So, this is my blog about claw and bolt. I named it “Bolt and Claw” and not “Bolt vs Claw” on purpose, because I don’t want to have a fight in my comments. I’m not telling you what to max, I’m just throwing in some thoughts of a BOLT (!!) Cleric. Yes, I maxed it – do I regret it? No.

[Comment Rant] Are you a claw user? Do you think Bolt sucks? Well, yes! You are right! Don’t leave a comment or bother reading the rest of the blog, you are completly right! Read another blog – now! [/Comment Rant]

Thanks for the attention, If you don’t have the time to read through my post completly, don’t even bother to comment. Don’t post things like “OMG BOLT SUKS!!!!1111 OMG what EVERYONA KNOWS TAHT!!1!! OMG”, it won’t help anybody and it will just show, that you are a real noob. Do you really want everybody to know, that you are such a fool who can’t argue? Yes? Ok, go on. I won’t bother commenting your comment.

Chapter 1: Who is responsible for this?

Heya, It’s me – Foolishcat! I’m a lvl 5x (At the time of writing 57) cleric with maxed Bolt from Bera. If you’d like to see my bolt in action (To laugh at me? To flame me?), track or whisper me. Feel free to leave any comments who are in a good english and have something useful to say.

Chapter 2: The Basilmarket “Discussion”

Like already written, only comment when you have something useful to say. Don’t post “BOLT SUX!”, like I already pointed out. Lots of people did this in the Bolt Mages Thread at the Basilmarket forums. I just want to point out the very interesting posts, with good arguments.

Question: Why do people hate us bolt mages?
Answers:

Also this one is a favourite:

At least it has a reason – even if it is a poor one.

Noticed something about them? Yeah, they don’t have arguments. Seems like those are people who never played a Bolt user. When I was in my low levels and pqed a lot in Kerning, I always heard “Lol, Boltmage. Noob.” … Even later one I got a lot of flamings, especially at HHG1, where little <30 Rogues try to be cool kids. Good for you, that you can read guides – I don’t care.

Most people who flame bolt have it at lvl 1… Oh wait, there was another cool post:

Lol. I do between 3xx-9xx damage with my bolt, depending on the M.DEF of the monster I’m fighting. So, if you have lvl 1 bolt – don’t try to tell me that it sucks. Make a cleric/wiz with both maxed, bolt and claw and do some researchs, then you can flame one of them.

Chapter 3: What I want to tell you

First thing: I want to make you know what are the differences between bolt and claw. I DON’T want to tell you what’s better or what you should max. That’s your decision. I’m no guide nazi, I won’t tell you what to put SP in at what lvl, do whatever you want. Don’t listen to people who say “CLAW RUL3Z” and can’t prove it.

Note: I’m taking the Claw Information from the Bolt Mages Thread at Basilmarket. I have 0 points in claw, so I have almost no idea what it’s like. All I know is from videos and what I heard/saw.

Claw:

– When maxed: MP -20; Basic attack 40 x 2 Hit, mastery 60% (Hidden-Street.net)
– Stronger than bolt (in total)
– Lower Knockback damage than bolt (As it’s split up)
– Goes through walls (*)

Bolt:

– When maxed: MP -14; Basic attack 55, mastery 60% (Hidden-Street.net)
– Weaker than Claw
– Higher Knockback damage (As it’s just one hit)
– Doesn’t go through walls (*) and is like an arrow/star (Terrain affects it)

(*): So, Claw goes through walls. I posted the following questions around 5 times on the thread, without getting an answer: “Where do you need to fight through walls?”

I can imagine that claw is useful in hilly terrain, like the Kerning swamps – but what wiz/cleric trains there? If you’re a claw wiz/cleric, do you go to places where you can fight through walls? I guess not. Tell me a place where a bolt wiz/cleric can’t kill properly.

Chapter 4: Damage comparision

This was made by using the Hidden-Street.net Damage Calculations Tool. The User is a lukless magic user (4 Luk)

Bolt (100 MA):
Minimum Damage: 148
Maximum Damage: 247

Claw (100 MA):
Minimum Damage: 216
Maximum Damage: 360

Bolt (200 MA):
Minimum Damage: 295
Maximum Damage: 491

Claw (200 MA):
Minimum Damage: 429
Maximum Damage: 715

Bolt (200 MA):
Minimum Damage: 441
Maximum Damage: 736

Claw (200 MA):
Minimum Damage: 641
Maximum Damage: 1071

Bolt (800 MA):
Minimum Damage: 1175
Maximum Damage: 1958

Claw (800 MA):
Minimum Damage: 2350
Maximum Damage: 3916

Please note that the claw damage is *2, because there are two strikes. The M.DEF of a monster wasn’t calculated in.

So, theoretically, Claw outdamages bolt. I agree on this, claw wizzes/clerics below my lvl outdamage me. Bolt is weaker than Claw… That’s what everyone wanted to hear, isn’t it?

Chapter 5: Why are you a bolt cleric?

Because it fits my character sheet of somebody, who is against “the system”… Haha, just kidding.
I took bolt for the knockback damage. It just fits my lazy playing style. When I fight a Drake, I can just stand around and spam bolt. I knockback Drakes almost every time, Claw-users don’t, I heard. Same goes for lots of other monsters (Maladys, sometimes Hectors etc.) So, bolt is a attack for lazy people.

Question: Do you train on such things?
Answer: Sometimes. When I’m bored from Wraiths. Now, I really need this when I fight in a party. Would a cleric go to Wraiths with a Spearman? That would just be a waste for Hyperbody. I usually go DMT, Luster Pixies and stuff. It’s helpful when you can knockback that stuff, so you use less MP for teleing.

Question: Won’t bolt screw up my character? EVERYBODY says that.
Answer: I told you the facts, that’s it. Can’t help you anymore on your decision. It’s all up to you. If you can stand flaming (I tried to have a discussion with people who flamed me for bolt. They just continued their flamed, saying “CLAW R0x!!11”). Also Bolt users are an underdog class. In my whole maple career I only saw ONE Bolt User. And that was a cleric too, who said he’s going for Heal as Main Attack.

Question: If I would give you the bucks to change from bolt to claw, would you do it?
Answer: No. I’m happy with my choice.

Question (…): BOLT SUX LOL
Answer: :<

Chapter 6: Hoaxes

I heard this, I heard that… This are some facts:

Bolt and Claw have the same casting speed. People always think Claw is like “Press the button and watch the monster die!”, but it’s not. Don’t forget the crescent Moon animation (It’s called like this, right?), it takes just as long as a bolt takes to fly to a target. When you’re near a target, the bolt flies a bit slower than when you’re far away. It’s always the same speed.

Bolt and Claw have the same Range. Yup, it’s like that. Claw does not have an infinite range, sorry.

If you can prove this stuff wrong, then please pm me to meet up in Bera and show me what you found out. I’m no claw flamer who won’t listen to your arguments.

Chapter 7: Yippeeh!

Thanks for reading through this. If you like it, click the button :>. Leave a comment if you have something useful to say. NO FLAMING