TLDR: Make Infernus’ 1 apply Napalm to enemies, and have his gun Ignite it after a few shots for a very small AOE burst + a short Afterburn. Flame Dash leaves an ignitable trail that once Ignited, explodes and burns briefly. Reduce his DOT damage to balance.
Infernus is built around fire and DOT. You stack duration and spirit, then either lean into gun DOT (fire rate, Toxic, etc.) or Dash (expansion, RR). It’s easy, but boring, and hard to balance. A “Prime and Ignite” kit breaks that pattern, this kit can be built around consistent keywords such as 'Napalm', 'Ignite/Ignition' and 'Afterburn'.
My proposal:
2 (Napalm Trail): Leaves a trail of Napalm as Infernus dashes forward. Has an 'Ignition' value. (Upgrades can be a longer trail, debuffs (movement slow?), ignition damage)
3 (Ignition Rounds): Gun Passive that Ignites Napalm (for the respective Ignition value), Igniting Napalm applies Afterburn. (Upgrades can be Ignition buildup, Afterburn duration, Afterburn damage)
4 (Napalm Bomb): Infernus lathers himself in Napalm and Ignites himself for a large explosion, dealing damage and stunning enemies. (Upgrades can be AOE size, Ignition damage and stun duration)
Overall this raises his skill floor, reduces the “M1” feel, and adds real counterplay. Having to ignite Napalm means you can't just build Ricochet and apply Afterburn to an entire team, having Afterburn be much shorter and less damaging also means you don't die 20 seconds after combat has ended, and if you use Dispel magic, Infernus can't instantly reapply the Afterburn. The burst can be counterspelled, but then you'd still have to deal with the Afterburn damage.
Having the abilites laid out in this way with the rough outline of ability upgrades denoted, means it's not 'too easy' to build both Afterburn and Ignite, making him more balanced in the early game and scaling well into the lategame, making his ability point order much more flexible and interesting.
Reddit thread - Feedback from the community generally positive.
Infernus is built around fire and DOT. You stack duration and spirit, then either lean into gun DOT (fire rate, Toxic, etc.) or Dash (expansion, RR). It’s easy, but boring, and hard to balance. A “Prime and Ignite” kit breaks that pattern, this kit can be built around consistent keywords such as 'Napalm', 'Ignite/Ignition' and 'Afterburn'.
My proposal:
- His 1 and 2 apply Napalm to targets or the ground respectively.
- Igniting any Napalm with his gun triggers a small burst (Ignition), followed by a short Afterburn.
2 (Napalm Trail): Leaves a trail of Napalm as Infernus dashes forward. Has an 'Ignition' value. (Upgrades can be a longer trail, debuffs (movement slow?), ignition damage)
3 (Ignition Rounds): Gun Passive that Ignites Napalm (for the respective Ignition value), Igniting Napalm applies Afterburn. (Upgrades can be Ignition buildup, Afterburn duration, Afterburn damage)
4 (Napalm Bomb): Infernus lathers himself in Napalm and Ignites himself for a large explosion, dealing damage and stunning enemies. (Upgrades can be AOE size, Ignition damage and stun duration)
Overall this raises his skill floor, reduces the “M1” feel, and adds real counterplay. Having to ignite Napalm means you can't just build Ricochet and apply Afterburn to an entire team, having Afterburn be much shorter and less damaging also means you don't die 20 seconds after combat has ended, and if you use Dispel magic, Infernus can't instantly reapply the Afterburn. The burst can be counterspelled, but then you'd still have to deal with the Afterburn damage.
Having the abilites laid out in this way with the rough outline of ability upgrades denoted, means it's not 'too easy' to build both Afterburn and Ignite, making him more balanced in the early game and scaling well into the lategame, making his ability point order much more flexible and interesting.
Reddit thread - Feedback from the community generally positive.
