Twin Chakrams versus Ball Lightning

[SRPang]

So...I frequent a few different forums as well as the Diablo Reddit and the two main offensive AoE spenders that everyone seems to be raving about for the DH are Chakram (Twin Chakrams) and Elemental Arrow (Ball Lightning). Which do you guys think is better and why? Which do you prefer?

[Karth]

3. Fire at Will (multishot) with a slower-attacking, higher-damage weapon (I prefer a bow, though if you can get damage high enough to 1-shot most monsters and don't mind having a slow reaction time/less safety, a crossbow is nice too)

I generally want things dead now and not later. Multishot does this very well, though it isn't efficient with smaller groups of monsters. People playing in parties may have slightly different needs.

[MartinLong]

Coming into NM I've found that twin Chakrams have been doing more damage. I used ball lighting for most of normal though.

[Matuse]

Multishot is awful. Just horrible garbage, really. I tried using it. I tried to like it. It's terrible. In order to make it even PASSABLY good, you have to do the half-hatred-cost rune, which eliminates the ability to do anything else with it.

For the same Hatred as one (non-cost-reduced) multishot, I can throw 4 paired chakrams and do about 10x the damage to 5 times as many monsters, at double the range. Multishot can't even see Chakram's league with a telescope, it is so hopelessly outclassed.

Annoying monster in your face? A paired Chakram will immediately double hit it for 210% weapon damage. And then probably hit it again when it loops around.

If they doubled the Hatred cost of Chakram, it would still be by a wide margin the best damage skill available. As it is, I don't even bother using hatred generator abilities. I don't need them...ever, and they do so much less damage. I can fill the screen with chakrams at will.

[SRPang]

Multishot is awful. Just horrible garbage, really. I tried using it. I tried to like it. It's terrible. In order to make it even PASSABLY good, you have to do the half-hatred-cost rune, which eliminates the ability to do anything else with it.

For the same Hatred as one (non-cost-reduced) multishot, I can throw 4 paired chakrams and do about 10x the damage to 5 times as many monsters, at double the range. Multishot can't even see Chakram's league with a telescope, it is so hopelessly outclassed.

Completely agree...100%.

While undoubtedly Twin Chakram is a fantastic skill...I do feel that Ball Lightning does deserve a mention as well. It's been much more reliable damage for me. When there are only a handful of monsters on the screen (not packs), I feel that sometimes hitting with Chakram is hit or miss. There's that one sweet spot when they're spinning that if the monster is in that little circle, he can dodge it. I could always switch over to Hungering Arrow (my primary generator) but it's just a bit annoying at times. I don't have the same problem with Ball Lightning on the other hand. Regardless, they are both amazing skills that are fairly similar in terms of damage output in my opinion. I can't seem to figure out which one I like more but am leaning to Ball Lightning at this point. I switch them around quite often though. Just wanted to your guys opinions and hence, why I made this thread.

I would have to agree with you thought that when there are very big packs on the screen...it's very hard to beat Twin Chakram. Although I do think Ball Lightning comes close.

[Cerzi]

Ball lightning is *so* much better. The projectile follows a much narrower path, which means you can shoot it down narrow corridors (unlike twin chakram), yet has just as wide an AOE (if not wider). Like has been said, it also does much more reliable damage, hitting everything within range every time. With twin chakram there are deadzones. Yeah, where the 2 chakrams overlap (a small area) will be doing more damage than ball lightning, but everywhere else does a lot less.

Honestly can't think why anyone would use TC over BL, unless a)you need physical damage or b)youre fighting huge monsters that get hit by both chakrams at all times.

I honestly feel like ball lightning and rapid fire (withering) are core on any dps-based DH build. Between these 2 abilities you have unbeatable AOE and single target damage. There simply isn't anything better.

[yovargas]

Both of these are quite OP IMO. They could double the cost and they'd still be good/worth it. But Ball lightning is the CLEAR winner here because the damage and AoE are about the same but BL always hits anything in its path. Plus it's the BEST at popping destructibles!

[Greizer]

Just tried Ball Lightning and didn't like it at all. It's horribly slow imo. Chakram has already killed the mobs when BLs are getting there. I like Multishot the best though, but that may be because I'm still in Nm. The aim on Norm and Nm is to kill the pack as quickly as possible and move on to the next one, so it doesn't matter if your Hatred runs out in the fight, as long as it lasts enough to kill the whole pack. Multishot shoots fast as hell and as far as I can tell the arrows pierce 100%.

Overall I find Demon Hunter to be quite op, at least compared to Wiz, which I abandoned after struggling in Nm with the lamo cooldowns on every escape skill and the low dmg% on all the killing skills. The mechanics are bad too, you can't stop to channel Disintegrate or RoF in Hell or Inferno, so you're forced to use Arcane Orb all the time. And it can't compare to Chakram or Multishot imo, or even Ball Lightning. Then again I did stop in Nm so I may be wrong ofc. But the point remains that Wiz has no Smoke Screen, which is the most op escape skill ever. No cooldown? Check. Invulnerable? Check. Invisible? Check. Can shoot while active? Check-mate, fella; DH >>> Wizard.

[yovargas]

Just tried Ball Lightning and didn't like it at all. It's horribly slow imo. Chakram has already killed the mobs when BLs are getting there. I like Multishot the best though, but that may be because I'm still in Nm.

All that is true but what makes BL amazing is that not only does it never miss like Chakram can, but it does far more damage than MS cuz it zaps most monsters twice while it's traveling. Larger monsters get hit repeatedly. The damage output is insane.

Overall I find Demon Hunter to be quite op, at least compared to Wiz, which I abandoned after struggling in Nm with the lamo cooldowns on every escape skill and the low dmg% on all the killing skills. The mechanics are bad too, you can't stop to channel Disintegrate or RoF in Hell or Inferno, so you're forced to use Arcane Orb all the time. And it can't compare to Chakram or Multishot imo, or even Ball Lightning. Then again I did stop in Nm so I may be wrong ofc. But the point remains that Wiz has no Smoke Screen, which is the most op escape skill ever. No cooldown? Check. Invulnerable? Check. Invisible? Check. Can shoot while active? Check-mate, fella; DH >>> Wizard.

I hate to be crying imbalance when I've only played the one DH in through Normal diff. but - everything you said is sooo true! And it's funny cuz I get the feeling that she's the least popular right now but she won't be once people learn about Twin Chakram/Ball Lightning.

[Peppe]

Guess i should try multishot. TC was good until ball was available. Ball is way better even though it is slow. Just spam it a little and focus on the drops--- probably developing bad habbit there :P

Watching some inferno videos and DH soloing butcher and skeleton king is way faster than the other classes i have seen.
~3 minute videos for this DH vs 7+ for other classes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn1XZ8eSNEI

Smoke screen to keep you alive. Impale to spend hatred and hunger arrow to get it back w. good dps.