Need knowledge on CM

[Tpsu]

Blizzard gains +5% dmg from synergies and CM lowers mobs life with -5% per level and it equals +5% to me, atleast i think so.. Well the real question is.. If i have 1000 dmg blizz.. with +10 points into CM = -50% mob res.. if mob has +50% res and i shoot him with my bliz, it makes him have 0% res = 1000 dmg blizzard..? But with synergies it works like 1000 dmg bliz.. 50% res.. does synergies add before mob resistances or after resistances lower that 1000 dmg.. 1000 with those 10 points in synergies = +50% dmg = 1500 dmg blizz.. mob 50% res = 750 dmg? So basically cold mastery does more damage even if it increases only +5% dmg ? or am i just too tired (been up for the whole night)

thanks in advance :wave:

edit: or does CM also apply as.. 1000 * 0,5 * 1,5 = 750 ? so it dont matter which skill i max first?

[Darkflight]

If the monsters have some cold resistance, CM will have more effect until the resistance is reduced to 0, in wich case the synergies and Cold Mastery does the same thing.

Example 1:
Monster with 0 cold resistance, 100 damage from Blizzard. 1 point in a synergie adds +5% damage, which will make the damage 105. -5% enemy cold resistance from CM would increase the 100 Blizzard damage by 5%, to 105.

Example 2:
Monster with 50% cold mastery, 100 damage from Blizzard. 1 point in a synergie would add 5% damage, so the damage would be 105. Then this is reduced by the cold resistance of the monster to 52.5. -5% enemy resistance from CM would give a 100 damage Blizzard, which is reduced by 45% enemy cold resistance to 55 damage.

So the more resistance monsters have, the better CM would be compared to synergies. My best tip is to max Blizzard first, with only 1 point in CM, then get CM to level 17 after +skills (it gives -100% at this skill level), then max synergies, and then max CM. This of course is for a pure Blizzard Sorceress.

If you can get CM to level 32 (or was it 34?), where it gives -175% enemy cold resistance without maxing it, spend the points elsewhere since additional points in CM wouldn't increase your damage against more than an handful of opponents. Very few if any monsters you will face has cold resistance iver 75% without beeing immune. Duriel is one example, IIRC he has 90% cold resistance.

[Tpsu]

Thanks for the precious info.. I have maxed blizz and i have 15 points in ice bolt :p now im starting to max CM (i have no idea why i pumped that ice bolt so much)

That CM vs. synergies has allways bugged me but in the end it doesnt matter so much because i go pure blizzard and i max every skill.. But one more time, thank you!

[melianor]

The actual damage formula is:

damage = base damage * (1+ synergy%) * (1 + elementaldamage%) * (1 - (monsterres% - elementalresistancereduction%))

elementaldamage = sum(+xx% elemental damage) + fire mastery + lightning mastery
elementalresistancereduction = sum(-xx% elementalresistance) + cold mastery

As you can see in the formula. The higher the -xx% elemental resistance gets, the higher the multiplicator will be, adding up to the damage. The crucial difference is, that +xx% damage cannot counter monsterres, but -xx% resistances can. So finding the balance is hard. I think Darkflight put the point distribution quite right though.