I just want to post why Firestorm is considered "bad".
The critical effect of fire damage is to burn the target with Damage over Time.
This DoT is equal to 4/3 the damage done by the fire attack that was used. However, it does NOT stack.
Because it does not stack, using something like Firestorm just keeps resetting the burning and so you are just are constantly causing DoT but it never stacks. This, in comparison to the other two critical effects, shock and freeze/chill, is lackluster, to say the least.
The reason it is this way isn't just because it doesn't stack, but also because of how the DoT works. It is based on a set time. If I do 1000 damage and crit, the burn will last as long as me doing 10 damage and critting will. It will just do more damage faster.
Consider that and the fact that Firestorm is a bunch of tiny hits, rather than one large attack like Fireball. Because any 1 hit is so small in damage, the DoT is so low, it's completely insignificant.
To illustrate this, imagine you are using Firestorm and any crit you get does 30 damage. Let's assume the DoT's duration is 2 seconds (it's something smaller than this between 1-2, but for example's sake...).
Now, you get a crit. It begins to disperse 40 damage (4/3rds of 30) over 2 seconds or doing 20 damage per second. That's less than 1 extra hit in Firestorm per second, when you are literally hitting the enemy 6-8 times per second doing 30 damage each hit.
That's like 10-20%% extra damage when Shock gives many times that extra damage and Freeze/Chill prevents you from being hurt (survivability). Both effects many times more useful than Burn.
That's why Firestorm sucks. Crits pretty much mean nothing for it. Fireball is much better as the DoT when using it basically doubles your DPS when you crit.
I may have been off in some numbers (the time the DoT lasts, for example), but that's the general problem with Firestorm. The DoT does not change, timewise, based on hit. The duration is constant and so doing more damage in 1 big hit will always be better than doing lots of little fast hits that constantly reset the DoT (Firestorm is effectively a DoT ability in and of itself, without the crit aspect).
If you don't believe me or think I'm wrong, Mark, the skills guy, explains it in the Mechanics thread, I believe.
you do realize some people play video games for,i don't know...FUN!?!?!?Some people don't give a shit that skill x is more effective than skill y.Otherwise we would all be using FP,EK and LA,and that would be really,really boring.
Firestorm does have the unimpressive-burning issue, but so do a number of other fire skills. This suggests that trying to set things on fire with it is not, in fact, the best use of Firestorm (though with a chance to ignite support you can get ignition *started* a lot faster than with a fireball).
Rather, the point is to emphasize the "death" part of "raining fiery death on your opponents".
While not technically a support gem, minions and the aforementioned Frost Wall are good for keeping enemies in Firestorm's AoE; Concentrated Effect, if you have it, turns Firestorm into less of a storm and more of an orbital death ray.
Incidentally, burning lasts four seconds, not two.
I have wandered through insanity;
I have walked the spiral out.
Heard its twisted dreamed inanity
In a whisper, in a shout.
In the babbling cacophony
The refrains are all the same:
"[permutations of humanity]
are unworthy of the name!"
I just want to post why Firestorm is considered "bad".
The critical effect of fire damage is to burn the target with Damage over Time.
This DoT is equal to 4/3 the damage done by the fire attack that was used. However, it does NOT stack.
Because it does not stack, using something like Firestorm just keeps resetting the burning and so you are just are constantly causing DoT but it never stacks. This, in comparison to the other two critical effects, shock and freeze/chill, is lackluster, to say the least.
The reason it is this way isn't just because it doesn't stack, but also because of how the DoT works. It is based on a set time. If I do 1000 damage and crit, the burn will last as long as me doing 10 damage and critting will. It will just do more damage faster.
Consider that and the fact that Firestorm is a bunch of tiny hits, rather than one large attack like Fireball. Because any 1 hit is so small in damage, the DoT is so low, it's completely insignificant.
To illustrate this, imagine you are using Firestorm and any crit you get does 30 damage. Let's assume the DoT's duration is 2 seconds (it's something smaller than this between 1-2, but for example's sake...).
Now, you get a crit. It begins to disperse 40 damage (4/3rds of 30) over 2 seconds or doing 20 damage per second. That's less than 1 extra hit in Firestorm per second, when you are literally hitting the enemy 6-8 times per second doing 30 damage each hit.
That's like 10-20%% extra damage when Shock gives many times that extra damage and Freeze/Chill prevents you from being hurt (survivability). Both effects many times more useful than Burn.
That's why Firestorm sucks. Crits pretty much mean nothing for it. Fireball is much better as the DoT when using it basically doubles your DPS when you crit.
I may have been off in some numbers (the time the DoT lasts, for example), but that's the general problem with Firestorm. The DoT does not change, timewise, based on hit. The duration is constant and so doing more damage in 1 big hit will always be better than doing lots of little fast hits that constantly reset the DoT (Firestorm is effectively a DoT ability in and of itself, without the crit aspect).
If you don't believe me or think I'm wrong, Mark, the skills guy, explains it in the Mechanics thread, I believe.
tl;dr DoT doesn't stack, I don't take into consideration crit chance and multiplier proccing on ALL fireballs from a single cast.
Firestorm does huge single target damage, ignite or not.
Concentrated Area, Increased Duration, Faster Casting (if you have enough mana, or are setting it on a totem) are necessary supports for Firestorm.
Fire Penetration, Increased Critical Strike Chance, Increased Critical Damage are optional.
"so you can see who has more PvPenis" - Chris Wilson
"Everyone can at least be exposed to Leo's PvPenis" - Chris Wilson
Last edited by Kenzorz#6970 on Apr 20, 2013, 12:26:02 PM
