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'''Spectral Blade''' is a Tier 1 [[skill]] from the [[Wizard]]'s [[Conjuring Skill Tree]], dealing powerful damage in [[melee]] range.
|user= Wizard
|tree= Conjuring
|description= Summons a spectral blade that strikes each enemy in front of the wizard [[Wizard]] 3 times causing X-Y physical damage with each hit.
|type= Direct Damage
|quantity= 1-2 up to 5-10 damage|effect= [[Melee]]
|school= Physical
|resource= Mana
|cost= 74
|cast-time= Instant
|duration= None
==Skill Design==
[[Image:Wiz-spectral-blade2.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[Mirror Image]]s casting Spectral Blade.]]
This skill was the default left click attack at the [[BlizzCon 2008]] build, and also used heavily in the [[BlizzCon 2009]] demo and it worked quite nicely. It was a [[melee]]+spell, hitting anything up close with all 3 slashes, but extending the slashes far enough that targets out of melee range would be hit by one or perhaps two of the attacks. Each slash could also strike multiple targets, making this one potentially quite damaging against multiple, close-range enemies.
There is a slight casting delay on Spectral Blade, making it too slow to stun lock enemies. A Wizard who uses this one at the point blank range where it's most effective will be hit back by any targets who do not succumb to the first assault.
This spell was tweaked since the [[Spectral Blade (BlizzCon 2008)|BlizzCon 2008 version]], when it did 1-6 damage per hit, but hit 1-3 times. That allowed a huge spread of damage, from 1-18, and the team must have found it worked better to keep this low level skill a bit more predictable in damage range.
As for the function, it had the same graphic, sound effect, and casting speed as it did last year. There was one noticeable change, though. This skill now does 3 hits every time, a modification that (seemed to) remove some of the technique out of using it. Last year, 3 hits were usually granted on point blank targets, while enemies at the edge of the skill’s range (who were generally not yet in melee range of the Wizard) were most likely to take just a single hit. I didn’t actually use this one much, with so many other, more interesting spells on offer, (and since I very seldom allowed enemies to get into melee range) so I can’t say if it really does always hit three times, but it was very effectively putting down almost anything I hit with it.
Also note that the level 1 and 2 values are projected, since "new" Wizards in the Blizzcon demo started off at level 12, with all 12 points already placed. Three of which were in this spell.
==Skill Rank Table==
* '''Rank 1:''' 3 Hits with 1-5 2 physical damage 1per hit. (projected)* '''Rank 2:''' 3 Hits with 2-4 physical damage per hit.* '''Rank 3:''' 3 Hits with 3 times, 7 mana-6 physical damage per hit.* '''Rank 4:''' 3 Hits with 4-8 physical damage per hit.Only * '''Rank 1 is currently known5:''' 3 Hits with 5-10 physical damage per hit. (projected)
==Synergies==
* '''[[Improved Spectral Blade]]''' - Flat damage increase.None known
==Development==
Spectral Blade was first shown at [[BlizzCon 2008]] when the [[Wizard]] was unveiled. It's still assumed was changed slightly in the [[BlizzCon 2009]] version, increasing the number of hits to always be available as of 8 July 20093, but lowering the damage per hit instead to even it out. '''Previous versions:'''* [[Spectral Blade (BlizzCon 2008)]]