Powers of Radiants

[Annatar he/him]

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[alder24]

This is the wrong section for this kind of topic - I'll ask mods to move it to the Stormlight Archive subforum. If you have doubts, just read descriptions of each subforums, it will tell you their purpose and what is allowed to discuss there and what isn't.

 

Regarding the poll, my vote goes to Bondsmiths. They can open a perpendicularity, mess with spirit webs, steal powers and bonds from other people and even bind Shard like Ishar did with the Oathpact. Bondsmith unchained is one of the most dangerous powers in Cosmere.

[Annatar he/him]

ok thank you, I'm new and this site is a bit confusing to navigate 

[Quantus he/him]

"Best" hard to quantify, but I think Lightweaver.  Soulcasting seems like one of the single most powerful abilities on the face of it.  With Lightweaving being a broader Waveform manipulation power that can reach High energy outputs and direct Investiture manipulation, and might conceivably be able to manipulate quantumwave reality in an endgame scenario, I think it's the single most Underestimated of the Surges.  

[JustQuestin2004 he/him]

Not a huge fan of fighting myself, so the less combative powers of a Bondsmith seem preferable.

Plus I could create a Perpendicularity so that's basically three Surges plus near-infinite fuel.

They're just too good.

[Trusk'our he/him]

On 3/12/2024 at 8:10 AM, Monkey King said:

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Define "best":

Best for combat? Best as in which ones I'd want? Best full potential?

Bondsmith powers have the best potential by far, as they can directly manipulate Connection and by extention the Spiritweb.

Windrunners and Skybreakers can fly, which makes them some of the best choices for personal wants (who wouldn't want that?).

Combat wise, it depends mostly on how you use your powers, but Dustbringers, Skybreakers, and Elsecallers probably have higher potential for destruction overall. 

[Duxredux he/him]

Best for... what? Ask the man with the home shattered by the Everstorm and he'll appreciate a Stoneward. Ask the starving town and they'll appreciate Soulcast grain. Ask the general badly in need of reconnaissance and he'll appreciate someone who can fly. Ask the mother of the child gored by a white spine and no power is more important than Progression. When a Thunderclast is knocking down your city wall, you'll be grateful when the Dustbringer takes it down with powers carefully mastered so they don't also destroy your home. 

It's like asking which is more important, surgeons, solders, builders, teachers, or farmers. All of them are needed... but some definitely get more recognition and higher salaries. Because of the Bondsmith is likely to get really high recognition, but Urithiru and the Silver Kingdoms probably wouldn't operate nearly as well without all the Orders. I wonder if it will be addressed what happens when the Skybreakers and Willshapers are external to the Coalition.

I've been ninja'd! @Trusk'our

15 minutes ago, Trusk'our said:

Windrunners and Skybreakers can fly, which makes them some of the best choices for personal wants (who wouldn't want that?).

 

Me. I would get serious vertigo and nauseous in small aircraft. I prefer to be a different variety of airsick lowlander, thank you.

[alder24]

1 hour ago, Trusk'our said:

Windrunners and Skybreakers can fly, which makes them some of the best choices for personal wants (who wouldn't want that?).

Someone who is afraid of heights?

Edited March 13, 2024 by alder24

[Argenti he/him]

Poor willshapers....
*sad purple noises*

[Master Silver]

Since it says best powers, I really have to go with Windrunners. Not sure if Kaladin's abilities with all those wind spren doing crazy things is because he is special or because he is a Windrunner, but would be awesome. I've always wanted to fly

[Trusk'our he/him]

On 3/13/2024 at 2:40 PM, Duxredux said:

I've been ninja'd! @Trusk'our

I'm sneaky like that 

On 3/13/2024 at 2:40 PM, Duxredux said:

Me. I would get serious vertigo and nauseous in small aircraft. I prefer to be a different variety of airsick lowlander, thank you.

On 3/13/2024 at 3:34 PM, alder24 said:

Someone who is afraid of heights?

Point taken. 

[JohnnyKaizen he/him]

I don't feel like we know enough about them yet, for me to vote. I may after I read SA5, but probably not until 6 or 7.

[Annatar he/him]

2 hours ago, JohnnyKaizen said:

I don't feel like we know enough about them yet, for me to vote. I may after I read SA5, but probably not until 6 or 7.

what do you mean? I mean we know what a lot of the powers of the Radiants are mainly because of the Coppermind. Dustbringers can destroy large swaths of land (among other destructive powers) and Etc etc. 

[JohnnyKaizen he/him]

8 minutes ago, Monkey King said:

what do you mean? I mean we know what a lot of the powers of the Radiants are mainly because of the Coppermind. Dustbringers can destroy large swaths of land (among other destructive powers) and Etc etc. 

That's true, but the information is incomplete, and I am sure there are plenty of surgebinding surprises in store for the future. Based on what I've seen til now, Renarin's abilities are clearly OP to anyone elses. He can cancel out the plans of gods..It doesn't get much better than that. Now, if his dad or some other ally happens to become Honor, and Renarin and Co help them see the future clearly while Odium cannot..well that would be an Cosmere-changing power.

That said, that's just one aspect of various powers, that have only been partially explained, at least to me. Maybe there is a lot on the coppermind I've not read, or in the arcanums? If so, I guess I'm uninformed. But if it's mostly going off of non-canon/WoB, then I'd really rather wait until it's officially down on the page to really decide what is "the best."

[Annatar he/him]

Understandable

[Acolyte of Radiance]

Not going to lie flying around and vaporizing/burning things seems kinda op

[wyndle gardens chair she/her]

I think that Edgedancer is just so deevy.

I mean, it's like having your own automatic ice skates... all the time!

And you can auto-heal when you fall over and scrape your knees.

Also, that level of elegance coupled with going around healing people and making plants grow is just too cool.

[Qianweilian He/him]

Ah, necromancy, the forbidden art.

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