Why is Firestorm the best 19th level control spell?

[Atanatotatos]

For the same reason that Clerics have the best 29th level area damage spell too? Compare Astral Storm with Meteor Swarm and remind me which one is supposed to be the controller and which is supposed to be the leader, eh?

If you want to see what a 29th level controller can do, don't look at the laughable damage of meteor swarm. Look at legion's hold. Then go win huge battles.

 

[Danceofmasks]

Legion's Hold + Archmage = @#$%!

 

[OakwoodDM]

Also, this comes at a point not too many levels away from when you get to pick up that feat that used to be called Golden Wyvern Adept whose new, dull, functional name I can't remember.

 

[DemonLord57]

If you want to see what a 29th level controller can do, don't look at the laughable damage of meteor swarm. Look at legion's hold. Then go win huge battles.

Yes. I agree. Of course, you also use your orb on the boss, and of course have spell focus, so a little more than half are going to stay stunned, and the boss will probably stay that way for a while (-11 to the saves will do that)...

 

[Atlatl Jones]

Also, this comes at a point not too many levels away from when you get to pick up that feat that used to be called Golden Wyvern Adept whose new, dull, functional name I can't remember.

Spell Accuracy, which all wizards should pick up at 21st level, only two levels after gaining black tentacles.

Spell Focus also makes it more likely that opponents will remain trapped in the black tentacles for longer.

Also consider that the wizard can be standing in front of the zone casting Thunderwave every round, to push opponents back into it.

 

[Kitirat]

Spell Accuracy, which all wizards should pick up at 21st level, only two levels after gaining black tentacles.

Spell Focus also makes it more likely that opponents will remain trapped in the black tentacles for longer.

Also consider that the wizard can be standing in front of the zone casting Thunderwave every round, to push opponents back into it.

Having played around a bit, I think thunderwave is my favorite wizard at-will.

See ya,
Ken

 

[Goumindong]

Legion's Hold + Archmage = @#$%!

Not sure I wouldn't rather have one of the more potent utilities as an encounter. Or Prismatic Spray. A big ol int vs will is nice. But an int vs will, fort, ref is better.

Also, thunderwave is easily the best wizard at will and i haven't even had a chance to play yet.

If you can get reasonable wisdom, int, dex, and cha and pick up spell focus, arcane reach(close blasts can be flung from behind the defenders now!) its just nasty. Especially with the Gauntlets of the ram and the solid sound feat. You can really get a lot of use out of it.

Human, Elf and Eladrinm, and Dwarves make the best options with stats that are closest to say

16 int, 16 wis, 12 cha, 14 dex, +as high con as you can get and low strength. Only problem is getting your to hit up when you haven't pumped int(-10% to hit is a pretty big penalty over a 20 int wizard), but you thunderwave really hard(4 squares at level 8, 5 with gloves, 6 at level 14 with gloves, 7 at level 21 with gloves, 8 at 28) and can make any one save/encounter pretty much impossible to make.

 

[James McMurray]

I'm not so sure Firestorm is the best. It does more initial damage than Cloudkill, but fire resistance is one of the most common types, and Firestorm can't be moved. Cloudkill also does damage when they enter the zone, rather than waiting for their turn, meaning there are a few tricks you can play while moving it around (such as jigging one square left to kill a minion before putting it where you really want it). I'd say these two are a wash depending on how common fire resistance and poison immunity are in your campaign.

Evard's Black Tentacles also looks to be close in power, trading some damage for a less common damage type, a status effect, and terrain. If Fire resistance 10+ shows up a lot, the tentacles start to look nicer.

 

[Zurai]

I'm not so sure Firestorm is the best. It does more initial damage than Cloudkill, but fire resistance is one of the most common types, and Firestorm can't be moved.

Firestorm doesn't need to be moved. Plop it right on top of the party. Voila, the vast majority of creatures have to stand in it to have any hope of winning the encounter.

 

[Old Gumphrey]

Zurai is thinking like I am. Moving Cloudkill is necessary because it hurts your allies. Firestorm is restriction free, and it does the most damage, over the largest area. And a leader has it.

And yes, a pure damage spell is considered control. That's why clerics having access to it is malarkey, when it deals more damage to more targets (this is control) than any wizard spell. You don't see fighter powers dealing 50% more damage than rogue powers. I guess CoDzilla is back?

The thing is, this spell is so good that it really wouldn't bother me one bit to sink 2 feats into a cleric multiclass to get it for my wizard if I had decent Wisdom (not exactly a stretch for a wizard anymore). And that means it's broken.