Caltrops as a "Proc Bomb."

[11Troy11]

I've had a couple of people mention to me that caltrops can be made extremely useful as a "proc bomb." Is this true (and if so, are there particular procs that are best)?

[StrikerFox]

Positrons Blast and Bombardment procs would be preferred for their exotic damage types (energy and fire). There's also Javelin's Volley and Impeded Swifteness (lethal and smashing). Annihilation for the -res debuff and Ragnarok/Overwhelming Force to KD targets so they lay in the caltrops for a longer period of time. I imagine they all have an equal chance to activate. 

 

If it works like a proc bomb, I would slot them all except for Ragnarok.

[11Troy11]

18 minutes ago, StrikerFox said:

Positrons Blast and Bombardment procs would be preferred for their exotic damage types (energy and fire). There's also Javelin's Volley and Impeded Swifteness (lethal and smashing). Annihilation for the -res debuff and Ragnarok/Overwhelming Force to KD targets so they lay in the caltrops for a longer period of time. I imagine they all have an equal chance to activate. 

 

If it works like a proc bomb, I would slot them all except for Ragnarok.

I just might have to give that a whirl.

[aethereal]

I think the proc rate is pretty low in caltrops (it's a pseudopet).  But if you could keep people in its radius for 10s, you'd get another chance for it to fire.  I haven't looked up the numbers and done the math to see how well it it actually performs.

 

But yeah, it takes a -res, so that's exciting.  And yes, KD plus slow seems like it might keep them there for a second chance of firing.

 

I've also heard, but never confirmed, so take this with a giant grain of salt, that Overwhelming Force KB2KD isn't PPM and thus may fire better in low-proc-rate powers.

Edited August 5, 2020 by aethereal

[kiramon]

Nah, but you should still do it. 

[Hjarki]

Yes and no.

 

Caltrops can be proc'd out to create a 'good on paper' power that will do a significant amount of damage for the activation time.

 

With that in mind, that significant amount of damage occurs over 45 sec to targets that remain in the field. From a practical standpoint, this will almost never be of much use since most of your enemies will be dead long before the duration is over.

[HelenCarnate]

Winter IO proc as well. No damage but immobilize can be very handy.

[oldskool]

I run heavy proc caltrops on some characters.  I find it fun, but do temper your expectations.  

What generally doesn't happen is this... "You cast caltrops" -- ALL procs go off against ALL targets.  

 

The above isn't reality.  You may find a target doesn't get hit by a proc at all or a target may get hit by multiple procs at once.  The ability to potentially get another -12.5% resistance from the Annihilation proc is pretty fun but just don't count on it being a constant.  

I'm usually only looking for the procs to do anything relevant at the point of the pseudopet spawn vs constant proc explosions over the duration.  That isn't realistic either.  

If you have the slots left over to explore this option, then go for it.  It can be fun, but it may not be as potent as it looks on paper.  

[Destruye Arepas YV]

On 8/6/2020 at 11:37 AM, oldskool said:

I run heavy proc caltrops on some characters.  I find it fun, but do temper your expectations.  

What generally doesn't happen is this... "You cast caltrops" -- ALL procs go off against ALL targets.  

 

The above isn't reality.  You may find a target doesn't get hit by a proc at all or a target may get hit by multiple procs at once.  The ability to potentially get another -12.5% resistance from the Annihilation proc is pretty fun but just don't count on it being a constant.  

I'm usually only looking for the procs to do anything relevant at the point of the pseudopet spawn vs constant proc explosions over the duration.  That isn't realistic either.  

If you have the slots left over to explore this option, then go for it.  It can be fun, but it may not be as potent as it looks on paper.  

This is truth.

 

I decided to see how a fully 5 slotted with procs caltrops would fare ... Mishes after mishes it was the same ... an occasional 40+ damage tick on a random mob and not usually frequent enough to warrant it.  I ended up leaving it 5 slotted to slot posi blasts for the extra accuracy +recharge and the occasional proc from the set. No other set gave me more and have enough slots on other powers to leave it like that.

[Onlyasandwich]

18 minutes ago, Destruye Arepas YV said:

This is truth.

Yeah - the reality is less exciting than it might seem for sure.

 

I still fully proc out caltrops on my Traps/ Defender, but only because I have free slots and it is amusing, not because it is the best decision for the build. Sometimes it does something neat outside the basic utility of the power.

[ZemX]

I've never been able to convince myself spending that many slots on caltrops for the kind of poor proc rates you get with a 10s pseudopet was worth it.  I always have someplace better to put those enhancement slots in a Stalker build.  I like Caltrops for just what the power does, which is make stuff slowly run and not attack me as often.  I've also used it to cause a train wreck in ambush situations.  It's great with just the default slot as a +5 recharge.   If you think it already has enough recharge MAYBE put in a knockdown proc.  It will add a little to the "not attacking me as often" effect.

[Erratic1]

15 hours ago, Onlyasandwich said:

I still fully proc out caltrops on my Traps/ Defender, but only because I have free slots and it is amusing, not because it is the best decision for the build. Sometimes it does something neat outside the basic utility of the power.

 

Free slots in a build?!?!? There is such a thing???

[Onlyasandwich]

57 minutes ago, Erratic1 said:

Free slots in a buil

Ffgen's huge baseline defense gives you a lot of freedom. 😃

[Destruye Arepas YV]

10 hours ago, Onlyasandwich said:

Ffgen's huge baseline defense gives you a lot of freedom. 😃

Where is that? I want to know more.

[Doomguide2005]

 I had fun as the sole caltrops (Edit:  Oops, sole Stalker) on a rather unusual teaming concept.  The concept was simple.  Everyone must have and use caltrops.  Most of the team were MM's with ninjas.   It resulted at times as an absolute field of sharp pointy things and hordes of damage tics floating up as ninjas (plus 1 --> Your friendly Stalker and *cough* actual Ninja) hacking the foes fleeing in random directions futilely trying to avoid sharp pointy things.  Don't recall procs in use but the sheer quantity might have resulted in quite a few going off regularly.

     My preferred slotting for caltrops (Stalker or Traps) usually involved at least some range enhancement --> dmg/rng, dmg/slow, rng/slow or similar.  Very nice when the caltrops go beyond your toes.

Edited February 2, 2022 by Doomguide2005

[arcane]

It works well as a proc bomb on my Traps characters (can slot 5 damage procs, 1 -res), but whether or not that’s the optimal path for a Stalker is another question. 

[Onlyasandwich]

On 1/25/2022 at 9:30 PM, Destruye Arepas YV said:

Where is that? I want to know more.

The Traps support set. Not for stalkers, but caltrops is the same in any case.

[Shred Monkey]

Caltrops biggest benefit is as a soft control power.  It makes enemies run around to try to get out of the caltrops, and the caltrops slow them so this movement takes quite a bit of time.  During this time, they're not really attacking much, and assuming they're not standing in melee range, they're not using their big melee attacks.  This is a really useful thing because it layers it's mitigation above your normal defense/resists mitigation. It also benefits the entire team.

 

I generally slot it as a set mule for +range defense.

[Marshal_General]

I think I just put a KD proc in it and call it a day.