Heat blast....what were they thinking...

[Chrisbox]

So i just hit level 40 on my PT, and got heat blast the last ability in the tank tree, and Im really not happy with it as a final ability for the tree.

 

1. Its a dps ability in a tanking tree, whats the reason?

2. The damage output is basically the same if not lower than flame burst, so why add it in?

3. The animation for it is an eye sore to look it, possibly the worst one in the game.

 

Am I not seeing the big use for this ability? Does it come into play in later levels? Or does it just suck...generally when I look at last abilities of tree's i think of a super usefull nuke/protection skill and I dont think heat blast delivered.

[Syrellaris]

THe use seems quite clear to me. It dispenses 8 heat to deal damage to your target. Extra damage = Aggro and in return you also loose 8 heat on your weapon, allowing you to use more abilities. Edited January 8, 2012 by Syrellaris

[Findulidas]

Doesnt it remove heat to make damage, clearly superior to an ability that creates heat? Even if I misread it it would still be better with 8 heat compared to 16.

[Nigawatts]

If you tank, it becomes apparent that Heat Dissipation is the main problem. Having Heat Blast in your rotation is better than digging into one of the DPS tree's for an ability that does slightly better damage when you should be maintaining threat, not dpsing.

[Chrisbox]

If you tank, it becomes apparent that Heat Dissipation is the main problem. Having Heat Blast in your rotation is better than digging into one of the DPS tree's for an ability that does slightly better damage when you should be maintaining threat, not dpsing.

 

Well after using it alot I see how much 8 heat can make a difference, but originally I just considered it a weak dmg ability, not that I focus on damage obviously If im a tank..

Edited January 8, 2012 by Chrisbox

[ChosenoftheRaven]

I don't think the animation is any worse than bending over as if I'm constipated to spam tracer missiles as a mercenary.

[wtb_skillz]

Well after using it alot I see how much 8 heat can make a difference, but originally I just considered it a weak dmg ability, not that I focus on damage obviously If im a tank..

 

Then you are doing it wrong. Damage is threat...heat is your limitation for doing threat the ability is good. Sadly it doesnt look cool or awesome for a 31 pt and I think thats what people hate most. Thermal Detonator is not much better. It does less dmg and costs more heat then the missile it shares Cooldown with. So far threat seems harder then survivability then again probably a gear issue.

[Sivn]

Damage = threat.

 

Lower heat = more damage.

 

Its a good ability, but for me it just doesnt do enough damage for a top tier ability on a 15 sec cooldown, and the heat reduce is too low also. Also it doesnt synergise with anything in the tank tree which is a terrible shame.

 

And yes the animation sucks (hopefully they will add a new one soon).

 

Good ability but can be better IMO.

[Findulidas]

I think its just a shame that the best tank specs seem to be hybrids rather than full tank tree. Feels like its missing a whole lot of potential.

[Triforcedragon]

Then you are doing it wrong. Damage is threat...heat is your limitation for doing threat the ability is good. Sadly it doesnt look cool or awesome for a 31 pt and I think thats what people hate most. Thermal Detonator is not much better. It does less dmg and costs more heat then the missile it shares Cooldown with. So far threat seems harder then survivability then again probably a gear issue.

 

I am sorry but what?

 

Thermal Detonators damage is like 1.5 or higher than the Dart.

 

Unless there is some hidden modifiers I have not seen my dart is doing around 1-1.1k damage and hovering my mouse over Thermal gives me its damage as 1.6-1.7k so how is it weaker?

[ShockDevil]

I am sorry but what?

 

Thermal Detonators damage is like 1.5 or higher than the Dart.

 

Unless there is some hidden modifiers I have not seen my dart is doing around 1-1.1k damage and hovering my mouse over Thermal gives me its damage as 1.6-1.7k so how is it weaker?

 

Pretty sure he is refering to the splash damage the dart does so if it hits one more target it will do more damage than Thermal Detonator. Single target TD is obiviously stronger.

[Triforcedragon]

Pretty sure he is refering to the splash damage the dart does so if it hits one more target it will do more damage than Thermal Detonator. Single target TD is obiviously stronger.

 

Yeah off course, but that wording was not very clear and even then it is quite a powerful ability.

[Mhak]

1. Its a dps ability in a tanking tree, whats the reason?

It's not a DPS ability. It's damage is about 30% less than an Immolate or Thermal Detonator. It's a heat-management ability.

2. The damage output is basically the same if not lower than flame burst, so why add it in?

Because it is a free attack that *reduces* your heat level, on a CD low enough to allow a tank to spam most of his abilities while never going above 40 heat. With the proper rotation including this ability, and while you're being attacked dissipating heat off shield- procs, a ST tank has fantastic heat management.

 

3. The animation for it is an eye sore to look it, possibly the worst one in the game.

Completely agree. Edited January 8, 2012 by Mhak

[Shivus]

I actually like the animation. It's a shot from the hip that looks nice placed between all those left hand attacks.

[vincent-]

I actually like the animation. It's a shot from the hip that looks nice placed between all those left hand attacks.

 

Well here is my opinion on that. I don't like it. It feels forced and I think of a smuggler and not a hunter when I see it go off.

 

I rather see something more intimidating for a tank class.

[Nigawatts]

I like the way Heat Blast looks when you shoot someone behind you after quicktabbing a target. Even better if it kills them. Makes it look like you actually just quick shot someone without looking Robocop style.

 

I do wish it had an added affect. Like the steam release that Vent Heat does. Not a full body animation but just from the gun.

 

Honestly if you PVE tank I don't see how you could not have heat blast. I read on this forum with people trying to get Retractable Blade, and Incendiary Missle via hybrid spec. But the Shield Tech tree is really designed to be an all or nothing deal, unlike the Juggernaut tree the last few talents are actually very beneficial for what we need when we start tanking Hard Modes.

 

I really can't live as a powertech now without Jet Charge. I feel like a major part of my class is missing without Jet Charge.

Edited January 9, 2012 by Nigawatts

[JustineJolie]

Hi there fellow Bounty Hunters

 

Honestly if you PVE tank I don't see how you could not have heat blast. I read on this forum with people trying to get Retractable Blade, and Incendiary Missle via hybrid spec. But the Shield Tech tree is really designed to be an all or nothing deal, unlike the Juggernaut tree the last few talents are actually very beneficial for what we need when we start tanking Hard Modes.

 

Actually I am stuck in the same dessicion i could have Retractable Blade and 2 seconds of quell for better disruption chances.

 

Pro

Quell Cooldown reduce: Mainly I want this for reducing incomming damage, just breaking skills of my opponent. (had a Caster once that just could get anything done because of good disruption. That was fun. After a wile he just went and was running somewere )

Its also very nice in PVE also to disrupt all sorts of ****** skills from bosses.

 

Retractable Blade

Well a nice second DoT. It dos allso generate thred (dosnt it?)

Its not ment for spaming, just for spiking iststant damage (Rocket Punch + Blade) +2 dots + Railshot and then get the next neural dart oute and wait for tha next rocket punch. Its all instant so u have plenty of time to watch your oponent and enrage him by breaking his efforts zu chanel or cast something that takes longer then 1,5 seconds (mostly the dps damageskills or healing)

 

Con

druing longer fights i get stuck with heat overloads. Fro instance tanking Bosses in flash points or soloing 2 star Bosses.

 

This is mainly due to low shildchances/heat proc

 

I try to compensate with shildchance armor and relic buff, but still i build up heat prety fast when I am spaming and cant realy vent it oute efficiently other then just let it cool by spaming a bit the standart shots.

 

So the Question is:

 

Do thos 10% childchance from Empowered Tech in conjunction with Heat Blast realy

do the job for a better heatmanagement while spaming skills?

 

And an other thing, most of the time I just feel, the damageoutput against most heavy armor types just dos not cut it. It simply takes to much effort for just one guy.

I´d guess more spaming will not help that ither.

On the other Hand, most dots simply ignore any defence at payers and at highdefence bosses, so Retractable Blade might not be such a bad choice after all?

 

I would appriciate anny decend insight.

Please refrain from answering when you just got startet with your lvl 25 char.

You will be confrontet with such details later-

 

I really can't live as a powertech now without Jet Charge. I feel like a major part of my class is missing without Jet Charge.

 

you definetly nailed that one down ^^

Edited January 9, 2012 by JustineJolie

[Daovin]

Make it "Generate a high amount of threat".

[ltankhsd]

I actually like the animation. It's a shot from the hip that looks nice placed between all those left hand attacks.

 

Me too. It reminds me of some sort of hip shot from a western that would star clint eastwood.

 

Plus before I noticed he was shooting from the hip I should the shot was actually coming from my crotch which was kind of funny.

[NostalgiaITM]

Heat Blast makes a lot less of an impact compared to Immolate from AP or Thermal Detonator from Pyro. It's a minor quality-of-life change, doesn't seem appropriate for the final ability in the tree.

[Vidrak]

I don't have the ability yet, but I don't understand any of these complaints from reading it. All the times that you are using "Rapid Shots" (our free attack), you could be using this instead, dropping your heat by 8 and doing MORE damage.

 

Sure it isn't the best ability in the world, but it is far from bad. I should hit 40 tonight and get the chance to try it out, but I have been looking forward to using it since I started my character

 

When tanking, it looks very useful, as it will drop my heat, increase threat more than "auto-attack" and allow me to use more heat producing abilities. I don't see how it is "bad" at all.

[RoaRawR]

the only complaint I have on it that its a 15 sec cd spell

 

make it more intresting that every ion charge tick reduce its cd by 1 sec or something (2 internal CD so we not stack it on everything and sweep into madness)

[Woyto]

Even if they raisied the dmg on Heat Blast by 100% it still wouldnt be OP. Right now its just another skill. The 8 heat reduction per 15 sec is OK but really rather on the weak side, and the dmg is cca 40% higher than auto attack so again rather on the weak side.

[AetherMcLoud]

Right now it's really not worth the talent point, and going 18 into Pyro for heat venting with Railshot is much better and also more threat.

 

They really should either lower the cooldown of Heat Blast, give it a lot of threat so we have a snap aggro ability, or my favorite: Make it vent more heat, something like 16 heat. As it stands if you're overheated and you use Heat Blast you cannot even use any ability because none costs 8 heat, 16 is the lowest.

[MorningMusume]

Heat Blast is not a bad skill, but needs a little buff (like being considered a fire damage skill).

 

Based on my last calculations there is no tank rotation better than one including Heat Blast (a Incendiary Missile build does a tiny bit more dps, but loses a great chunk of mitigation in the way, 10% shields + 2% DR is way better than 2% defense). Unless you are doing PvP of course.

 

Also, a Heat Blast has a Heat Balance of -15.5 if you are not overheated (remember you lose 7.5 heat during the GCD) and does almost double damage than a Rapid Shots against an high armored enemy.

Edited January 13, 2012 by MorningMusume