What's the deal with Fire Storm?

Or should I say, what's the deal with Fire Storm?

Not only is it very weak in damage, but it's also one of the most troublesome ele skills to use, with the way it scatters foes who are happily trying to pound away at the tank. The result being the enemies reevaluating their targets, and jumping at the squishies in the back. So why do 90% of the eles I play with spam it as if it were Flare?

If you need to use an AoE that triggers the enemy flee code, maybe for defensive purposes, why not use something like Searing Heat, that only lasts for 5 seconds (the 10 seconds of FS are wasted wasted wasted), and also sets all foes in the area on fire once it's over.

Whenever I go somewhere with henchies, Cynn/Orion are always the ones to be left out of the team, simply because they spam FS too much. And whenever in a PuG, I can't help but curse inside my head at the trigger-happy FS-casting ele who just scattered the foes towards us.

I dunno, maybe I'm missing something? Maybe there's a different angle to look at this that I'm not seeing. Help would be very much appreciated.

I couldn't agree more. I started playing this game right after the AoE nerf. The first time I saw Orion use Fire Storm and all the enemies scattered, I stopped using him. I never see Fire Storm hurt anyone for very long. Yeah, the use of the spell is lost on me too.

It can be used defensively. As an ele, if you're getting hit in melee by several npc's, if you cast it on an enemy close to you they'll scatter to get away from it.

I didn't say it was a very good use, but a use nontheless.

If you're getting hit in melee, you're Firestorm will probably get interrupted.

Orion, Cynn or some noob in pve mission using fs isnt anything compared to BARRAGE RANGER IN NEW UW USING FS.

I asked him to stop it becouse it really destructs the main point of barraging.
He didn't.
I told him to stop it and made myself clear why not to use it.
He didn't.
I threated him to stop using it.
He didn't.
I (and 6 other guys) shouted him to stop using it.
He didn't.

Guess what? Our monk, then necros followed by rangers rege quitted. Then I was only one left with FS user. Then he asked me something in Italy or Spanish or France, I know only that it wasn't Swedish, Finnish nor English. If I just cuold have hit him/her

Little offtopic but this is what can happen when ppl use fs.

Firestorm is a good spell in pre-searing. I'm not sure the AoE AI update ever took hold there.

That, so far as I can tell, is a nearly complete list of its merits.

Yeah, and as for its defensive capabilities - don't count on it. I wouldn't sacrifice a slot for it, and there are things out there that will simply brush it's damage off....

I like especially when I CALL shower and someone beats me to it with bloody firestrorm....you can guess the outcome pretty much! Aaargh!!

EDIT:Oh, I just found out something positive about firestorm. It looks rather nice.

Oh yes it looks rather nice, but Meteor Shower beats it by a long long way...and Meteor Shower's animation isn't that good anyways.

My friend and I always jokingly call Fire Storm "Tranquility." For those of you who have played Warcraft III, you know that tranquility is the ultimate skill of the Keeper of the Grove - a spell that causes rain to fall around him which heals all nearby friendlies.

Except Tranquility was a good spell :P

uh, yay to firestorm and the anet for blessing us with it!
i am wondering how i got my self close to these enemies while i am just a freakin fire mage! ZOMG, i need to run or i die! i can't cast FS any more!
Well, needs to be replaced, and i don't think its happenin soon.

Regardz
An Elementalist.

If you want an AoE to shake off melee attackers, Lava Font is a much better choice as it is cheaper (10 vs 15) and recharges much quicker (4 vs 30). If they come back you can cast it again since it lasts longer than the recharge.

When playing dual fire elementalists with my son and not doing anything very important, ie not a mission with other players, I will bring Cynn or Orion along and we toss out a lot of AoE spells. It can be fun to see the monsters running around like crazy, they don't get in a lot of attacks and the overlapping AoEs can be effective. Not for prime time though or when warriors are an important part of the team.

Fire storm was a good skill before the update and it still is it is just you must change your tactics if you want to use it properly for example a water ele and a fire ele together make a good combo because water ele can slow large groups and then the fire ele can lay some smack dow on them.

Here is the problem the henchman havn't changed there "tactics" they still do the same old thing this is and oversight by anet im guessing or just something that they think was worth it for stoping mass farming.....which still happens.

aoe can still be usefull but you must either combine it with snares or cast it in small areas where you can box the monsters in.

Preaching to the choir here. Firestorm actually does a decent amount of dmg...if the enemy stays in it, but they don't. Boxing an enemy is too conditional to warrant bringing it, and finding another ele who is water is near impossible. Your options are to bring your own snares, but that is dilutting your pool probably more than you want and not worth it.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cherno

/Signed to above. Not carrying something that conditional...

But how to fix it??

Tanking idea: Kinetic Armor + Firestorm+ Ward vs. melee+ vs foes + whirlwind+ insert_spell_here??