Channeling.. Lets talk about it.

Channeling is one of the many mesmer energy management/manipulation skills. However, the description is a little ambiguous about one of the most important things. In this particular case, what does "nearby" mean. I've used it, but didn't get a chance to really test it under any kind of proper conditions.

So has anyone used Channeling extensively enough to give me a better idea of the kind of range you get on it? Is it small, like personal space around the character.. Eg Melee range, or is it larger like the range of one of the wards? Does it provide useful energy management.. Like enough to offset the cost of 5 energy spell.. or are you more likely to get 0 or 1 energy back per cast?

I was using it, but hardly had a chance to get a proper feel of it, so if anyone could fill me in...... (trails off suggestively)

My estimate would be that it steals from about the same area around you as is affected by heal party. The enemies have to be close, but you don't have to be standing on them. The amount you'll steal is actually pretty dependant upon your character and the opposing team- if you're playing a healer versus a warrior-heavy team, you'll be getting lots of energy from the warriors beating on you. If you're a hexer or point-blank elementalist, you might reliably steal one or two energy per spell if you spend time positioning yourself, but you won't be stealing an incredible amount of energy.

Channelling can be nice, since it's 5 energy to cast, and so long as you steal 6 or more energy during the duration you've benefitted by using it. On a Mo/Me, it can give a fairly hefty bonus in energy, since it will be very rare if you're not stealing energy from at least one opponent, and you're generally casting a lot of spells.

Nearby represents the mini-map range in its default form, or so I've heard.

There do seem to be some major ambiguities in the descriptions of some of these abilities. Also, isn't Soul Reaping also described as working 'nearby'?

The range of Channelling seems to be somewhere between Heal Area and a ward spell.

Personally I found Channelling very useful for my Monk char, as the energy returns offsets most of the energy costs for the cheap heal spells. Infact I usually get closer to the enemy (in pve) in order to keep healing when I should have long burned out.

I estimated Nearby to be the diameter of the inferno graphic + a little more.

If it is the range of the inferno graphic, then that is a useless skill. I would say that the range of the wards would be a bare minimum. Even then you could only really expect to get 1-2 energy back in PvP. (that is, Unless you're the type that likes to die a lot)

Please tell me it isn't inferno range. . maybe about the area that Firestorm covers? That seems to be about what people seem to be getting at.

If you see "nearby" in the skill description, it could be anything from a little more than melee range to the edge of the radar (gg skill description editior). I've got the range of channelling in feet somewhere that's not handy atm, but it is about the same or a little more than heal area. I'll post it when I get home.

Yes I've same problem for Inferno Spell, I used it a bunh of times and speaking from my experience sometimes nearby monsters dont take much dmg at all, even when they are inside the inferno ring of fire. IT's weird they should be clear about the range of spells, "nearby" is ambigious.

Does anyone have an update on this from the last BWE/retail? I'm interested in finding out the range of the "Channeling" enchantment.