 9.574068
Average time to attack: 9.996183088607596

So with 0 skill it takes about 11 seconds before the Sandstorm turns into a full fledged raging sandstorm of doom, after that it does its first attack and any subsequent attack about every 10 seconds.

So...with 0 skill it takes about 21 seconds before this spell even attacks. Why is this spell in the game?

[Tgo01]

This is with 50 ranks of air lore:

Total time to start sandstorm count: 20
Longest time to start sandstorm: 11.86153
Shortest time to start sandstorm: 10.256213
Average time to start sandstorm: 11.13319345

Total time to attack count: 46
Longest time to attack: 8.172007
Shortest time to attack: 7.896497
Average time to attack: 8.01078019565217

So it looks like the time it takes for the Sandstorm to turn into a raging sandstorm isn't affected by air lore but the attack intervals was lowered by about 20% with 50 air lore ranks.

Meaning instead of 21 seconds before the spell starts attacking it's only 19 seconds! :D

[Tgo01]

Also the wiki states "Additional sandstorm casts (stacking) directed at the target will speed up the summoning process and also increase damage" which seems to be bullshit. It might do more damage, but it doesn't appear to speed up the process of turning the sandstorm into a raging sandstorm nor does it appear to affect the attack intervals.

[Tgo01]

100 ranks of air lore:

Total time to start sandstorm count: 23
Longest time to start sandstorm: 11.920945
Shortest time to start sandstorm: 10.013033
Average time to start sandstorm: 11.067055434782612

Total time to attack count: 47
Longest time to attack: 6.112906
Shortest time to attack: 5.812413
Average time to attack: 5.998299319148935

So another 2 seconds shaved off the attack interval with another 50 ranks, the initial process of turning it into a raging sandstorm is still left unaffected.

[Tgo01]

150 ranks of air lore:

Total time to start sandstorm count: 20
Longest time to start sandstorm: 12.008294
Shortest time to start sandstorm: 10.026165
Average time to start sandstorm: 10.86945325

Total time to attack count: 49
Longest time to attack: 6.354005
Shortest time to attack: 5.691464
Average time to attack: 6.004995551020408

Nothing has changed so either air lore benefit for reducing attack interval time is capped at -4 seconds at 100 air lore ranks or there is some threshold I haven't reached yet. I'll keep you all informed!

[Ceyrin]

So...with 0 skill it takes about 21 seconds before this spell even attacks. Why is this spell in the game?

They can't all be Call Lightning.

[Tgo01]

202 ranks of air lore:

Total time to start sandstorm count: 13
Longest time to start sandstorm: 11.772443
Shortest time to start sandstorm: 10.344748
Average time to start sandstorm: 11.040447846153844

Total time to attack count: 24
Longest time to attack: 4.182122
Shortest time to attack: 3.832982
Average time to attack: 3.9988913749999995

Dropped another 2 seconds. So I'm assuming it works out thusly:

The time to turn the sandstorm into a raging sandstorm is fixed at about 11 seconds and can't be changed with training or even apparently by "stacking" the spell.

The attack intervals starts at 10 seconds and is lowered by 2 seconds at 50 ranks (or somewhere between 1 and 50), is lowered by another 2 seconds at 100 ranks (or somewhere between 51 and 100), and is lowered by another 2 seconds at 200 ranks (or somewhere between 101 and 202).

For a fully maxed out air Sandstorm of: 11 seconds to get the sandstorm into a raging sandstorm, then waiting another 4 seconds before it starts to attack, and it attacking every 4 seconds thereafter.

Did you all know this spell absolutely sucks donkey dick even with this whole 6 second savings?

Behold the power of the weak sandstorm!

Your raging sandstorm swirls around a fallen crusader, assaulting him with sand and bits of debris...
... 25 points of damage!
Attack whistles right through the chest!
It's like fighting fog!


Your raging sandstorm swirls around a fallen crusader, assaulting him with sand and bits of debris...
... 35 points of damage!
Strong strike splits the belly open, revealing ghostly organs.
Haggis anyone?

But don't worry, you can "stack" the effect for extra damage. Just look at this awesome 4 stacked Sandstorm:

Your raging sandstorm swirls around a fallen crusader, assaulting him with sand and bits of debris...
... 70 points of damage!
Massive strike to the chest crashes through the fallen crusader's back in a cloud of vapor.
Slowly, the fallen crusader reforms its torso.


Your raging sandstorm swirls around a fallen crusader, assaulting him with sand and bits of debris...
... 70 points of damage!
Amazing strike enters one side and exits the other, neatly cutting the fallen crusader in half!
To your horror the two parts rejoin a moment later.

I actually got excited when I read that stacking it not only ups the damage but increases the summoning speed, I was hoping it would affect the attack intervals too. But no, stacking only (laughably) increases the damage of the spell.

I DEMAND GOOD SPELLS IN THE WIZARD CIRCLE!!!!!

[drauz]

Wall O'Text

Its just the wizard version of Maelstrom. Which is also an underused spells, for the same reasons.

Actually I'd be willing to bet its copy pasted with changes to the type of damage.

[Winter]

I've seen a wizard use it on banshees in Darkstone castle, they'd cast it on the banshees leave the room then go kill sentinals. I'd like to see it swapped for a high level bolt of elements.

[Donquix]

I've seen a wizard use it on banshees in Darkstone castle, they'd cast it on the banshees leave the room then go kill sentinals. I'd like to see it swapped for a high level bolt of elements.

i'm not sure about all "fade" mechanics but on at least some it will continue to tick on them after the fade (same with immo). So if you want to just like...waste a shit ton of mana for that parlor trick, cast sandstorm, weapon fire (lol), immolate and pretend you're a WoW affliction warlock.