Zephyr Build Questions

[Sapphirya]

I'm really loving Zephyr. She's become my new favorite frame, even though like most other frames, is packing That One Ability™. You know, like Nyx's Psychic Bolts, the one obligatory ability that's really bad. Of course, I'm talking about Dive Bomb.

 

Because everyone likes pictures.

 

I really wish there were more ability slots, but alas, Dive Bomb is on the chopping block for being generally bad.

So here's what I'd like to replace it with.

 

First, about Dive Bomb. Maximum damage is 250. It knocks enemies off their feet. It uses 25 power. It also cancels all momentum from Tailwind.

Option 1: Heavy Impact. Maximum damage is 300. It knocks enemies off their feet. It uses no power and works whenever you jump high enough.

Option 2: Something useful like Flow, Equilibrium, or other mods along those lines not yet equipped.

Option 3: Some random utility mod like Master Thief or Rush only there for convenience.

 

Thoughts?

[Hybridon]

I personally run her with all powers except Dive Bomb, Redirection and Vitality, Streamline and Fleeting (9, not all the way up), Continuity, Constitution and the last mod is up to personal preference. I like Sure Footed, the 60% resist knockdown works wonders along with the 40% recovery from Constitution.

 

You have energy to keep up Turbulence constantly, as it lasts around 22 seconds, Tailwind costs around 10 energy, so cheap mobility, and Tornados also last 22 seconds. I prefer reducing it to around 22 seconds and costing 30 energy, cause on the long run its more spammable, plus they dont follow you, so as soon as you enter a new room, having energy to pop up Tornados, if needed, is always good.

 

EDIT: And lose Intensify, the damage output on tornados isnt that big, doesnt really compensate using Intensify.

Edited March 10, 2014 by Hybridon

[Valiant]

Dive bomb isn't even a problem. Always find uses for it. It needs fixing in regards to damage and connection with enemies but it's definitely not what I would call a 'psychic bolts' skill so I definitely do not agree with that point at all. Wouldn't suggest removing it. I mean if you're going for heavy impact why would you even consider losing it? You realise you can quickly jump, hit 2 and you do a mini sized dive bomb and heavy impact right?

In all honesty I would firstly say drop both vitality and vigor. All you need is a maxed redirection - if you can get it - if not I would still ditch vitality. Bring in flow. If you have problems with shield and health your turbulence should cover that. Continuity is recommended too.

What's with the missing mod descriptions? O.o

Edited March 10, 2014 by Naith

[RawGritz]

Dive Bomb is really really bad. Reminds me of something from an old NES or SNES game. Low dmg, limited use scenarios, explosion splash dmg is buggy and animation and look is so very lack luster. 

 

If some of this was fixed it would help. Maybe if you could do it at an angle instead of having to be directly over enemies. Would work more smoothly with Tail Wind. A large buff to damage is required too. It's too risky to throw yourself into the fire when you're only doing 250dmg.

 

What if Dive Bomb was an actual bomb of some sort. A wind bomb or wind grenade. I would take the 250dmg if I could toss it into a group and it violently dispersed a group of enemies with a massive Wind explosion. They ragdgoll and take fall damage.

 

Hit #1 go up high and then Hit #2 to drop a Wind Bomb. Can also be tossed like a grenade.

Edited March 10, 2014 by RawGritz

[RawGritz]

I run Max Vitatlity and Rage. Forget Redirection. Also have Rejuv.

[Valiant]

I dunno. I've found many uses for dive bomb despite its obvious problems. Suppose it's just how you use the frame and adapt the skills. Try that with psychic bolts and I feel weak, they're just so weak lol.

[Amazerath]

 

This is the "mage" build that I currently use. Pretty basic. I removed Vitality to add Heavy Impact.

 

I love Dive Bomb and it combos nicely with Heavy Impact and Tail Wind. You get very decent damage even at low height (ground-level). Another reason why I don't use Vitality is because high shields + Turbulence stop almost everything that could get to my health, including bleed.

 

With this build I get to fly a lot, Dive Bomb from far above and also rescue people with Turbulence/Tornado. It fits my play style nicely.

[Valiant]

 

This is the "mage" build that I currently use. Pretty basic. I removed Vitality to add Heavy Impact.

 

I love Dive Bomb and it combos nicely with Heavy Impact and Tail Wind. You get very decent damage even at low height (ground-level). Another reason why I don't use Vitality is because high shields + Turbulence stop almost everything that could get to my health, including bleed.

 

With this build I get to fly a lot, Dive Bomb from far above and also rescue people with Turbulence/Tornado. It fits my play style nicely.

Same build I use and reasons as to why I don't bother with vitality

[RawGritz]

I dunno. I've found many uses for dive bomb despite its obvious problems. Suppose it's just how you use the frame and adapt the skills. Try that with psychic bolts and I feel weak, they're just so weak lol.

I've done the min dive bomb from short heights. It's so weak. And dive bomb need max height for the max and very paltry 250dmg. Sure it knocks enemies down but that really just settling for subpar when we know DE could work in a better power or better use mechanic for dive bomb.

 

there is also this bug for the mini dive bomb - *There's another bug that makes her use her standing animation and drop down without a damaging explosion if she is too close to the ground 

Edited March 10, 2014 by RawGritz

[Darzk]

I use http://goo.gl/HoHsmh on my 2 Forma Zephyr.

 

Abuses the crap outta Turbulence, with like 41 sec duration and costs less than 20. Tornadoes are 41 second too and cost 25.

 

Tail Wind can be ranked or not depending on how far you want to fly across the map.

 

 

Tornadoes are CC, Turbulence is defensive, and weapons are for damage. Trying to do any real damage/cc with flying and divebomb/heavy impact is a waste of time.

 

If you really want the drop attack CC, equip a Jat Kittag. B.c of Tail Wind you dont need the Dual Zorens for mobility, so you can use your melee for CC. Jat Kittag knockdown radius is almost as large as a Heavy Impact proc.

 

Edit: Turbulence is incredibly overpower'd. Gotta be nerfed soon. Its Ember's Overheat all over again, but probably even better.

Edited March 10, 2014 by Darzk

[RawGritz]

I use http://goo.gl/HoHsmh on my 2 Forma Zephyr.

 

Abuses the crap outta Turbulence, with like 41 sec duration and costs less than 20. Tornadoes are 41 second too and cost 25.

 

Tail Wind can be ranked or not depending on how far you want to fly across the map.

 

 

Tornadoes are CC, Turbulence is defensive, and weapons are for damage. Trying to do any real damage/cc with flying and divebomb/heavy impact is a waste of time.

 

If you really want the drop attack CC, equip a Jat Kittag. B.c of Tail Wind you dont need the Dual Zorens for mobility, so you can use your melee for CC. Jat Kittag knockdown radius is almost as large as a Heavy Impact proc.

 

Edit: Turbulence is incredibly overpower'd. Gotta be nerfed soon. Its Ember's Overheat all over again, but probably even better.

Turbulence appears to be less effective when being hit from the rear. So I hope it doesn't get nerfed.

Edited March 10, 2014 by RawGritz

[Krewsayder]

Does anyone use Vigor?

 

I'm interested in how high shields get with Vigor and Redirection.  I've been a fan of feeling invincible and I think this would help.  The way I run my frame is that I drop a mod that increases power and take vigor.  I don't really rely on my abilities for damage but more for utility.  I use tornados as a form of CC and turbulence as protection.  I am relatively low rank (3 or 4 if I remember).  I have most of these mods minus nightmare.  I just can't justify the loss of shielding as it helps so much with bad groups/higher level missions.

 

I'm still missing Narrow Minded and Energy Siphon.  I use either rifle ammo aura (as I use gorgon) or the melee damage aura.

 

I just feel like having a good defense is important.  (Final note I rely on myself for defense as I run solo mostly.  My brother has a frost now but he's just aquired it so it's relatively weak.)

[Darzk]

Does anyone use Vigor?

 

I'm interested in how high shields get with Vigor and Redirection.  I've been a fan of feeling invincible and I think this would help.  The way I run my frame is that I drop a mod that increases power and take vigor.

 

Basically, it isn't needed. With a Sentinel with Guardian, Redirection on its own is enough so long as you're careful to never get shot at without Turbulence up.

 

http://goo.gl/kT0zzK is the easy 'basic' setup with a single forma. You've mentioned you don't have Narrow Minded, so I would use Vigor now, just so you don't have to maintain uptime on turbulence as strictly - you can take some damage then cast it.

 

I really dislike forma'ing away the D polarity in the aura slot, I think its a bit of a waste. Rejuv is an excellent counter to bleeds. However I can see using - for ES or CP, and then dropping healths when you need them.

[Krewsayder]

Does stretch effect the area that turbulence covers? I almost feel like it's wasted with narrow minded.  I'm not really sure on some of the mechanics with Zephyr yet but, at least running with my usual group's Rhino Prime, Frost, Nova and my Zephyr the turbulence is more or less just something I use to protect myself as I flank.

 

Also not sure on how power range effects tail wind/tornado.  I've always assumed that tail wind was more of a duration thing.  Tornado seems like power range increases the distance you throw the tornado? Or is it the area that the tornado picks up enemies?

I tend not to use my powers as often as I should for various reasons so I use my weapons more for damage (dual skana, gorgon, galatine, dual zoran, AKLex).  This results in me modding for increasing power duration regardless of the cost to my other power attributes.  I also have maxxed flow so I can cast whenever I need to if I hit a boss/room where I need to spam something.

Just trying to pick up some more 'expert' opinions to help myself progress.  I've been doing level 20~ stuff lately and I have trouble with anything above that in or out of groups.  ((Usually my trouble is because I can't carry and I get put with people who aren't as good at staying alive as me because they wander away from the tanks or people who can provide defense like I can))

[(PSN)friedricetheman]

I am also at a crossroads with my Zephyr build.

 

I have forma'd her once to change the aura polarity to a '-' for an energy siphon.

 

But I am unsure whether to keep Dive Bomb or polarize the '=' ability slot into a '-'.

 

Right now I am running all powers, redirection, stretch and intensify plus efficiency mods.

[Darzk]

Stretch increases the range at which projectiles deflect. If you use max NM and no stretch, you'll get hit a lot more as the bullets dont curve away fast/soon enough.

 

+range increases the width of the damage done by Tailwind, while duration increases the distance travelled.

 

Efficiency will be better for keeping up Turbulence than Flow, in the long run. As Turb cant really be spammed and you only need to use it once in a while, having it cost less is more beneficial than being able to use it more often in a row.

 

Carrying at higher levels is as much a facet of damage output as it is keeping teammates alive. Some powerful weapons with the right mods will help as much or more than your frame build will.

 

 

@friedrice: go ahead and forma out the ". Even if you decide later on to go back to using Dive Bomb, you'll only lose a single mod point (as compared to formaing a blank).

Edited April 3, 2014 by Darzk