Doubles vs. fulls for post-cap wizard

[Idalias]

I'm planning to start a mana-infused project armor this duskruin and trying to decide between fulls or doubles. This is going to take a long time and will cost way too much money, so I want to make the right decision. I know, I know, it's a matter of preference... but really, what's the better move for a post-cap wiz that blasts everything with 903/950? Although I've been in fulls for the last several years, my gut is to go for doubles, with the assumption that I'll want more protection in the new ascension hunting grounds. I also think there's a chance I could eventually train in an ascension skill that reduces armor spell hindrance.

But I'm really torn here... any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

[Orthin]

the new Elven Armor at full tier unlock reduces spell hinderance by 1% in that armor - not sure what kind of coin you are throwing around but thta may be worth it. It is is easier to enchant/ensorcell as its T1 ability.

[Palcron]

Maybe not the most helpful response, but if you went fulls, at worst, you can just add enhancive armor accessories to give you the coverage of doubles, plus you get the benefits of the accessories.

[drauz]

Studded leathers, armored casting and fluidity looks pretty good.

[Red]

robes + 1202 + 15 trans lore = AsG 8 with 0% hinderence

[azim17]

im in the doubles camp. you will get knocked down, dispelled and hit. doubles can take a hit and give you enough scramble time to live

[Idalias]

Several interesting ideas here. robes + 1202 + transformation lore is very intriguing, but probably not a route I'd go unless I had some way of self-casting 1202 on a somewhat reliable basis. Fulls + armor accessories works well. I tend to forget that you can use accessories to increase the ASG coverage of what you're wearing.

I'm planning to put the mana-infused armor script on this, so using Elven Armor won't work.

My understanding is that you can't use both armored casting + armored fluidity at the same time. Studded leathers are 9% base hindrance, which I think is going to be too painful to stomach.

Still leaning a bit towards doubles, I think, vs. fulls + accessories.

[Red]

I was double for 25m exp. It is my preference sans the previous robe/1202 option

[malmuddy]

robes + 1202 + 15 trans lore = AsG 8 with 0% hinderence

I think this is mostly true, except you still have the CvA of robes. But I believe you have all the other benefits of double leather with the spell hindrance and AP of robes.

IMO the big disadvantage to this approach is that 1202 can be dispelled, putting you back in robes at inopportune times. Or outright not allowed (as a non-native spell) in future hunting areas. But depending on what/where you hunt, this approach can be very effective. Far post cap, you could even get into brig/torso chain equivalent with 105/140 transformation lore.

[Red]

may I recommend a sigil staff:

You focus on your fireleaf staff and notice brightly burning sigils corresponding to these spells:
(1202) Iron Skin

[Fryinhades]

I run doubles on my near cap ranged wiz. All you need is a hit to the head or other vulnerable areas to stop a hunt. At least with padded doubles. It's less likely to stop the hunt outright unless getting hit with a claidh or something similar

[Idalias]

may I recommend a sigil staff:

You focus on your fireleaf staff and notice brightly burning sigils corresponding to these spells:
(1202) Iron Skin

Good idea (and that's the route I'm going on my runestaff). Still need lots of 1202 scrolls though, right?

[Red]

easy to unlock and charge 1202 scrolls and sigil staff does not lock them

[malmuddy]

Good idea (and that's the route I'm going on my runestaff). Still need lots of 1202 scrolls though, right?

1202 is not hard to find in my experience. Scrolls and empowerable/rechargeable magic items that you can charge as a wizard should cover you if you decide to go this route. Especially if you have any sorcerer friends that can help you out on the scrolls. The sigil staff idea is great for item management.

You could use 1750 items in a pinch. DR has also sold 1x day Iron Skin pins in the past, so those may come around again at some point.

[mgoddess]

Doubles, all the way.

[caelric]

the new Elven Armor at full tier unlock reduces spell hinderance by 1% in that armor - not sure what kind of coin you are throwing around but thta may be worth it. It is is easier to enchant/ensorcell as its T1 ability.

The Elven Armor is only for Studded Leather (AsG 11) or above, i believe.

[drauz]

Several interesting ideas here. robes + 1202 + transformation lore is very intriguing, but probably not a route I'd go unless I had some way of self-casting 1202 on a somewhat reliable basis. Fulls + armor accessories works well. I tend to forget that you can use accessories to increase the ASG coverage of what you're wearing.

I'm planning to put the mana-infused armor script on this, so using Elven Armor won't work.

My understanding is that you can't use both armored casting + armored fluidity at the same time. Studded leathers are 9% base hindrance, which I think is going to be too painful to stomach.

Still leaning a bit towards doubles, I think, vs. fulls + accessories.

It is changing with the new maneuvers update. fluidity is moving to a fittings service and armored casting is a regular one, they will be allowed on the same item. So studded would be 4% with fluidity and armored casting is changing to 3s hard RT instead of failing the cast. It mainly only doable if you have dodge complete so you have almost zero % chance to get hit in offensive.

[Idalias]

It is changing with the new maneuvers update. fluidity is moving to a fittings service and armored casting is a regular one, they will be allowed on the same item. So studded would be 4% with fluidity and armored casting is changing to 3s hard RT instead of failing the cast. It mainly only doable if you have dodge complete so you have almost zero % chance to get hit in offensive.

2% with doubles and the new fluidity fitting that I don’t need to maintain often sounds pretty nice!

[Rinualdo]

the new Elven Armor at full tier unlock reduces spell hinderance by 1% in that armor - not sure what kind of coin you are throwing around but thta may be worth it. It is is easier to enchant/ensorcell as its T1 ability.

Looks like ASG 11 and above only
http://forums.play.net/forums/GemStone%20IV/Paid%20Events:%20Adventures,%20Quests,%20and%20Sim uCoins/Duskruin%20Arena/thread/1934277?get_newest=true

[drauz]

2% with doubles and the new fluidity fitting that I don’t need to maintain often sounds pretty nice!

With these new services I am going for zelnorn (requires at least studded) for the free AS, haven't decided on a script for it.

[Orthin]

Looks like ASG 11 and above only
http://forums.play.net/forums/GemStone%20IV/Paid%20Events:%20Adventures,%20Quests,%20and%20Sim uCoins/Duskruin%20Arena/thread/1934277?get_newest=true

oh did not know that but works out because I am going to chainmail for my cleric

[mgoddess]

It is changing with the new maneuvers update. fluidity is moving to a fittings service and armored casting is a regular one, they will be allowed on the same item. So studded would be 4% with fluidity and armored casting is changing to 3s hard RT instead of failing the cast. It mainly only doable if you have dodge complete so you have almost zero % chance to get hit in offensive.
Looks like the Fluidity-via-fittings was reverted on the 9th, which sucks. I was looking forward to being able to offer Support & Fluidity at the same time from my paladin. :(

[Idalias]

Oh, and another thought... I guess 1202 + robes may become problematic with the new spell stripping mechanics being contemplated? (And also problematic for me hunting in the Rift?)

[phantasm]

Robes, light or full leathers just because the AP is better. If you want tank armor, go with leather breastplate the 6% is not bad at all, and you get all the extra TD via CvA of hard leathers. So doubles not even in the equation.

[Maerit]

Honestly for a wizard it's not that big of a deal because of 520. The biggest advantage is the crit divisor from soft leather vs cloth on your head/neck area, which is the only reason doubles are more powerful overall. I use doubles on one wizard, who hunts with a tower shield & empty main hand, and robes on the 2nd wizard who hunts as a pure. Neither of them die nearly as often as my other pures because 520 and stop time are amazing.

[drumpel]

Several interesting ideas here. robes + 1202 + transformation lore is very intriguing, but probably not a route I'd go unless I had some way of self-casting 1202 on a somewhat reliable basis. Fulls + armor accessories works well. I tend to forget that you can use accessories to increase the ASG coverage of what you're wearing.

I'm planning to put the mana-infused armor script on this, so using Elven Armor won't work.

My understanding is that you can't use both armored casting + armored fluidity at the same time. Studded leathers are 9% base hindrance, which I think is going to be too painful to stomach.

Still leaning a bit towards doubles, I think, vs. fulls + accessories.


You need 70 ranks of Armor Use as well to hit that minimum of 9% hindrance. Got my reduxmage running around in studded leather right now. He only needs to recast 506, 902 and 909 on a regular basis and generally he's only out for about 6 minutes a hunt to fill his mind. He recasts 902 maybe twice in that time frame and 506 6 or 7 times and 909 two or 3 times.

In all he casts around 12 times a hunt. Out of those 12 or so casts usually 1, sometimes 2 fail due to hindrance. In his particular case, it's not really an issue to have a couple of failed casts, even if they happen in a row. His DS is high enough to easily avoid hits from defensive stance and even if he's caught in offensive the creatures still need a 60+ roll to hit him.

Right now the only things that outright stop him from hunting (he has yet to die from hunting since level 35 or so) is an open roll maneuver that inflicts a solid rank 2/3 wound or if he takes a lot of minors that build up to a rank 2 range on the arms/hands/eyes/head - those keep him from being able to cast.

His only deaths in the recent year came from the DR Arena where claid wielding boss creatures trigger that crit threshold and a minor 109 or so endroll turns into a crit kill or puts him down, stunned and the next hit kills him. His nearly 15% redux and his scale armor with 5 CER crit padding and 4 CER damage padding isn't going to save him from a claid.

[Methais]

I'm planning to start a mana-infused project armor this duskruin and trying to decide between fulls or doubles. This is going to take a long time and will cost way too much money, so I want to make the right decision. I know, I know, it's a matter of preference... but really, what's the better move for a post-cap wiz that blasts everything with 903/950? Although I've been in fulls for the last several years, my gut is to go for doubles, with the assumption that I'll want more protection in the new ascension hunting grounds. I also think there's a chance I could eventually train in an ascension skill that reduces armor spell hindrance.

But I'm really torn here... any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

When rapid fire is running you still get 1s RT even with hindrance, if that helps.

[Idalias]

Learned a lot from these responses and there are many clever ideas here - thanks everyone. I’m going with doubles.