I play a lvl 62 sorcerer - just got my Sword of Miracles.
I need some ideas. Should I go for max damage per cast (MATK) or for casting speed?
Things I have thought of is:
Arguements for More damage
* More mana efficient (doesn't cost more mana since more MATK doesn't use more mana per cast)
* In PvP, I might live long enough to only make one cast. So I want Max damage from that cast.
Arguments for Faster Casting
* Would decrease casting speed for sleep/sleep cloud (especially after C5 cast time nerf)
* In PvE, might allow me to get one extra nuke in before I die.
well for the M.atk their is only a few ways
1 boost INT
2.take the right set like nightmare,Demon
3.buffs
4.OE weapon
as for your cast speed
well you can easy get away with a magic speed pot
or wear the right robe set
Many people assume that a sorc may have a different setup ( or actually, any nuker for that matter ) then a SOM with acumen and a DC set. This assumption is wrong.
The only time matk > casting speed is if your extra matk = one less shot to kill. For this, however.. you can keep a demon set, or a zubei set if you don't like the -hp from demon.
With the role of mage moving from excellent crowd controller to mediocre damage dealer (what they were in addition to being an excellent crowd controller), the only to really perform the mediocre role in the best manner possible is to create the highest degree of mp efficiency as possible, seeing as the reason why a mage is only a mediocre damage dealer is because of their rapid consumption of mp. Casting speed does not equate to mp efficiency (except perhaps for a spellhowler or warlock who can use a drain or two, body to mind and all those other great spells spellsingers and sorcerors do not have access to). I'm sure you've noticed yourself that its better to increase your m attack if it means having to use one less spell, and when the difference is between using 2 spells instead of 3, thats a huge difference.
But that argument only applies to pve. For pvp, yo have to be dumb to give up casting speed for more m attack.
I chose NM robes and SOM with Acumen for my sorc. I'm not a PVP god with that setup, but I don't like to PVP that much anyway. The difference in matk between NM and DC is significant (around 500 matk fully buffed IIRC). With Beserk, Acumen, the SA and using shots, I still cast fast enough for my needs.
If you're using an SoM+3 and arcane power with nightmare robes (one of the ways a stormscreamer can reach over 4k MAtk :p ), you're casting at 968 with 4471 MAtk.
Now if you equip DC instead, your cast speed is boost a clean 40% (13xx), and your MAtk drop sto 3.8k or so. 4471 make an effective 66.8 in the damage calculation, 3.8k make an effective 61.7.
Wow: An 8% boost in magical damage at the cost of 40% cast speed. I'm sure that makes the difference between the amount of nukes you need to finish someone all the time.
Yes, matk is overrated. If you have one nuker with 1000 matk and one with 4000 matk, the one with 4000 will not do 4 times the damage - he will only do twice the damage. And the difference between 3000 matk and 4000 matk is only 15% damage. I'd rather take that 1300 casting speed in PvP. In PvE, the higher damage is interesting, though, since over one buff round it amounts to quite a few nukes less. But for that, I'd simply take a demon set in addition to a DC robe set.
Int can be pushed up with Wit as well with Tatoo's. Higher mobs and with PvP require faster casting speed. Most damage to the highest for all caster require the lowering of resisting to your Wind, Fire etc.
How fast these will cast depend on cast speed.
Fully buffed is nice but always plan your character with the thoughts that you will not be buffed thus what can you do on your on. All buffs being a plus after that.
So I will tatoo and weapon for both cast and matk, and then push my cast speed as far as I can with Armor. No way to get awat from negitive to your mental if you are going to push your caster to it max.