Arcane Bolt for MMs

[Arbegla]

So, just an FYI, even without the proc for Arcane Power, Arcane Bolt has better Damage per Endurance, and Damage per activation then any of the MM single target attacks. And Arcane Power procs off everything.

 

Plus, no redraw! 😄

[mcdoogss]

I use it quite a bit actually on my Thugs/Storm, it also has a base recharge marginally higher than Dual weild 7s vs 6s, so it procs just a little more often

[SmalltalkJava]

Thanks for the tip

[Clave Dark 5]

@Arbegla Can you help me understand how that is?  Looking at the power on City of Data 2.0, it shows 45.2667 dmg but Robotics' Pulse Rifle Burt lists 50.16.  I'm inexperienced with CoD so I might be misreading it somehow or maybe I'm missing something else about the AB build-up effect thingy... which I'll note isn't covered on our wiki!

[PainX]

33 minutes ago, Clave Dark 5 said:

@Arbegla Can you help me understand how that is?  Looking at the power on City of Data 2.0, it shows 45.2667 dmg but Robotics' Pulse Rifle Burt lists 50.16.  I'm inexperienced with CoD so I might be misreading it somehow or maybe I'm missing something else about the AB build-up effect thingy... which I'll note isn't covered on our wiki!

PRB should do 0.70 more damage per animation if i recall correctly

[Arbegla]

On 10/2/2021 at 2:46 AM, Clave Dark 5 said:

@Arbegla Can you help me understand how that is?  Looking at the power on City of Data 2.0, it shows 45.2667 dmg but Robotics' Pulse Rifle Burt lists 50.16.  I'm inexperienced with CoD so I might be misreading it somehow or maybe I'm missing something else about the AB build-up effect thingy... which I'll note isn't covered on our wiki!

 

The ArcanaTime animation time for Pulse Rifle Burst is 2.112. Using CoD damage, it is doing 50.16/2.112 = 23.75 Damage per Animation

 

The ArcanaTime animation time for Arcane Bolt is 1.98. Using CoD damage, it is 45.2667/1.98 = 22.86 Damage per Animation

 

So, I was slightly wrong that without the Arcane Power proc, Arcane Bolt does more damage. However, with the Arcane Power proc, the damage is doubled, so you get (45.2667*2)/1.98 = 45.72 Damage per Animation.

 

That is also not counting redraw, which might be why I assumed Arcane Bolt does more damage (animation time doesn't count redraw).

 

the DPE calculation is similar, with Pulse Rifle Burst costing 10.66 Endurance, and Arcane Bolt costing 7.7. So for roughly the same damage, you're spending less endurance, doing it slightly faster (a few frames really) AND you have a chance to do double damage.

 

Plus no redraw.

Edited October 4, 2021 by Arbegla

[laudwic]

I've got it on my Ninja/Trick Arrow Mastermind (The combo is a lot better than it is given credit for after the revisions to TA)

 

Arcane Bolt is a decent attack.

Spirit Ward is great to put on a damaged minion.  Great for a combo that doesn't have healing.

Enflame is great to add extra damage.

 

Highly recommend the Sorcery Power Pool!

[Mack008]

So what's the chance for the double damage?  The CoD entry is quite long, and if I'm reading it writing, the odds are different for a few different classes.

[ZorkNemesis]

17 minutes ago, Mack008 said:

So what's the chance for the double damage?  The CoD entry is quite long, and if I'm reading it writing, the odds are different for a few different classes.

 

There's a global proc that occurs whenever you use pretty much any power, including other pools and temps (I've gotten the proc to fire with some of the Croatoa temporary powers).  I want to say the proc rate is something like 5%, probably around the same rates as the EAT ATO global proc chances.  When that proc occurs, Arcane Bolt's next successful use will deal double damage if you hit within about 10 seconds of the proc.

 

Other AT effects also apply in addition to the proc, Controllers get triple damage on a controlled foe and I think Scrappers and Stalkers can land critical hits with the attack as normal, which would also equate to triple damage.

 

Edited October 5, 2021 by ZorkNemesis

[Clave Dark 5]

I have it on a stalker and it does crit for them.  It also seems to "proc" (as in "ready for double damage - click meeee!") just about every scrap I get into, which is fun (that's very anecdotal, I know, and perhaps overstating it, but really: it does happen often). 

 

I'm currently building a Bots/Emp and wanted both Pulse Rifle Burst and this, but the build's awful tight, so I'm thinking to drop the rifle and take just Arcane Bolt.

[tidge]

I have Arcane Bolt on a (mystical) Blaster at an early level; with the changes to the attack's inherent "proc" it has now become part of the regular attack chain. It does require and investment in slots to be worth using in the regular attack chain.

 

I wouldn't fault an MM for taking it, except my usual caveats about don't try to pretend that your MM is competing with the henchmen for damage output. MMs can dip into power pools earlier and more liberally than other ATs, but slots really should be going to henchmen ASAP.

[Riverdusk]

I believe Necro's gloom is better than arcane bolt as well.  Even with arcane bolt proc'ing for double damage it'd still be close on a DPA standpoint.  Just going by the listed in game DPA numbers gloom at lvl 50 for a MM does 53.83 damage with a 48.94 DPA.   Then of course you can also add some procs to make it quite nice.

 

Gloom is one that I think it is definitely worth taking among the MM attacks.  

[Clave Dark 5]

10 hours ago, Riverdusk said:

I believe Necro's gloom is better than arcane bolt as well.  Even with arcane bolt proc'ing for double damage it'd still be close on a DPA standpoint.  Just going by the listed in game DPA numbers gloom at lvl 50 for a MM does 53.83 damage with a 48.94 DPA.   Then of course you can also add some procs to make it quite nice.

 

Gloom is one that I think it is definitely worth taking among the MM attacks.  

Not all MMs are Necro though, so I take what I can get.

[Carnifax]

Gloom is good dpa. Assuming you are happy getting that damage over time over 3.6 seconds.

 

That's why on paper it's the strongest attack, because it is spread out into a DoT and DoTs lend themselves to pre-corpse blasting (aka shooting something that was about to Gloom to death anyway).

[TNT]

I have Arcane Bolt on a Dominator and it procs the arcane power, from time to time, even when I use an inspiration.  I only use it when the proc pops because it is slightly better DPA than some of my other attacks, because of the double damage.  I can certainly see a reason to take it on a Mastermind, if you want to invest in attacks.

[Clave Dark 5]

I did end up taking it on the MM I mentioned that I was building above, and so far I think I'm at 39th level with her, and I'm quite glad I made room fro it.  She's a Bots/Emp and Bolt does seem to "proc" off a lot for her. 

[ZorkNemesis]

I actually took it recently on a Ninja/Storm i'm working on just to have an attack.  I'm pretty sure it's damage overall is better than any of the three attacks I can normally get from Ninjas, plus it procs better, Gladiator's Javelin and Explosive Strike help with the damage, and it takes a Force Feedback for more tornadoes!