Good Pyro's for PvP

For my current toon I have 1 attunement slot, and I wanted to use a decent pyro for pvp. I had originally planned on going with one of the storm AoE's, but it seems like every time I try to use it in a fight I end up getting myself killed. It's just too slow to cast with no dex and it seems like most people not only see it coming from a mile away, but know just how to counter it. So I'm wondering what a good surprise pyro would be in pvp. I don't want to just go combustion. It just feels like a cop out. I want something fun and different. I've also played fire surge out pretty hard. Anybody have any other suggestions/techniques to offer?

The only read option for PvP is Great Combustion, if you ask me. It's quick enough to catch some people. Thrown fireballs are incredibly easy to dodge.

Well there's a lot more choice than just fireballs and combustions. Though I agree with you about fireballs. I don't think they're all that pvp practical either. I want to use something that's effective because it's a surprise. Combustion is pretty expected in most cases

Edit: Yeah, this thread does make a bit more sense here doesn't it? Sorry mods. End of the semester. My heads kinda been where the sun don't shine the last couple of days.

Black Flame. It's practical, even with low Dex, it's damn fast. And it looks epic. The other pyros need the high Dex to be effective imo. Maybe Fire Whip could work, but it's hard to connect in PvP.

WyrmHero wrote:Black Flame. It's practical, even with low Dex, it's damn fast. And it looks epic. The other pyros need the high Dex to be effective imo. Maybe Fire Whip could work, but it's hard to connect in PvP.

That's actually a good point. I'm using a STR toon too, so according to some theories, it may be pretty effective damage-wise in this particular case.

For finishing off and countering over aggressive Dex builds it's perfect. I recommend it highly for Str builds.

great fire ball (45 dex), great chaos fire ball (45 dex), GC, black flame, fire whip/chaos fire whip, fire tempest/chaos storm (45 dex), fire surge, power within.
those are all of the pyromancies that I think are viable in PVP. now, for tactics:
1. BS -> GC/BF. A very damaging combo that can OHKO many people.
2. Great fireball/great chaos fireball -> GC/BF. If you manage to stun them with a fireball, run to them and use either GC or BF.
3. BS -> fire tempest/chaos storm. A little more risky than the first tactic but this one can almost always OHKO.

And there are also 3 tactics i like to use against BS fishers:
1. Turn around and use fire whip. with crown of dusk, bellowing dragon crest ring and fully upgraded pyro glove you can do almost 700 damage with this thing. The only downside to this is the reletrvly long casting time, but if you have 45 dex its much better.
2. Start circling while you cast great chaos fireball and throw it on the floor. The lava pool with probably damage them and either stun them or just cancel the BS damage.
3. The easiest one: lock on to them and use GC of BF. The damage is reletevly low comapred to the other tactics but it's still pretty good.

That's all for now

Oh, and by the way, fireballs can be very very dangerous if you master the throwing technique. If you use them with lock-on than you are probably not going to hit anything, but if you use them without lock-on than it can be very difficult to your opponent to dodge them.

I was In the same situation as you before, and I alternated between fireballs, conbustions, and poison/toxic mist. The mist pyromancies really entertained me for a while, and when combined with a poison resin I almost always successfully poisoned. The combustions/black flame are for obvious reasons. The fireball variations I used for pivot-cancelling surprise attacks. There's an excellent video of that on YouTube, but I can't link on my phone. If you're Interested, just search "Stylish PvP" and it will be a Japanese video.

I've never really gotten much use out of the whips. Maybe I'll try that too.

^I'm also a big fan of the mist spells. I'm using the Guardian Tail with this toon too, so maybe poison mist would be a good choice in combination with that.

Back Lot Basher wrote:Thrown fireballs are incredibly easy to dodge

That's because people don't know how to use them. You're not supposed to throw them locked on. You should predict your opponents movement and throw locked off. They are good and can deal incredible amounts of damage but they require some practice. Luckily, that's one of the skills that can be practiced in PvE. First step is to change your camera speed to faster from the default.

Fire surge is good for finishing low health opponents who start to turtle.

Fire tempest and other storms are good in 3v1/2v1 situations but only if you have very high dex. Otherwise it's way too slow. I once fought a pyro build that trapped me in to a corner with chaos fireballs and then cast fire tempest. That was a cool trick but i would imagine it doesn't work very often.

Fire whip (especially the chaos one) is good if combo'd from fireball/combustion or in narrow places like bridges etc. Otherwise, i wouldn't use them. Too risky.

Great combustion and black flame are kinda obvious. They are very good. Like fire surge, they are good even with lower dex.

Edit: looks like zivbu9 already listed some good pyro tricks including how to use fireballs

I think I've got it: http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=hJVsbl_S0Sc&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DhJVsbl_S0Sc

Example of cancelling fireballs to get off a swing with a STR weapon, which may come in handy for you.
Oh, and Power Within may also work if you like it.

I really really like fire surge. I've been using it with my dragon and combining it with the +2 dragon breath and roar damage increase with the Slumber DCR. It works like a charm. I just want to try something different this time.

If I were you I'd either use Fire Tempest for ambushes and suprise attacks, but in a straight fight I'd use Black Flame for it's shield and Poise breaking abilities, or Power Within, but a lot of people in PvP will just stray clear of you if you use PW and will wait for you to die, or to get weak and finish you off.

Yeah, Vitality is a little too important with this build to sacrifice for PW too. I'm going to give tempest a try when I unlock it, but I think as of now I may end up just using Dark Flame.

https://soulswiki.forumotion.com/t7925-an-introduction-to-dark-souls-pvp-v07#165336

The second part of this post is the pyro portion of Roanispe's massive compendium on PvP and has a lot of good info about the pyros. A lot of what's been covered here but also some stuff in deeper detail, on nuance and application.

I'm trying to decide between Great Combustion, Dark Flame, and Tempest now. Although I may just throw two more levels onto attunement and go for one combustion spell and Tempest. So I'm really just trying to decide between black and red combustion. My GC is doing 350ish right now, while my DF is doing about 100 less. DF breaks stability though right? That's a tough choice.

Although I guess considering I'm tanking with this build GC might be the better option, just because I'm set up so that it doesn't make too huge a difference if I take hits through my damage dealing. Taking that into consideration I think I may go with GC, which is what I originally didn't want to do, but it's just too practical a choice to not make.

great combustion/ black flame, powerful, fast,

if youre using str we,apons i would suggest poison mist, it hides what youre doing and its really helpful if you have an xbow or if youre going for a junning/jump attack since its hard to see which can lead to you landing it more often than you would normally do, still risky but not as easy to punish since most people will roll backwards at the last second and wont have time to bs you while youre vulnerable,

I was actually playing around with Acid Mist for that very reason. Trying to weaken armor then come in and punish with my big weapon.

A boosted fire tempest can be incredibly powerful if used in a tight space, such as a narrow hallway, since more of the pillars can hit the target.

If you are using a large club, poison mist and poison resin is fun. Other then that, low dex 1att, Great Combustion/Black Flame/Fire Surge.

Aznul wrote:A boosted fire tempest can be incredibly powerful if used in a tight space, such as a narrow hallway, since more of the pillars can hit the target.

It also works wonders on high poise builds, which get hit two times for max damage.

FruitPunchNinja wrote:If you are using a large club, poison mist and
poison resin is fun. Other then that, low dex 1att, Great
Combustion/Black Flame/Fire Surge.

I'm using the Zweihander, but I've also been alternating in the Guardian Tail in my shield hand to punish people who start trying to parry me. So poisoning is still on the table. I've been mixing in poison throwing knives too.

If you want to have crowd control, have Acid or Toxic Mists; Many usually avoid them at all costs, and can allow invaders to not go threw... they are chickens, usually.

Undead Rapport, if being a Gravelord, Host, or Coop, can be devastating at higher NGs.

Fire Tempest is good Crowd Control, however is different than Mists/Surge. Unlike the mists/surge, it does actual damage, although can not be controlled. You can aim with mists/surge, but not with tempest, as it goes around in a circle.

Black Combustion is Anti-Shield, if you hate turtles of that kind.

Fire Surge is good for long attacks... Is better control than Flame Whip, which can be dodged easily. However, Chaos Flame Whip allows Grounded Fire for a short time, so that's a perk... if you have two attunement, which you have one as you say.

Chaos Fireball and Chaos Storm are good.. not for the main fire attack, but the residue of magma. Again, two attunement.

Fireball to Fireorb has different AOE Range. Meanoing the blast of each one is different. However, quantity is a quality to remember. Damage wise, the bigger ones do more. However, if you want more, the medium is Fire Orbs... Fireballs are unlikely to work.

Iron Flesh for almost unbeatable Poise in most cases.

Flash Sweat for Anti-Fire Damage... similar to Great barrier and Magic.

Power Within for Stamina Regeneration Increase, Higher damage Count, however decrease in hp (similar to poison/toxic). Advised to use less powerful pyro flame, not greater.

Hm... that's about it. Carry them all, and attune what you like the most. Try them out... BTW, Combustion I never use in most cases. I prefer the Mists, Fire Orbs, the Self Pyromancies, and... that's pretty much it.