Beeg Badaboom

SYNOPSIS

A launcher-only Amara build. Hard to play, but very rewarding.

INTRO

If you can master the technique of this build, it will make nearly any launcher strong. That's the goal of it, at least. It involves moving at high speeds while shooting, and that often means you're going to down yourself. This build takes a while to learn, and is one of the higher-skill-required builds on this site. But it makes beeg badabooms. This is the second build name that references the Fifth Element.

GAMEPLAY VIDEO

SKILL TREE

SKILL TREE NOTES

Samsara is your healing. There is some action skill damage specced because sometimes Tandava will kill weaker enemies, giving you Expedite procs along with Remnant doing its thing. You can move points from Do Harm to Violent Tapestry to instead proc Unweave The Rainbow and Free The Soul more often.

You can also move points from red tree and Wrath in order to spec some Mindfulness points, if you can't get many from your class mod.

Burn Both Ends can be self-stacked by the Spiritual Driver self-dot and an active bonus element (on shield and grenade). Normally, self damage does not stack Burn Both Ends, but a bonus element "ticking on top of" a self-dot will.

ACTION SKILL

Tandava, always. The main purpose is to have an action skill that can hit multiple enemies to get stacks of Samsara. And also for your action skill to end immediately so that your anointments kick in.

ACTION SKILL ELEMENT

Corrosive, always. This is one of those builds where changing your action skill element does not change anything significant, damage-wise. Corrosive is picked because it is the longest dot, giving you longer uptime on both Mindfulness and Burn Both Ends stacks.

GUNS

Here's the fun list: Hive, R.Y.N.A.H., Lump, Scourge, Mongol, Globetrottr, Plaguebearer, Backburner, Kick Charger, Yellowcake, Major Kong. All with ASE 125% Splash anointment. If any of these have variants with more projectiles, choose the version with the fewest projectiles.

Some of these have more mobbing and area clear capabilities, and some are more single target. Some have a charge time where you need to hold down the trigger, some have a charge time where you only press the trigger once, some don't charge at all. Some are element locked. Some are stronger than others. You'll have to figure out which guns work best for which activities.

FFYL GUN

Free Radical or Plasma Coil, with Urad anointment. Launchers can get you up from FFYL, but ammo is precious considering it's your main weapon type. And they can lose a lot of power if the first shot doesn't get you back up and you don't have Overkill anymore.

CLASS MOD

Spiritual Driver, with as many points into Mindfulness as possible. This class mod requires you to move quickly to get more damage, whether it's sliding or just running and jumping. Recommended passives: splash damage radius, splash damage, action skill cooldown rate, heavy damage, action skill damage, mag size, weapon charge speed, weapon damage, weapon critical damage.

Protip: turn dialog volume all the way down if you do not wish to hear Amara screaming from self-dots all of the time.

SHIELD

Infernal Wish, with ASE 50% bonus element anointment (radiation is recommended). The Wish stacks will eventually get to you and down you, but going down is something you should get used to on this build.

ARTIFACT

Toboggan. Not only will sliding grant you 100% bonus amp damage, but it will also greatly increase your movement speed for more Spiritual Driver damage. Sliding and shooting is how you get maximum damage out of this build. Recommended passives: heavy damage, elemental damage, action skill cooldown rate, area of effect damage, mag size.

BACKUP ARTIFACT

Cutpurse Launch Pad. You will most likely run out of ammo during long activities, even when using efficient launchers such as the Yellowcake and the Kickcharger. This artifact will replenish your rocket ammo when slamming.

GRENADE

Hyperion Quasar (non sticky) or Mesmer, with ASE 50% bonus element anointment. Either of these are great for aggro relief, which can be necessary because this build does not have direct life steal.

GAMEPLAY LOOP

Cast Tandava toward a group of enemies for as many Samsara stacks as possible. Your Driver dot will be ramping up Mindfulness and Burn Both Ends. You can either slide and cancel for Toboggan amp or simply shoot during the slide. Either way, you must slide before each shot.

Whether you shoot while sliding or shoot while running is up to you, your gun, and your content. If you can't aim quick enough to shoot while sliding, then don't (although some launchers don't really need to be aimed all that well). If your gun has a charge time, that can make sliding and shooting tougher to execute -- make sure you begin the charge at the same moment you begin the slide. And if the terrain you are in doesn't allow for clear sliding lanes and shooting your launcher away from your face, then don't shoot while sliding. But sliding and shooting is how you attain maximum damage, and should at least be performed in boss arenas.

Maintaining your Overkill is an important part of doing damage, and being forced to slide and get up to speed before each shot helps you keep that Overkill. This is because during the time it takes to set up the next shot, the previous shot should have killed something. If you shoot twice in rapid succession, and your first shot had Overkill, your second shot will be significantly weaker. Taking advantage of Overkill also helps make your ammo last longer.

NOTES - GUARDIAN TAKEDOWN CRYSTALS

This is probably the toughest challenge for this build, because there's no room to move fast and shoot. Additionally, sliding for Toboggan lets some of the enemies close in on you. Use the Mesmer, have a Kickcharger equipped, and stay in the air. Manage your Overkill, and if you can quickly slide and cancel for amp between shots, do so.