Blaze Spikes: What's it worth?

[BurningPanther]

It may well be obvious by now, but the various Spikes enhancements carry additional effects with them. Ice Spikes carries a positively beautiful Paralysis effect with it, with an equally delicious proc rate, while Shock Spikes carries a so-so Stun effect, with a rather unsatisfying proc rate.

But Blaze Spikes is the last one that seems to carry no visible additional effect. Going by it's element, it could bear some effect on your(or your opponent's) ATK rating, but I've never been able to tell. Though, I admit, I've been so in love with the havoc Ice Spikes wreaks, I've not touched Blaze Spikes in a long time.

Basically, I was wondering if anyone knew what kind of additional effect Blaze Spikes carries, if any.

[Taskmage]

Blaze spikes deals more damage than Ice and Shock. That's all.

[BurningPanther]

That sounds solid, if a little disappointing...
... all in all, I think I'll stick to Ice Spikes.

[Aeni]

Blaze spikes deals more damage than Ice and Shock. That's all.

Only way to tell is ask a level 70 MNK to 2HR on Hakutaku with his Blaze Spikes on and see what effect it may have. Either way, Blaze Spikes does do (At least when the monsters have it on) massive damage compared with the other spikes.

[Taskmage]

I think as much as I use the spell, and as often as people are affected by the spell from goblin gamblers, gazers, antican signifiers and the like, if there was an additional effect, someone would have noticed by now. Hundred Fists on a high level NM is an over-the-top test case - like saying we'll never know if Falchion doesn't have a hidden effect until someone kills Nidhogg with it.

Ice Spikes is certainly superior when fighting something that's remotely a threat. I think I'll switch to Shock Spikes when I get it just because it stacks with Paralyze and the stun is like a second Slow effect. Blaze Spikes I use when killing weak things that debuffs are a waste of time on.

[Jei]

i still use blazespikes when i want to kill fast.
shockspikes use too much MP ._.

[UnnamedGalka]

As far as raw damage is concerned, Blaze Spikes is the most powerful of the spikes, and it's also the cheapest to cast. I've seen it consistently inflict around 20 damage per hit in uncapped Ballista when cast by a RDM.

But really, it's outclassed by the added effect of Paralyze from Ice Spikes and Stun from Shock Spikes.

[kman]

Blaze spikes is the only spikes spell that can be increased in damage through rdm af2 pants, and magic attack. It is also considerbly less mp than the other 2. It is in my opinion much more efficient to cast paralyze and stick with fire spikes if your not blink tanking.

[Balfree]

Hey Bp :>

I use ice spikes mostly. But blaze also has a use, sometimes i farm the mushrooms down in jugner, as a BLM i pull like 10 of them, cast blaze spikes and by the time i'm done pulling half of them are already at 70% ish, i'm gonna use blaze spikes on those situations when mobs hit you for very little damage, and with stoneskin up it's even better.

[Kafeen]

I use it for speeding up kills on weak stuff, if I don't want them to be paralysed I use blaze spikes and let them hit me more. It hurts them more than it does me ^^

[Aeni]

Hundred Fists on a high level NM is an over-the-top test case - like saying we'll never know if Falchion doesn't have a hidden effect until someone kills Nidhogg with it.

Well, your example is kind of off. In the case where I mentioned Hakutaku, it has perma Blaze Spike on (You dispel it and it immediately grabs for the /ma "Blaze Spikes" Hakutaku macro >_> ) It is also ridiculously strong for some low level spell. I'm beginning to wonder what drives the "strength" of the spell. I think all spikes are driven somehow with an initial value upon casting. Someone *could* test this ...

In your Nidhogg example, you're using something to test something on something. That's different from fighting something to see if you get something out of it.

:P

[Bahamut UK]

I usually see RDM roaming around using Blaze Spikes, but yeah it only deals more damage.

[BurningPanther]

Next tough question: anyone know of extra effects for en- spells? Their element dosen't seem to raise the extra damage when pitted against a mob weak to that element, but I heard that they carry an accuracy bonus, the highest bonus lying with Enblizzard.

Just wanted to know what others noticed or got out of it.

[Armando]

It is also ridiculously strong for some low level spell. I'm beginning to wonder what drives the "strength" of the spell. I think all spikes are driven somehow with an initial value upon casting. Someone *could* test this ...
As for any spikes spells, the damage is only determined by our INT. Enhancing magic skill helps them to do full damage instead. That is to say, the higher we have the skill, the less they're resisted.

Here's what we have so far for spikes spells.

Blazespikes
integer [integer ((INT + 2) / 12 + 4) * Magic Atk. Bonus]

Ice / Shock Spikes
integer [integer ((INT + 10) / 20 + 2) * Matic Atk. Bonus]
Either Hakutaku has very high INT, or its Blaze Spikes simply have a fixed value. The easiest way to test would be to hit it with Burn and Absorb-INT and see if the damage changes.

[Taskmage]

En-spells don't have any additional effects per se. If you use the en-spell of the element the mob is weak to you don't get more damage, you just get resisted less. Whereas if you used the element they're strong to you'd see a lot of 5s if you were used to getting 10s. One thing you can do to raise your enchant damage is use the element that matches the day or weather. If it matches the day you get one more damage on most swings. With weather it can be more. I've seen up to +5 damage using Enblizzard during double ice weather on Iceday.

[Karinya]

I wonder if Blaze Spikes can do extra on Firesday, too.

Anyway, it's disappointing to see damage from spikes increase so slowly with level - a level 75's spikes do barely any more than a level 20's - and to see no contribution from Enhancing Magic skill.

Perhaps this could be addressed in an update...

[Armando]

I would assume they do get the Firesday bonus randomly. Even En-spells and skillchains do. But yeah, INT-based spikes a real turn-off to me.

[Taskmage]

Spikes is INT based? I thought it was enhancing.

Double Post Edited:
Oh, I'm pretty sure spikes do get a small damage bonus based on the day. It's like a fraction of a point though, like en-spells.