While the firebirds set was considered over-the-top when it was nerfed, it was fun compared to it’s prior incarnations because for the first time, mirror images were not something you ‘might’ use while you were climbing to 70 in the season then discard. Then - never use them again.
I am sure they can be useful in some set. Personally, and it is only my opinion, FB’s has resorted back to a “Nah, I’ll choose something else” again and is almost uninteresting to play.
Mirrorbird needs to come back. While the Images had some issues, this build was one of the select few builds I really enjoyed playing. I’m still pissed that it got axed completely instead of simply reigning it in. I want a working wizard pet build. But they won’t do it… because that would mean admitting they made a mistake by removing it.
As for me… I’m using Firebird with Energy Twister, Wicked Wind. So, basically I simply ignore the Firebird (6) Combustion mechanic and use the set simply for the 5000% damage buff and Teleport unlock, since it allows me to use all Twister items. It would be very nice if it was possible to have access to both, the Wicked Wind and Gale Force runes concurrently.
Another option I would like to see is Explosive Blast build. Based on a mechanic that allows Wand of Wok extra Blasts to trigger the set. And make Explosive Blast remotely detonate on every burning target. And by burning I mean either through the Firebird set, through the Conflagration passive or whatever else deals Fire damage over time.
Explosive Blast would also need the Short Fuse rune and Chain reaction runes granted by some new legendary, and the explosion radius increased. That would be nice.
There are other skills that might be usable, if they get item support. Like Wave of Force, Heat Wave. But for that to work, it needs a lot of Oomph. For instance the skill needs its AP costs reduced by at least 80%, it has to attack 200% faster (or without any kind of cast animation)… or release a barrage of shock waves, similar to how Explosive Blast triggers multiple times with Woh.
The Firebird MI was overpowered but I also think it was unnecessary to completely kill it. All it would’ve needed was MI to gain only a portion of the FB 6p bonus rather the full bonus other fire skills could have.
MI triggering the set FB-6 bonuses was always unintended, however, it WORKED, and so it was left in awhile.
Unintended or not, many people myself included found it fun. Resorting back to the usual expected and nerfed mechanics not dissimilar to many other builds turned a fun build back into a ho-hum build.
Never cared for the MI version, but had a hydra version I really enjoyed and it just got nuked by proxy.
That terminology unfortunately might be the most accurate description of all, with almost every build that has shown any form of large damage potential.