Firebolts Aren't Terribly Effective

[Mad_Gerbil]

Firebolts have a limited effective usage in the following situations:

1) Great for a dark alley full of thieves because everybody gets to glow.
2) Great for a dark alley when you don't know where the one thief might be.

However, I'm finding more and more that for the money the firebolt just isn't worth it by FAR. You know where I buy firebolts when I get BJ'd? Well I'm finding that to be more crippling than anything. I almost immediately miss my traps and tags and paralyze bolts.

The only real value to firebolts is they make thieves MAD, which is fun.
Other than that, they just ain't worth the dough.

[SNAFU]

What the hell happened to you? Are you on crack arrows MG? Are you coming out of the closet or something?

But I'm glad to see you like tag bolts and the like better now. But still... what made you change your mind?

[MrEricSir]

I've gotten better at avoiding fire arrows. Why? Because I love pissing off Mad Gerbil. :twisted:

[Omega]

Why do people start realising this only now? I have been saying this in the beginning?

[Chainsaws]

I only use them when I get flashed to deter thieves from moving in for the ko.

Usually works too

[The_Dan]

Why do people start realising this only now? I have been saying this in the beginning?

If it's any consilation that you're not alone: I've honestly never bought a firebolt, ever!

[Omega]

Thanks that helps.

[WildBill]

It looks like the Wraiths are being a good influence on Gerbil. ^_^

[LameHamster]

Why do people start realising this only now? I have been saying this in the beginning?

If it's any consilation that you're not alone: I've honestly never bought a firebolt, ever!

As an utter newbie I bought lots, since they seemed easy to use. But now I don't use any. They seem not worth the cost.

My current favorite guard loadout has 5 paralyze bolts. I've found they are incredibly cost effective. I either camp just inside a door, or use them when chasing a thief. If I shoot through the door and somehow miss, the bolt is usually retrievable.

I had tried using tag bolts, but they don't make much sense. If I can see a thief well enough to tag him, I might as well have paralyzed him and then done some other damage.

I expect that with teamwork tagging other guards becomes cost-effective.

But for solo combat I'm now all for the paralyze bolt. I'm too newbish and got tired of tagging a thief who simply outran me while passing around many corners (so I could not do much with normal bolts during the chase). The firebolt was the same, but more expensive per shot-and-chase.

[LaughingRat]

I had tried using tag bolts, but they don't make much sense. If I can see a thief well enough to tag him, I might as well have paralyzed him and then done some other damage.

If you tag a thief when you can see him, then you can continue to see him, even if he runs somewhere where he could normally hide.

[LameHamster]

I had tried using tag bolts, but they don't make much sense. If I can see a thief well enough to tag him, I might as well have paralyzed him and then done some other damage.

If you tag a thief when you can see him, then you can continue to see him, even if he runs somewhere where he could normally hide.

Maybe in a few weeks. Right now seeing him until the tag wears off doesn't help me, and seeing him doesn't help me catch him. But paralyzing him means he probably doesn't make it to safety.

[Slappy]

LameHamster: your post implied you were chasing the thief with the xbow out. This is why you can't keep up - you run very slow with the xbow readied.

And tags are great - even if the thief drinks an invis, he's visible. In shadow, he's visible. Unlike a para bolt, if you miss with a tag, there still might be some benefit (like you light up the thief and force him to move).


And to address the firebolt issue, they can be fun to use, but they really aren't that great unless you're up against a thief who's computer lags from the fire - then they work very well. Also, some thieves get upset at "firespamming whores", and so the firebolt is a good weapon against those people as well.

[LaughingRat]

[Maybe in a few weeks. Right now seeing him until the tag wears off doesn't help me, and seeing him doesn't help me catch him. But paralyzing him means he probably doesn't make it to safety.

Seeing him means you can paralyze him after he's dashed into the shadows, or just plain shoot him with your crossbow, if he's not in sword/mace range.