Archon is a Mastery Wizard skill unlocked at Level 30, which transforms the Wizard into a being of pure energy. While in Archon form, the Wizard has access to a powerful set of unique Archon skills.
Contents
Background
Calling upon the most powerful elemental forces, the Wizard channels the power of an Archon, gaining a set of unique skills for a short period of time.
Skill Rune Effects
The following is a very quick summary. See the Archon rune effects page for a more thorough description of rune effects, or any of the individual rune pages for numbers, screenshots, blue quotes, and much more.
Name | Level | Description |
---|
<skill class="Wizard">Archon</skill> <skill class="Wizard" rune="Arcane Destruction">Archon</skill>
{{{icon}}} | [[{{{name}}}]] (database) |
40 | {{{desc}}} |
<skill class="Wizard" rune="Pure Power">Archon</skill>
{{{icon}}} | [[{{{name}}}]] (database) |
52 | {{{desc}}} |
<skill class="Wizard" rune="Improved Archon">Archon</skill>
Archon Skills
Arcane Blast | Cooldown: 120 seconds Release a wave of pure energy dealing 100% weapon damage as Arcane to all nearby enemies. |
Arcane Strike | Strike the ground in front of you, causing 1000% weapon damage as Arcane to enemies in the area. |
Cancel | Release the powers of the Archon and return to your natural form. |
Disintegration Wave | Thrust a beam of pure energy forward dealing 1000% weapon damage as Arcane. |
Slow Time (rune effect) | Cooldown: 120 seconds Project a bubble of warped space and time that moves with you, slowing the movement and attack speed of enemies by 40% and the speed of projectiles by 60% for 10 seconds |
Teleport (rune effect) | Cooldown: 120 seconds Teleport through the ether to the selected location up to 1 yards away. |
- The information in this table is pulled from the beta client. Hopefully the "1 yards" for Teleport is a typo in the skills table.
Synergies
The following Wizard passives provide a benefit to Archon, runed or not:
Name | Level | Description |
---|
<skill class="Wizard">Evocation</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Glass Cannon</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Temporal Flux</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Critical Mass</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Arcane Dynamo</skill>
Development
Archon was first seen at the July 2011 Press Event, where it was a level 29 skill. Unfortunately, no information about the skill's function was available at the time.
Beta
The Diablo III Beta started in September 2011, and while it ran, all of the skills continued to undergo extensive iteration. Skill changes varied from changing the levels the skills are unlocked, to changes in resource cost, damage, and even function. A few skills were removed altogether, and a few new ones were added. Also, the entire skill system received an overhaul with the Beta Patch 13 update in February 2012, with physical runes replaced by rune effects that automatically unlock at various levels for the different skills.
Archon was still a level 29 skill when the beta started. Fortunately, it was one of the skills available in the BlizzCon 2011 demo, and The Eliminator talked about some of the Archon skills:[1]
The most popular skill in Archon form was the Beam. It worked just like a much more damaging Disintegrate, though it had a shorter range. I don’t know if the skill does critical hits, because I can’t remember ever seeing any when I used it. The beam did do a low of 900 to a high 1300 a second. That was without things being hit by Arcane Torrent or being Frozen by Frost Nova. If they had either debuff on them they died fast.
The Eliminator also shared some general advice:
It only took one encounter with an Archon to know you don’t want to mess with a healthy one solo. One that was at about half health would go down rather fast from a WoTB Barb and a few Hammers. An Archon Wizard really felt like a game changer, but they weren’t unbeatable if you dealt with them quickly, and since the Wizard does not have Teleport in Archon form, they could be avoided as well.
With the Patch 13 changes, Archon was classified as a Mastery skill and moved to level 30.
Media
Archon can be seen in action on video here:
You can find pictures in the Diablo III screenshot and picture gallery:
References
- Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report — IncGamers 1st Aug 2011
- Silva's Wizard Runestone Effects — IncGamers 5th Sep 2011
- Blizzcon 2011 PvP Demo: The Wizard — IncGamers 28th Oct 2011
- Wizard Active Skills — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site
Classes of the Diablo games |
Skills - Active skills - Skill runes - Passives - Resource - Movement ability [e] Barbarian Demon Hunter Monk Necromancer Witch Doctor Wizard Followers Other Classes Fan-made |
---|
The Barbarian | Fury - Barbarian Active Skills (Archive) | Barbarian Passive Skills (Archive) [e] | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Primary Might |
Secondary Tactics |
Defensive Rage |
Pound of Flesh (10) |
Superstition (30) |
(X) = the level at which the skill becomes unlocked. |
Barbarian skill categories: Primary Secondary Defensive Might Tactics Rage |
---|
Bash |
Cleave |
Frenzy |
[e] |
Hammer of the Ancients |
Rend |
Seismic Slam |
Whirlwind |
[e] |
Ground Stomp |
Leap |
Sprint |
Ignore Pain |
[e] |
Ancient Spear |
Revenge |
Furious Charge |
Overpower |
[e] |
Weapon Throw |
Threatening Shout |
Battle Rage |
War Cry |
[e] |
Earthquake |
Call of the Ancients |
Wrath of the Berserker |
[e] |
The Demon Hunter | Hatred/Discipline - Demon Hunter Active Skills (Archive) | Demon Hunter Passive Skills (Archive) [e] | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Primary attribute:
|
Primary Hunting |
Secondary Devices |
Defensive Archery |
Tactical Advantage (10) |
Archery (30) |
(X) = the level at which the skill becomes unlocked. |
Demon Hunter skill categories: Primary Secondary Defensive Hunting Devices Archery |
---|
Hungering Arrow |
Entangling Shot |
Bola Shot |
Grenades |
[e] |
Impale |
Rapid Fire |
Chakram |
Elemental Arrow |
[e] |
Caltrops |
Smoke Screen |
Shadow Power |
[e] |
Vault |
Preparation |
Companion |
Marked for Death |
[e] |
Evasive Fire |
Fan of Knives |
Spike Trap |
Sentry |
[e] |
Strafe |
Multishot |
Cluster Arrow |
Rain of Vengeance |
[e] |
Monk skill categories: Primary Secondary Defensive Techniques Focus Mantras |
---|
Fists of Thunder |
Deadly Reach |
Crippling Wave |
Way of the Hundred Fists |
[e] |
Lashing Tail Kick |
Tempest Rush |
Wave of Light |
[e] |
Blinding Flash |
Breath of Heaven |
Serenity |
Inner Sanctuary |
[e] |
Dashing Strike |
Exploding Palm |
Sweeping Wind |
[e] |
Cyclone Strike |
Seven-Sided Strike |
Mystic Ally |
[e] |
Mantra of Evasion |
Mantra of Retribution |
Mantra of Healing |
Mantra of Conviction |
[e] |
Necromancer skill categories: Primary Secondary Corpses Blood and Bone Reanimation Curses |
---|
Witch Doctor skill categories: Primary Secondary Defensive Terror Decay Voodoo |
---|
Poison Dart - Rune effects |
Corpse Spiders |
Plague of Toads |
Firebomb |
[e] |
Grasp of the Dead |
Firebats |
Haunt |
Locust Swarm |
[e] |
Summon Zombie Dogs |
Horrify |
Spirit Walk |
Hex |
[e] |
Soul Harvest |
Sacrifice |
Mass Confusion |
[e] |
Zombie Charger |
Spirit Barrage |
Acid Cloud |
Wall of Zombies |
[e] |
Gargantuan |
Big Bad Voodoo |
Fetish Army |
[e] |
The Wizard | Arcane Power - Wizard Active Skills (Archive) | Wizard Passive Skills (Archive) [e] | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Primary attribute:
|
Primary Force |
Secondary Conjuration |
Defensive Mastery |
Blur (10) |
Conflagration (34) |
(X) = the level at which the skill becomes unlocked. |
Wizard skill categories: Primary Secondary Defensive Force Conjuration Mastery |
---|
Magic Missile |
Shock Pulse |
Spectral Blade |
Electrocute |
[e] |
Ray of Frost |
Arcane Orb |
Arcane Torrent |
Disintegrate |
[e] |
Frost Nova |
Diamond Skin |
Slow Time |
Teleport |
[e] |
Wave of Force |
Energy Twister |
Hydra |
Meteor |
Blizzard |
[e] |
Ice Armor |
Storm Armor |
Magic Weapon |
Familiar |
Energy Armor |
[e] |
Explosive Blast |
Mirror Image |
Archon |
[e] |
Followers | Kormac the Templar | Lyndon the Scoundrel | Eirena the Enchantress [e] | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Level 10: |
Level 5: Level 10: |
Level 15: |
Level 15: Level 20: |
Level 25: Level 30: |
Diablo III Other Classes | Diablo II Classes | Diablo I Classes [e] | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Archetypes: |
Archetype sub-types: |
Other classes: |
Diablo II: |
Fan-made Classes | Fan-made Skills [e] | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
• Alchemist |
• Flagellant |
• Ranger |
Dragon Warrior Skills |
Aurian Mage Skill | |
|