Brass Curtain, a T4 Gun item (An upgrade to Split Shot + Burst Fire)

[blijebij]

Hi, I've been workshopping an idea for a while of an item that combines Burst Fire (T3) and Split Shot (T2).
My reasoning:

1. A lack of variety in T4 items that aid in gun debuffing playstyles. All the T4 items that give firerate are not very amazing for this job right now. As they are either too hero-specific (Healing Tempo, Spellslinger) or too specced into dealing damage and not usually worth it (Vampiric Burst, Shadow Weave, Spiritual Overflow). It's mostly just Ricochet that helps with this playstyle
2. Split shot is an active slot hog. For an item that is active for almost half of it's cooldown, it can be a huge pain to work around if you want to keep it into the late game. Especially if you are losing and need to buy a lot of counter-items.
3. Split shot doesn't build into anything. Therefore it also sees little use save for a few characters that benefit strongly from it (Paige, Vyper). An upgrade combining the two could see more creative use of the item.

The item idea:

• Make the Split Shot active buff a part of the Burst Fire buff. So when Burst Fire procs, you get the +5 multishot. This frees up an active slot.
• Increase the Burst Fire duration from 3.5s to 5s, putting it in-line with the Split Shot duration, and effectively increasing your overall firerate (as there is now only 2s of downtime with less fire-rate)
• (Option 1) Make the buff proc on neutrals/troops as well, keeping Split Shot's use as an effective farming and wave-clear tool.
• (Option 2) Increase the fire-rate buff by about 20%, the same amount as Swift Striker (since this item would effectively cost 1600 souls). This may be too powerful though

Potential problems with this idea:

• The synergy between split shot and express shot is lost (you may also view this as a good thing, as there is a bit of an over-reliance between the two)
• Might be too strong at clearing waves and farming, especially on characters that are already very good at that. (this is why i added the optional stats)
• May overshadow Ricochet (both for dealing damage and debuffing)

Let me know what you think!

 

[nathanieljbrill]

I like it!

 

[AleksiyFlek$$iy]

A lack of variety in T4 items that aid in gun debuffing playstyles.

Haven't seen something like that. This is looks like a potential good addition to supportive playstyles.

All the T4 items that give firerate are not very amazing for this job right now. As they are either too hero-specific (Healing Tempo, Spellslinger) or too specced into dealing damage and not usually worth it (Vampiric Burst, Shadow Weave, Spiritual Overflow).

Yeah, many of debuffs that applied with bullets have build-up system. That's why only fire rate items are useful to quickly apply them.

Split shot is an active slot hog. For an item that is active for almost half of it's cooldown, it can be a huge pain to work around if you want to keep it into the late game. Especially if you are losing and need to buy a lot of counter-items.

That's a part of balance. You should choose what's more important to you.

Split shot doesn't build into anything. Therefore it also sees little use save for a few characters that benefit strongly from it (Paige, Vyper). An upgrade combining the two could see more creative use of the item.

I think it shouldn't. As you said, with some items, you can make it active for a half of its cooldown. Split Shot already scales to the late-game, since it completely depends of your weapon stats. Any upgrades to it would make item broken.

• Make the Split Shot active buff a part of the Burst Fire buff. So when Burst Fire procs, you get the +5 multishot. This frees up an active slot.
• Increase the Burst Fire duration from 3.5s to 5s, putting it in-line with the Split Shot duration, and effectively increasing your overall firerate (as there is now only 2s of downtime with less fire-rate)

So now, there's will be only two seconds, when item is inactive. And with Transcendent Cooldown, item will always work.

• (Option 1) Make the buff proc on neutrals/troops as well, keeping Split Shot's use as an effective farming and wave-clear tool.
• (Option 2) Increase the fire-rate buff by about 20%, the same amount as Swift Striker (since this item would effectively cost 1600 souls). This may be too powerful though

And that is overkill on top of another overkill.

This item is too strong for a few reasons:

1. You merged two already great items, saving one item slot.
2. You gave the item the lesser cooldown of components. When Split Shot has cooldown twice as much.
3. You made an active ability to be passive, thus saved one slot for active items.
4. You increased duration of the passive ability.

All that doesn't take into account any of two additional options.

Now you have big increase to the fire rate and slide distance, a little bonus to move speed, five bullets per one shot, ability to increase weapon damage in one item, that is inactive for two seconds and even that can be fixed.

Your first point in reasoning appears to be invalid, since for debuffs, only the fire rate seems like an advantage.
This is just another one weapon item for gun carry. Maybe instead of merging fire rate item with Split Shot, it could have something really related to the effect applying? Increased build-up rate or debuff resist reduction on-hit? Maybe something even truly unique, like an ability to distribute debuffs between the enemies, kind of infection.

Anyway, that's just my thoughts.