Turn the map into a furnace: two optimized Firebug loadouts that stack Burn, spread Panic, and lock down lanes from Wave 1 to Hell on Earth.

TL;DR (Copy‑this‑build)

Build A — “Scorched Earth” (DoT Stacking / Area Denial)

• Primaries: Incinerator M7 (Tar Fuel, Focused Nozzle, Incendiary Launcher, Condensed/Extended Fuel Tank, Slowed Tick Receiver) · Dragon’s Breath (White Phosphorus, Compensator, Enhanced Foregrip, Drum Mag, High‑Velocity Receiver).
• Sidearm: Pyre .357 (Acidic Ammo + Reflex/RDS).
• Tools: Ammo Bag → optional Pulse Lure.
• Passives (Lv 2/8/14/20/26): Heat Exposure → Scorched Earth → Slow Cook → Hotfoot → Explosive Reaction.
• Throwables (Lv 4/10/16/22/28): Boom Out → Capacity Increase → Extended Edition → Capacity Increase → Up in Flames (or Hot Mess if you prefer bigger secondaries over higher count).
• Gadget — Wildfire (Lv 6/12/18/24/30): Ready for Action → Footlights → Red Carpet → Hot Streak → Double Feature (or From the Ashes for safety).

Build B — “Panic Maestro” (Crowd Control / Safety First)

• Primaries: Vulcan TA (Stable Synth‑Plasma, Heat Sink, Pressurized Tank or Pneumatic Cooler) · Dragon’s Breath (same mods as above).
• Sidearm: Pyre .357 (Acidic Ammo + Reflex/RDS).
• Tools: Pulse Lure → optional Multi‑Tool (to open Turrets/Armor cases).
• Passives: Too Hot to Handle → Focus Fire (for single‑target burst when needed) → Slow Cook → Hotfoot (or Red Zone if you want armor repair) → Extinguisher (reload pulse applies Panic; note it extinguishes burning).
• Throwables: Cocktail Party (longer Panic) → Capacity Increase → Out With a Bang → Capacity Increase → Asphyxiate (Molotov groundfire applies heavy Enfeeble).
• Gadget — Wildfire: Ready for Action → Footlights → Triple Play (cone of panic‑applying fireballs) → Blast Zone (bigger blast) → Flammable Material (taunting aura of Burn + Panic).

Why these work: Heat damage inflicts Burn (DoT) and Panic (briefly interrupts ZEDs). With the right passives, throwables, and Wildfire augments, you extend Burn duration and radius, add Enfeeble (slows moves/attacks), and chain Panic to keep crowds locked while your DoT ticks shred them.

How Firebug’s damage & control really work (quick primer)

• Heat deals strong damage to Flesh/Zedtech and applies Burn (a damage‑over‑time effect). Heat can also apply Panic, making ZEDs flail and stop advancing for a moment—perfect for resets and lane control. Enfeeble (applied via certain Firebug skills and Molotov upgrades) slows enemy movement/attacks, which stacks brilliantly with Panic windows.
• Wildfire gadget is your “oh‑no” button: a blast that lays ground‑fire and can be built into a double discharge or even an aura that ignites and panics enemies near you (with Flammable Material). Some guides and official previews describe it as creating a ring/zone of fire—treat it as both a burst and an area denial field.
• Meta context: Direct‑hit Heat primaries (Vulcan TA, DB slug/alt modes) currently delete targets efficiently, but ground‑fire DoTs are still excellent for horde control and ammo efficiency when set up correctly. Our two builds lean into these strengths.

Build A — Scorched Earth (DoT stacking & area denial)

This setup maximizes lingering Burn plus Enfeeble ticks and uses Wildfire to amplify both your damage and your survivability while you “own” a lane.

Weapons & mods

Primary 1: Incinerator M7 (flamethrower)

• Mods: Tar Fuel (AOE duration & radius), Focused Nozzle (range), Incendiary Launcher (underbarrel grenade for elites), Condensed/Extended Fuel Tank (reload/mag), Slowed Tick Receiver (DoT potency). These combinations are widely recommended for turning M7 into a dominant ground‑fire platform.

Primary 2: Dragon’s Breath (incendiary shotgun)

• Mods: White Phosphorus (+Burn, +Panic, +damage), Compensator, Enhanced Foregrip, Drum Mag, High‑Velocity Receiver. DB handles mid‑waves efficiently, layering Burn and Panic across clusters.

Sidearm: Pyre .357

• Mods: Acidic Ammo (+DoT duration & Corrosive affliction) + Reflex/RDS for handling. The Acidic mod synergizes with DoT stacking and gives you a precise ranged option for Husks/Sirens/Bloats when Heat is resisted.

Buy path: Start DB asap (W2–3), then either stick with DB while saving for M7, or jump to M7 if you’re on pure denial duty for your team. If bosses are a problem on your lobby, consider buying or stashing for Vulcan TA later (see Hybrid notes below).

Skills (what to pick and why)

Passives (Lv2/8/14/20/26)

• Heat Exposure (Lv8): makes Burn much stronger and last longer—core to a DoT plan.
• Scorched Earth (Lv8 slot alternative): doubles ground‑fire damage. If you’re all‑in on ground‑fire, take this instead of Focus Fire.
• Slow Cook (Lv14): larger ground‑fire that also applies Enfeeble each tick—your main CC multiplier.
• Hotfoot (Lv20): stand in your flames to continuously heal; you’ll be in your fire often with this build.
• Explosive Reaction (Lv26): on‑kill explosions create more ground‑fire—DoT propagation and screen clear in one pick.

Throwables (Molotov picks at Lv4/10/16/22/28)

• Boom Out (Lv4): larger opening blast catches more ZEDs.
• Capacity Increase (Lv10 & Lv22): more molotovs per round = more carpets of fire where you want them.
• Extended Edition (Lv16): extends ground‑fire duration—great with Slow Cook.
• Up in Flames or Hot Mess (Lv28): more secondaries (more little fire puddles) vs. heavier‑hitting secondaries. Either way you’re creating extra overlapping DoT.

Gadget — Wildfire (Lv6/12/18/24/30)

• Ready for Action (Lv6): instant reload + +10% weapon damage after triggering—your “re‑engage” button.
• Footlights (Lv12) + Red Carpet (Lv18): bigger, longer Wildfire ground‑fire and a 20% Heat damage buff while standing in it. This combo supercharges both DPS and sustain (with Hotfoot).
• Hot Streak (Lv24): kills feed back into faster Wildfire uptime—more safety and more ground‑fire cycles.
• Double Feature (Lv30): Wildfire discharges twice; huge for area denial chains. If you need insurance on HOE, From the Ashes (self‑rez) is also legit.

How to play it

1. Paint the lane, don’t drown it. Place M7/DB ground‑fire a step ahead of the horde path, not on your toes—let Enfeeble slow them inside overlapping burn zones.
2. Wildfire → reload → DB bursts. Pop Wildfire to reload and buff (Ready for Action), plant yourself inside its carpet (Footlights/Red Carpet/Hotfoot), and fan DB shots across the funnel.
3. Molotovs are spacing tools first. Use them where funnels tighten or where big ZEDs are not yet committed, so you don’t enrage prematurely.
4. Ammo economy: You’ll burn ammo; Ammo Bag is best‑in‑slot, with Pulse Lures as a secondary option to clump enemies into your flames.

When to swap: If your team struggles with Scrakes/Fleshpounds or boss burn windows, consider stashing for Vulcan TA (direct‑hit Heat) while keeping your DoT picks; direct hits are currently the most efficient way to delete priority targets.

Build B — Panic Maestro (crowd control & peel)

This build treats Firebug like the team’s tempo setter: you layer Panic, Enfeeble, and on‑reload shockwaves to keep lanes stalled while your hitscan friends pick skulls.

Weapons & mods

Primary 1: Vulcan TA (plasma launcher)

• Mods (focus on single‑fire): Stable Synth‑Plasma, Heat Sink, Pressurized Tank (or Pneumatic Cooler if you’re starved for ammo). These cut ammo cost, reduce recoil, and buff rate of fire/accuracy, making Vulcan’s charged single‑shots lethal and clean.

Primary 2: Dragon’s Breath

• Same package as Build A for steady Panic application across clumps.

Sidearm: Pyre .357 (Acidic Ammo + Reflex/RDS)

• Keep this for precise ranged picks vs. Husks/Sirens or Heat‑resistant parts.

Skills (what to pick and why)

Passives

• Too Hot to Handle (Lv2): reactive flame burst on melee hit—great peel in tight quarters.
• Focus Fire (Lv8): you still need single‑target bite; this buffs Vulcan/DB direct hits.
• Slow Cook (Lv14): even your incidental ground‑fire Enfeebles; slows stacks with Panic.
• Hotfoot (or Red Zone) (Lv20): heal in flames, or pick Red Zone for occasional armor repair if you’re in the thick of it.
• Extinguisher (Lv26): reloading emits a Panic pulse; triple damage to burning targets but extinguishes them (note this briefly halts DoT—acceptable in a CC‑first plan).

Throwables

• Cocktail Party (Lv4): extends Panic duration on those hit by the initial blast.
• Capacity Increase (Lv10 & 22): throw more often.
• Out With a Bang (Lv16): double explosion damage for emergency clears (pairs well with Pulse Lure clumps).
• Asphyxiate (Lv28): molotov ground‑fire applies heavy Enfeeble per second—slows waves to a crawl.

Gadget — Wildfire

• Ready for Action (Lv6) → Footlights (Lv12) for the same reload+buff synergy.
• Triple Play (Lv18): three fireballs that apply Burn + Panic—perfect for opening a lane‑stun without committing to full Wildfire carpet.
• Blast Zone (Lv24): larger blast catches more ZEDs in Panic.
• Flammable Material (Lv30): you become a moving aura of Burn + Panic for 8s after Wildfire, plus a built‑in taunt with damage reduction if you pair with In the Public Eye situationally—excellent for peel or boss adds.

How to play it

1. Lead with CC, finish with precision. Open with Triple Play or Molotov (Cocktail Party) to Panic‑lock the pack, then land Vulcan charged shots into the densest pocket.
2. Reload deliberately. With Extinguisher, reloads are micro‑stuns; time a reload as enemies breach your buffer to proc Panic, then backpedal through your ground‑fire (Hotfoot heals you).
3. Use Pulse Lures to stack the horde before your Panic tools hit—this massively increases CC uptime and clears.

“Hybrid for bosses” (one‑pager)

• Boss waves favor direct hits over DoT. If your lobby lacks boss killers, keep most of your CC picks but swap one or two choices to Focus Fire (if you didn’t take it) and lean on Vulcan TA single‑fire/charged shots. This is the current high‑efficiency approach for large ZEDs and bosses.

Wave‑by‑wave shopping & economy tips

• Early (W1–2): Use IR‑50 Brimstone starter + Pyre .357 to pop weak points (Husk tanks, Bloat heads). Headshots matter, and Pyre has top ballistic base damage for a sidearm; mod Pyre with Acidic Ammo early if you can.
• First buy: Dragon’s Breath with White Phosphorus—this lets you contribute hard to wave clear while saving for M7 (DoT build) or Vulcan (CC/hybrid).
• Tools: Firebug burns ammo quickly; Ammo Bag is S‑tier. If your team is ammo‑stable, Pulse Lure clumps waves for cheaper kills; Multi‑Tool opens Turrets/Armor lockers to save resources through the run.

Team synergy & etiquette

• Commando/Sharpshooter loves you when you keep packs Panic‑locked and Enfeebled so they can chain weak‑point hits.
• Engineer turrets plus your Pulse Lure turn tight corners into shredders; open Turrets with Multi‑Tool if you’re not hogging Ammo Bags.
• Don’t blind your team: walls of fire can obscure sight lines; even Game8 flags Firebug as “B‑tier for squads” because fires can cause team problems—stagger your carpets and call your Wildfire.

Common mistakes to avoid

1. Enraging big ZEDs too early. Don’t set Scrakes/Fleshpounds on fire before your team is ready to commit.
2. Standing outside your own carpet. With Footlights/Red Carpet/Hotfoot, inside the fire is where your damage and sustain are highest.
3. Forgetting reload tech. With Extinguisher, reloads are CC pulses—use them proactively at chokepoints.

Why these picks are future‑proof (patch‑friendly thinking)

• They hinge on mechanics (Burn duration/stacking, Panic windows, Enfeeble slows, Wildfire uptime) rather than a single overtuned number. Even if weapon tuning shifts, DoT stacking + CC layering will always be valuable for lane control—especially on higher difficulties and low‑visibility maps. And you can always pivot to Vulcan TA for bosses without abandoning your control kit.

3 micro‑play drills to cement the builds

1. Panic chain: Pulse Lure → Molotov (Cocktail Party) → Triple Play → step into carpet (Footlights/Red Carpet) → Vulcan charged shot at the apex.
2. Denial triangle: Molotov behind the choke, Wildfire at the choke, M7/DB between both—forces pathing through overlapping DoT.
3. Reload pulse peel: Let clots close, reload (Extinguisher Panic), backpedal through your fire (Hotfoot heal), re‑engage.

Alternate Loadout Variants (quick swaps)

• Safer DoT: swap Double Feature → From the Ashes (self‑revive on Wildfire).
• More burst in CC build: Blast Zone instead of Hot Streak if you’re not securing many nearby kills.
• Budget waves: If you can’t reach M7/Vulcan yet, Ifrit primary is a workable DoT‑leaning alternative with Heat primary and chunky close‑range output.

Final word

Firebug isn’t just “spray fire and pray” anymore. With Scorched Earth and Panic Maestro you’ll either own lanes with layered DoT or play conductor, freezing the crowd in place with Panic and Enfeeble while your team deletes priorities. Slot the right mods, place your carpets smartly, and let the ZEDs cook—literally.