If tampering with the arcane energies of the world sounds like an enjoyable way to spend an evening, the Wizard of Dark and Darker may be your ideal class. The Wizard class plays similar to the Ranger, in that both classes operate best when given ample space to ply their trade. Here’s our build guide to the Wizard, of Dark and Darker.
Related: The best solo classes in Dark and Darker
The best Wizard perks for Dark and Darker
The Wizard has nine perks to choose from, with a total of four they can equip. For many of these perks, what you’re going to pick is dependent on what spells you prefer to use. The Wizard has been the target of a heavy-handed nerf, aimed at bringing heavily-geared Wizards more in line with the rest of the classes. Unfortunately, that nerf affects every Wizard, even if you’re just starting out. Still, there are choices to weigh — we recommend the following, in order of slot unlock.
- Quick Chant
- Everything the Wizard does is remarkably slow. Whether you’re trying to open the door (which seems to stupefy even the wisest mystics) or just walk through a room, the Wizard is effectively played through molasses. Quick Chant lets you cast spells 10% quicker, and every bit helps.
- Arcane Mastery
- If you find yourself reaching for the tried-and-true Magic Missiles often, this perk will cut the casting time by one second and increase the damage of those missiles by 5%.
- Melt
- Picking up Melt gives WIzards a great combo, starting with Fireball and shifting into Magic Missiles. Melt reduces the armor of a target hit with fire spells by 10% for five seconds, helping the Magic Missiles hit that much harder.
- Ice Shield
- Ice Shield gives Wizards a +20 armor rating, and inflicts Frostbite on anyone that tries to melee you. This will drastically increase your survivability, and some equip it immediately upon rolling the class.
Best Wizard gear for Dark and Darker
Wizards scale absurdly well with Will, and players should always strive to increase this with any gear humanly possible. At the end of the spectrum, Wizards can wipe entire parties with a spell or two. In exchange, starting a Wizard is a very difficult proposition, as they are so gear dependent. Purchase spell books and trade your staff for them — it’s less of a movement speed penalty, and that pays dividends for this class.
The second gear pickup is any melee weapon you can find on the merchants. The Weaponsmith tends to have Rondel Daggers, and picking a few up to keep in your stash is a wise idea. There will be times when a Fireball or Zap will be overkill, or give away your position — use a melee weapon at that time. It’s not uncommon for Wizards to strip all of their starter clothes from their body — the benefits simply aren’t worth the weight and movement speed debuff.
Best Wizard skills for Dark and Darker
Spell Memory is a mandatory pick for Wizards, as without that skill you simply have no spells to cast. Meditiate is a solid second choice, as you’ll be able to refresh spells during a dungeon run. These are the same skills that are pre-selected when a Wizard is created, but being different isn’t necessarily good.
Best Wizard spells for Dark and Darker
A total of 11 spells to pick from, and players can select up to five per Spell Memory they have equipped. If you’re playing in a party, selecting less damaging spells in exchange for buffs and debuffs tends to be the play — Wizards have a nasty habit of wiping their own party with a poorly-placed Fireball. If you’re playing in a party, we recommend the following spells:
- Light Orb
- Being able to fully illuminate a room will make room clearing infinitely safer, as your party won’t need to cautiously poke and prod corners for the errant rogue. The additional aspect of not walking into every spike trap in the dungeon is a nice bonus.
- Ignite
- Ignite will coat your friends’ weapons in fire, giving them an additional 5 magic damage per hit along with a DoT burn. Pass this out before fighting a party, or taking on a particularly nasty foe like the Ghost King.
- Haste
- Offers a 14% action and move speed bonus for eight seconds. This is a good mid-fight spell to help a friend clench a battle.
- Ice Bolt
- A single-target spell that slows enemies on top of the damage inflicted. A solid opener for any fights, letting your allies surround the foe or otherwise strategize the battle.
- Chain Lightning
- Chain Lightning will hit multiple foes, zapping them all for sizeable amounts of damage. Don’t use this when your party members are near, however, as it will kill everyone it chains to. Use this spell as an opener against other parties in PvP, or as a room cleaner before pushing through the doorway.
If you’re trying the Wizard solo, you simply can’t afford buffs on your bar such as Haste and Light Orb. Instead, you’ll need to focus on DPS and debuffs to keep fights as manageable as possible. Try these spells:
- Zap
- A quick, no frills spell that also applies a 1-second DoT on the target. Good for finishing fights, or poking a nearby player to force a decision.
- Ice Bolt
- A reliable, single-target damaging spell that also slows the enemy it hits. A solid opener in both PvP and PvE, although be ready to switch spells to take advantage of the slow.
- Magic Missile
- The most common error in Wizard play of Dark and Darker is that many rely on Magic Missile far too often. Magic Missile fires a total of 10 homing missiles for 12 damage each, but it stops firing the moment you move. Often, you’ll need to decide if you’re willing to take an incoming hit to eke out a bit more damage, which will depend on your armor rating and current health pool.
- Fireball
- Nerfed or not, the Fireball offers 30 damage for direct hits with 10 damage in an AoE around the point of impact. This can effectively be used around corners, if you know a Rogue or Ranger is nearby, and can also help whittle down the HP of large groups.
- Chain Lightning
- When it’s only you, you don’t have to worry about accidentally chaining the damage into the rest of your party. You will need to stay aware that the lightning can turn around and zap yourself, but this is an efficient room cleaner before you put yourself in harms way.
