What's the deal with Fireblast?

[Silkweed]

It's been a while since I've posted in the assassin forum, but I'm trying to come up with a plan for a lightning trapper in hardcore. I've read JRichard's guide plenty of times and I've talked with various people about various issues. One thing that keeps coming up, though, is the questions of Fireblast. In JRichard's guide, his two different set ups both include maxed Fireblast.

Now, I want you guys to tell me truly, is it really worth putting 20 points (or 18 at least) in FB instead of putting them into a LS synergy? I just never really have had all that much luck with FB when I've tried to use it. I don't really like spamming it between traps, and I find it's just not all that great. It adds to your DS charges, but you can easily just lay another trap if you're mopping up. As for the idea of a second element, isn't DS enough already? Let your merc and SM get the first kill then light them up with corpse explosion. But maybe I'm wrong?

Anyone I run into online freaks out at the mention of FB. It seems they all max the four LS synergies and then put points into things like Fade or SM or whatever.

I just wanted to get a sense from the community about the deal with Fireblast was.

[netmc]

I play a bow sin with traps. I'm currently level 81 and in hell (hardcore). I do about 1k avg damage with bow, and about 600 avg damage with death sentry (lit portion). Anything that is not lit immune goes down VERY quickly. Anything lit immune takes a while. The shadow and merc although decent meat shields just don't cut it very well for taking down lit immunes even with help from my bow. The fireblast is probably there because it is a different element, and it has a blast radius. Very rarely is a lit immune monster by itself, and a single corpse isn't enough in hell to wipe out a pack of monsters. With a max fireblast, by the time the first one drops (from merc and shadow), the resulting explosions should easily wipe out the reduced life monsters in the rest of the pack.

If I ever rebuild my assassin, I will probably max lit sentry and death sentry, then fireblast just for some more variation with lit immunes.

[Evrae Altana]

I only have one point in FB as a prerequisite. I maxed Light Sentry and its synergies. Since they all synergize FB, it can get strong enough to be a decent LI killer.

[ilkori]

I put 18 in all my pure trapper builds. It's a lot like a sorc getting a second full tree for only maxing one spell. A spamable fire spell with a decent radius is the one thing a Lit trapper really needs.

Most of the b.net players rely on big numbers and playing in parties. If you want to do nothing but pure party play or PvP, then that is a better route. PvM with any soloing should be done with Fire Blast.

[monte cristo]

I agree with taking Fireblast. It does decent damage (~1k) to most dangerous targets, like souls in solo baalruns (that is, without infinity merc, but then again you mentioned hardcore).

[sgriffin]

I agree that you need FB for PVM. I am not even using a shadow for my latest traper. Instead I am hitting packs with MB (1 pt in it) which ties them up while I spam FB. This tacktic seems like it would be useful for HC because souls and those fast spear women come at you fast and unless you have a twinked pimp for you merc you gona be running for you life. I plan on maxing all of the lit traps and putting spair points aside from shadow skills into FB. Also end game when you have all of the good gear FB damage really climes (highest I have gotten it is 3k +) whcih just levels those litimmunes....pop pop all dead. :thumbsup:

[AnimeCraze]

You don't need FB, ...... if you have infinity. Otherwise, get it to handle light immunes, especially on HC.

[Luckymofo]

The conviction in infinity does not remove light immunity from all monsters, especially if those monsters have light enchanted mod on them.

There will still be some monsters that are light immune with the aura under them...

[reyla]

I have tried both routes:

Max FB
Max LS/SW/CBS

and

Max LS/SW/CBS/DS

I prefer Death Sentry for dealing with Light immunes. Having to stand still for Fire Blast is too dangerous. Death Sentry actually kills faster if placed and timed right. Death Sentry on Hell Cows is a sight to see.

Hardcore, naturally.

[ilkori]

It usually goes like this for the two routes -

1) Max FB, DS, LS, + 1 more lit synergy
2) Max all lit synergies including DS

1) Gives you the FB with CoS/MB and the DS on top.

[Silkweed]

Well, I've made a couple trappers now, and they've both made it as far as about level 76 or so, and going strong. I rebuilt TearsInRain partly because I felt that I could come up with a cooler name and partly because I was unhappy that I hadn't twinked for a perfect dexterity Ravenfrost. So the new trapper, Oneirogen, is level 77 and in Hell Act 1.

Fireblast is definitely awesome. I never thought I'd use it much, but it's fantastic to spam when your traps are firing, and for dealing with LIs. The only thing I don't like about it is that for longer distances, it gets harder to hit with it since it's thrown in a longer arc. It makes leading a moving target very difficult. Fortunately, between CoS, MB, SM and the merc, I can keep things in one place long enough to blast them with it.

I eventually settled on maxing all five traps and leaving all the shadow skills at level 1, except for Venom. With my current set-up, SM is around level 13, my blocking sits comfortably around 47%, Fade is very nice, and LS currently does just a little under 4k.

Theoretically, I could finish maxing CBS and SW at level 98, but I think 15 in each is more realistic.

The only thing she's missing right now are some much needed resists. An Assassin Torch and maybe a crafted amulet could solve that for me, and in the meantime, I can get by.

[ilkori]

I used to MF with my Ladder 1 trapper with no added resistance other than Anya's quests, my Anni, and a random mf/res all charm. That's it.

More sure helps, and I didn't go into real dangerous areas, but it can still be done. (Ran Pit/Eldrich/Shenk/Pindle)