Flashstorm (psycast)

Flashstorm is a level psycast that creates a brief lightning storm at the target location.
== Acquisition ==
== Summary ==
Upon casting Flashstorm, a miniature flashstorm will be created centered on the target tile, which can be any unroofed tile within 20 tiles of the caster, respecting line of sight. This flashstorm, like its natural counterpart, will create lightning strikes every to , though only on unroofed tiles in a reduced radius of 15 tiles (the displayed radius of 14 tiles is incorrect.) These strikes deal 10 Flame damage in a 3x3 radius centered on the strike, and ignite flammable pawns, objects, and items within. The flashstorm will persist for before dissipating. While the flashstorm persists, the area within the radius will be visually darkened by cloud cover, though this effect is only cosmetic - it has no effect on the Light level of the affected tiles.
Note that pawns that are incapable of violence are prevented from casting Flashstorm.
== Analysis ==
Flashstorm is perhaps the single least useful psycast of the lot, despite its position as a level 5 psycast ostensibly placing it on par with Berserk and Invisibility. The effect radius, while smaller than a natural flashstorm, is large enough to render it wildly inaccurate, and the relatively slow rate of lightning strikes limits any potential damage dealt to being mediocre AT BEST. Additionally, lightning strikes deal pitifully low damage to organic targets (especially impids), and none at all to the already-imposing mechanoids. All this combined with a significant psyfocus cost of 4% and a staggering neural heat gain of 65 render Flashstorm cumbersome to use for minimal gain. 
Even against stationary targets that won't flee the effect radius, Flashstorm sees minimal use - Mech clusters and Crashed ship parts are guarded by the aforementioned mechanoids, being immune to flame damage. Against sieges, Flashstorm can deal minimal damage to the attackers, as they will remain stationary as they construct their fortifications, and the fire spread by the strikes can hamper their efforts to do so. However, any other method of attack will likely prove more efficient at disposing of your unwanted guests, once again solidifying Flashstorm as not remotely worth your time.
However, if one is absolutely determined to make use of Flashstorm, it has two properties that, when combined, can give it some minor use in a killbox design - its inability to strike roofed tiles, and the lack of a limit to the number of flashstorms one can place in the same area. While Flashstorm does require an unroofed tile to target, there is no such limitation on the tiles surrounding it. By roofing nearly (or all) the tiles within the radius of the flashstorm, one can corral all the strikes from the flashstorm to a few specific tiles, such as a hallway in a killbox, at a chokepoint guarded by melee blockers, or tiles behind cover to bait enemies within. Secondarily, by casting flashstorm multiple times on the same tile, the rate of lightning strikes will be drastically improved, turning them from an inconsequential threat to a less-inconsequential source of damage and crowd control, panicking enemies and dealing minor damage. However, the large amounts of neural heat incurred per cast make this difficult to execute without methods of dissipating neural heat, such as neural heat dump, eltex gear, or high psychic sensitivity. Outside of this niche use case, Flashstorm should never be considered as an answer to combat, and your psyfocus is better spent on any other psycast.
== Version history ==
* 1.1.2647 - Added.
Category: Psycasts