Eruption VS Volcanic Orb ?

[Viperace]

Need some input from you guys. I am playing a summoner now, need an AoE that will last till Legendary. What is the pros and cons of Eruption, VO ?

Is Volativity worth more than 1 point?

[weregamer]

I would advise you to take both of them, but probably pump VO because you can use it to "snipe", and because even with only one point in in Eruption has both physical and fire damage - Eruption gets better with more points but of the two is more effective when not pumped.

By "sniping" I mean that VO is one of the very few (perhaps only) attack in the game which can affect enemies at or just past the edge of the screen - PROVIDED you use the shift key to fire it without moving. You can use it to nuke a group of enemies before they see you and before your coredweller sees them. While I'm not yet into Epic and the infamous one-shotting bosses, getting the first shot in on them sounds like the best way to win the quickdraw contest.

By comparison, Eruption has a range that is well within most enemies' perception zone so they will start attacking you before you get close enough to fire it off. You can't get a preemptive strike with Eruption except in really unusual circumstances like a guard battle or a mob at the bottom of a hill.

Also, VO is indirect fire, which occasionally allows you to lob it over a low wall or fence to take out melee attackers before they can get to you.

The big downside to VO is that its slow projectile and indirect arc make it very hard to time on moving targets. Instead, once the enemies are moving wait until they have all engaged your coredweller and drop it on him. Better yet, lob the VO before engaging then drop your Eruption on your coredweller's feet for maximum carnage. This is usually my priority tree: 1) Lob VO to start the fight. If anything survives let the coredweller engage it. 2) If a boss or hero is still in good shape at this point, let go of shift and drop Eruption on the two of them (the boss/hero and the CD); this will move you into Eruption range. 3) If the boss is still strong also drop a second VO as soon as it is recharged. 4) If the fight is still taking a bit, judge whether the CD will live and whether the Eruption will finish off the boss/hero given time. If the CD is going down but Eruption is doing the boss in, run right up to the CD/Eruption and turn to stone. When the CD dies and the boss turns to you, you will have that protection but he'll stay in the Eruption to beat on you. Of course, if you do this and he survives the Eruption you may be in trouble - but by this time your VO is more than recharged so you can drop one at your own feet while chugging a potion.

[emyln]

Also note to max out not the Basic VO skill, but the top tier skill that gives more fragmentation first.

I put 1 point in VO and its 2nd skill, maxed out fragmenation then started to pump up the basic skill.

VO + Eruption and +Fire dmg gear is simply amazing.

[Viperace]

If I only have enough skills for one of them, what should I choose?

[Sapphire]

Choose volcanic orb, because you can use it more often.

[tylerw]

Eruption + Stone Form = Killing Spree

Heres my Tactics,
Get eruption up Maxed and only put a few into stone form.
Run in a group of enemies, Cast Erupt, than stone form in the same spot, while the mobs try to damage you the Eruption eats at them very quickly. Even in Legendary Im killing mass Mobs (All dead befor stone form ends).

VO is good too, but I find myself using the eruption + stoneform Tactic very often.

[Viperace]

Originally Posted by tylerw

Eruption + Stone Form = Killing Spree

Heres my Tactics,
Get eruption up Maxed and only put a few into stone form.
Run in a group of enemies, Cast Erupt, than stone form in the same spot, while the mobs try to damage you the Eruption eats at them very quickly. Even in Legendary Im killing mass Mobs (All dead befor stone form ends).

VO is good too, but I find myself using the eruption + stoneform Tactic very often.

Yup, i have been using this, but right now at early Epic at not yet max Eruption. I ll take your word that it works in Legendary

[Datheron]

I'd also suggest VO over Eruption, and I'm an Elementalist in Legendary. VO is cheaper cost-wise, is much more spammable, and the added range is awesome.

As you get into Epic and Legendary, you'll find that VO doesn't kill like it used to back in Normal, so you'll have to survive somehow after the initial 1, 1.5 sec stun (from Fragmentation). I personally try to let my CD engage first and THEN lob a VO - some of them move so fast that either spell will miss if they see you and go after you.

And I *think* either casting speed or attack speed affects the speed that the VO orb flies; I know that I'm throwing them out a lot faster w/ added casting gear than I did before.

[Sapphire]

If you have nature mastery you can do eruption > stoneform > refresh > eruption > stoneform

just about to get refresh and looking forward to it

[apocalypse80]

Originally Posted by tylerw

Eruption + Stone Form = Killing Spree

Using that - on steroids - on leg typhon runs with my conjurer.
But with a -100% recharge , -90% energy cost , 204% casting speed.
Hold right click 1 sec = 4-5 stacked erruptions = .......

The stone form is necessary , since the fragments from all those erruptions totally destroy my fps.

My conjurer specced out of VO after getting to epic , it just doesn't do enough damage.
But I did have the alternative of ternion , which a summoner doesn't have.

Erruption remained my favorite hard hitter across all difficulties.
It does an insane total damage if you can keep opponents in it's AoE , which shouldn't be a problem for your pets.
It works very well with stone form or when you're running around like a little girl - which makes it an ideal boss killer.
It can be cast through walls , which is seriously nice on some dungeons.

Still , unless you get a lot of -recharge , it isn't fit for a primary attack.
My guess is you'll just have to get both of them.