The Billion Dollar Blapper Fire/Fire Guide
By
firespray,
Posted on: 2008-11-21 15:07 in Player Guides
Just a couple suggestions, first of all, the wall of text there is very difficult to read, it would be helpful to break it up into smaller sections and use some formatting. Second, blasters aren't really a support class, they don't have any team support abilities, so that could confuse some people. Welcome to the forums as well.
Actually they do play a support role with there ranged attacks. Also, thanks for the hit ... I didnt realize the post was all crazy, i didnt want to go through the entire thing and correct but if i dont, whos gonna read it. Any thoughts on the build?
First of all, thank you for writing a guide based on the AoE blapper concept. This kind of build is high adrenaline and really fun to play. And, as you note, /Fire Manipulation gives you plenty of AoE options!!
I have a couple of thoughts to add:
Combustion - I disagree with your take on Combustion. It does damage comparable to to Fire Sword Circle (DS 1.5 vs 1.79). FSC has the slight edge, but remember that it is 50% lethal and 50% fire damage. Combustion is 100% fire damage, so there are enemies which will take more damage from it than FSC. It also costs less endurance (13 vs 18.5) and recharges faster (15 vs 20) than FSC.
The complaints about Combustion are: 1) its 3 second cast time (though FSC is 2.67) and 2) DoT (FSC is burst).
The nice thing about both are they give you a nice little 6-7% defiance damage buff. Since you have Fireball, you can probably do without one or the other. Many people loathe Combustion. I have to say that I used it as my first attack in my blapper chain for 46 levels and loved it.
Inferno You're leaving out your highest damage blapper attack. I think you addressed the issue perfectly. I think it's worth mentioning that after your suggested attack chain (Inferno, CaB, Consume) you are ready to unleash enough hurt to pretty much destroy whatever is left. Whether or not your toggles are up will make little difference at that point. After all... you aren't a brute/tank/scrapper 
But like you said, it's a personal choice.
Rain of Fire If you are going to run Hot Feet and slot for slow... and/or if you find yourself teaming with friends who have AoE immobs, seriously consider Rain of Fire. It's the most damaging AoE ranged attack you can get. You can jump into the middle of a mob with Hot Feet... slow them down... then drop RoF (which slows them down further). Kinda fun to watch and an idea to play with. 
Slotting Combat Jumping for end reduction is my biggest beef with the guide. It would be a complete waste of a slot, as the end cost on CJ is so low you get no noticable benefit in slotting an endred. While slotting for Jump or Def is not going to make you uber, it is a better use of the slot. It is also an excellent place to put a Karma KB protection IO, which may let you drop Acrobatics, freeing up slots and a power choice, as well as cutting back on end draining toggles.
Just to illustrate my first point:
CJ costs 0.0325 end/s to run according to CoD. An endred SO will drop that to about 0.0217 saving you about .01 end/s. Flares would run you about 1.69 end/s fired constantly, and would drop to 1.13 end/s with a single endred, saving you about 0.56 end/s.
It's not the second slot in CJ that bothers me, it is just that an endred in that slot is effectively wasting a slot.
All that said, keep up the good work.
They ALL float down here. When you're down here with us, you'll float too!
@Starflier
Disclaimer:
There are going to be lots of different fire builds out there that say certain powers are better/worse than others and I agree but the build I am going to share with you is SO much fun and SO useful for things like TFs/Farming/Soloing. If you would like to be able to do all of the above mentioned things as good as any other blaster but better this is your build. Also, I run all of the above mentioned on invincible all the time.
Introduction:
What does it mean to be a blaster? A blasters role is primarily a support role, but what if you were able to contribute more than that? What if you were a blaster that was built for playing like a scrapper with blaster benefits, like ranged attacks? Well than that would make you a blapper. This build is my version of a blapper using fire/fire as my primary/secondary powers. People often say that fire as a secondary is gimp meaning doesnt work well, I tend to disagree. Once slotted correctly, the set bonuses will help out any build even our fire/fire build.
This is one of the very first toons Ive ever made which means Ive had a lot of time to try different things . fighting and playing styles. Ive easily respecd this toon 15x and have come to find the blapper style to be must fun. Trying to find the best build for blapping wasnt easy using fire/fire but Im finally done and am extremely happy with it. Most blappers use Energy as a secondary which works really well but I want to be different, as well as successful. There are several definitions of being a blapper, we dont care about those . Here is what we really care about:
Being able to deal large amounts of DPS (damage per second)
Being able to melt large groups quickly using melee/ranged attacks
Being able to do all of the above mentioned without dying
The reason most blappers are unsuccessful is because once youre in melee range, you are susceptible to taking large amounts of damage yourself and being a blaster, you dont have a lot of HP (hit points) to start with. So the trick is not just to do lots of damage, but to do it fast enough that you dont die.
Power Selection
Note: The first 2 powers of any blasters primary power set can be used while held/asleep/feared etc. so fire blast and flares are really 2 must have powers for that reason and that reason only. Slotted properly, you will be able to spam these attacks until your target is either dead or you arent held anymore.
Level 1: Fire Blast A ranged attack that does moderate damage. This power is better than flares for 2 reasons, which is why I pick it first - it does more damage and has a faster animation time. It is a power that incorporates nicely into our attack chain. Its a bit more endurance heavy and has a slower recharge than flares but a must have. Get it and 6 slot it. First slot is Acc (accuracy).
Note: Almost every power should be 6 slotted with the exception of toggles. I only ever 5 slot toggles with 2 endurance and 3 of whatever else it takes. Other powers like stamina and hasten only get 3 slots. There are also what I call throw away powers which are powers I take that I will use but wont really use any slots on giving me the ability to use those slots elsewhere like swift or hurdle.
Level 1: Ring of Fire I personally dont like powers that immobilize your targets. I would prefer it to be a hold. Since it isnt I dont use it in the higher levels. In the beginning of the game I do but only until I have other powers in my attack chain which will take its place. Unfortunately, we cant skip it so dont bother wasting any slots on it as we wont even have it in our tray later in the game.
Level 2: Fire Ball STAPLE this is what I call a staple power. It will be a primary power in your attack chain and also should be 6 slotted. This is also a ranged attack that has an AoE (Area of Effect) which explodes on contact and sets ablaze all nearby enemies. This attack is very endurance heavy and slower recharge than Fire Blast. But it is very necessary for taking out mobs. First slot is Acc (accuracy).
Level 3: Both slots given to you at level 3 will go to Fireball and they will both be damage.
Level 4: Flares This is the first power in your primary so as the former note states, it can be used while mezd (held/feared/asleep/disoriented/etc.) A must have for this reason and is also a ranged attack that recharges quickly but with a slower animation time. Also costs the least amount of end (endurance). First slot is Acc (accuracy). At this point your attack chain should be fire ball/fire blast/flares.
Level 5: Both slots given to you at level 5 will go to Fire blast and they will both be damage.
Level 6: Hurdle - This is where our Pool sets open up for us. We can have up to a max of four different pool sets with 4 powers in each set. The first pool set we will go with will be Fitness. Hurdle is a good power because at lower levels, it can be a pain to scale certain walls and this power is always on so it costs no end. This is also one of those throw away powers we talked about earlier. Other than the default slot we wont be adding any slots to this power allowing us to use the slots we get at level 7 for powers we are falling behind on . Like flares. Slot this with Jump
Level 7: Both slots given to you at level 7 will go to Flares and they will both be damage.
Level 8: Combat Jumping it slightly increases your Def to all but also helps with hurdle. Its cheap end wise and makes jumping around more controllable. Also a throw away power but we will slot it slightly later on. In the mean time it will help us get some slots in powers we are currently using. First slot is Def (defense).
Level 9: Both slots given to Fire ball . 1 damage and 1 end
Level 10: Fire Sword Circle (FSC) STAPLE This is going to be one of the most important powers for this build. It does moderate damage to all nearby enemies in melee range in a radius of 10ft. It has a slow recharge and is also really heavy on the endurance. But adding this power to our attack chain quickly improves the time it takes to eliminate mobs. We will slot this power exactly like Fire ball. First slot is acc and our attack chain now is fire ball/FSC/fire blast/flares.
So, after the first 10 levels we find ourselves passing on powers like rain of fire and fires breathe from the primary and fire sword and combustion from the secondary. Rain of fire is a cool looking power but not getting it for 1 reason only it makes crowds run. And since we dont have a group hold/immobilize, it doesnt work for our build. Our job is to jump into the middle of a group (yeah, I know we are blasters and we should play support but not for this build) and kill everything really fast. As enemies run away from us, we have the ability to use our ranged attacks but youre not in there by yourself. The tanks and scrappers on your team wont be happy trying to chase down the enemy ... even taunt wont keep them from running so lets pass on it (its also heavy on end). Fire breathe does a nice amount of cone damage but the animation is very long and doesnt flow real good in the attack chain. Other fire blasters love this power; actually, I love it too ... just not for this build. End-wise its just like fireball and we cant have all of our attack be and end hog.
Fire sword is a nice single target attack also but I would rather have a ranged attack than a melee attack since Im a blaster. Even though we fight as blappers, we can always use ranged attacks in melee range but we cant use melee attacks for runners. So, we cant have too many attacks otherwise we wont be able to devote enough slots to each power. This is one of our sacrifices we have to make. Combustion costs less end than FSC but doesnt do anywhere near enough damage as FSC. Not a lot of return on our investment so it also gets scrapped.
Level 11: Both slots given to FSC . Both damage
Level 12: Aim This will increase your Acc by 40% for 10 sec while increasing your Damage by 60%. Doesnt cost a lot of end and recharges rather quickly. Later, once we get build up we will alternate using them instead of simultaneously. This will make sure that with every mob, we will have some sort of buff. First slot is Rech (recharge). Add it to the attack chain by placing this first. Aim/fire ball/FSC/fire blast/flares, repeat
Level 13: Both slots given to FSC . one damage and one end red
Level 14: Super Jump here is our travel power. This is what we will use to get around. Cant use it while combat jumping is on, either one or the other and we will only ever have it single slotted with jump. As you get higher in level, your distance will increase.
Level 15: 1 slot goes to fire ball and 1 slot goes to flares . Both are damage
Level 16: Health This will allow you to heal slightly faster than normal. This power is always on and costs no end. Since we dont have much health to start with as blasters, its not really going to help all that much but it does. We will only ever have 2 slots max and the second one comes later. Slot with heal
Level 17: 1 slot goes to fire ball and 1 slot goes to flares . Both are acc
Level 18: Blaze STAPLE Such a great power. It does a very high amount of damage to a single target and is not bad on the endurance but it has a short distance. The distance/range of all your other attacks taken is 80ft while blaze is only 40. But since we are almost always in melee range, its perfect. First slot is acc and it must also be added to the attack chain. Aim/Fire ball/FSC/Blaze/Fire blast/Flares this is basically the chain you will use throughout the rest of the game. Love it; learn it, level with it. This chain is enough to take out most bosses.
Note: The staple powers are to be used as often as possible. Fire ball/FSC/Blaze -if they recharge before youre ready for the next power in your chain go back to the staples. They are awesome and deal lots of damage in order. Powers can be queued up before execution for a faster, more seamless animation.
Level 19: Both slots go in Blaze and blaze . Both are damage
Level 20: Stamina like health, you recover endurance slightly faster than normal and it is always on. Once you hit lvl21 and stamina is 3 slotted with end mod, any end issues you once had should start to become less bothersome. This is where this build starts to get good/fun.
Level 21: Both slots go to stamina and both are end modification
Level 22: Acrobatics This power is a toggle and helps you avoid most knockback. You might not think its important but your job is to take out groups fast! Being a fire blaster, you have some of the most high damage output in the game our goal is DPS. If you run into a mob and get knocked down, youre not doing damage which means youre taking damage. You dont have the def/res to take a lot so every time you get knocked around its bad. This helps drastically. First slot is end red
Level 23: I slot goes to acrobatics which is another end red and the other slot goes into health which is heal.
Level 24: Blazing aura This power is actually just ok. It doesnt do a lot of damage and costs a lot of end and has a slow activation time. Its a toggle so activation time doesnt really matter but the end cost is so high youll question whether its really worth it and the answer is it is. After its finally 6 slotted and we start to use IO sets which grant bonuses, we will slot it with procs (procedural random occurrence) which will get us way more damage. But in the interim, it does a sufficient amount of damage when paired up with hot feet. Blazing aura + hot feet = good damage from both + slows from hot feet, enemies cant get away fast enough without taking a lethal amount of damage. First slot is end.
Level 25: Both slots go into BA and one is end and the other is damage
Level 26: Build up Like Aim, Build up gives you 100% damage buff for 10 sec and a small to hit buff as well. Its also low end cost and recharge time is sufficient. By adding this power to your attack chain, you will be able to have a self-buff for every group/mob. So know we alternate them like this:
Aim/Fire ball/FSC/Blaze/Fire blast/flares ---> Build up/Fire ball/FSC/Blaze/Fire blast/flares ---> Repeat and the entire time you also have blazing aura (BA) running doing additional damage. Wait till we get hot feet, its disgusting the amount of damage output we will be capable of.
Level 27: Both slots are going into BA (blazing aura) and both are damage
Level 28: Consume with a radius of 20ft. this power is great, especially for the endurance heavy build we are making. It basically allows you to steel end from your enemies and refuel yourself. This will NOT be part of your attack chain but will still be a necessary power. It does do minimal damage but we will not be using it as an attack and more of a situational power . Since we will almost always be in melee range anyway, it fits the build like a glove. First slot is recharge
Level 29: Both slots are going into consume and they will both be recharge
Level 30: Assault from yet another pool set, leadership; This power allows you to do even more damage but not only for you but the entire team. It is also a toggle and will need end red in it but nothing else. Thats all you can really slot it with. It actually adds 10.5% damage across the board which stacks well with other teammates that have it and makes BA that much better. As well as the rest of all your attacks. Default slot is end red
Level 31: Now we start to get 3 slots. We will put one in assault, also end red and the other two we will put into Blaze, one damage and one acc
Level 32: Hasten this is yet another pool power taken from the speed set which will increase the recharge of all your powers across the board by 70%. The best way to increase your DPS is to have your most devastating attacks come back quicker. Default slot is rech
Level 33: Two of your slots will go into hasten both of which are also recharge and the third one will go into consume. This slot will be an acc
Level 34: Again, we get 3 more slots here which is perfect it will help us catch up on some much needed slots. We will be capping off our STAPLE powers here by putting one acc into fireball/one acc into FSC/one acc into Blaze
Level 35: Blazing Bolt this is our sniper attack which has been a long time coming. It will not be worked into our attack chain and is also a situational power. It is interruptible and has a long activation. But it does extreme damage and unlike the rest of our ranged attacks it has a range of 150ft. When you hop into a group, and start spamming your attack chain, enemies will begin to flee, you will be able to kill most of them without having to chase them due to the fact that you have ranged attacks. Only some enemies will make it past the range of those attacks and thats when BB will come into play. It can also be used in a few other ways: You can use it actually start your attack chain to get a jump on bosses/ AVs (arch villains)/GMs (Giant Monsters). But when doing so, I suggest you use both aim + build up + attack chain. Massive amount of damage. First slot will be acc
Note: In case you havent noticed, were not taking inferno. I personally love this power and am only not taking it because of the complete end drain that happens after the power goes off. When I did have this power, which I respecd out of it was 6 slotted with 3 rech/3 dam. It is powerful enough and has the range to take out an entire mob leaving just the bosses. I used to compensate for the end drain by simply eating a blue after the boom and hitting consume at the next group but I found my self wasting time having to turn my toggles back on when instead I just cycle the attack chain. Your call here
Level 36: All 3 slots are going into BB and all three will be damage.
Level 37: More slots WOO HOO, Here we will put one into aim which will be to hit buff/one into build up which will also be to hit buff/one into combat jumping which will be end red
Level 38: Hot Feet Finally, our last power we will be taking in our primary/secondary sets. It is even more end heavy than blazing aura. Its radius is also 20 ft and it has a built in slow so in addition to doing minor damage, it keeps people from running away due to the slow which makes them take more damage from blazing aura and gives you enough time to at least get through your staple powers in your attack chain. Assault + Blazing aura + Hot Feet + attack chain is MAX Damage. First slot is end red
Note: We are passing on burn because it sucks. It has an extremely small radius of 8ft and has a long activation time and only lasts for 10 sec. It does however free you from immobilize effects but so does having combat jumping. Although it does moderate damage, its still not good enough in my opinion. If it had a slow I would definitely take it, but it doesnt so I wont.
Level 39: All 3 slots go into Hot Feet, first slot is end red and the other two are slow.
Level 40: Lets finish off Hot feet with a slow and a damage and add an acc to Blazing aura.
Note: So at this point, we need to choose an epic set. Like I said earlier, I have respecd so many times, I actually have tried all of the epic sets and powers. For the longest time I used fire because thematically it worked with my character by adding a true hold in char and another situational power in Rise of the Phoenix. Not to mention the fire shield which is also, in my opinion the best shield in the game for a blaster. I have also tampered with Cold mastery because I used to use the flash freeze to hold groups in place while I ran in to nuke that was fun. Hibernate is one of the best powers in the game and snow storm worked well with the slow in hot feet but I didnt love it. I actually wound up with force mastery. I guess at this point its personal preference what you want to use but if you are interested ill continue
Level 41: Personal Force Field another situational power that will save your life. It will in case you in a bubble which will increase your Def to all by over 50% and your dam res by about 30%. Great to use when your toggles drop, pop a blue + hit consume and then force field. You cant shoot out and people cant shoot in. Some damage may get through but pair it up with the shield you get (temp invulnerability) and all is good. I usually travel with this power on also. Default slot is Def
Level 42: All three slots at this level go into PFF. Two more def and 1 rech
Level 43: Fire blast gets one slot with acc/flares gets one slot with acc/consume gets one slot with end modification.
Level 44: Temp Invulnerability this is your shield, it helps resist all damage but psionics and is normal as far as end cost. It should always be on and we can actually slot it with some psionic protection. Default slot is end.
Level 45: All three of these slots will go into TI and one will be end red and the other two will be dam res.
Level 46: One slot for blazing bolt which will be end red/one slot for consume which will be end mod/one slot for Temp Invulnerability which will be dam res
Level 47: Force of Nature This gives you res to all damage but psionics. It has a low activation cost and also increases your recovery rate by 100%. Its duration is 2 min and will drain you of all your end once it wears off. This is the same reason I chose not to take inferno, so why am I taking this? It can make me a tank it has such good def and resistance it allows me to go from mob to mob and not worry about dying. Also I have an accolade called Gaes of the kind one, which increases your recovery rate something fierce so as FoN is about to wear off, I use Gaes + Eye of magus (which is another accolade) to continue the fight without a complete loss of end drain. Once FoN does wear off, my toggles do drop, not all of them but they do. So I run into the next group with what little end I have left, hit consume and turn on my force field on. Now im safe and have all my end back and drawing all the agro of the group im standing in like fodder while I turn my toggles back on. Once all my toggles are back on, I drop force field and pick up where I left off. Default slot is rech I want this power back asap
Level 48: All three slots go into FoN .. two will be recharge and one damage resistance
Level 49: Super Speed As my last power I take another travel power. Again, its situational and all I want it for is to slot it with stealth so I can ghost certain boards. It is end heavy and if slotted right you can fight with it on but not in this build. So my default slot is run speed
Level 50: One slot in FoN with Dam res/one slot in Blazing bolt with range/one slot in super speed with stealth.
This is my current build on Champion Server
Nastee Girl (The Billion Dollar Blapper)
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.4006
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Primary Power Set: Fire Blast
Secondary Power Set: Fire Manipulation
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Speed
Ancillary Pool: Force Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Fire Blast -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg:39, Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:39(5), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg:39(5), Dev'n-Dmg/Rchg:39(15), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:39(17), Dev'n-Hold%:39(43)
Level 1: Ring of Fire -- Empty
Level 2: Fire Ball -- Ragnrk-Dmg:50, Ragnrk-Dmg/Rchg:50(3), Ragnrk-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(3), Ragnrk-Acc/Rchg:50(9), Ragnrk-Dmg/EndRdx:50(9), Posi-Dam%:39(34)
Level 4: Flares -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg:39, Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:39(7), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg:39(7), Dev'n-Dmg/Rchg:39(15), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:39(17), Dev'n-Hold%:39(43)
Level 6: Hurdle -- Jump-I:40
Level 8: Combat Jumping -- Ksmt-Def/EndRdx:30, Ksmt-ToHit+:30(37)
Level 10: Fire Sword Circle -- Armgdn-Dmg:50, Armgdn-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(11), Armgdn-Acc/Rchg:50(11), Armgdn-Dmg/EndRdx:50(13), Armgdn-Dam%:50(13), Sciroc-Dam%:39(34)
Level 12: Aim -- AdjTgt-ToHit/Rchg:39, AdjTgt-ToHit/EndRdx/Rchg:39(37)
Level 14: Super Jump -- Jump-I:40
Level 16: Health -- Numna-Heal:39, Numna-Regen/Rcvry+:39(23)
Level 18: Blaze -- Apoc-Dmg:50, Apoc-Dmg/Rchg:50(19), Apoc-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(19), Apoc-Acc/Rchg:50(31), Apoc-Dam%:50(31), Dev'n-Hold%:39(34)
Level 20: Stamina -- Efficacy-EndMod:39, Efficacy-EndMod/Rchg:39(21), Efficacy-EndMod/EndRdx:39(21)
Level 22: Acrobatics -- EndRdx-I:40, EndRdx-I:40(23)
Level 24: Blazing Aura -- EndRdx-I:40, HO:Nucle(25), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg:39(25), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx:39(27), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:39(27), Sciroc-Dam%:39(40)
Level 26: Build Up -- AdjTgt-ToHit/Rchg:39, AdjTgt-ToHit/EndRdx/Rchg:39(37)
Level 28: Consume -- Efficacy-EndMod:39, Efficacy-EndMod/Rchg:39(29), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc/Rchg:39(29), Efficacy-Acc/Rchg:39(33), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc:39(43), Efficacy-EndMod/EndRdx:39(46)
Level 30: Assault -- EndRdx-I:40, EndRdx-I:40(31)
Level 32: Hasten -- RechRdx-I:40, RechRdx-I:40(33), RechRdx-I:40(33)
Level 35: Blazing Bolt -- Mantic-Acc/Dmg:39, Mantic-Acc/ActRdx/Rng:39(36), Mantic-Dmg/ActRdx/Rchg:39(36), Mantic-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:39(36), Mantic-Dam%:39(46), Dev'n-Hold%:39(50)
Level 38: Hot Feet -- P'ngTtl-Acc/Slow:39, P'ngTtl-Dmg/Slow:39(39), P'ngTtl-EndRdx/Rchg/Slow:39(39), P'ngTtl--Rchg%:39(39), ImpSwft-Dam%:30(40), Sciroc-Dam%:39(40)
Level 41: Personal Force Field -- LkGmblr-Def/Rchg:39, LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:39(42), LkGmblr-Def:39(42), LkGmblr-EndRdx/Rchg:39(42)
Level 44: Temp Invulnerability -- ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:39, ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx:39(45), ImpArm-ResDam:39(45), ImpArm-ResPsi:39(45), Aegis-Psi/Status:39(46)
Level 47: Force of Nature -- ImpArm-EndRdx/Rchg:39, ImpArm-ResDam/Rchg:39(48), ImpArm-ResDam:39(48), ImpArm-ResPsi:39(48), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:30(50)
Level 49: Super Speed -- Clrty-EndRdx:39, Clrty-Stlth:39(50)
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