Thread Rating:
  • 1 Vote(s) - 5 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Lightning and Luck
#1
Alright, I've been labbing and running a bunch of lightning focused builds in the past few weeks, and I'll have to say lightning is feeling like the weakest of common magic elements you can build right now outside things like elemental augment tessen setups. The reason for this can be attributed to the nerfs Luck as a stat it suffered with the loss of hit/eva. While said nerf was necessary for GR2 balance, it has made luck one of the least desirable stats to build, even on basic attackers. To explain, let me list out a quick list/comparison to stats in a typical build real quick:


Weapon Scaling Stats: STR=WILL=GUI - Each also comes with a benefit of building other things as well such as HP, FP, or crit damage. Mandatory based on weapon.

Defensive: VIT>CEL=DEF/RES - Keeps you alive (hopefully). Most builds either lean into evade or tank stats, meaning these stats get invested in near universally.

FP Stat: WILL=FAI=SAN - Most non-basic builds fit in one or more of these stats. Will provides the most per point and gives ele atk, Faith provides blessed hit and crit eva, Sanctity gives the least amount per point, but also gives hp, status res, ele res, and fuels many racial effects. 

Hit: SKI>FAI - SKI is the only dedicated hit stat, mandatory on every build pretty much. FAI also fits in here as it provides considerable hit with blessed enchant. GUI could also technically fit in here alongside FAI for the purposes of flank.

Crit: SKI>=LUC - Skill provides 2 hit/.5 crit per scaled point, while Luck provides 1 crit/1 crit eva per point. Even though skill only provides half as much luck, it is also a lot more valuable in the hit increase it provides whereas luck's other effect only provides a boon against other basic attackers. (Yes, luck does buff drop rates marginally, but that part is a non-factor in pvp/event pve).


Crit Eva: FAI > LUC - Faith provides crit eva at 1 per scaled point, just like luck. FAI absolutely wins out as a stat here though (unless you need the crit), since it can function as a supplementary or even main fp stat while also giving more blessed hit rate. 

With that listed out, it's not hard to see why Luck is in a bad spot currently, since it loses out to FAI in crit eva value for being less useful, and is only built on basic attackers/lightning evokers since it's still a good chunk of crit. The thing is though, with luck being so undesirable, most of the successful meta crit builds don't even build all that much luck, only around softcap at most. That's because it's more effective to put the points in other non-luck stats, and just make up the crit with massive crit buffs like Northern Wind, Veil Off, Bloody Karma, Fight as One, etc. 

How does this effect lightning mages you may ask, considering luminary element exists-  and well, it doesn't really work in the context of how lightning works most of the time due to lightning criticals requiring a crit check. Since weapon crit isn't applied to lightning crit chance, you really need to stack as much crit as you can to make the most of it...  which makes skipping luck pointless for evokers and lightning impacts.

As for using luminary for non-crit lightning, you don't have much choice in spells. The only lightning spells which don't rely on lightning crits are: Rectifier, Black Static, Quetal, Elemental Rune, Thunder Bolt, Holy Spark, and Pinpoint Electro. Not really a whole lot of options, and they are often inferior to their lightning crit alternatives for damage. To add insult to injury, even if you go and build crit to use lightning crits, you end up with a -25% fire weakness, a death sentence with all the Explosion and Falcon Strike spam around currently (Which forces lighting users to run an even more limited selection of gear to offset that weakness). 

With all these issues lightning faces, it has to be good in its identity as utility via "huge damage potential", right? Not really in GR2, since ice is by far the highest damage element due to how absurdly high people stack skill, combined with things like Fox Stance Verglas damage completely overshadowing any lightning build in damage with less setup and fewer weaknesses. A thread was made a few week backs about how luck needed love after getting hit/eva removed, and the symptoms show as I've pointed out above. Adding more crit/crit eva to luck probably isn't the solution here, as lightning would still suffer the same symptoms outlined. Open to ideas and discussions on what Luck could do to make it less painful to build (preferably something pvp applicable).
[Image: Rabbit.PNG]
[-] The following 6 users Like InsainArcaneBirdbrain's post:
  • Chugma, Fern, Hiazro, Jeff, Senna, Snake
Reply


Messages In This Thread
Lightning and Luck - by InsainArcaneBirdbrain - 10-14-2021, 07:46 PM
RE: Lightning and Luck - by Lolzytripd - 10-14-2021, 08:19 PM
RE: Lightning and Luck - by InsainArcaneBirdbrain - 10-14-2021, 09:09 PM
RE: Lightning and Luck - by Senna - 10-15-2021, 01:42 AM
RE: Lightning and Luck - by Snake - 10-16-2021, 02:33 AM
RE: Lightning and Luck - by Balor - 11-05-2021, 04:27 PM
RE: Lightning and Luck - by InsainArcaneBirdbrain - 11-06-2021, 07:55 AM
RE: Lightning and Luck - by Snake - 11-07-2021, 09:01 PM
RE: Lightning and Luck - by Poruku - 11-08-2021, 09:14 PM

Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)
Sigrogana Legend 2 Discord