+dmg or +crit for AoE?

[FrozenFire]

AoE spells get only 43% of the full +Dmg as I understand it. Conventional wisdom seems to have it that +dmg => PvE and +crit => PvP.

Given that +dmg looses almost 60% of its potential when AoE:ing, would it be worth considering using a +crit set specifically for AoE heavy encounters?

[skygoneblue]

AoE gets 1/3 of the +damage, not 43%, and it kinda depends on what spells you use. Blizzard can't crit, so if you're a Frost build, I'd steer away from +crit as Shatter will give you all the crit you need for CoC. However, Flamestrike crits are mighty sexy. :)

[FrozenFire]

I did not know Blizzard didnt crit. Are there any other damage spells that doesnt crit? And if so, why were they singled out? The dps for blizzard doesnt seem excessive at all.

1./3.5=.428 => ~43 %? Are you saying there is a factor for aoe as well?

[triqui]

Yes. Blizzard gets full bonus from casting time (chanelled more than 3.5s), but 33/% from being AOE.
Cone of cold get both substractions (from being instant and from being AOE)

[skygoneblue]

The casting time factor only matters for single target spells like Frostbolt, Fireball, Arcane Missles, etc. Blizzard is a channeled spell, so it takes no damage bonus from a casting time penalty. However, like the last poster said, all AoE spells get a 1/3 damage penalty simply for being AoE.

As far as I know, Blizzard is the only spell that doesn't crit. The reason being, think of how powerful it would be if it could. You can already hit a million mobs with it; it's also the best kiting AoE spell in the game by far. Somehow being chilled, possibly even frozen, and crit on in a group just doesn't seem fair... :lol:

[galzohar]

The reason blizzard doesn't crit is because DoTs don't crit, and blizzard works like a DoT. It's funny though that AM isn't considered a DoT, but still gets the bonus divided upon each missle (1/5 the damage for each of the 5 hits). I was also told AM can proc judgement of wisdom off of every missle.
Anyway if you use bliz you should also notice that instead of getting the damage bonus applied every 3.5s (like any spell with a casting time - X/3.5 every X seconds is the same as full damage every 3.5 seconds), blizzard gets the damage every 8 seconds, making +damage even less powerful, and that's before applying the 1/3 for being AoE.
Basically when u AoE grind just worry about your mana and HP if u wanna keep it simple.