Spectral Blade - Revision history

Gigaclon: /* Skill Rune Effects */

2015-04-15T17:12:53Z

‎Skill Rune Effects

Flux at 04:27, 8 June 2012

2012-06-08T04:27:34Z

MrFrye: new skill templates

2012-05-20T06:47:24Z

new skill templates

Maurish: Updated skill rune table

2012-05-13T10:51:01Z

Updated skill rune table

MrFrye: beta patch 17 update

2012-04-21T21:00:49Z

beta patch 17 update

MrFrye at 02:28, 12 March 2012

2012-03-12T02:28:27Z

MrFrye: beta patch 14 update

2012-03-11T23:28:52Z

beta patch 14 update

MrFrye at 23:54, 8 March 2012

2012-03-08T23:54:51Z

MrFrye: skill effects switched to DB link

2012-03-04T00:55:55Z

skill effects switched to DB link

Maurish at 13:10, 17 February 2012

2012-02-17T13:10:33Z

@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 {{skill description header}}
 <skill subcat="Signature spell" class="Wizard">Spectral Blade</skill>
-<skill class="Wizard" rune="Deep Cuts">Spectral Blade</skill>
+<skill class="Wizard" rune="Flame Blades">Spectral Blade</skill>
 <skill class="Wizard" rune="Siphoning Blade">Spectral Blade</skill>
 <skill class="Wizard" rune="Thrown Blade">Spectral Blade</skill>
+<skill class="Wizard" rune="Barrier Blades">Spectral Blade</skill>
 ==Skill Design==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[File:IconSpectralBlade.png|left]]
 [[Image:Wiz-spectral-blade3.jpg|thumb|350px|Spectral Blade in action.]]
-'''Spectral Blade''' is a Primary [[Wizard skill]] unlocked at [[clvl|Level]] 11, dealing powerful damage in [[melee]] range.
+'''Spectral Blade''' is a Primary [[Wizard skill]] unlocked at [[clvl|Level]] 11, dealing powerful damage in [[melee]] range. This is a [[Signature spell]]. Signature spells are free to cast.
-This is a [[Signature spell]]. Signature spells are free to cast.
+Each cast of this skill creates several slashes in the air in front of the wizard. These overlap and intersect, potentially striking multiple enemies multiple times. The skill is more effective the closer the target is, with three hits per enemy almost guaranteed at melee range.
 ==Background==
-Spectral Blade is used for [[Wizard]]s willing to meet their enemies toe to toe. It's a powerful [[melee]] spell that will kill most enemies early on.
+Spectral Blade is used for [[Wizard]]s willing to meet their enemies toe to toe. It's a powerful [[melee]] spell that can land multiple hits per enemy. The drawback is that it only works at fairly close range, and that's a dangerous place to be for many Wizard builds.
 ==Skill Rune Effects==
-The following is a very quick summary. See the [[Spectral Blade rune effects]] page for a more thorough description of rune effects, or any of the individual rune pages for numbers, screenshots, blue quotes, and much more.
+Refer to the [[Spectral Blade rune effects]] article for thorough descriptions of all five rune effects in this skill, including screenshots, videos, and strategy tips.
 {{skill description header}}
@@ Line 25: / Line 24: @@
 ==Skill Design==
 [[File:Spectral-blade-zoom.jpg|thumb|450px|Zombies get harvested in a zoomed in view from a graveyard.]]
-This skill was the default left click attack at the [[BlizzCon 2008]] build, and also used heavily in the [[BlizzCon 2009]] demo and it worked quite nicely. It was a [[melee]]+spell, hitting anything up close with all 3 slashes, but extending the slashes far enough that targets slightly out of melee range would be hit by one or perhaps two of the attacks.  Each slash could also strike multiple targets, making this one potentially quite damaging against multiple, close-range enemies.
+This skill works very well at low levels, since it can land 2 or 3 hits on the same target. It was set as the default left click attack in the [[BlizzCon 2008]] build, and was used heavily in the [[BlizzCon 2009]] demo as well.
 There is a slight casting delay on Spectral Blade, making it too slow to stun lock enemies. A Wizard who uses this one at the point blank range where it's most effective will be hit back by any targets who do not succumb to the first assault.
@@ Line 68: / Line 67: @@
 Skill tiers were removed for the [[July 2011 Press Event]], allowing skills to unlock steadily from levels 1 to 30. Consequently, all skill levels were adjusted and Spectral Blade became a level 5 skill.
 ===Beta===
@@ Line 115: / Line 115: @@
 * [http://us.battle.net/d3/en/class/wizard/active/ Wizard Active Skills] — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site
 [[category:Active skills]]
@@ Line 122: / Line 120: @@
 [[category:Wizard active skills]]
 [[category:Signature spells]]

@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 {{skill description header}}
-<skill class="Wizard">Spectral Blade</skill>
+<skill subcat="Signature spell" class="Wizard">Spectral Blade</skill>
 <skill class="Wizard" rune="Deep Cuts">Spectral Blade</skill>
 <skill class="Wizard" rune="Impactful Blades">Spectral Blade</skill>
@@ Line 47: / Line 47: @@
 ==Synergies==
 The following [[Wizard passives]] provide a benefit to Spectral Blade, runed or not:
-{{Passive skills header}}
+{{skill description header}}
-{{Wizard Passive Glass Cannon}}
+<skill class="Wizard">Glass Cannon</skill>
-{{Wizard Passive Prodigy}}
+<skill class="Wizard">Prodigy</skill>
-{{Wizard Passive Arcane Dynamo}}
+<skill class="Wizard">Arcane Dynamo</skill>
@@ Line 118: / Line 118: @@
 {{Skill navbox Diablo III|Wizard|primary}}
 [[category:Wizard skills]]
-[[category:Active skills]]
+[[category:Wizard active skills]]
 [[category:Signature spells]]

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 The following is a very quick summary. See the [[Spectral Blade rune effects]] page for a more thorough description of rune effects, or any of the individual rune pages for numbers, screenshots, blue quotes, and much more.
 <skill class="Wizard">Spectral Blade</skill>
@@ Line 110: / Line 116: @@
-{{Skill navbox Diablo III|Wizard}}
+{{Skill navbox Diablo III|Wizard|primary}}
 [[category:Wizard skills]]
 [[category:Active skills]]
 [[category:Signature spells]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[File:IconSpectralBlade.png|left]]
-[[Image:Wiz-spectral-blade3.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Spectral Blade in action.]]
+[[Image:Wiz-spectral-blade3.jpg|thumb|350px|Spectral Blade in action.]]
 '''Spectral Blade''' is a Primary [[Wizard skill]] unlocked at [[clvl|Level]] 11, dealing powerful damage in [[melee]] range.
@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
-==Skillrune Effects==
+==Skill Rune Effects==
 The following is a very quick summary. See the [[Spectral Blade rune effects]] page for a more thorough description of rune effects, or any of the individual rune pages for numbers, screenshots, blue quotes, and much more.
@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 ===Weapon Damage Testing===
-During the [[Diablo 3 Beta]], Spectral Blade was the only Wizard skill to incorporate the weapon damage into the spell damage. Flux did extensive testing of the skill with various weapons and posted the results in his Wizard Gameplay Report[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/wizard-beta-skills-mega-report-part-two]. Screenshots showing the damage output with the various weapons used can be seen below.
+Early in the [[Diablo 3 Beta]], Spectral Blade was the only Wizard skill to incorporate the weapon damage into the spell damage. Flux did extensive testing of the skill with various weapons and posted the results in his Wizard Gameplay Report[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/wizard-beta-skills-mega-report-part-two]. Screenshots showing the damage output with the various weapons used can be seen below.
 <gallery>
@@ Line 40: / Line 40: @@
 ==Synergies==
-Spectral Blade benefits from the following [[Wizard passives]]: None added yet.
+The following [[Wizard passives]] provide a benefit to Spectral Blade, runed or not:
@@ Line 56: / Line 60: @@
 <blockquote>''I used it a few times in the demo this year; it did potentially more damage than MM, even with fewer skill points, but the melee range thing isn’t what you want to be doing with a Wizard. Better you kill them from a distance with MM than use a slightly more damaging skill at melee range, when they can hit you back. Being hit is for grunting meat shields like Barbarians and Monks; sophisticated classes like Wizards don’t like to get their uniforms smudged by filthy monster paws.</blockquote>
 ===Beta===
-Skill tiers were removed shortly before the [[beta]] started in September 2011, and Spectral Blade became a level 5 skill. With the [[Beta Patch 8]] of December 2011, all [[signature skills]] became free to cast at any level, and Spectral Blade was moved up to level 6.
+{{Beta skill notes}}
-When the skill system was once again overhauled for the [[Beta Patch 13]] in February 2012, Spectral Blade was classified as a Primary skill and moved to level 9. For March's [[Beta Patch 14]], it was moved up to level 11.
+Spectral Blade remained a level 5 skill when the beta started. With the [[Beta Patch 8]] of December 2011, all [[signature spell]]s became free to cast; also, Spectral Blade was moved up to level 6. With the Patch 13 changes, it was classified as a Primary skill and moved to level 9. For March's [[Beta Patch 14]], it was moved up to level 11.
 ===Previous Versions===
@@ Line 98: / Line 104: @@
 * [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/hands-on-from-blizzcon-mega-pvm-report-wizard BlizzCon 2010 Wizard Hands-on Report]
 * [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/hands-on-from-blizzcon-mega-pvp-arena-report/ BlizzCon 2010 PvP Hands-on Report]
-* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7960229#post7960229 Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report] -- IncGamers 1st Aug 2011
+* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7960229#post7960229 Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report] — IncGamers 1st Aug 2011
-* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8007624#post8007624 Silva's Wizard Runestone Effects] -- IncGamers 5th Sep 2011
+* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8007624#post8007624 Silva's Wizard Runestone Effects] — IncGamers 5th Sep 2011
-* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/wizard-beta-skills-mega-report-part-two Wizard Beta Skills Mega-report: Part Two] -- IncGamers 5th Oct 2011
+* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/wizard-beta-skills-mega-report-part-two Wizard Beta Skills Mega-report: Part Two] — IncGamers 5th Oct 2011
-* [http://us.battle.net/d3/en/class/wizard/active/ Wizard Active Skills] -- Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site
+* [http://us.battle.net/d3/en/class/wizard/active/ Wizard Active Skills] — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site
@@ Line 108: / Line 114: @@
 [[category:Wizard skills]]
 [[category:Active skills]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[File:IconSpectralBlade.png|left]]
 '''Spectral Blade''' is a Primary [[Wizard skill]] unlocked at [[clvl|Level]] 9, dealing powerful damage in [[melee]] range.
@@ Line 7: / Line 8: @@
 <br><br>__TOC__
 ==Background==
 Spectral Blade is used for [[Wizard]]s willing to meet their enemies toe to toe. It's a powerful [[melee]] spell that will kill most enemies early on.
@@ Line 63: / Line 63: @@
 <blockquote>''I used it a few times in the demo this year; it did potentially more damage than MM, even with fewer skill points, but the melee range thing isn’t what you want to be doing with a Wizard. Better you kill them from a distance with MM than use a slightly more damaging skill at melee range, when they can hit you back. Being hit is for grunting meat shields like Barbarians and Monks; sophisticated classes like Wizards don’t like to get their uniforms smudged by filthy monster paws.</blockquote>
-Skill tiers were removed for the [[July 2011 Press Event]], and Spectral Blade became a level 5 skill, but was later moved to level 6 during the [[beta]]. The skill system was once again overhauled for the [[Beta Patch 13]], and Spectral Blade was classified as a Primary skill and moved to level 9.
+Skill tiers were removed for the [[July 2011 Press Event]], and Spectral Blade became a level 5 skill. It was moved up to level 6 during the [[beta]], and when the skill system was once again overhauled for the [[Beta Patch 13]] in February 2012, Spectral Blade was classified as a Primary skill and moved to level 9.