Not sure I like Neutron Bomb - is it skippable?
yeah i agree with the double AoE combo !
especially with energy, you can gather all the mobs with two powers : energy torrent sends them against a wall and then explosive blast at far right (or left) of the group and they are all packed ... and KB ... Tanker thanks you for once ^^
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These days I mostly team on my main. I find Explosive Blast to be highly skippable. Energy Torrent and Explosive Blast both benefit from enemies being tightly grouped. Energy Torrent knocks back enemies in more or less the same direction, but Explosive Blast knocks back enemies radially from the point of impact. Yes, I'm well aware that it's one less AoE, but the radial knockback makes it a detriment and in my opinion it doesn't do enough damage to make up for this.|
Originally Posted by Satanic_Hamster
Out of curiosity, are you guys mainly soloers or only in small teams with your blasters?
If you want single target damage, you really should have gone for a scrapper. If you want to help the team to quickly nail large spawns, you're going really want your two main ranged aoe's. |
I do appreciate your advice on ATs though and I'll be sure to tell every Spines/Fire Scrapper I see that they should have played Blasters if they wanted AoE damage.
@Demobot
Also on Steam
Coming from a main corrupter, so YMMV.
I can't imagine skipping either of Neutron Bomb or Irradiate, because slotting the Achilles' Heel proc and throwing them one after another results in a 36% chance of debuffing resist by 20% on everything in the pack.
That's particularly true on a Blaster, because you've probably got additional PBAOE powers in your secondary. I think of NB as a PBAOE that I can throw if it's too dangerous to stand in melee. The travel time for the bomb much less noticeable if you're throwing it at something that's point blank from you.
With my Rad/Kin Corr, I use FS > Irr > NB > Siphon Speed > Transfusion > Irr > NB > repeat as my main attack chain. The occasional boss that's left living gets Cosmic Burst. I expect Blasters can just sub their main PBAOE in for Siphon/Transfusion and spam 3 PBAOEs in a row for constant damage.
On my AR/EM blaster, I can do more to help a team mow spawns using just range-boosted cones (Buckshot, Flamethrower, and Full Auto) than I could with the enemy-scattering M30 Grenade.
On my Rad/Mental I've got Psy Scream and Electron Haze, two cones for attacking at range, and also Psy Shockwave, Irradiate and Atomic Blast, three PBAoEs that are up close and dirty. Neutron Bomb with its slow animation would do little more than slow me down.
So, I skipped the targeted AoE on both blasters and can still contribute a lion's share of AoE damage. Not every targeted AoE is as effective and essential as Fire Ball.
On a Defender or Corrupter, I'd say drop it in a heartbeat. Tough decision on a Blaster, especially one that teams. Drop it if you don't like it. What I wouldn't recommend is listening to a Hamster to tell you how to play the game.
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Wrong. It kb enemies away from where you are. If you are hovering above and shoot straight down, they get kb in every direction. If you are standing in front of them and fire it, they get kb away from you, exactly like energy torrent.
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Originally Posted by Demobot
but Explosive Blast knocks back enemies radially from the point of impact.
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Skip it if you must but all that AOE makes me feel sexy : 3.
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Yeah that's really all there is to it. It's not a bad rule of thumb to always pick up your long range AoEs, but not every build is going to need them. Heck, not every build will even use them. Once I IO'd out my energy/energy blaster, I have Static Discharge or Energy Torrent up almost all the time, both of which out damage Explosive Blast. This is just compounded by the fact that they cover a huge area with boost range up.|
Originally Posted by StratoNexus
That, I would have to disagree with. Although it is a good generalization.
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I still have Explosive Blast, but that's just for Kinetic Combat. The only time it ever gets fired is if I'm hit with some serious -recharge.
On a side note, the illusion that Explosive Blast (or Explosive Arrow, M30 Grenade, etc) has a radial knockback comes from widespread mobs. If you hit the center of a line of enemies (lined perpendicular to your line of fire) the ones on the far left will be knocked slightly to the left, and the ones on the right will go slightly to the right. It's not because your explosive blast was to their left/right though, it's because YOU are. If you hit a line of guys who are aligned over your line of sight, they will all fly in a straight direction away from you.
In other words, they're always knocked directly away from you, which sometimes means they scatter, sometimes it doesn't.
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That nail was a little loose. I hammered it in for ya.
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Originally Posted by Obsidius
Also, it's precedent.
And yes, it was completely necessary ...it's precedent. |
you know, I've only played radiation as a defender. I think I need to roll a rad blaster to know what the set is really like. Do Rad's AoE powers trump AR?
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Correct.|
Originally Posted by JayboH
Wrong. It kb enemies away from where you are. If you are hovering above and shoot straight down, they get kb in every direction. If you are standing in front of them and fire it, they get kb away from you, exactly like energy torrent.
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I really wish the myth of radial KB would die already. It does. Not. Exist.
Knockback is always, Always, ALWAYS directed from the caster.
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Well, Rad has 2 spheres, 1 cone, and a nuke. All smashing/energy. The cone does unreliable knockback. The nuke drops toggles and takes an eternity to recharge.|
Originally Posted by Hellsminion_CoH
you know, I've only played radiation as a defender. I think I need to roll a rad blaster to know what the set is really like. Do Rad's AoE powers trump AR?
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AR has 3 cones, 1 sphere, and Ignite. Damage types are 2 lethal, 2 fire, 1 smashing. M-30 and Buckshot do unreliably knockback.
I'd say Rad has the upper hand against anything that's not resistant to smashing/energy. AR has more flexible damage types, but Buckshot and Full Auto are fairly narrow cones whereas all of Rad's AOE is easy to aim.
What really pushes rad over the top is the 3rd single target attack along with 3 solid AOEs. I'd say Rad is about even with Fire - Fire has higher damage, quicker activation, and gets a big boost from Firey Embrace. However, Rain of Fire requires extra setup that Irradiate doesn't need, and you can't slot Fire attacks to proc -res.
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Wait, what?|
Originally Posted by Hart
What really pushes rad over the top is the 3rd single target attack along with 3 solid AOEs. I'd say Rad is about even with Fire - Fire has higher damage, quicker activation, and gets a big boost from Firey Embrace. However, Rain of Fire requires extra setup that Irradiate doesn't need, and you can't slot Fire attacks to proc -res.
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Since when did blasters get Firey Embrace?
also, looks like everything in rad/ is pure energy damage, except the nuke, which is indeed smashing/energy.
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Firey Embrace, Build Up.. whatever you bluesiders use :P I couldn't pick a blaster secondary to save my life - if I need a damage buff in my secondary, it's Fulcrum Shift.|
Originally Posted by Bud
Since when did blasters get Firey Embrace?
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Originally Posted by Telperion
also, looks like everything in rad/ is pure energy damage, except the nuke, which is indeed smashing/energy.
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Plus there's the nice -def.
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Meh, my rad/em is all single target and I'm diggin it. But then again I like being mainly a boss killer on teams and I plan to pvp with him and wanna use as little respecs as possible lol
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Originally Posted by Satanic_Hamster
To add on:
NO blaster should skip is main cone and targeted aoe attacks. These are generally essential. __________________ Currently listening to Live's Throwing Copper |
Agreed, Explosive Blast is worthless in my opinion...I have an Energy/Energy Bosskiller who is my most effective character against single enemies...Saying Blasters are only good with AoEs is pretty much false since there are a lot of reasons to go focus on single target attacks when taking /Energy...Power Blast/Burst (i.e. controlled knockback that won't have the team screaming at you) for Energy, Cosmic Burst in addition to /Energy's stun heavy set is a given, the first three powers in Psi, and finally, Ice and Sonic are natural single target choices...In addition, Power Thrust+any Snipe is effective against almost anything...
As to the Neutron Bomb question, I'm playing a Rad/Fire Blaster right now and I haven't taken it yet, although admittedly I have far more AoE options...I would recommend Irradiate though...The -def going into a melee chain is pretty much going to guarantee 95% to hit especially with Power Boost...
For your purposes, if you feel the animation time on Neutron Bomb is slowing you down, you could probably do without...Once again however, I find Irradiate to be a nice opener...
But don't let anyone tell you "Take AoEs or you're playing the game wrong"...It's not like you're making a Petless Mastermind...Blasters are High damage, so as long as you're doing tons of damage you're doing your part...
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whoa, didn't know that!!! Now I know which patron pool to take!
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Originally Posted by Kurugi
I'd get Irradiate. Coupled with Power Boost it alone will reduce the defense of everything it hits by 37.5%
Even if you don't use any melee powers it shouldn't be a big deal to jump in, use Irradiate, and jump out. |
I respect'd out of Neutron Bomb in favor of Psy Scream on my Rad/MM. The results are better I also have irradicate the -defense and -30% recharge from psy scream/irradicate is better for my play style
I believe they both (PS and NB) do the same damage too but PS appears to have a shorter animation time.
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I was going to skip NB but then I found that the combo of NB and Psy Scream after BU and Aim will take out a LOT of enemies. I found that too valuable at range to ignore. Plus I have an achilles heel proc in NB as well. I will eventually get an up close build as well with Irradiate and PsyShock in thebuild as well. I think NB gives me a lot of versatility despite its slow animation time.
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This is all the justification I've ever needed for it. Coolest-looking power in the game.
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Originally Posted by HeroJunkie
It looks super cool
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Having Vengeance and Fallout slotted for recharge means never having to say you're sorry.
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Long enough that I can fire off a Neutrino Bolt once the Glowy-Beachball-of-Doom is underway and they'll both hit the target at the same time.
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Originally Posted by Weatherby Goode
Its not that the cast time is longer than it claims, rather the travel time of the projectile is really, really long.
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hahah, yea the only other power I can think of where projectile speed is a such a factor is Will Domination, I'd always been able to time that and another attack so they hit at the same moment, with NB at range you could probably get two attacks in (laughs)
*I'm still taking it, as previously mentioned, it looks awesome*
"Fascinating. I'm not bored at all, I swear." -Kikuchiyo
Out of curiosity, are you guys mainly soloers or only in small teams with your blasters?
If you want single target damage, you really should have gone for a scrapper. If you want to help the team to quickly nail large spawns, you're going really want your two main ranged aoe's.
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