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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Empirate" data-source="post: 5576994" data-attributes="member: 78958">While I wouldn't want to contradict the wisdom of using battlefield control, buffs and debuffs, as the situation merits, blasting can be quite good actually. It is not generally inferior to other ways of playing your caster - except if you do nothing but blasting. But who does nothing but buffing, or nothing but battlefield control, anyway? Mix and match, know the strengths of the different tactics at your disposal, and notice that blasting can be a powerful options for any of the following reasons:1. It stacks with what the rest of the party does.2. A powerful enough blast is a save-or-die without the save.3. Everything you'll fight will have HP. Not everything will be vulnerable to the kind of battlefield control or the kind of debuffs you're able to throw around.4. Energy damage can be weak against certain creatures - however, it can also be very good against others (cold/fire subtype being the obvious example, but also think acid and fire vs. trolls, or even electricity as a no-save slow vs. Iron Golems).5. You will fight gangs of lesser foes. A Fireball takes them out even quicker and at less risk than a solid fog followed by round after round of whacking the monsters that finally manage to stumble out. Let me tell you, blasting is a great strategy in modules like Red Hand of Doom (just pack something different for the boss fights...).6. Optimization might be necessary for good blasting, but it can really pay some huge dividends.7. Other options are not forbidden to you just because you like blasting! No reason not to lay down a Solid Fog first, then indulge in wanton area-of-effect destruction. Also, no reason to do damage whenever it's useful (like against a foe already damaged by your warrior buddies), while employing other spells when they're useful, as well.</blockquote>

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