Thoughts on flamestorm staff?

[Awakened Gamer]

I was researching into this staff it seems some people swear by it for battle wizard? I dont know I do not think I could ever use this because to much ff issues.

[Potion Seller]

Its the exact same thing as Ironbreaker’s Drakegun, good for hordes but thats about it.

[Angarvin]

its a good staff by itself, just like a drakefire thrower is a good gun by itself, but playing sienna you're comparing flamethrower to other staffs and it loses on every front
- no CC
- short range
- low damage
- no real difference between LMB and RMB

the only real reason to use flamethrower is if you have IB bardin running drakefirethrower and you feel like listening to some vietnam tunes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLG1ys2CGcI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf_xZVhaAKs

[Jolly]

It should have a larger angle right out of the staff since Iron Breaker has better Melee, at least a wider push when each flame starts, otherwise to replace staffs and is equal to Drakegun is useless.

[NeloDante]

Flamestorm is by far the worst staff. All other staffs can deal with horde and have something extra with it, Flamestorm only has horde killing.
Bolt staff can pierce in a straight line and thin down the horde without needing to charge the M2. Just never use M1. Good at sniping anything, even CWs.
Fireball deletes hordes and bosses, dont need to charge it eithere except for some elites.
Conflag has best CC and deals very well with hordes, needs charging for the horde. Can perma CC anything including patrols, CWs...

[Halvars]

All other staffs have something to shoot specials and elites at range, so therefore it's undisputedly the worst staff.

[Mastuck]

Oy, leave it to the dwarf, Zharrin!

[Ardariel]

Only reasonable usage of this staff is on pyro, not BW. Take RC (cd on crit) and ult CD. use your ult to take down distant specials. Stafff deals with close enemies. Mace with armored (and ult too obviously). On any other career its not worthy staff.

[Dunno]

Use it on Battle wizard only, pyro and UC can't get all of it.
Max out all "charge speed", on flamestorm charge speed = overheat generated. So thermal equalizer gives you 20% charge speed. You can get 105% charge speed with 3 stacks of Reckless haste, +15 and +40 charge speed talents and 20 from thermal equalizer, which gives you an instant full charge at a cost of 1-2 overcharge points (overcharge scale is 40 points). This is extremely efficient.

Flamestorm damages CW, slowly, but it does, without any need for crits. Conflag doesn't (you need headshots for tiny damage and crits for regular).

For extra damage use barrage or hunter. I think the last is better, you get a 10 seconds power buff for melee too. You need more crit chance, but more crits = better stun and push for SV and all mobs (mainly you will be able to keep stunned more of them in one charged attack.
Don't use light attacks, they kill only 1-2 slave rat. Don't waste trait slot for "heat sink".

Flamestorm is good because you can kill the biggest nightmare - a widely spread horde, where you can't hit 2 mobs with single attack on any other weapon.

The main problem with that staff are, as usually, teammates. In pugs they like to run into your fire trying to hit something that isn't there, instead of watching other direction/specials and shielding you for the short moment when you need to charge another attack.

Never saw any problems with FF on flamestorm.

Good for sending a few flames into the darkness to flash the ratties and northlander out :)

[Ardariel]

What the point of charge speed on flamestorm? There are no benefits in it.

[Dunno]

Originally posted by Ardariel:

What the point of charge speed on flamestorm? There are no benefits in it.

Are there no benefits from getting your next attack ready faster? And doing it at lower overcharge cost at the same time?

[Angarvin]

it's like asking what's the point of swift slaying

[Ardariel]

Originally posted by Nuff_Said:

Originally posted by Ardariel:

What the point of charge speed on flamestorm? There are no benefits in it.

Are there no benefits from getting your next attack ready faster? And doing it at lower overcharge cost at the same time?

No really? It wont let you do more damage or control better. Not on flame staff. On BOLT i do see point of quick charge.

And anyway, flame on BW leaves you w/o range option. For what? Its not like you cant handle horde with melee. Any melee.

[Kotzi]

Why limit yourself to close range if you have unlimited ammo? Thin the lines out before getting close and personal. Build up heat for bonus or use the time to loose heat.

[Bongwater Pizza]

Originally posted by Ardariel:

Originally posted by Nuff_Said:

Are there no benefits from getting your next attack ready faster? And doing it at lower overcharge cost at the same time?

No really? It wont let you do more damage or control better. Not on flame staff. On BOLT i do see point of quick charge.

And anyway, flame on BW leaves you w/o range weapon. For what? Its not like you cant handle horde with melee. Any melee.

I think what he's saying is charge speed is essentially an overcharge decrease buff...

The bolt staff adds overcharge when you fire. So the charge speed buff only really effects charge speed.

On the flamestorm staff, overcharge goes up as you charge the attack. Meaning the faster you charge your attack, the less overcharge was needed for the attack.

[Dr. Spaceman]

The FF on this weapon isn't too bad as long as allies don't stand in it for several seconds. What is bad is:

1) Ridiculously low single target damage. Literally every other staff can kill high hp targets faster, armored or infantry it doesn't matter.

2) No ranged option so you can't deal with a ranged special in the (very common) event your teammates cannot take it down before it does bad stuff.

3) It blinds teammates. Teammates anywhere close to the flames cannot see through it, so it blocks off fields of view. That is far more problematic than any actual friendly fire.

These drawbacks are way too severe to be overcome by the staff's one strength: horde clear. Good teams are never wiped by hordes, they are wiped by too many armor or specials or bosses piling up, and since the flamestorm staff can't help with any of that, there's no point.