Firebrand has a lash now - and is finally a serious weapon

[Boeroer]

Hi,

 

while toying around with the console I found this:

 

 

I was planning a Druid/Devoted or Druid/Bleak Walker build based on Firebrand just for fun when I wondered why I always get additional lash damage even without using Flames of Devotion.

 

My initial idea was to pair Scion of Flame (+1 PEN) and the Ring of Focused Flame (+10 ACC for fire attacks) with Firebrand and also use the fire spells of the Druid. Either with Devoted for the +2 PEN an crit damage or the Bleak Walker with additional Spirit of Decay for +2 PEN for FoD. The Bleak Walker does serious damage with Firebrand now due to the stacked lashes. With the Ring of Focused Flame I can leave on Rending Smash all the time with no ACC loss (compared to a normal great sword). So basically I now have a Great Sword with +1 PEN (+3 with Devoted), +25% burning lash and +30% damage (or +10 ACC). Sweet!

 

If you ask yourself why Firebrand has +25% lash while the priest weapons have 50%: Firebrand lasts a lot longer: 60sec (base). 

 

I'm happy.

Edited June 30, 2018 by Boeroer

[AndreaColombo]

I think the lash was added either at release or in the first patch. It was long overdue either way.

 

A shame the weapon is VFX-only. It looks unfinished. To think how good it could have looked, had Dimitri worked his magic on it...!

Edited June 30, 2018 by AndreaColombo

[Dr <3]

Wow nice finding, never checked it myself.

 

Ps: afaik priest weapons have 20% lash, not 50%... Or it was changed again? Or it depends from your dispositions?

[Boeroer]

Don't know - last time I tried a Priest of Berath his sword still had +50% corrosive lash - but that was some time ago.

 

I'm still at 1.1 - so this is definitely not new (like 1.2-new). I just never looked at it again after release. I think I checked at release if Firebrand was still as crap as in beta and if I remember correctly it had no lash then. Secret buff somewhere in between release and 1.1 maybe?

 

Whatever - works well now. I don't mind the "ethereal" looks too much. From a zoomed out perspective it's ok. Very yellowish. I like yellow.

 

What looks really bland is Caedebald's Blackbow. They should call it Caedebald's Brownbow...

 

But Firebrand: looks like I found my first serious build idea...

Edited June 30, 2018 by Boeroer

[Aranduin]

Is a pity the Wizard weapons.... I miss my powerful Spirit Lance. I am waiting for new DLC ans next patch for try a solo Wizard and in PoE1 the summon weapons are very useful.

[Boeroer]

Spirit Lance is actually better than in PoE: ability effects translate to all its AoE hits. That means Flames of Devotion, Stunning Surge, Arterial Strike, Force of Anguish, Mule Kick, Clear Out and so on and so forth work in an AoE with the Lance. Also Swift Flurry and Heartbeat Drumming and Cleaving Stance. No big advantage for single class wizards, but awesome for multiclass wizards. My first playthrough I started with a Helwalker/Wizard because of this.

 

Same with Minor Blights (samehavior, but ranged). Those are also awesome because they are one handed now.

 

Rot Skulls is still great. Caedebald's Blackbow hasn't changed much. I didn't look at Llengrath's weapons.

 

The ones that are worse in Daedfire: Concelhaut's Draining Staff and Firebrand (although it's ok now with the lash).

[Aranduin]

The armory of Citzal is really bad. A 9 level spell with 2 weapons and 1 armor with legendary level but no skills with level 20.

The Llengrath staff more or less same.

But yes the summon weapons are a bit useless for pure Wizard. Thats the problem for my future solo run. Parastic and Spirit Lance were a great spell for some combats in PoE1.

 

In my opinion Obsidian could change them so that when you use Empowerment in summon weapons/armor win special skill same unique weapons.

Edited June 30, 2018 by Aranduin

[Dr <3]

Atm i'm running a pala/wiz build. Themed about vampire knight.

Concelhaut staff + blek walker fod = lot of life gain ( yes, the drain from the staff benefit from lash dmg). Moreover you have great defences, good self buffs ( spirit shield, arcane veil, llengrath Image, terror on demand , citzal martial power at high lvl) and since 1.2 : great phantoms! Now both phantoms of wizard ( essential and substantial) come with the weapon you are using, so are actually always in fight with your illusory twin whaking things for you.

[AeonsLegend]

Wizard should get firebrand spell as well, or Druid should get some more fire spells. Currently my Fire Godlike needs Wizard to be RPed. Lack of decent fire spells for Druid is really bugging me and Firebrand is required for my build. I just opted to give him a permanent version of Firebrand through the Unity Console.

[AndreaColombo]

What looks really bland is Caedebald's Blackbow. They should call it Caedebald's Brownbow...

 

Agreed. That's another weapon whose looks put me off using it. Huge missed opportunity there; could have been a kick-ass looking bow.

[Dr <3]

Wizard should get firebrand spell as well, or Druid should get some more fire spells. Currently my Fire Godlike needs Wizard to be RPed. Lack of decent fire spells for Druid is really bugging me and Firebrand is required for my build. I just opted to give him a permanent version of Firebrand through the Unity Console.

If you need fire: go megran priest

[1TTFFSSE]

base penetration at 6 even 6+1 with scion of flame seems low. Is that an issue? edit: unless it is like 12 penetration at high level. 

Edited June 30, 2018 by 1TTFFSSE

[AeonsLegend]

 

Wizard should get firebrand spell as well, or Druid should get some more fire spells. Currently my Fire Godlike needs Wizard to be RPed. Lack of decent fire spells for Druid is really bugging me and Firebrand is required for my build. I just opted to give him a permanent version of Firebrand through the Unity Console.

If you need fire: go megran priest

 

The summoned weapons are dumb though. Pistol and Sword? Wtf is that combo. If it was a sword and shield I could understand. It's the main reason for me not to go Magran priest. I don't really enjoy the other priest spells either. They are meh.

[Boeroer]

base penetration at 6 even 6+1 with scion of flame seems low. Is that an issue? edit: unless it is like 12 penetration at high level. 

In 1.2 all two handers will get +1 PEN. So it's 7+1. For a Druid/Bleak Walker it's 7+2 PEN on Flames of Devotion with Scion of Flame and also Spirit of Decay. Or a Devoted with 7+2+1 PEN of course. But since I'm alread playing a Devoted atm I think I will go for the Bleak Walker. What I like most about Firebrand atm ist that the Ring of Focused Flame works with it. FoD gives you +10 ACC, the ring another +10 ACC... it's quite nice and you don't need to enchant anything. A nice gun as backup weapon maybe?

 

I also thought about multiclassing with Ranger and use Accurate Wounding Shot + Ring + Rending Smash. +30% dmg with +20 ACC and raw damage...? Hm, still like Bleak Walker better. 

[Dr <3]

 

base penetration at 6 even 6+1 with scion of flame seems low. Is that an issue? edit: unless it is like 12 penetration at high level.

In 1.2 all two handers will get +1 PEN. So it's 7+1. For a Druid/Bleak Walker it's 7+2 PEN on Flames of Devotion with Scion of Flame and also Spirit of Decay. Or a Devoted with 7+2+1 PEN of course. But since I'm alread playing a Devoted atm I think I will go for the Bleak Walker. What I like most about Firebrand atm ist that the Ring of Focused Flame works with it. FoD gives you +10 ACC, the ring another +10 ACC... it's quite nice and you don't need to enchant anything. A nice gun as backup weapon maybe?

 

I also thought about multiclassing with Ranger and use Accurate Wounding Shot + Ring + Rending Smash. +30% dmg with +20 ACC and raw damage...? Hm, still like Bleak Walker better.

You can even go barbarian ( probably berserk subclass). You lose accuracy but gain dmg.

- Frenzy for +4 might / +2 pen / +4 con /+2 ac/ +25 % speed / +30% hit to crit

- blooded : +25% dmg

- one stand alone : +20% dmg

- +15 accuracy from lion sprint ( afaik it last for 6 sec, not only 1 strike)

- +20% speed after a kill ( bloodlust)

- istant recovery on kill ( blood thist)

 

Also monk for lighting + another fire lash or rogue for multiple dmg bonus could be options...

 

Many choices for you dear friend!

 

Edit: on papar going for fury druid sublass could add 1 more penetration to elemental spells ( and firebrand is tagged as such)

Edited June 30, 2018 by Dr <3

[1TTFFSSE]

 

base penetration at 6 even 6+1 with scion of flame seems low. Is that an issue? edit: unless it is like 12 penetration at high level. 

In 1.2 all two handers will get +1 PEN. So it's 7+1. For a Druid/Bleak Walker it's 7+2 PEN on Flames of Devotion with Scion of Flame and also Spirit of Decay. Or a Devoted with 7+2+1 PEN of course. But since I'm alread playing a Devoted atm I think I will go for the Bleak Walker. What I like most about Firebrand atm ist that the Ring of Focused Flame works with it. FoD gives you +10 ACC, the ring another +10 ACC... it's quite nice and you don't need to enchant anything. A nice gun as backup weapon maybe?

 

I also thought about multiclassing with Ranger and use Accurate Wounding Shot + Ring + Rending Smash. +30% dmg with +20 ACC and raw damage...? Hm, still like Bleak Walker better. 

 

Yeah I have a Bleak Walker/ Lifegiver in my party currently - it is a beast of a class (modded Xoti into it put can be hired as a custom adventurer). Take all the "aggressive" Paladin abilities and all the defensive healing/buff druid abilities and set ai accordingly and watch it tear stuff up. 

I run that class currently with Magran's Favor/ Sungrazer equipped though. 

 

Will see if eventually Firebrand becomes a better weapon than those two. 

[Dr <3]

Ehi wait a sec: ring of focused flames gives you +10 accuracy just because you used firebrand or because you were hitting with fod? I'm sure it works with fod. If it works also with firebrand, well, the +10 accuracy bonus should apply twice!

[Dorftek]

Huh, here I was thinking it always had the lash O_O

[QuiteGoneJin]

I wonder if you could make an interesting melee sorcerer (thats druid+ wiz right?) using this sword and the buff to Arduous Delay of Motion. 

 

Sidenote, the overnerf to Alchemy and Rooting pain just put the nail in my Nalzpaca. Sadface. 

[QuiteGoneJin]

Ehi wait a sec: ring of focused flames gives you +10 accuracy just because you used firebrand or because you were hitting with fod? I'm sure it works with fod. If it works also with firebrand, well, the +10 accuracy bonus should apply twice!

No, its not the same bonus applied twice, FOD has an inherent bonus, and the ring gives bonuses to fire spells which Firebrand is. 

[Dr <3]

 

Ehi wait a sec: ring of focused flames gives you +10 accuracy just because you used firebrand or because you were hitting with fod? I'm sure it works with fod. If it works also with firebrand, well, the +10 accuracy bonus should apply twice!

No, its not the same bonus applied twice, FOD has an inherent bonus, and the ring gives bonuses to fire spells which Firebrand is.

If you use fod and have the ring, over the +10 accuracy from fod itself you get also the bonus +10 acc from the ring, since fod is keyworded as fire. The bleackwalker version have even acid keyword, so you can get +2 pen ( scion of flame + spirit of decay) as Boeroer already mentioned

[knownastherat]

Firebrand is a spell before casting it, after summoning it its a weapon. If it does not work like that I don't know what to say. 

Edited June 30, 2018 by knownastherat

[QuiteGoneJin]

I wonder if the ring's + acc bonus works with fury wildstrike-Fire also. 

[mant2si]

Thanks Boeroer for your topic, I didn't notice this change, while you can summon Firebrand from scroll (with such long duration), I found very promising solo Witch build with 2H sword 

Edited June 30, 2018 by mant2si

[knownastherat]

If a summoned weapon is not superior by a substantial margin to "physical" weapons available, it's not rational to use it as: 1. requires resource investment 2. needs to be summoned 3. has a duration. And I repeat, if a summoned weapon benefits from feature affecting spells, its straightforward inconsistency.