for regions higher up), as well as (iii) accounting for ionization stages above stage [ix]{} (Gräfener & Hamann account for stages up to Fe [xvii]{}). Although one should be aware of this, we again refer to the modest differences in overall wind properties reported by Gräfener & Hamann between the case where the wind dynamics was solved for, and the case for which a velocity stratification was adopted.

Sphericity
----------

We assume that WR winds are spherically symmetric. Given the absence of line depolarisations in 80% of the WR stars analysed with the technique of linear spectropolarimetry (Harries et al. 1998), sphericity is anticipated to be an appropriate assumption at Galactic $Z$ (Note however that rotation may become more important at lower $Z$; see Sect. \[s\_impl\]).

Line branching
--------------

In our modelling of the radiative force, all line interactions are assumed to be scatterings. Lucy (2002, 2003) has developed techniques that can accommodate for this potential deficiency, and Sim (2004) has investigated the effects of line branching on Monte Carlo mass-loss predictions, and found that neglecting line branching can overestimate  by up to a factor of three for WR stars. Sim’s method however does not account for continuum absorption and 