Raiding as an Artificer is a lot different then normal questing and challenge running is a lot different still. This weekend I got to try both raiding on my artificer and challenges (both epic and none epic).

Things I learned:

Even my sorc felt less squishy. In a raid group where there are people assigned to heal the party often over look the artificer. I guess, they are over looked as WF arties are so good at healing themselves and I guess the fleshy arties are rare monsters. I learned to life with a heal scroll in my hand any time I was not standing with the melees. The killer is the only time I died in an elite Vod we ran over the weekend I was both with the melees and standing in an healing aura and died waiting for a mass that never came….

Preping all the weapon damage buffs kills your other spell options. I don’t know about you but on my lvl 18 arty losing Radiant Forcefield and Prismatic Strike for silver and align weapons really hurts. And pulling a six level spell for Deadly often means putting your healing in someone else’s hands when it comes to that red bar.

Also you need to expect that people are dumb. Yes even other arties. At one point I heard, “Sam, can you re silver me?” I say sure and cast silver on that person (happened to be Fopo). Before too long Fopo sends a tell “Silver plz not cold iron”. I don’t even have cold iron prepped. So the other arty (who didn’t buff anyone that I know of) had to cast over my silver. With what happed to be a useless buff, almost harmful buff at that.

Sooner or later everyone wants something, just try to be super clear and flexible to giving buffs. People will have the wrong weapon out when they ask for a buff or die and need rebuffed. And you need to be able to help them out when it happens.

As for challenges you are great. The things that make you needed and wanted in raids weaken you in challenges. But swapping in to a casting, soloing layout is pure gold. Don’t get me wrong weapon buffs are important, but a good BBer that can also heal a tank while not burning SP to dps bosses is huge. More then one run I went after and killed the dragon and then ran back to the group in time to help fopo tank and kill the boss spawn. Then returned to clearing trash with the remaining sp.

The last big thing I think I learned this weekend is a pure arty is a lighting rod set on fire and doused in an acid bath aka no evasion so so at best reflex saves is a killer. Find room for more then just the normal 30 fire/cold/elc/acid/sonic and pro of the same. Find room for those 33% fire and elc absorption item/s.

But I really love the class, to the point that I am thinking of returning to it and not the Wizard post Completionest feat…

❤