Difference between revisions of "Disintegrate"

Latest revision as of 05:44, 8 June 2012

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.

An earlier version of this skill had a much more complicated operation. For details, see: Disintegrate (July 2011).

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 used in a Slow Time bubble.
Disintegrate used on Zombies.
Disintegrate used on a Skeleton.
Concept art.

Disintegrate in character artwork by Blizzard artist Josh Tallman.

References[edit | edit source]

BlizzCon 2008 Wizard Gameplay Report
BlizzCon 2009 Full Wizard Skill Trees
BlizzCon 2010 PvP Hands-on Report
Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report — IncGamers 1st Aug 2011
Silva's Wizard Runestone Effects — IncGamers 5th Sep 2011
Wizard Beta Skills Mega-report: Part Two — IncGamers 5th Oct 2011
Wizard Active Skills — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer primary

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer secondary

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer corpses

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer bloodandbone

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer reanimation

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer curses

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-<noinclude>
 [[File:IconDisintegrate.png|left]]
-'''Disintegrate''' is an Offensive [[Wizard skill]] unlocked at [[clvl|Level]] 12, doing damage to opponents in an [[AoE]] line.
+[[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.
-The skill works like a laser beam, firing a straight line of Arcane damage that moves instantly from the Wizard's hand to the edge of the screen. This makes the spell reach the enemies faster than any other spell in the game, and its ability to pass through as many targets as are in the way gives it impressive piercing ability.
+* An earlier version of this skill had a much more complicated operation. For details, see: [[Disintegrate (July 2011)]].
-The drawbacks are fairly low damage, especially to targets behind the front row, and 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.
-Disintegrate is a [[signature skill]] of the Wizard.
-<br>__TOC__
 ==Background==
-[[File:Wiz-disintegrate1.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Disintegrate in action]]
+A [[Wizard]] can call forth a death ray of Arcane energies to make matter simply vanish.
-A [[Wizard]] can call forth a torrent of Arcane energies to make matter simply vanish.
-==Skill Effects==
+==Skill Rune Effects==
-The following is a very quick list. See the [[Disintegrate rune effects]] page for a more thorough summary of rune effects, or any of the individual rune pages for numbers, screenshots, blue quotes, and much more.
+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.
-{{Active skills header}}
+{{skill description header}}
-</noinclude>{{Wizard Skill Disintegrate}}
+<skill class="Wizard">Disintegrate</skill>
-{{Blank header}}
+<skill class="Wizard" rune="Convergence">Disintegrate</skill>
-| width="55px" | [[image:IconCrimson.jpg|40px|center|link=Crimson]]
+<skill class="Wizard" rune="Chaos Nexus">Disintegrate</skill>
-| width="140px" | [[Intensify (rune effect)|Intensify]]
+<skill class="Wizard" rune="Volatility">Disintegrate</skill>
-| Damage increases slowly over time to inflict a maximum of {{c_lime|188 - 234}} Arcane damage per second.
+<skill class="Wizard" rune="Entropy">Disintegrate</skill>
-|-
+<skill class="Wizard" rune="Intensify">Disintegrate</skill>
-| [[image:IconIndigo.jpg|40px|center|link=Indigo]]
-| [[Convergence]]
-| Increase the width of the beam allowing it to hit more enemies for {{c_lime|111 - 139}} Arcane damage per second.
-|-
-| [[image:IconObsidian.jpg|40px|center|link=Obsidian]]
-| [[Entropy]]
-| The beam fractures into a short ranged cone causing {{c_lime|114 - 153}} Arcane damage per second.
-|-
-| [[image:IconGolden.jpg|40px|center|link=Golden]]
-| [[Chaos Nexus]]
-| When casting the beam you become charged with energy that spits out at nearby enemies doing {{c_lime|68 - 85}} Arcane damage.
-|-
-| [[image:IconAlabaster.jpg|40px|center|link=Alabaster]]
-| [[Volatility]]
-| Enemies killed by the beam have a {{c_lime|35%}} chance to explode causing {{c_lime|153 - 177}} Arcane damage to all enemies within {{c_lime|8}} yards.
-|-
-<noinclude>
-|}
-{{center|Note: Information is based on a level 60 character and rank 7 runestones.}}
-===Disintegrate Video===
-A video of Disintegrate can be seen below, courtesy of [http://www.youtube.com/Diablo3Inc the DiabloInc You Tube channel].
-<youtube>ocXBwZtyX4M</youtube>
 ==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]] right to the edge of the screen. The beam remains active as long as the mouse button is depressed ([[Arcane Power]] permitting), and can be moved around in all directions, emanating out from the stationary Wizard like a spike from a hub.
+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 spell does bonus damage (apparently doubling with critical hits) after it locks onto a target for more than about half a second. The beam turns from red to purple to give a visual indication of this; see the tutorial screenshots below.
+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.
-Disintegrate is visually-impressive, but it's best used for a sort of crowd control. It's great to hit multiple enemies in a straight line, especially large or stationary targets, but not very good against fast enemies or large mobs of spread out attackers. The resource drain is considerable, and it doesn't deal very high damage per second, so it's not great as a boss killer. It's best used to take out a few ranged attackers, as the light-speed beam hits them instantly, long before their arrows or other projectiles can reach the Wizard.
-The damage decreases by 20% on each additional monster it hits, making the killing power quite weak by the third or fourth enemy in a row.
+===Range and Speed===
+[[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.
+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.
-===Double Damage Upon Target Lock===
-[[File:Disintegrate-tutorial.jpg|thumb|350px|Disintegrate [[critical hit]] tutorial.]]
-As pointed out by Madmaxio and Arkadier in a forum thread<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7719882#post7719882 Diii.net forum thread] -- IncGamers 4th Nov 2010</ref>, Disintegrate kicks into a higher level of damage once it's been locked onto the same target for more than about half a second. This is usually indicated by the red beam turning purple, but in some sequences the double damage kicks in without the beam changing color at all. It's unclear if this is a graphical bug, or if there are two mechanisms to deal double damage with Disintegrate: critical hit AND longer time locked onto target.
-A few hits have been seen that seem to jump to quadruple damage, which might be a rare bonus from a lengthy lock on as well as a critical hit. This is still a subject of much debate, as contradictory evidence can be found in screenshot sequences taken from gameplay movies. See [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7719882 the Wizard forum thread] on Diii.net for more details and images. Even more images and discussion can be found in [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=784331 this thread].
-That Disintegrate deals extra (double?) damage when it's locked has not yet been listed in the skill's in-game description, but it is an original feature of the skill, discussed by the developers since their earliest comments on the skill.<ref>[http://news.bigdownload.com/2008/10/10/diablo-3-class-panel-notes/ Blizzcon 2008 Panel Notes] -- Big Download, October 10, 2008</ref>
+===Video===
+A video of Disintegrate can be seen below, courtesy of [http://www.youtube.com/Diablo3Inc the DiabloInc You Tube channel].
-::The next spell, Disintegrate, was described as the ultimate face melting skill, and introduces a new mechanic. When you use Disintegrate, you will begin to emit a jet of searing red heat for as long as you hold down the mouse button. By sweeping the mouse around, you'll change the direction of the beam. The longer the beam holds on a specific enemy, the more damage it will do to that enemy.
+<youtube>ocXBwZtyX4M</youtube>
 ==Synergies==
-* No [[synergies]] with any of the [[Wizard passives]] are yet known.
+The following [[Wizard passives]] provide a benefit to Disintegrate, runed or not:
+{{skill description header}}
+<skill class="Wizard">Glass Cannon</skill>
-==Spell Colour Feedback==
+<skill class="Wizard">Temporal Flux</skill>
-[[File:Disintegrate-purple.gif|thumb|300px|Disintegrate, recolored Arcane style.]]
+<skill class="Wizard">Arcane Dynamo</skill>
-Not as bad as the [[art controversy]], but some fans complained Disintegrate looks too much like a fire spell. [[Bashiok]] replied to this feedback by saying:<ref>[http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/bashiok-on-arcane-spell-colors/ Bashiok Forum post] -- IncGamers 8th July 2009</ref>
-<blue>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.</blue>
@@ Line 98: / Line 70: @@
 <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>
-Skill tiers were removed for the [[July 2011 Press Event]], and Disintegrate became a level 12 skill.
+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===
+{{Beta skill notes}}
+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]
+<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.
 ===Previous Versions===
 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.
+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.
@@ Line 127: / Line 108: @@
 Image:Disintegrate.jpg|Disintegrate used on a [[Skeleton]].
 Image:Wiz-disintegrate3.jpg|Concept art.
-File:Disintegrate-tutorial.jpg|Sequence of Disintegrate in the Arena.
-File:Disintegrate-tutorial2.jpg|Sequence of Disintegrate in the Arena.
-File:Disintegrate-tutorial3.jpg|Sequence of Disintegrate in the Arena.
 </gallery>
 [[Image:Wiz-disintegrate3.jpg|center|thumb|600px|Disintegrate in character artwork by Blizzard artist [[Josh Tallman]].]]
-<!--
-==Related Articles==
--->
 ==References==
-<span style="font-size: 10px;"><references/></span>
 * [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=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/forums/showthread.php?p=8007624#post8007624 Silva's Wizard Runestone Effects] — IncGamers 5th Sep 2011
-* [http://us.battle.net/d3/en/class/wizard/active/ Wizard Active Skills] -- Diablo III 12th 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
-{{Skill navbox Diablo III|Wizard}}
+{{Skill navbox Diablo III|Wizard|secondary}}
+[[category:Active skills]]
 [[category:Wizard skills]]
-[[category:Active skills]]
+[[category:Wizard active skills]]
-</noinclude>

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