Diablo 4 introduces the concept of damage over time, which has sparked mixed reviews among players, particularly about the Firewall Sorcerer build. Some players claim it deals no damage, while others hail it as the highest damaging build they've experienced. In this guide, we will explore the mechanics of damage over time and snapshotting, which applies to various classes in Diablo 4. Understanding these mechanics is crucial for maximizing your character's potential and unleashing devastating damage.

Damage Over Time and Snapshotting:
After damaging Diablo 4, you may notice a greyed-out portion on a monster's health bar. This greyed-out section represents the damage over time effect that is guaranteed to continue occurring on the target. Surprisingly, this damage has been dealt with and snapshotted, allowing for subsequent calculations and interactions. By applying debuffs to the target, you effectively extend the duration of the damage over time effect. This can significantly amplify your damage output, as demonstrated by the difference in damage when applied debuffs.

Understanding Conditional Effects:
While damage over time mechanics generally benefit from debuffs, certain legendary powers based on self-conditional effects may not provide the same effectiveness. For example, effects like "damage to vulnerable enemies while you have a barrier" may experience reduced damage output because the self-conditioning effect is at play. To optimize your damage, it is essential to consider the sequence of actions and ensure that the conditions are met before applying damage over time effects.

The Unique Nature of Firewall:
The Firewall skill in Diablo 4 creates two distinct playstyles. When enemies are within the Firewall itself, it inflicts damage over time. However, with the second upgrade, enemies burn for three seconds after leaving the Firewall. This introduces both snapshotting and recurring damage mechanics. When using Firewall, dragging enemies through it results in lower damage, although it can be effective against lower-level content. On the other hand, grouping up enemies and placing the Firewall strategically can significantly increase the damage output. Synergizing with control-oriented abilities, such as Frost Nova and Meteor, amplifies the damage potential.

Optimizing the Firewall Sorcerer Build:
In the case of the Firewall Sorcerer build, several factors contribute to its effectiveness. The Aspect of Control skill amplifies damage based on the target's status, granting bonus damage for being frozen, immobilized, or crowd-controlled. Combining Frost Nova, Teleport, and Firewall, while ensuring all enemies are affected by the skills results in a tremendous increase in damage output. The Meteor skill, especially when combined with the immobilisation effect, enhances the damage by retriggering the Firewall's damage over time ticks. Notably, movement becomes limited when dragging enemies into the Firewall, requiring strategic positioning and skill usage.

Defensive Considerations and Damage Over Time:
Understanding damage over time mechanics is crucial not only for maximizing damage but also for defence. Poison damage, particularly, can be challenging to manage in Diablo 4. Resists prove ineffective against poison, and damage over time effects are often snapshotted, meaning that reducing damage after the snapshot is not possible. Increasing your character's life through healing, potions, or the Sorcerer's barrier ability becomes vital in countering snapshotted damage over time effects.

Conclusion:
The Firewall Sorcerer build in Diablo 4 exemplifies the potential of damage over time mechanics and snapshotting. Players can optimize their builds, maximize damage output, and effectively manage defences by grasping these mechanics. Remember that the perceived low DPS of the Firewall build only applies when dragging enemies through the Firewall, and it is crucial to adapt your strategy based on enemy encounters.