Improved Comparison of Zeal and Vengeance

Introduction

I decided to update my comparison of Zeal and Vengeance. The original article is found here:

Comparison of Zeal and Vengeance

It provided a good start to the analysis of the differences of Zeal and Vengeance vs. monsters not immune to physical damage, but the article lacked clear conclusions. Now, I entered the damage formulas into Excel and improved them to include the effect of deadly strike and elemental damage. I also calculated mana leech amounts required to support the attacks and life returned per life leech %.

In the analysis of the two skills, I varied the following factors:

1. the number of elemental immunities on monsters (zero or one),
2. if one uses Might-mercenary or not, and
3. the amount of Deadly Strike (0, 50, or 100)

Results

The results for a 100-damage weapon and Baranar's Star are found in the following pages:

Results for a 100-damage weapon
Results for Baranar's Star

The Excel file is found here:
Excel File

Discussion

Generally, the following things determine the efficiency of Zeal and Vengeance:

1. Monsters' immunities and resistances
2. Damage per second
3. Mana leech
4. Life leech
5. Ease of use
6. How many skill points you need to spend in the skills

Monsters' immunities and resistances

The immunities and resistances of opponents affect the effectiveness of Zeal and Vengeance. All the calculations assume hell difficulty, i.e. global 50% physical resistance. Typically, hell monsters have also one elemental immunity (except hell bovines). In normal and nightmare difficulties, which do not have the global physical resistance, Zeal is twice as effective as in hell. Vengeance is best against monsters with no elemental immunities (e.g. hell bovines).

Damage per second

In most cases, Vengeance + Fanaticism/Conviction combo deals most damage, but this means that you need to constantly flash Conviction with Fanaticism. However, Zeal has pretty good damage compared to Vengeance, when opponents have 1 elemental immunity and you are using Might mercenary and 50+ deadly strike (e.g. Highlord's Wrath + Honor/Fury weapon, or Headstriker).

Mana leech

You should have enough mana leech to use the skill you choose. Zeal requires very little leech (1-2%), while requirements for Vengeance are more steep. The highest mana leech requirement is with Vengeance+Conviction without Might Mercenary or Deadly Strike. Might mercenary and deadly strike help bringing mana leech requirement down.

Life leech

Zeal leeches about 70% more life than Vengeance + Fanaticism, about four times more than Vengeance + Conviction and about 2.5 times more than Vengeance + Fanaticism/Conviction. Hence, Zeal is considerably better than Vengeance as a defensive skill (e.g. when trying to survive when mobbed). Might mercenary and deadly strike are good for increasing amount of life returned (very useful with the both skills).

Ease of use

Using Zeal is simple. You need to have only Fanaticism on. Zeal also autotargets and its 5-hit swings require fewer clicks than Vengeance. To have Vengeance most effective, you must constantly flash auras (chaning between them each four seconds), which may be rather tiresome. You also have to always wait until Conviction is attached to enemies (it does so in 3-second intervals) before changing to Fanaticism. Vengeance has no autotargeting nor other fancy stuff.

Skill points

Zeal needs only skill level 4 to be wholly effective, plus maxed out Fanaticism. Vengeance needs to be maxed out, usually requiring 19 more skill points than Zeal. On the positive side, you can pump up your skill levels to increase the damage of Vengeance (and its mana cost). A high level Vengeance provides also a better AR bonus than a low level Zeal. Vengeance needs also a maxed out Fanaticism but also Conviction with 15 skill points or maxed out. Clearly, Vengeance plus the two auras require much more skill points than Zeal and Fanaticism, which means that you can spare less points to other skills, if you use Vengeance.

Summary of skills

Both skills are good but in different ways.

Vengeance

+ High damage
+ Deals four types of damage (hard to resist)
- High mana cost
- Low life leech
- Needs constant aura flashing between Conviction and Fanaticism

Zeal

+ Low mana cost
+ High life leech
+ Autotargeting
+ Requires less clicks than Vengeance thanks to 5-hit swings
+ Needs typically only 1 skill point investment (+ 20 skill points in Fanaticism)
- Not very high damage without might mercenary and deadly strike

My recommendations

Recommendation 1: For best damage over time, use Vengeance + Fanaticism/Conviction combo. It takes some pain to continually flash auras and you have also take good care of your mana and life leech. Additionally, you have to spend lots of skill points in Vengeance, Fanaticism and Conviction. But it is worth it damage-wise.

Recommendation 2: For ease of play, decent damage, fewer concerns about life and mana leech and less skill point intensity, choose Zeal + Fanaticism. Zeal may be also best with Schaefers, since it utilizes the weapon's Static Field ability better (works on the realms only).

Both choices benefit from Might Mercenary and Deadly Strike. Arguably Zeal benefits more, as they considerably increase its damage (since it is all physical). With Vengeance, they help you to leech more life and mana.