curses weapon: stonereaper vs wand/focus 30/20

oresteez

Academy Page

Join Date: Dec 2007

So what's better?
stone reaper which is 20/20 with a +1 curses-20%

or wand and focus...i have a wand giving me 10% with I think HCT, and the focus has 20/20

I only have prophecies, but would i be able to give mats and gold to someone with factions and have them go to one of the weaponsmiths and buy me a 20/20 wand...? would i then be able to use it? if so, i'd have 40/40 curses...then the question is what is better... 40/40 or 20/20 +1

btw, this is ignoring +energy, hp mods, etc...

sixofone

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: May 2007

P/

As long as the wepon isn't customized then it can be sold/traded and used by anyone else.

Khasar

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Oct 2005

The Crystal Desert

Guild of Dangerous Surprise[GODS]

There is a prophecies trader that has a 20 HSR curse wand outside TotA.

boogerboy72

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Sep 2007

[Scar]

N/Me

i run a 20/20 wand and 20/20 focus. i wont run anything else unless its a specialty need, ie, longer enchanting ect..

Utaku

Utaku

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Nov 2006

Paris, France

We eat pancakes [Yumy]

Me/

Whisp me ingame if you want me to craft factions weapons for you: utaku mu dan. If you don't feel secure, you can just give me the money and materials, and i'll give you my current wand.

Olim Chill

Olim Chill

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Oct 2007

USA

DMI

N/

Quote:
then the question is what is better... 40/40 or 20/20 +1 I'm a fan of the 40/40 set and think it's the most beneficial overall.

stanza

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Mar 2006

The stonereaper also does dark damage which wont trigger spinal shivers should u ever want to use it, collector curses staves do cold damage.

Longasc

Longasc

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2005

+20% chance for +1 curses does not kick. What does it add, it is even less useful than sundering.
2x 20% chance (36%) chance for half recharge or casting time is more beneficial IMO.

My sets:

1. 20/20 Wand & 20/20 Focus
2. +15/-1 Wand & +15/-1 Focus (High Energy Set)
3. +60 HP Staff, +5^50 energy (in case of high DP or just to make you a less attractive target, Soul Reaping based)
4. +5, +5^50 +20% Staff (SR, for orders etc.)

I switch mostly between set 1 and 2.

Also check if your weapon does cold or dark damage when you use spinal shivers, as people already mentioned.


You can send a friend to Factions to craft you a 20/20 wand, a 20/20 focus can be got from a collector. The Wailing Wand will not be customized when you buy it, so this is no problem.

Pyro maniac

Pyro maniac

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Apr 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by Longasc
2x 20% chance (36%) chance for half recharge or casting time is more beneficial IMO. it's actually 40/36, but nvm on that ..

40/40 is just good, may want to have a spear/sword/axe with 20% enchant for spamming orders etc (or just use a soul reaping staff with 20% just like ^ )

Chthon

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Apr 2007

Dual 20/20 is pretty much the way to go for curse builds.

I tend to look at it this way:
1. Several of the best skills in the curse line have 2 sec cast time and/or 15ish recharge. Knocking either of those down helps a lot.
2. You have soul reaping. You do not need the extra 3-8 maximum e you could get with other weapon configurations very much.
3. Unlike death magic, 17 is not an important breakpoint for curses. The +1 curses mod is not very useful.

Utaku already offered to make you a wand at cost. If you can't find Utaku, I'd make you one too.

As for the stonereaper, it's an easy farm and a decent item for master of whispers if you don't feel like spending 5k+ to equip your heroes with optimal gear.

btw: Both HCT and HSR stack multiplicatively, so that's:
64% normal, 32% half, and 4% quarter.
And that's the way it works for CAST time.
However, faster recharge is capped at 50%, so, whenever you roll a quarter recharge time, the cap kicks in and it becomes a half instead. Thus, RECHARGE is effectively:
64% normal, 36% half.

Rennis the White

Rennis the White

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Oct 2007

Phantom Star

N/E

I usually use a
Wailing Wand with HSR Curses (20%) and +15 energy -1 energy regen
and a Bone Idol with HSR and HCR curses both 20%

oresteez

Academy Page

Join Date: Dec 2007

awesome answers, thanks everyone
very nice of 2 of you to craft me one, i'll add you to my friends and look for you in game...

I picked up a 20/20 focus from a collector, and was looking for a wand to give me the other 20/20...then someone was giving away a stonereaper in ascalon last night, which is what got me thinking about what is better....

dicecube

dicecube

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Apr 2007

N/

crap ive been using the stonereaper for months lol
alright i want dual 20/20 wand and focus now

Artor Bobani Kiroz in Altrumm Ruins crafts the 20/20 focus
who crafts the wand?
cant find it on wiki, i have all campaigns btw
TIA

Keekles

Keekles

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: May 2005

Floating amongst the ethereal seas of placating breezes.

Like A [Boss]

Mo/

In Leviathan Pits or vasburg Armory the weapon smiths should be able to make both. (At least I remember them being able to...)

Coloneh

Coloneh

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Nov 2006

D/W

something similar to Wayward Wand (curses) and Villnar's Glove.

double 20 recharges.
+1 curse.
+5 energy.

what more could you want?

O Nuxtofulakas

O Nuxtofulakas

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jan 2006

Did u check your closet?

N/

[QUOTE=Longasc]

My sets:

1. 20/20 Wand & 20/20 Focus
2. +15/-1 Wand & +15/-1 Focus (High Energy Set)
[QUOTE]

/signed.
these are the 2 sets i also use most of the times

boogerboy72

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Sep 2007

[Scar]

N/Me

this is also a very good one, http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Modti%27s_Depravation

not complete 40 40 but close

Moloch Vein

Moloch Vein

Forge Runner

Join Date: Apr 2007

Reactive Hexing Sucks

[Thay]

N/

Actually I do feel that Curses+1/20 is worth it in PvE. 20% chance to a 1 stronger SS or IP or whatever beats a second chance for HCT for me.

Jagged

Academy Page

Join Date: Jan 2008

SoFla

Dangerously Incompetent (DUI)

N/

Can someone link to the Collector that has the 20/20 wand and 20/20 focus? I'm not sure what i'm looking for on Wiki.

Utaku

Utaku

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Nov 2006

Paris, France

We eat pancakes [Yumy]

Me/

Crafters to get the wand (and focus if you want to pay)
http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Telamon
http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Gertrud

Curse 20/20 focus collectors:
http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Artor_Bobani_Kiroz (factions)
http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Goran_Grimyak (prophecies)

Longasc

Longasc

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pyro maniac
it's actually 40/36, but nvm on that .. No, it is not. 20% + 20% does not stack to 40% for casting. 40/36? Who told you that?

64% chance for no effect (0.8 * 0.8)
32% chance for one mod to trigger (2 * 0.8 * 0.2)
4% chance for both mods to trigger (0.2 * 0.2)

But recharge is hard-locked to half recharge for quite some time by now.
But 1/4 cast time (both half casting time mods trigger) is still possible.

oresteez

Academy Page

Join Date: Dec 2007

just a quick update..that i went with 40/40 (well you know what i mean...)
and i couldn't be happier....

having faster cast and recharge times is invaluable for a curses necro, since you are more 'under the gun' then a MM is..

Dav1ds

Dav1ds

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2007

Stop Stealing [agro]

N/

i use staff 40% casting and +1 item atrbiute

Pyro maniac

Pyro maniac

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Apr 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by Longasc
No, it is not. 20% + 20% does not stack to 40% for casting. 40/36? Who told you that?

64% chance for no effect (0.8 * 0.8)
32% chance for one mod to trigger (2 * 0.8 * 0.2)
4% chance for both mods to trigger (0.2 * 0.2)

But recharge is hard-locked to half recharge for quite some time by now.
But 1/4 cast time (both half casting time mods trigger) is still possible. was wrong sry ;-) 4/32/36