Difference between revisions of "Disintegrate"

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'''Disintegrate''' is a Tier 5 [[skill]] unlocked for the [[Wizard]] at level 14, doing damage to opponents in an [[AoE]] line. It's a [[signature skill]] of the Wizard.
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[[File:IconDisintegrate.png|left]]
 +
[[File:Wiz-disintegrate1.jpg|thumb|350px|Disintegrate in action.]]
 +
'''Disintegrate''' is a Secondary [[Wizard skill]] unlocked at [[clvl|Level]] 21, firing a laser beam of Arcane damage that moves instantly from the Wizard's hand to the edge of the screen. Its piercing ability and unrivaled speed are slightly offset by the fact that the Wizard is stuck in place while casting it.
  
 +
* An earlier version of this skill had a much more complicated operation. For details, see: [[Disintegrate (July 2011)]].
  
==Background==
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The best aspect of this skill is its speed and piercing ability. The instant the Wizard clicks the button, the laser beam stretches from her hand to the edge of the screen, hitting every monster in its path. This makes it very useful against distant enemies, as the beam can reach them long before they can advance, or even fire their own projectiles across the level. The drawback is a heavy resource cost and less damage than single target attacks.
{{Skillbox
 
|game= Diablo III
 
|portrait= Wiz-disintegrate1.jpg
 
<!-- |portrait-width= -->
 
|active= Active
 
|name= Disintegrate
 
|ranks= 1
 
|user= Wizard
 
|tree= Arcane
 
|description= Emanate a beam of pure energy dealing X arcane damage per second. Damage is modified to 80% each time the beam passes through the target.
 
|type= Direct Damage
 
|quantity= 12 damage/sec
 
|effect= Line [[AoE]]
 
|school= Arcane
 
|resource= [[Mana]]
 
|cost= 12/sec
 
|cast-time= Instant
 
|duration= Concentrate?
 
|cooldown= Unknown
 
<!-- |synergies= Link them -->
 
<!-- |catexclude= -->
 
}}
 
A [[Wizard]] can call forth a torrent of Arcane energies to make matter simply vanish.
 
  
 +
Note that a more powerful form of Disintegrate exists while in [[Archon]] form.
  
  
==Skill Design==
+
==Background==
Disintegrate fires a red, ruler-straight laser beam of [[arcane]] damage, striking everything in a line [[AoE]] right to the edge of the screen. The beam remains active as long as the mouse button is depressed ([[mana]] permitting), and can be moved around in all directions, emanating out from the stationary Wizard like spikes from a hub.
+
A [[Wizard]] can call forth a death ray of Arcane energies to make matter simply vanish.
  
[[Image:Wiz-disintegrate2.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Not the best skill for mob control.]]
 
Disintegrate isn't that damaging and has a fairly high mana cost. The power of it comes from the speed; it moves at the speed of light, and unlike the other projectiles in [[Diablo III]], instantly hits anything it's aimed at. This spell is at its best raking through a line of ranged attackers, especially when aimed at enemies on the very edge of the screen. The Disintegrate laser will hit them instantly, while their arrows (or other attacks) must travel across the screen before they become damaging. It's quite possible to cook targets for a second, kill them, and then move before their projectiles reach you.
 
  
This might be the best use of this skill late game; even if the damage doesn't scale up to keep it a killer, it could hit anything on the screen, instantly "silencing" enemy mages and summoners. (Depending on how difficult it is to trigger [[Critical hit|crits]] with Arcane damage.
+
==Skill Rune Effects==
 +
Refer to the [[Disintegrate rune effects]] article for thorough descriptions of all five rune effects in this skill, including screenshots, videos, strategy tips, and other related information.
 +
 +
{{skill description header}}
 +
<skill class="Wizard">Disintegrate</skill>
 +
<skill class="Wizard" rune="Convergence">Disintegrate</skill>
 +
<skill class="Wizard" rune="Chaos Nexus">Disintegrate</skill>
 +
<skill class="Wizard" rune="Volatility">Disintegrate</skill>
 +
<skill class="Wizard" rune="Entropy">Disintegrate</skill>
 +
<skill class="Wizard" rune="Intensify">Disintegrate</skill>
  
This spell drains mana and deals damage steadily, at 12 points per second. The disintegrate laser will hit an unlimited number of [[monster]]s at once, dealing 80% of the damage on the target behind the previous one. Basically, it would deal 100% to the first one, 80% to the second, then 64%, 51%, 41%, 33%, etc, so it's still at least partially useful even after five or six enemies.
 
  
In the demo build at [[BlizzCon 2008]], this spell wasn't very useful against large enemies, but was devastating against smaller enemies, especially [[range]]d attackers such as [[Skeletal Archer]]s. The Disintegrate ray hits anything on the screen more or less instantaneously, so nothing is out of reach and there's no delay between clicking the mouse and hitting the enemy with the spell. This one will surely be [[nerf]]ed somewhat before the final game, since it was just so useful in the '08 build.
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==Skill Design==
 +
[[File:Disintegrate7.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Disintegrating [[Leoric]] while the [[Templar]] tanks.]]
 +
Disintegrate fires a red, ruler-straight laser beam of [[arcane]] damage, striking everything in a line [[AoE]] for a considerable distance away from the Wizard. The beam remains active as long as the mouse button is depressed ([[Arcane Power]] permitting). To aim it, move the mouse around and the Wizard will spin like a top, firing in whatever direction the mouse points her.
  
 +
The spell previously gained bonus damage to a single target with a longer lock on, but this feature seem to have been removed as of the beta test.  Conversely, Disintegrate formerly did 20% less damage to each additional target, but this also seems to have been removed as of the beta.
  
==Hands on Reports==
+
The skill is enormously effective against large groups of weak enemies, and can kill dozens or monsters in a blink as the player hoses the beam across the advancing hordes. It is less effective against larger enemies, and is ill-suited to killing big bosses since the damage is not high enough and the resource drain grows excessive.
  
Players have had a lot of fun using Disintegrate at various demos, and have posted some useful reports on the skill's function.
 
  
===Blizzcon 2009 PvM Demo===
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===Range and Speed===
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[[File:Disintegrate-max-range1.jpg|thumb|400px|Disintegrate max range.]]
 +
Disintegrate seems like an infinite weapon at first glance, but it is limited in range and speed, as players come to realize after experimenting with it a bit. The range goes to and past the edge of the visible screen in most instances, but it does not quite reach the diagonal corners.
  
Flux was able to use Disintegrate in the BlizzCon 2009 demo, and discussed it at length in his [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/wizard-gameplay-report/P2/ BlizzCon Wizard gameplay report].
+
You see it falling far short of the edge in the screenshot to the right, but that is somewhat misleading, since the steep stairway in that image forced the "camera" to remain up higher, giving a longer view than you normally see in the game.
  
::''Disintegrate was the the most fun, or at least most talked about, [[Wizard]] skill from [[BlizzCon 2008|Blizzcon]]. Virtually everyone put a point into Disintegrate, either because they liked the name, or because they’d seen someone else using that red laser of death, and wanted to try it themselves. (I fell into the later camp.)  Disintegrate has been featured in a variety of screenshots; the straight red laser line it emits is hard to mistake. When using this skill, the [[Wizard|Sorceress]] emits a laser-like beam of red energy that passes through multiple targets, dealing progressively less damage to each. What makes it so distinctive is that it stays active as long as you depress the mouse button (and have enough [[mana]]), and that it can be aimed like a beam weapon and swept from side to side. It's indisputably fun to stand there and basically hose down every enemy in sight, without moving a step.''
 
  
::''What makes the spell so effective is not the damage, which is fairly low. (It deals 10 damage per second.) It's the speed, since unlike every other Wizard skill (and every Sorceress skill) this one moves at the speed of light. The instant you click the mouse, Disintegrate is hitting things at the edge of the screen. The damage is lessened by each monster it passes through, but in practice (at least in the early going) this just means it can kill everything you shoot at in 5 seconds. The ones in front die in 2 seconds, and as soon as they're down the damage increases to the ones behind them.''
 
  
::''Disintegrate is most effective against weaker enemies in bunches, and especially against [[range]]d attackers at the far edge of the screen. I constantly found [[Skeletal Archer|skeletal archers]] at the edge of the screen, and used Disintegrate to obliterate them before they could do more than get off a single shot at me. Killing them with say, [[Magic Missile]], would have taken much longer. I would have had to cast half a dozen missiles, they would have had to fly all the way across the screen, monsters in the way would have absorbed some of them, and all that while the archers would have been firing at me. Thus Disintegrate isn't hugely damaging, but it saves you a great deal of time and damage by instantly wiping out low hit point enemies from a distance.''
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===Video===
 +
A video of Disintegrate can be seen below, courtesy of [http://www.youtube.com/Diablo3Inc the DiabloInc You Tube channel].
  
[[Image:Wiz-disintegrate1.jpg|thumb|350px|Disintegrating from within [[Slow Time]].]]
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<youtube>ocXBwZtyX4M</youtube>
::''On the other hand, Disintegrate was not very effective against larger targets. [[Boss]]es or big [[monster]]s were hurt by it, but not nearly as badly as other spells hurt them. It's said that Disintegrate increases in damage the longer it's trained on the same enemy. I was never able to test that out (it killed all the small stuff and ranged attackers too quickly), and it's not listed in the spell's hover description, but even if it's true, it's hard to use this spell for that purpose when you're playing alone. Big monsters don't stand back and let you fry them; they rush up to attack you, and up close [[Spectral Blade]] or Magic Missile did far more damage than Disintegrate. I don't think Disintegrate would be a great choice against a powerful ranged enemy either, such as a boss pack of archers, since while it would be useful to kill them, you have to stand still while you're using it, and their arrows would pin cushion you in the meantime.''
 
  
::''That's one of the most interesting things about using Disintegrate; that it's more effective if you're not moving. But Wizards seldom have that luxury, at least not when they're playing alone. A solo Wizard is a hit and run machine, throwing [[magic]]al projectiles,  rushing back or to the sides to dodge returned fire, darting in to land a few Spectral Blade strikes, etc. Disintegrate looks like it'll be very useful against weak, ranged attackers, or else will be best used in a multiplayer game, when some other character is up front tanking, giving the Wizard the freedom to pour this one on non-stop.''
 
  
 +
==Synergies==
 +
The following [[Wizard passives]] provide a benefit to Disintegrate, runed or not:
 +
{{skill description header}}
 +
<skill class="Wizard">Glass Cannon</skill>
 +
<skill class="Wizard">Temporal Flux</skill>
 +
<skill class="Wizard">Arcane Dynamo</skill>
  
===Blizzcon 2010 Arena Demo===
 
  
[[File:Disintegrate-arena2.jpg|thumb|300px|Dueling Wizard action.]]
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==Development==
Disintegrate was also one of the main attack skills pre-assigned to Wizards in the [[Battle Arena]] in the Blizzcon 2010 demo. Flux reported on it again, from his Mega Arena Hands-On report. <ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/hands-on-from-blizzcon-mega-pvp-arena-report/ Battle Arena Report: BlizzCon 2010] - IncGamers November 3, 2010</ref>
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'''Disintegrate''' was first shown at [[BlizzCon 2008]] when the [[Wizard]] debuted, at that point located at Tier II in the [[Arcane Skill Tree]]. [[Flux]] described using it:[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/wizard-gameplay-report/P2/]
  
::Disintegrate was very useful, and the speed of it let you hit anything in a straight line, but it wasn’t very damaging, and the fact that you had to stand still to use it made it dangerous. A skill that fired out projectiles, which the Wizard could constantly have tossed out while moving, would have been awesome.
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<blockquote>''That’s one of the most interesting things about using Disintegrate; that it’s more effective if you’re not moving. But Wizards seldom have that luxury, at least not when they’re playing alone. A solo wizard is a hit and run machine, throwing magical projectiles,  rushing back or to the sides to dodge returned fire, darting in to land a few Spectral Blade strikes, etc. Disintegrate looks like it’ll be very useful against weak, ranged attackers, or else will be best used in a multiplayer game, when some other character is up front tanking, giving the Wizard the freedom to pour this one on non-stop.</blockquote>
  
::...Most players, especially non-Wizards, seemed to overreact to the danger of the Disintegrate beam. It looked impressive, and sent a steady display of damage taken numbers up, but they were 12s and 15s and 20s, etc. And Disintegrate could only be used while standing still, which meant a Wizard firing it was a sitting duck. It wasn’t wise to stand and trade fire with a Wizard who had Disintegrate locked onto you, but it wasn’t enormously dangerous, if you kept moving. It just looked scary.
+
[[File:Disintegrate-arena2.jpg|thumb|300px|Dueling Wizard action.]]
 +
It was slightly changed in the [[BlizzCon 2009]] demo, where it received a small boost in damage and mana cost. It was also boosted up to Tier IV, unfortunately putting it out of reach of players.
  
::...I’ve talked about Disintegrate a lot already. Very useful blasting, instant speed to the edge of the level, but it requires a clear line or sight, and it holds the Wizard in place whiel using it. Smart Wizards I saw used it a lot, but in bursts. Any time they had a clear shot they’d cook someone from a distance, ideally over one of the openings in the ground. The damage per second wasn’t huge, but it added up and was very easy to hit with.
+
By [[BlizzCon 2010]], with skill trees gone, Disintegrate was at Tier 5 and one of the Wizard's preset skills in the [[PvP]] demo.
 +
[[Flux]] spoke about using it in the [[Battle Arena]]:[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/hands-on-from-blizzcon-mega-pvp-arena-report/]
  
=== Spell Colour Feedback ===
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<blockquote>''Very useful blasting, instant speed to the edge of the level, but it requires a clear line or sight, and it holds the Wizard in place while using it. Smart Wizards I saw used it a lot, but in bursts. Any time they had a clear shot they’d cook someone from a distance, ideally over one of the openings in the ground.  The damage per second wasn’t huge, but it added up and was very easy to hit with.</blockquote>
[[File:Disintegrate-purple.gif|thumb|300px|Disintegrate, recolored Arcane style.]]
 
Not as bad as the [[art controversy]], but some fans complained Disintegrate looks too much like a fire spell [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/bashiok-on-arcane-spell-colors/]. [[Bashiok]] replied to this feedback by saying:
 
::''It doesn’t actually feel anything like fire in-game. The screenshots don't really give a good impression of the way it looks and acts. In a screenshot you may think… well it has a lot of colors of fire, but in motion you just don’t get that impression. It comes across as a red-dominated skill. And the sound of the ability actually plays a huge part in how it feels, and it feels like a very focused and powerful energy beam.''
 
  
==Skill Rank Table==
+
Skill tiers were removed for the [[July 2011 Press Event]], allowing skills to unlock steadily from levels 1 to 30. Consequently, all skill levels were adjusted and Disintegrate became a level 12 skill.
* '''Rank 1:''' 12 damage/sec. 12 mana/sec.
 
Only Rank 1 is known so far.
 
  
 +
===Beta===
 +
{{Beta skill notes}}
  
==Synergies==
+
Disintegrate remained at level 12 when the beta started. [[Flux]] discussed using it:[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/wizard-beta-skills-mega-report-part-two]
* None known.
 
  
 +
<blockquote>''As fast as the spell moves, it can feel slow to target, at least compared to Electrocute, since the beam only goes right where you point it. Electrocute jumps between targets, so if you click a spot in the middle of a pack, it will hit everything in an instant, without you even moving the mouse. Disintegrate doesn’t do that, so you have to move the cursor to move the beam, and that can feel ponderous. Your character pivots in place, and while you can rotate pretty quickly, it’s slow enough to feel slightly realistic, like you’re actually turning and moving, not just flipping instantly from left to right.</blockquote>
  
 +
With the [[Beta Patch 8]] of December 2011, Disintegrate was dropped to level 8. With the Patch 13 changes, it was classified as a Secondary skill and bumped all the way up to level 20, out of reach of beta players. With March's [[Beta Patch 14]], it was moved to level 21 and its damage slightly reduced.
  
==[[Rune|Skill Rune]] Effects==
+
===Previous Versions===
* None known.
+
See the [[Wizard skill archive]] for more details on previous versions of Disintegrate and other Wizard skills.<br> 
 +
Or see [[Disintegrate (BlizzCon 2008)]] for the original version of this skill.<br>
 +
Or see [[Disintegrate (July 2011)]] for a more recent version of this skill.
  
  
 +
==Trivia==
 +
With Diablo III, Blizzard have looked more at the traditional Dungeons & Dragons pen & paper RPG for inspiration. The  Disintegrate spell is one of the "trademark" D&D spells, which name is likely taken in tribute to the pen & paper RPG.
  
==Development==
 
Disintegrate was first shown at [[BlizzCon 2008]] when the [[Wizard]] was unveiled. It was slightly updated in the version shown at [[BlizzCon 2009]], where it received 2 extra damage per second, up from 10.
 
 
'''Previous Versions:'''
 
* [[Disintegrate (BlizzCon 2008)]]
 
  
 +
==Media==
 +
Disintegrate can be seen in action on video here:
 +
* [[Cinematic: Wizard]]
 +
* [[Gameplay: Blizzcon 2010]] (in the [[Arena]])
 +
* [[Gameplay: July 2011]]
 +
* [[Skill Animations Videos#Wizard Video|Video: August 2011 Wizard Skill Animations]]
  
 
+
You can find pictures in the Diablo III screenshot and picture gallery:
==Trivia==
+
* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/gallery/ Diablo III screenshots and pictures]
With Diablo III, Blizzard have looked more at the traditional Dungeons & Dragons pen & paper RPG for inspiration. The The Disintegrate spell is one of the "trademark" D&D spells, which name is likely taken in tribute to the pen & paper RPG.
+
* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/gallery/search.php?keywords=Disintegrate&cat=all '''Disintegrate''' specific gallery contents]
 
 
  
 
==Media==
 
You can find pictures in the Diablo 3 screenshot and picture gallery:
 
* [http://www.diii.net/gallery/ Diablo 3 screenshots and pictures]
 
* [http://www.diii.net/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=all&si=Disintegrate Disintegrate-specific gallery contents]
 
* [http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/characters/wizard.xml Disintegrate video]
 
  
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
Line 118: Line 109:
 
Image:Wiz-disintegrate3.jpg|Concept art.
 
Image:Wiz-disintegrate3.jpg|Concept art.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
 +
[[Image:Wiz-disintegrate3.jpg|center|thumb|600px|Disintegrate in character artwork by Blizzard artist [[Josh Tallman]].]]
  
  
[[Image:Wiz-disintegrate3.jpg|700px|center|Disintegrate in character artwork by Blizzard artist [[Paul Tallman]].]]
+
==References==
 +
* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/wizard-gameplay-report/P2/ BlizzCon 2008 Wizard Gameplay Report]
 +
* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/full-wizard-skill-trees/ BlizzCon 2009 Full Wizard Skill Trees]
 +
* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/hands-on-from-blizzcon-mega-pvp-arena-report/ BlizzCon 2010 PvP Hands-on Report]
 +
* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7960229#post7960229 Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report] — IncGamers 1st Aug 2011
 +
* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8007624#post8007624 Silva's Wizard Runestone Effects] — IncGamers 5th Sep 2011
 +
* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/wizard-beta-skills-mega-report-part-two Wizard Beta Skills Mega-report: Part Two] — IncGamers 5th Oct 2011
 +
* [http://us.battle.net/d3/en/class/wizard/active/ Wizard Active Skills] — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site
  
==Related Articles==
 
* [[Disintegrate (BlizzCon 2008)]]
 
 
 
==References==
 
<font size="-3"><references/></font>
 
  
* [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/full-wizard-skill-trees/ Full Wizard Skill Trees]
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{{Skill navbox Diablo III|Wizard|secondary}}
* [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/wizard-gameplay-report/P2/ BlizzCon 2008 Wizard Gameplay Report]
 
* [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/bashiok-on-arcane-spell-colors/ Bashiok on spell colour]
 
  
{{Skill_navbox_Wizard}}
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[[category:Active skills]]
{{Skill_navbox}}
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[[category:Wizard skills]]
 +
[[category:Wizard active skills]]

Latest revision as of 05:44, 8 June 2012

IconDisintegrate.png
Disintegrate in action.

Disintegrate is a Secondary Wizard skill unlocked at Level 21, firing a laser beam of Arcane damage that moves instantly from the Wizard's hand to the edge of the screen. Its piercing ability and unrivaled speed are slightly offset by the fact that the Wizard is stuck in place while casting it.

The best aspect of this skill is its speed and piercing ability. The instant the Wizard clicks the button, the laser beam stretches from her hand to the edge of the screen, hitting every monster in its path. This makes it very useful against distant enemies, as the beam can reach them long before they can advance, or even fire their own projectiles across the level. The drawback is a heavy resource cost and less damage than single target attacks.

Note that a more powerful form of Disintegrate exists while in Archon form.


Background[edit | edit source]

A Wizard can call forth a death ray of Arcane energies to make matter simply vanish.


Skill Rune Effects[edit | edit source]

Refer to the Disintegrate rune effects article for thorough descriptions of all five rune effects in this skill, including screenshots, videos, strategy tips, and other related information.

Name Level Description

<skill class="Wizard">Disintegrate</skill> <skill class="Wizard" rune="Convergence">Disintegrate</skill> <skill class="Wizard" rune="Chaos Nexus">Disintegrate</skill> <skill class="Wizard" rune="Volatility">Disintegrate</skill> <skill class="Wizard" rune="Entropy">Disintegrate</skill> <skill class="Wizard" rune="Intensify">Disintegrate</skill>


Skill Design[edit | edit source]

Disintegrating Leoric while the Templar tanks.

Disintegrate fires a red, ruler-straight laser beam of arcane damage, striking everything in a line AoE for a considerable distance away from the Wizard. The beam remains active as long as the mouse button is depressed (Arcane Power permitting). To aim it, move the mouse around and the Wizard will spin like a top, firing in whatever direction the mouse points her.

The spell previously gained bonus damage to a single target with a longer lock on, but this feature seem to have been removed as of the beta test. Conversely, Disintegrate formerly did 20% less damage to each additional target, but this also seems to have been removed as of the beta.

The skill is enormously effective against large groups of weak enemies, and can kill dozens or monsters in a blink as the player hoses the beam across the advancing hordes. It is less effective against larger enemies, and is ill-suited to killing big bosses since the damage is not high enough and the resource drain grows excessive.


Range and Speed[edit | edit source]

Disintegrate max range.

Disintegrate seems like an infinite weapon at first glance, but it is limited in range and speed, as players come to realize after experimenting with it a bit. The range goes to and past the edge of the visible screen in most instances, but it does not quite reach the diagonal corners.

You see it falling far short of the edge in the screenshot to the right, but that is somewhat misleading, since the steep stairway in that image forced the "camera" to remain up higher, giving a longer view than you normally see in the game.


Video[edit | edit source]

A video of Disintegrate can be seen below, courtesy of the DiabloInc You Tube channel.


Synergies[edit | edit source]

The following Wizard passives provide a benefit to Disintegrate, runed or not:

Name Level Description

<skill class="Wizard">Glass Cannon</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Temporal Flux</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Arcane Dynamo</skill>


Development[edit | edit source]

Disintegrate was first shown at BlizzCon 2008 when the Wizard debuted, at that point located at Tier II in the Arcane Skill Tree. Flux described using it:[1]

That’s one of the most interesting things about using Disintegrate; that it’s more effective if you’re not moving. But Wizards seldom have that luxury, at least not when they’re playing alone. A solo wizard is a hit and run machine, throwing magical projectiles, rushing back or to the sides to dodge returned fire, darting in to land a few Spectral Blade strikes, etc. Disintegrate looks like it’ll be very useful against weak, ranged attackers, or else will be best used in a multiplayer game, when some other character is up front tanking, giving the Wizard the freedom to pour this one on non-stop.
Dueling Wizard action.

It was slightly changed in the BlizzCon 2009 demo, where it received a small boost in damage and mana cost. It was also boosted up to Tier IV, unfortunately putting it out of reach of players.

By BlizzCon 2010, with skill trees gone, Disintegrate was at Tier 5 and one of the Wizard's preset skills in the PvP demo. Flux spoke about using it in the Battle Arena:[2]

Very useful blasting, instant speed to the edge of the level, but it requires a clear line or sight, and it holds the Wizard in place while using it. Smart Wizards I saw used it a lot, but in bursts. Any time they had a clear shot they’d cook someone from a distance, ideally over one of the openings in the ground. The damage per second wasn’t huge, but it added up and was very easy to hit with.

Skill tiers were removed for the July 2011 Press Event, allowing skills to unlock steadily from levels 1 to 30. Consequently, all skill levels were adjusted and Disintegrate became a level 12 skill.

Beta[edit | edit source]

The Diablo III Beta started in September 2011, and while it ran, all of the skills continued to undergo extensive iteration. Skill changes varied from changing the levels the skills are unlocked, to changes in resource cost, damage, and even function. A few skills were removed altogether, and a few new ones were added. Also, the entire skill system received an overhaul with the Beta Patch 13 update in February 2012, with physical runes replaced by rune effects that automatically unlock at various levels for the different skills.

Disintegrate remained at level 12 when the beta started. Flux discussed using it:[3]

As fast as the spell moves, it can feel slow to target, at least compared to Electrocute, since the beam only goes right where you point it. Electrocute jumps between targets, so if you click a spot in the middle of a pack, it will hit everything in an instant, without you even moving the mouse. Disintegrate doesn’t do that, so you have to move the cursor to move the beam, and that can feel ponderous. Your character pivots in place, and while you can rotate pretty quickly, it’s slow enough to feel slightly realistic, like you’re actually turning and moving, not just flipping instantly from left to right.

With the Beta Patch 8 of December 2011, Disintegrate was dropped to level 8. With the Patch 13 changes, it was classified as a Secondary skill and bumped all the way up to level 20, out of reach of beta players. With March's Beta Patch 14, it was moved to level 21 and its damage slightly reduced.

Previous Versions[edit | edit source]

See the Wizard skill archive for more details on previous versions of Disintegrate and other Wizard skills.
Or see Disintegrate (BlizzCon 2008) for the original version of this skill.
Or see Disintegrate (July 2011) for a more recent version of this skill.


Trivia[edit | edit source]

With Diablo III, Blizzard have looked more at the traditional Dungeons & Dragons pen & paper RPG for inspiration. The Disintegrate spell is one of the "trademark" D&D spells, which name is likely taken in tribute to the pen & paper RPG.


Media[edit | edit source]

Disintegrate can be seen in action on video here:

You can find pictures in the Diablo III screenshot and picture gallery:


Disintegrate in character artwork by Blizzard artist Josh Tallman.


References[edit | edit source]