A few questions about Bombs! - (Ash of Agni, Nitronome, Charge times, etc.)
Vie, 07/01/2011 - 07:28
I've got a few questions about Bombs and hope some of you could help me out. I'm currently in Tier 2 and doing fairly good whether solo or in a party, although i've yet to take on the Jelly King. My equipment consist of a 2* Wolver Suit + Helm level 10 (UV of Normal Defence Bonus: Med), 3* Tempered Calibur level 4 (UV of Charge Time Reduction: Low), and a 2* Blast Bomb which i recently got to level 10 also.
First up, question about the Blast series. I wanted to try out Bombs and crafted myself the 2* Blast Bomb with the intention of upgrading to Nitronome. I was told by several people this was a basic yet high-damaging bomb and i cannot disagree as i've certainly found enemies dying faster. But i am finding the knock-back both good and bad. When the bomb explodes it sends enemies flying off in the direction of where they stand next to the centre point, which is good if they are below the centre point and you are above it because that means you both head off in opposite directions. However if you are above the bomb after placement and an enemy heads north of the centre point, they come flying towards you. If they are charging an attack then what should be a miss can sometimes be an unexpected hit, which is going to leave a serious mark on Tier 2 and 3. I love the damage and the knock-back works in my favour most of the time, but when it goes wrong it can go wrong big time and there is often very little time to react (especially with a UK to US server delay in shielding). And that is just going Solo. I cannot imagine how hectic it might be to use such a Bomb in a large party and have enemies fly in all directions towards/behind team-mates. Could cause a lot of deaths.
*Q* Does it get easier to avoid these issues when you upgrade and gain a bigger blast radius, specifically the Nitronome?
Second question is about damage comparison. Because of the previously mentioned problems i have started looking at Bombs which have no knock-back as they won't have a chance of throwing enemies towards yourself plus they all stay clumped together meaning easier kiting and dodging of attacks. The Haze series looks interesting, namely the path which ends up at Ash of Agni. It doesn't do anywhere near as much damage on explosion (especially if the enemy is resistant to Elemental damage) but it will set enemies alight meaning damage over time. While they are burning i could charge up an attack or swipe them a couple of times with relative safety. I know some enemies are fire-proof but i could always focus on them while the rest are burning to a crisp!
*Q* Let's say for a moment i have a Ash of Agni and Nitronome (or any which have the same star-rating) and they were both used on the same enemies in the same conditions which have no fire-proof armour and are neutral to Elemental damage. With a single explosion hitting every enemy and the Ash of Agni setting fire to most/all of them, which one would do more damage overall and how big is the difference between the two? I know that's a pretty direct question but i imagine someone knows the answer to this.
Third, charge times. The charge time with my 2* Blast Bomb of level 10 feels just right and i can comfortably get it ready to use without much fuss. Same goes for the delay between placement and explosion, it's a nice amount and neither too fast or slow. I am wondering if the Haze series is the same or not because while it looks like it is, sometimes the speed attack bars can lie to you.
*Q* Comparing Blast series (Nitronome) to the Haze (Ash of Agni), do they both have the same charge speed or is one faster than the other? A similar question goes for detonation speed; do they both have the same time delay between placement and explosion or does one go off quicker than the other?
Lastly, a simple question.
*Q* My Sword has a small increase in charge rate: Will that affect only my Sword or every other weapon i equip? Probably a silly question but worth an ask.
Thanks for your time.
Vie, 07/01/2011 - 09:26
#2
I've tried various methods
I've tried various methods with the Blast Bomb and most of the time i have the knock-back aiding me rather than going against me, but every now and then one will slip past the centre point. If he doesn't land a hit on me when flying from the explosion he will certainly slow down my routine. Most of the time it's those Elemental Constructs which cause trouble as they often move as they attack or charge their weapon. I guess that Bomb series isn't for me.
As for the damage question, i know the Ash of Agni blast is Elemental and not very powerful by itself, but i was wondering if the burning affect it applies combined with that explosion would deal more, equal, or less damage when compared to a single Nitronome explosion. Hopefully i worded it better this time around.
Thanks for the charge time chart! A shame to see my suspicions correct about the Haze series; longer charge times by almost 50%. Still, now i know what i would be getting myself into with no nasty surprises.
Thanks for the reply.
Vie, 07/01/2011 - 09:45
#3
I know this is probably
I know this is probably irrelevant to what you are asking but although Ash of Agni does wear out your enemy, it doesn't make attacking them any easier. So if you want to attack easily without getting hurt you should get Shivermist Buster as it prevents enemies from moving or turning.
Vie, 07/01/2011 - 09:56
#4
>As for the damage question,
>As for the damage question, i know the Ash of Agni blast is Elemental and not very powerful by itself, but i was wondering if the burning affect it applies combined with that explosion would deal more, equal, or less damage when compared to a single Nitronome explosion. Hopefully i worded it better this time around.
When an enemy is caught on fire by AoA they'll burn for ~5s after the mist disappears. If all you care about is DPS then the highest DPS is to use AoA with Nitronome and hit them while they're burning. You only need to reapply fire status once it goes away which is every 8-10 seconds. Comparing AoA DPS to Nitronome DPS is a bit silly since they aren't mutually exclusive and the damage fire ticks deal is passive meaning you can be doing other stuff while enemies are burning.
Vie, 07/01/2011 - 10:20
#5
Also consider a demo suit.
Also consider a demo suit. Eeks is slowly converting me to a bomber, I now mix the Volcanic Demo Helm with a Vog Cub Coat. I might even go Mad Bomber one of these days. Higher CTR means more hurt on mobs. I am looking forward to getting an Ash...
A note on bombing technique (though you should ask Eeks!): consider where enemies will be when your bomb detonates, and consider where the blast will send them. This is important in solo, but even more important in team play. Nothing is more annoying than having an idiot bomber send a lumber in your face with a Nitronome blast. That said, if you are playing with a blast bomber, coordinate with his attacks: watch his back, herd mobs into the blast radius, keep some lanes clear so you don't get trapped. Arenas especially, mobs are happy to chase a blast bomber around the outside; just kite with them and knock any stragglers back into the middle, and his Nitronome will put the hurt on.
*Q* Does it get easier to avoid these issues when you upgrade and gain a bigger blast radius, specifically the Nitronome?
No. If you're blowing enemies towards yourself then you're using it incorrectly. Find a new bombing pattern that will make it work in your favor. Putting them down as fast as possible is a great way to maximize your DPS but it isn't the smartest way to stay alive.
*Q* Let's say for a moment i have a Ash of Agni and Nitronome (or any which have the same star-rating) and they were both used on the same enemies in the same conditions which have no fire-proof armour and are neutral to Elemental damage. With a single explosion hitting every enemy and the Ash of Agni setting fire to most/all of them, which one would do more damage overall and how big is the difference between the two? I know that's a pretty direct question but i imagine someone knows the answer to this.
The Ash of Agni only deals elemental damage in a small ring around the bomb, NOT the large mist ring that applies status.
*Q* Comparing Blast series (Nitronome) to the Haze (Ash of Agni), do they both have the same charge speed or is one faster than the other? A similar question goes for detonation speed; do they both have the same time delay between placement and explosion or does one go off quicker than the other?
CHARGE TIMES
BOMB NONE .LOW .MED HIGH VHGH ULTR .MAX
HAZE 3180 2960 2700 2447 2230 1975 1755
BLST 2200 2040 1866 1701 1545 1400 1225
*time in milliseconds
No clue on the fuse times but both are fast.
*Q* My Sword has a small increase in charge rate: Will that affect only my Sword or every other weapon i equip? Probably a silly question but worth an ask.
No it only affects your sword.