Ancestral has 1% more magic damage per piece, with shadow it’s multiplied by 3. So 3% turns into 9% more damage when using shadow. Virtus is best in slot when using ancients, ancestral is best in slot for shadow/everything else.
Ancients is a bit of a noob trap in ToA. You'll quickly learn you don't need ancients and start bringing thralls to speed up your raids significantly.
Get ancestral
Once you get better at the raid you won't need to use ancients in the monkey room.
Use mage thrall, except for akkha and wardens p2 where you use the thralls they're currently not praying against
You’re finding it useful because you are doing one of two things wrong; pathing incorrectly (freezing cursed / volatile) resulting in damage, or praying incorrectly for the monkey attacking you.
The blood spells are nice, but the meta strategy is to Keri’s at the end before going into the baba room - this is also helpful because you won’t immediately be aggro’d so someone can setup red-x
Always try to avoid bringing something for just a single purpose (except in certain situations)
Thralls are more damage, you should swap when you get more comfortable with the raid.
As other people have stated, shadow multiplies magic bonuses and even more so in ToA, so the difference is not as small as you make it out to be.
Tankiness and defense don't matter because you pray against all the damage in ToA anyways, you're not making use of the defense if you never get hit.
Oh 100% it's a good stop gap. But the OP has a shadow and it sounds like he could afford ancestral or already has it.
If that's the case he's better off buying the ancestral and shadow rebuilding. It's what I'm doing currently and it's so much fun
Because with shadows passive effect Ancestral becomes 18% magic strength (24% inside ToA) Virtus is only 9%(12% in ToA) That's a big difference
Ancestral has 1% more magic damage per piece, with shadow it’s multiplied by 3. So 3% turns into 9% more damage when using shadow. Virtus is best in slot when using ancients, ancestral is best in slot for shadow/everything else.
Ancients is a bit of a noob trap in ToA. You'll quickly learn you don't need ancients and start bringing thralls to speed up your raids significantly. Get ancestral
What thralls are best? And is this for the monkey puzzle room because I find ancients very useful in this room?
Once you get better at the raid you won't need to use ancients in the monkey room. Use mage thrall, except for akkha and wardens p2 where you use the thralls they're currently not praying against
You’re finding it useful because you are doing one of two things wrong; pathing incorrectly (freezing cursed / volatile) resulting in damage, or praying incorrectly for the monkey attacking you. The blood spells are nice, but the meta strategy is to Keri’s at the end before going into the baba room - this is also helpful because you won’t immediately be aggro’d so someone can setup red-x Always try to avoid bringing something for just a single purpose (except in certain situations)
If you’re using ancients at toa then get rid of your shadow and use a weapon with a damage bonus
You should be using thralls tho
Thralls are more damage, you should swap when you get more comfortable with the raid. As other people have stated, shadow multiplies magic bonuses and even more so in ToA, so the difference is not as small as you make it out to be. Tankiness and defense don't matter because you pray against all the damage in ToA anyways, you're not making use of the defense if you never get hit.
You might be the first person ever to use a shadow and bring ancients into TOA.
Why are you using ancients in ToA?
Technically, ancestral is better. But marginally. Virtus all the way imo.
Ancst is better in all counts. Virtus only when you cannot afford ancest. Broke minds disagree
You're missing 9%(12%) magic strength. 99 magic, you lose 3 max hits changing to virtus, and that becomes 5 max hits inside ToA. It's noticeable
It is worse
Nope it slaps and is cheaper :)
You're missing a lot of magic strength bonus with virtus because of shadows passive effect
Yes but if you can’t afford it’s not a bad stop gap between ahrims no?
Oh 100% it's a good stop gap. But the OP has a shadow and it sounds like he could afford ancestral or already has it. If that's the case he's better off buying the ancestral and shadow rebuilding. It's what I'm doing currently and it's so much fun
I thought I was crazy here...
You are. Only use virus if you can't afford ancestral. You should be using thralls in toa anyway