User blog comment:BorosPaladin/Josiah, the Hand of Flame/@comment-9713132-20121010121123/@comment-218.188.3.117-20121011064259

Now that I've reviewed the calculation I made, the error in forgetting to take the halved amount was what led me to the wrong conclusion.

But yes, I see where you're getting at - trading damage for range, and as such, survivability and risk. Apologies for the mis-calculations, but it's seems like the balance of simple 'weigh the damage and the risks' is working.