by Whitney "Neinball" Fairchild - 9 years ago     show comments

Books have often been society’s only bastion of light for passing along knowledge that would otherwise be lost to time or convoluted by the oral tradition. In order to provide new and old adventurers with as much knowledge of what to expect on their journey in Sanctuary, we created this tome of knowledge – Ars Arcanum. We will regularly feature a Legendary weapon or armor piece, discussing its stand-alone powers and capabilities, as well as how it may synergize with new builds or other items.

I remember when the Serpent’s Sparker was first shown at Blizzcon 2013. It was ridiculed, to put it lightly. People hated it because its legendary power wasn’t a flat damage increase of some sort and at the time Hydra wasn’t used by anyone. If you were to have told Wizards then that this item would be the linchpin of one of the most powerful Wizard builds out there, they probably would have laughed in your face. But now, no one can deny just how powerful this little gem can be.

Why is it good?

Tal Rasha builds are some of the most powerful Wizard builds right now and the vast majority of their damage comes from Hydra. Doubling the number of Hydras you can have out at once effectively doubles your largest source of DPS. While you won’t see super inflated DPS on your character sheet, nor will you see the bigger damage figures a weapon like the Furnace can put out, you will see your enemies melt before you when you’re throwing down two mammoth Hydras at a time.

Who is it good for?

Being a wand, it should go without saying that the Serpent’s Sparker is exclusively for Wizards. You’ll also need a build that focuses around the Hyrda skill and buffing it’s damage to get the most mileage out of this item.

Where can I find it?

This is a non-seasonal item and can be found anywhere. It’s not as rare a Wand of Woh, nor is it limited to Torment only. As with most items, focus farming from Kadala will be your best path to acquiring this wand.

The Fluff

Legend says this wand was fashioned from a fang of the original Hydra, defeated centuries ago by the hero Bul-Kathos. The great serpent was said to spawn two heads for every one that was severed. In order to defeat it, the mighty nephalem supposedly pitched the beast into a roaring bonfire, wresting the fang loose in the process.

The story is an obvious reference to the legend of Hercules and his fight with the Hydra. What I find interesting is that if this story is true and the original Hydra existed during the time of Bul-Kathos then it likely that the Hydra is some form of Demon or potentially even a rival nephalem. I also appreciate the ironic twist that one of the best Wizard items exists solely because of the efforts of a Barbarian.