Synergy vs Actual Skills

Deadalready · #1 (**permalink**) 01-06-2005, 04:27 AM

I've playing seriously in the 1:10 patch and there's been a few changes, some of them nice, some of them bad and some of them that I've just got no real opinion on.

What I really like are the synergies available to characters so those early points that I might've wasted are somewhat useful later on. Now the character in particular that I'm wondering about is the Amazon.

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I've been putting some points into Freezing Arrow (level 30) and the damage isn't too bad but the freeze length doesn't increase while the mana usage does.

So I've been wondering would it really be better to simply pump my points into Freezing Arrow directly and increase it's damage that way or improve it by increasing the cold arrow skills below it for their synergy bonus?

Also I'm wondering if trying to increase the cold length through synergies is any use?

Macleod1701 · #2 (**permalink**) 01-06-2005, 08:13 AM

Have a look on the arreat summit, it's a link through blizzard, they have a lot of info on the new synergies and show how they affect later skills. Might be helpful for you mate

Graceland · #3 (**permalink**) 01-07-2005, 12:15 AM

IMO, it's always better to max out the main killing skill before any of the synergies (that goes for any character).

Remember with your Amazon that in NM and Hell the cold duration will be cut also. You can increase the duration by carrying charms with a cold mods on them (the damage doesn't matter).

Joe Synner · #4 (**permalink**) 01-19-2005, 03:26 PM

In some cases thats true... max main skill first but if you consider that plus skill gear doesn't affect the synergy bonus I.E. lvl1 ice bolt (syn for orb) lvl1 frozen orb with +5 to all skills from gear you would have a lvl6 icebolt and a lvl6 orb with only a lvl1 ice bolt syn? hope that makes sense

Anyhow some skills actually benifit more from there synergy bonus than there actual lvl increase bonus.

For the frosty zon though i would consider that the Freeze duration can be upped with outside cold sources such as charms and the like... i think its +1 sec per source? hope that helps

Deadalready · #5 (**permalink**) 01-20-2005, 11:11 AM

Hrm I'm in nightmare and my wonderful freeze duration is less than a second. My charm's of cold damage do not even slow down most monsters due to the fact that all freeze durations are reduced by half in nightmare and 3/4 in hell

It quite irks me when trying to destroy monsters like Skeletons irrevocably when my freezing doesn't have any effect...

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Still I'm going to just max the normal skill and then go for synergies afterwards.

C Elegans · #6 (**permalink**) 01-20-2005, 07:45 PM

@Deadalready: As far as I know (I'm not a Frostmaiden expert), the cold lenght you get from synergies is worthless in Hell. I think the most you can get is 4 seconds, which would be 1 second in hell. You need to increase the freeze lenght with items.

A very good unique ring for any Bowazon is Ravenfrost (+dex, +AR, cannot be frozen, cold length increased by 4 secs). You could use two of these, I always use it on my Bowazons (if I find it, that is, but it's not very difficult to find, the difficult thing is to find one with perfect stats - however, the cold lenght is always the same).

The unique ammo Eye of the Etlich has a hidden cold lenght bonus of 2-10 seconds (random), you have to try though how long it is since it does not show in any way that I know of.

There are other items that add to freeze duration, for instance the helmet Vampiregaze and the Buriza if you want to use that.

Like Joe Synner says, each cold modifier on a charm adds 1 second to your freeze duration, so several small charms are good. If you can find small charms with 2 cold mods, both prefix and suffix, they will add 2 seconds.

Good luck!

Noober · #7 (**permalink**) 01-20-2005, 11:55 PM

Like C Elegans I am not exactly a Frost Maiden connoisseur, however I believe what he says is mainly correct. Cold length I've found is useless in Hell not only because of poor duration, but also the fact that a holy freeze merc or a doom weapon provides superior, permanent freeze.

When regarding skill vs. synergy regarding skills in general it varies greatly according to skill. For example, when making a V/T to maximise Foh damage at about level 12/13 each, pumping Holy Shock provides more damage then pumping Foh. Another example of where synergy > skill is bone armour. Not only does wall/prison give more to the armour (resulting in only a single point placed in general), but they are synergys of bone spirit/spear.