Hail of Bullets?

Just curious about this power as I'm working on a build for my DP/Fire blaster (finally getting to work leveling it).

Firstly, if I'm reading the power quantification from redtomax right, this power has 1.4 scale accuracy and does 12 tics of damage each at 60% chance to occur? So, if I'm translating that right, the power has a high chance to target a foe but each of the 12 tics of damage will still need to roll for ToHit? And if the power misses its initial check, all tics will miss?
-Is there any way to improve the chance of the tics?
-Do I need to bother slotting for accuracy if it already has a decent to good base accuracy (I can probably scrounge up 20-30 accuracy from bonuses anyway)?

As for slotting, the first thought in my head was "If each tic has to make a roll, what happens if I put procs in it?"
-Does a slotted proc check per tic since each tic itself must make a check? Or only on the initial activation?
-Any advice for slotting? Procs? No procs? I'm not a recharge nazi, I usually just slot for effect most of all but I am a bit of a proc-star.

I think accuracy does help, but I don't worry about the accuracy on it much, especially since I usually use it along with Build Up. Still, I use IO sets, so you're bound to slot some in the power, which doesn't hurt. I tried to cram in a lot of damage and recharge for its enhancements, though, and I am slotting one proc in it.

I'm not really a master on how procs work, especially with DoT powers, but I think you would just get one chance to fire on each target when it rolls the initial to-hit (but again, don't quote me on that). That's why I'm going to slot a purple damage proc in there for extra damage goodness.

The damage is a bit random in the power, but for the most part, Hail of Bullets does better than the other non-crash nukes: it usually kills minions for me when paired with Build Up. Sometimes even lieutenants if I'm using Fire ammo (or they're almost dropped). There will be the occasional target that is not damaged at all, or a minion partially damaged, but I keep Bullet Rain ready to go after HoB, and that drops whatever is left standing... if anything is... which isn't too often. I like Rain of Arrows and Full Auto on my other Blasters, but I expect to have to fire another attack to drop minions with them as well... don't really have to worry about that with HoB.

How's the DPS of HoB on one target? I'm trying to figure out if I should be using it on single targets (since it's the nuke) or sticking to single target attacks.

Thanks for the replies!

Still not sure how Full Auto or Rain of Arrows does less damage if we're talking about any ammo and not just incendiary.

Not that I was expecting it, but man, if HoB did a proc check on each tic (hell, even at the expense of the initial ToHit check), that would be a monster of a power.

Really depends on your recharge. If you have the recharge where you have single target attacks up often enough where you can keep shooting at the EB/GM/AV, then use those first. If you don't, HoB makes a good filler, due to its longer animation time and high damage.

Just to add, Hail of Bullets is actually a DoT with a less than 100% chance for each tick to go off, much like some of the Fire DoTs. However, unlike the Fire DoTs HoB does not stop checking for further ticks on a miss, so it won't end early the way other DoTs can. What this means is that HoB rolls once to hit each target in range when you fire it off, then from that point on all the spinning around and shooting is just cosmetic. Any enemy hit is subject to the full 24 potential ticks of damage, even if it immediately moves away. Likewise, any enemies who wander into the area after you start firing are not subject to being hit, and any enemy you miss on the initial roll is missed completely even if it stays in the area. HoB doesn't keep making new attack checks like Rain of Arrows does, it's just an unmodifiable 60% chance for each damage tick spaced out over a few seconds for anything hit by the initial to hit check.

I don't see it as cosmetic. Honestly, it's not much different from other nukes that have a chance for extra damage. Besides that, it's just a mechanic used to provide a bit of staggering between the tics. Missing one doesn't ruin the rest and rolling bad doesn't mean you get nothing. And frankly, if you think about how a pair of pistols actually works, you shouldn't be able to hit more than 2 targets at any given shots. It makes sense when you think, I can shoot the guy on my left and the guy on my right...but the guy behind me?[/QUOTE]

When I said it was cosmetic I meant that you are not actually still attacking at that point... you are just performing an animation while a DoT ticks (much like Fire Breath or Full Auto) and therefore it no longer matters where you are in relation to the enemies. (Some people assume that as long as the animation is running they have a chance on each shot to hit a nearby enemy, rather than all targets being selected and rolled against at the beginning.)