Both and YMMV.
It doesn't hurt to announce your nuke on a team, especially if you have an emp or kin who can restore your endurance immediately after.
The nuke is a good opening move on a mob with an elite boss or AV: get rid of everyone else and the rest of the team starts on the AV. However, because you draw all the aggro from whoever's left standing, you should be prepared to faceplant if you're not nimble enough to get out of range or don't have a good defender ready to keep you alive (or a tank ready to snag the aggro immediately).
I use it to kill steal as many opponents from my teammates as possible.
Nothing- NOTHING -kill steals like your nuke!
"I'm not scared of anyone or anything Angie. Isn't that the way life should be?"
Jack Hawksmoor, The Authority.
Nukes are chiefly for taking out large crowds in just a few seconds. The question is when.
When you run with teams, you might want to nuke as often as possible, or hardly ever. It really depends on team composition, tempo, and other factors (KB is a common issue).
When you solo, it's more about preference than anything else. Of course, it's always nice to clear large groups in a few ticks, or nuke your way out of a mistake. Also, you just might enjoy nuking; that's the best reason of all.
It depends
It all depends on the spawn you are facing
Psychic wail fully enhanced with aim and build up does 1100 pts of damage.
Minion = 400 HP
LT = 800 HP
Boss =2500 hp.
If you have a spawn of LTs or lower your nuke is going to clear it. Got bosses or better, you got problems to deal with.
Psy Wail is one of the most Team Friendly nukes out there. Use it whenever the group is gathered. As AF says, be mindful of bosses in the group, cause they will really be PO'd.
Do not nuke to start an AV fight, ever. Tanks love having minions around to add to their defense, tohit, end recovery, depending on what their primary is.
-Largo
Founder of A.G.O.N.Y. Supergroup on Victory
Member of Thought Sanctum VG on Victory
Member of St0rm Batallion SG on Guardian
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Do not nuke to start an AV fight, ever
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Yeah, I don't see that as necessary. When on a team, just focus on the AV. When solo, one shot the minion and then start in on the AV.
Thanks for the replies, all! I shall endeavor to nuke appropriately if I'm ever on your respective teams.
Also depends on your build. You can build to be a "rolling" nuke and use it as a prime tactic for clearing (actually was on a team of rolling nukes and it was, pardon the pun, a blast). Or you can focus on your other powers and keep it in your back pocket for those "oops" moments.
A lot depends on the type of nuke you are using...as you mentioned KB and other secondary effects will adjust your tactical considerations.
As a Blaster I generally work it into my build for one of the two uses stated and, usually, there isn't anything else really worth taking at that point. However on my Corruptors/Defenders I rarely take the nukes as they have other functions (buff/debuff) that are more generally important which require I maintain the blue bar.
I nuke as often as possible when on teams, solo is a completely different story. Nuking an AV is certainly an option, with tanks on a team or without, but should depend on the circumstances.
In the case between defenders and blasters there are a couple important points to remember, which having nova, is a big reason compared to the other types of defender nukes.
On a defender the damage isn't going to really be big enough to kill much besides the minnions. Leaving their more important function being that they also usually have a hefty debuff or control aspect to them.
In the case of energy blast on a defender the knockback will usually hinder the fight, making it IMO the worst defender blast nuke in the game.
On a blaster at least, with aim and build up you'll be doing enough damage that the knockback is less of an issue because you will be killing everything but the bosses.
Which on any blaster i suggest picking up and slotting the nuke for said reasons.
Plasmic's Guide to Sonic/Mental
Plasmic's Guide to Regeneration
Plasmic Fire - 50 Fire/Rad Victory Server
i use my nukes any time the tank takes the time on get them groped or when i gudge a group to be woth it the best time i ever had was with 3 blasters and a KIN on the team we literlly nuked every mob the scrappers and tank were left to mop up the bosses talk about a speed run.
also if u take a secondary that allows you to recover your end with a aura drain u just pop a blue use it and go back to work.
The downtime after a nuke makes you lose damage... unless it's the last spawn of the mission, I don't really see much point in a nuke at all.... I find nukes are not worth spending a power choice on.
I gotta make pain. I gotta make things right. I gotta stop what's comin'. 'Least I gotta try.
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The downtime after a nuke makes you lose damage... unless it's the last spawn of the mission, I don't really see much point in a nuke at all.... I find nukes are not worth spending a power choice on.
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while i agree that nuking constantly isnt quite worth it on a team, i use it enough that i would always take it.
because i have an Elec/ blaster there is no knockback issue. i just rarely use it on teams because of the endo drain/recovery time.i rather attack continuously most often. sometimes obviously when the tank has a tight taunted group and its just perfect for my nuke then i let fly because im sure we will be moving on shortly after
sometimes i wait because there is a bit of a 'dramatic' build up involved. when the team is moving from group to group taking 30secs or a minute or so to dispatch the whole group its quite a show when the team is gearing up to fight for a while and suddenly all the foes are dead...getting those "whoa! nice work" tells are still pretty kool
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while i agree that nuking constantly isnt quite worth it on a team, i use it enough that i would always take it.
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Rain of Arrows
Full Auto
Blizzard
Personally I nuke pretty much at every chance so long as the following conditions are met:
1. Nuking will not cause me to die, or there is somebody with a rez.
2. I have a dependable way to get back to attacking in a few seconds. Generally this means I have to carry a couble blues, or team with a good kin/empath.
3. I will not hit more enemies by waiting. If for instance we're fighting a small group while a couple groups ahead are clumped together I wait for the bigger one. However, I'm usually going to hit about the same number anyway, so mainly I just don't nuke tiny groups.
The only nukes I've used are Inferno Blizzard and Atomic Blast. I'm the type of person that pops two purples and teleports into a group and nuking. Granted I'm probably a little more aggressive than a sane person, but I have fun with it.
qr
Unless your team is already dropping the groups in a matter of seconds the best time to nuke is when it, aim and buildup are all recharged and there is 10-16 enemies in the area.
So for me that is about every 110 seconds.
Since you are allowed to combine inspirations there is no reason to ever have your damage halt or even decrease after nuking.
Some of them work better once someone has taken initial agro, some of them can be used with less risk. Psy wail is one of the better ones for that.
i cant belive some ppl say your losing dmg and its not worth it obviuslly your not using it right while some days i dont use it at all other times i use it every 2 mins depends on the team...
and how can you lose dmg on the 3 ppl you missed that the other 2-7 ppl can atk as u pop a blue...
lastly if ur a blaster and u dont have all ur debt badges bye lvl 40 your obviusly ned to switch to a controller cus thier the ones that sit back and hide like cowards.
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lastly if ur a blaster and u dont have all ur debt badges bye lvl 40 your obviusly ned to switch to a controller cus thier the ones that sit back and hide like cowards.
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Debt badges are the mark of a good Blaster? Please learn how to take the alpha and survive.
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lastly if ur a blaster and u dont have all ur debt badges bye lvl 40 your obviusly ned to switch to a controller cus thier the ones that sit back and hide like cowards.
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Debt badges are the mark of a good Blaster? Please learn how to take the alpha and survive.
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actully i tank all the time with my blasters and usually am standing after a tank goes down. but if your not out agroing the tank your not blasting properly. after all have you ever seen a blaster with taunt 
an ice patch and lots of kb and 2 holds
More to my point. There is no need to eat dirt all the time.
It's all about knowing how to deal and not get dealt.
ok i wasnt clear enough... with the exeption of stone tanks we all drop dead at 1 point or another.. blasters are my fav class and ive goten very good at them.
so im saying i dont die like i used to when i first started and all but bosses get owned bye my blasters. so sorry you cant read between the lines.
even a tank can eat dirt if not played right. then its the blasters job to save the day if that means blowing ur self up taking some agro then running till u get blue then that nuke is worth it.
so stay on subject and stop acting like your blaster never dies. not evey blaster needs a nuke like my fire blaster dont have snipe. it all depends on you build.
but if you know how to use it and have it 6 sloted it can be very useful. and if on a team that cant read eachother i suggest binding the word NUKE so you dont nuke with out warning.
My first 50 is a Fire/Dev Blaster. And I can honestly say this. There is absolutely nothing else in this game that is funnier than Super Speeding into a mob with Stealth and nuking a mob before the tank runs in, only to see the tank arrive late.... stand there for 3 seconds wondering what happened.... and run to the next mob. Your job here is done.
yes this is the formula i use on my 50 gun/dev blaster
stealth/ss/smoke
run into mob tie all thier left shoes together,,lay a timed mine(nuke) run back ..9.10. 11...line up LRM(mini nuke)...fire full auto(nuke)...if any1 alive use the other 10 aoes i have ..run to next group while team mops up my left overs
so what im saying is nukes are good.
I inferno as much as possible when on teams. Then again, I have consume, a rez, and always carry some blues. As previously stated, YMMV.
QR
Weatherby_Goode - "Heck, Carrion Creepers negates the knockdown from Carrion Creepers."
I don't play blasters much, but I'm close to getting one to 32 and I plan on taking the nuke (Psychic Wail). My question is: what are nukes for? Are they an opening move to be used on large spawns in a team setting, or are they an "oh sh*t" power? What is "nuke etiquette" on a team, for that matter? I guess it probably depends on the nature of the nuke (knockback vs. other effects). Any advice would be appreciated, and as always, I assume YMMV.
I should mention that I have a lvl 50 nrg/storm corruptor who has Nova (6-slotted with Scirocco's Dervish), and I never seem to use the power because I'm too busy spamming Lightning Storms, Tornados, O2 Boost (yeah, I said it) and Freezing Rain. Plus, Corr nuke damage seems somewhat meh.