Counter Spelling

[Kethra]

Yes, you get a notification that you can use your counterspell, and it will "light up" when it is active and able to use.

I assume the higher your Spell Identification skill is, the easier it is to know when you can use a counterspell.

[Dage]

Cool thanks need to get into the game to figure out how do get better awareness, you could be a real bad sorc guy if you could counter and then damage and do some protection in a group form or in a raid also. thanks

[Tashim]

After a successful skill check in identifying the spell being cast, you get a 10th second countdown timer on how much longer your target's spell will take to cast... thats the time you have to successfully counter it. Using the counter is instant, but if you're already mid-cast, you still have a global refresh to wait before you can cast again.

You do get a visual notification, both a countdown timer next to your target bar, as well as having your nullifying field skill light up (its normally greyed out). There is also an audio-chime, thats pretty quiet unless you turn up the UI sounds (which I do).

So, I made a hotkey that first cancels my current ability, then activates my counterspell. Since putting that in place, I've been able to work on my counterspelling skill much more reliably. And note... there is a counterspelling skill, I have had opponents resist my counterspell.

/cancelability
/cast "Nullifying Field"

I find this useful also for using Chains (finishers). As an example, as a psionicist, I can use a hotkey with:
/cancelability
/cast "Mindfire I"
/cast "Nullifying Field"

Then, when either my finisher, or counterspell is up, I press this one key, and it'll stop what I"m currently doing, and if Mindfire is up (which it is just after a crit), then it'll cast that. Otherwise, if my counterspell is up, it'll activate my ability to counter it. If neither skill is up, it's just a useful button for canceling my current spell in progress.

I strongly recommend the use of a good hotkey for counterspelling. Doing so, has made this skill far more useful to me.

[Kethra]

Thank you for that information, Tashim. It will prove to be very helpful. Oh, and welcome to Vanguard Spheres.

[Dage]

You all think that maybe we might be able to tweak our alt after he has been created you know to change his abilty for chatching spells being sent its way, so as to be a better counter speller? or is it a learn as you go thing so at level 2 you place points where they need to go?

[Kethra]

You don't place points into spell identification, Dage. It is something that levels up as you get combat experience (ie observing offensive targets casting in combat). So... the more experience you get (getting out and fighting/grouping/etc) the easier it will be to identify incoming spells, thus the better counterspeller (lol made up words ftw!) you will become.

[Tashim]

Thanks for the welcome, Kethra. Glad to be here.

Dage: another thing to note, is that when gaining spell identification skill, you just need proximity. You can skill that up just watching someone else's fight, or running by, seeing the spell being cast. You don't need the npc targeted, or in combat with you; You just need to be able to see it happen.
(As a spellcaster myself, it pretty much stays maxed without any effort on my part.)

Counterspelling skill, however, only gets to skillup when you successfully counter a spell. Thats why I made a hotkey for it, and since then my success with it has increased greatly. You can only counterspell your current target.
(i.e. a spell being cast by mob, that you don't have targeted, while it can be identified, you wont get the option to counter it, unless you have it targeted)

[Dage]

Wow thanks Kethra and Tashim i hope you guys are on when i get to play you might have a puppy behind ya hehe

[tehgeek]

At what lvl did you start to be able to use counter spells? I'm lvl 7 right now and I don't think I've seen any of the things you've mentioned.

[Tashim]

Arcane casters get counterspells starting at level 10.
For druids, that is with the Dissipate spell.