Universal Damage Build

This is a follow-up on my attempts to gear up for utilizing shadow attack spells, namely Dark Fiend, Dark, Nova, and Dark Shepherd. If you decide to utilize the gear for your Pyromancer, you'll want to make sure to have a good number of sideboard spells to accommodate your universal blades and traps.

Really, this set up is perfect for Sorcerers, not only because they naturally have so many universal damage buffs, which frees up the sideboard for keeping shadow-based attacks from every school. The 5 pip attacks are cheap in the Bazaar, and if you wind up holding onto the rare 6 pip treasure cards you get from drops, now you can stuff the in the sideboard as well. Gem up with universal accuracy, and you can attack targets using any school! Stuff it with every school for surprise rainbow attack style!

There were two roadblocks previously to making this build viable. First, the wizard's own base damage boost. It's pretty hard to get a high universal damage score. Second, and the larger problem, was getting the shadow pip generation high enough to get shadow attacks off. However, now with the changes to shadow pip production, it's easier to quickly get double shadow pips as long as your gear is at the top end. Please note, you will need a Karamelle wand or maybe some very new wand, as those have a shadow pip rating where the older ones do not. 

On to the gear you'll need! 

I am usually loathe to recommend gear other than from quest rewards or loot drops, as I'm not down with the pay-to-win play style. None of my wizards have the gear from the Primeval Hoard packs, which automatically drops them down 8 or so points in top end damage. Every witch and her mother has the dragoon setup accompanied by a Frillasaur and some fossil wand (or occasionally a Bronto mount). That just isn't me.

But this isn't an exercise in crown frugality! It's a what-if for a higher end build different from most everything out there.  All the classy blogs have in-game pictures of the gear with the stats, but since I own very few of the pieces, I can only instead link them to Wiz Central stubs, and jot down the stats beneath each one.

And,since I don't have any eye-catching pictures of gear, here's a nice picture of a rainbow flower.

Imagine it's attacking you with a Raging Bull, followed by a Call of Khrulhu.

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These first three items all come from the Candied Isles Bundle. The mount was chosen from here, rather than using a Battle Narwhal, which gives +2% universal damage, because the set bonus for 3 items is +4%.

Sweetish Chef Hat        (level 130) 28% damage, 16 shadow pip

Sweetish Chef Clogs     (level 130) 34% damage, 13 shadow pip

Sweet Ride!                    0% damage (4% for third piece) 

The next items are from packs, but for 2% less damage you can instead farm for the Candymancer Staff, as the other wand I've included does not have a shadow pip rating. It depends on whether you want this build for using the shadow attacks or not.

Royal Fusilier's Dress Coat        (level 130) 26% damage, Yuletide pack

This is another item that pushes up the universal damage (by a lot) but includes no shadow pip rating. If the shadow rating is what you're shooting for, you have to consider forgoing the damage boost and getting one of the pack or bundle robes (like the Sweetish Chef smock). You will get a 20 and 21 shadow pip ratings for level 130 or 140 items.

All Souls Cranium Wand            (level 120) 18% damage, Gloomthorn Nightmare pack

Uber Candymancer Staff            (level 140) 16% damage, 18 shadow pip rating, Karamelle drop

Darkmoor Graveyard athame    (level 100) 16% damage

(such as the Athame of the Dark Usurper)

Director Hazmat Ring                (Level 138)  12% damage, Karamelle drop or Bazaar

The amulet is whatever you wish. A school mastery amulet could be nice. None of the amulets boost universal damage, nor shadow pip rating. Same with the decks.

That leaves your pet. For pure universal boost, you'll want a pet with max stats in strength, will, and power. The talents needed are Pain-Bringer, Pain-Giver, Mighty, Thinkin' Cap, and Cautious. This should give a universal damage boost of 13%. 

Utilizing all of the above pieces gets you a universal damage of 151 damage. If you switch out the wands, you lose 2 universal damage but gain 18 shadow pip rating. The cost of replacing the robe is much steeper in damage.

So there you have it. A potential of 151 universal damage. Replacing the wand definitely boost your chances of gaining early shadow pips. And replacing the robe will drop your damage down to 125% universal damage boost, but up your shadow pip rating in a huge way.