PvE Cold + meteor wizard build

[The Lich]

0) Current updated version of my build:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...hot2build.png/

1) You guys seem to be implying that it is necessary to have a signature spell in order to be able to cast my AoE spells even if I do have 12 AP Ray of Frost. Is that the case ?

1.1) If so, I found 3 signature spells that can help me regenerate AP. Which of those 3 is the best for my build (linked at the the top of this post):

Shock Pulse (Lightning affinity) to get +2 AP per hit it does on an ennemy
Spectral blade (Siphoning blade) to get + 1 AP per hit it does on an ennemy
Electrocute (Surge of power) for +1 AP per hit it does on an ennemy

1.2) If a signature spell is required, which of my current spells should be replaced by a signature spell ? (link to build at the top of this post)

1.2.1) With the new setup you suggested at 1.2), should runes from the other spells be changed ?

[ElementEight]

I'd remove either meteor or blizzard. I'd replace Ray of Frost for something more aoey and damaging as well, such as disintegrate or arcane orb.

[Elfik]

Yeah going off what melianor said, signature skills runed for generating AP seems really weak considering you will try to minimize the amount of signature skill use through other mechanics such as increasing passive regen, +AP on crit gear, reducing AP cost of spells, + max AP, and finally movement (which has the dual purpose of avoiding or herding monsters, and regenerating AP).

However, the game does seemed to be designed around the wizard choosing a signature skill. Whether there are ways to get around this or not, we can't know until someone gets to inferno and tests it out.

Also, since meteor and blizzard are both high AP cost skills, and have damage over time effects, they're not exactly spammable skills. Still, we can't know if something that will work out or not, so I say, keep the idea in mind for release, but be ready to change the build.

[The Lich]

Yeah going off what melianor said, signature skills runed for generating AP seems really weak considering you will try to minimize the amount of signature skill use through other mechanics such as increasing passive regen, +AP on crit gear, reducing AP cost of spells, + max AP, and finally movement (which has the dual purpose of avoiding or herding monsters, and regenerating AP).

However, the game does seemed to be designed around the wizard choosing a signature skill. Whether there are ways to get around this or not, we can't know until someone gets to inferno and tests it out.

Also, since meteor and blizzard are both high AP cost skills, and have damage over time effects, they're not exactly spammable skills. Still, we can't know if something that will work out or not, so I say, keep the idea in mind for release, but be ready to change the build.

You speak words of wisdom: it looks like there's no way to know if this works until the game is released :(

[Karpalo]

It's something hardrock and others have tested and apparently weapon speed affects the damage of DoTs as well. So with a faster weapon of equal damage, you might actually increase Blizzard's damage above the listed %, assuming blizzard is a DoT, but I'm not sure it is.

But yeah, channeled skills will inrease in both damage and resource cost when using faster weapons.

That's a good question. I have been wondering the same thing about hydra. I would guess it's possible that their damage goes up with faster weapons due the fact that you can only have one effect dealing damage at the time.