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Hamburger Test
Jul 2, 2007

Sure hope this works!

Ekster posted:

Poison Arrow got buffed to 37% at level 1 so it might be good for leveling now coupled with the low level bow buff.
That's true, I did notice that and then forgot about it again. With both an aoe and single target fire and forget skill, it might be decent.

Ekster posted:

I personally don't understand why Tornado Shot got buffed by 10%. It's been amazing since day one, especially because it works so well for both single target and AoE.
I agree - completely unnecessary, likewise with the 10% for LA. I hope Blast Rain proves good and fun, but if not I know I have fall backs that are going to be even better than they are now.

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Vasudus
May 30, 2003
LA is going to be my fallback build if caster doesn't work out.

I'm going acrobatics because I loving hate pure health/es builds, the last few casters I did were all big punching bags of health and I think that greatly contributed to my overall dislike of casters since 2.0.

Ekster
Jul 18, 2013

My personal experience with an EB/MoM/ZO caster build is that it generally works well until a very hard hitting boss shits all over your MoM ES if you can't kill it relatively quickly. I was crit shock nova which has underwhelming single target so I had to run around and 'wait' until my ES recharged when faced with hard hitting, tanky bosses and rares. This was with full endurance and frenzy charges up + blood dance boots + all the good life regen nodes near Witch and Templar in a 5L set-up with about 1.3-1.5k ES.

It's probably a lot better with spells that have good single target and it's a lot cheaper and easier to set up than before the EB rework but I don't like having a system that kind of breaks down in an annoying way when you need it the most. I'd only play another caster build this league if I'm sure it has good single target damage.

Vasudus
May 30, 2003
I'm a big fan of EB + Ghost Reaver and reserving 100% mana on auras. Needs a crapton of leech though so it only works for a few builds. I did it on my reaver and it was amazing.

Larry Parrish
Jul 9, 2012

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
Essence Drain looks like it will be badass, on top of the leech effect probably making it a little bit easier to stay alive... I might be playing like my 4th Intelligence Witch this league

AegisP
Oct 5, 2008
There sure are an infuriating number of Jewel slots efficiently (ie- no wasted, hanging +10s) next to 40, but not 50, primary stats for the purpose of Threshold.

Dirt
May 26, 2003

So even with the lower level nerfing to Fire totem, it should still be fairly useful, right? I am sorta new, and switched my level 30-something Witch I had on standard from forever ago when I first tried this game, over to a Fire Totem build and enjoyed it.

Thinking of rolling a Templar Fire totem build, but possibly switching to SRS/Zombies in the late 50's on the new Talisman thing.


Is dual fire totem viable for super late game stuff? My Witch on standard is level 66 or so, and I have basically wrecked everything I have came across, currently in Act 3 of Merciless. I want to know if the dual fire totem thing still works later than that, like for maps and stuff. Or should I definitely transition to SRS/Zombies?

nearly killed em!
Aug 5, 2011

The only thing you'll have trouble with is staying awake.

NecroMonster
Jan 4, 2009

Yeah. Dual totems is boring. I had A dual crit shock nova totem scion in warbands and a) I still needed to use the drat flame totems at least half of the time because the shock totems just didn't scale as well and b) it was sooo boring.

NecroMonster fucked around with this message at 19:38 on Dec 10, 2015

Holyshoot
May 6, 2010

Dirt posted:

So even with the lower level nerfing to Fire totem, it should still be fairly useful, right? I am sorta new, and switched my level 30-something Witch I had on standard from forever ago when I first tried this game, over to a Fire Totem build and enjoyed it.

Thinking of rolling a Templar Fire totem build, but possibly switching to SRS/Zombies in the late 50's on the new Talisman thing.


Is dual fire totem viable for super late game stuff? My Witch on standard is level 66 or so, and I have basically wrecked everything I have came across, currently in Act 3 of Merciless. I want to know if the dual fire totem thing still works later than that, like for maps and stuff. Or should I definitely transition to SRS/Zombies?

Flame totem got better late game and nerfed early game but still good for leveling. Or so the experts say.

NecroMonster
Jan 4, 2009

It's also slow. No matter how powerful and safe it is, it's not going to clear as fast as more active builds.

Holyshoot
May 6, 2010

NecroMonster posted:

It's also slow. No matter how powerful and safe it is, it's not going to clear as fast as more active builds.

Ya but if your build doesn't work right until 60+ isn't flame totem the best setup to go for with using passives that dont support it?

Also this reddit post is good. This is us when patch notes come out and we are waiting for a new league.

https://i.imgur.com/6yB3QZa.webm

Nezkar
Nov 6, 2012
Is vaal spark still the same? I saw the hit to chill of corruption, but that doesn't even seem that bad.

I kinda wanted to try and start from templar so I could have one to test with inquisitor w/ ascensions but it just feels like too many points to grab some skill duration and all the crit multis.

Dirt
May 26, 2003

I must be weird, I don't find dual flame totem that boring.

I have limited experience with other builds though. I played a Ranger to like level 45 when the game first came out, and I felt like I died all the drat time. I never die with the flame totem Witch :D
A big Marauder 2H build seems cool too. Maybe Ill try a cyclone build?

Ekster
Jul 18, 2013

Dirt posted:

I must be weird, I don't find dual flame totem that boring.

I have limited experience with other builds though. I played a Ranger to like level 45 when the game first came out, and I felt like I died all the drat time. I never die with the flame totem Witch :D
A big Marauder 2H build seems cool too. Maybe Ill try a cyclone build?

Both dual flame and shockwave totem are strong builds. Cyclone is one of the best skills in the game at the moment so that's a good choice too.

Dirt
May 26, 2003

One more dumb question: Everyone is going to start on Hardcore in the new league right? Do you guys keep playing that character even after you die and get kicked down to non-hardcore? Or do you reroll?

Vasudus
May 30, 2003

Dirt posted:

One more dumb question: Everyone is going to start on Hardcore in the new league right? Do you guys keep playing that character even after you die and get kicked down to non-hardcore? Or do you reroll?

Probably 85% of us are on league softcore, and those that die in league hardcore will likely reroll.

AegisP
Oct 5, 2008
Reroll. Either you die early enough where rerolling costs little time at all, or you've assembled enough leveling uniques/currency to make subsequent characters much easier to progress.

Budgie
Mar 9, 2007
Yeah, like the bird.

Dirt posted:

One more dumb question: Everyone is going to start on Hardcore in the new league right? Do you guys keep playing that character even after you die and get kicked down to non-hardcore? Or do you reroll?

If you play the hardcore league you get kicked out to Standard when you die. Not the softcore version of the league, default garbage collection Standard.

Ekster
Jul 18, 2013

Here is a good guide on how to speed level. It shows how to reach Cruel in under 2 hours on a fresh character in the 2.0 meta. Optimal strats change with new leagues, ofcourse, but the general principles are always the same. He explains all the important stuff in about the first 30 minutes so you don't have to watch the whole video.

dangerdoom volvo
Nov 5, 2009
Big new patch is the perfect chance to play hc bc when u die its just a chance to try some other weird new thing

Dirt
May 26, 2003

Budgie posted:

If you play the hardcore league you get kicked out to Standard when you die. Not the softcore version of the league, default garbage collection Standard.

Ohhh I did not realize that. I thought it kicked you to softcore of the league!
Thanks for clearing that up !


Ok then I am rolling on the softcore versions haha

funmanguy
Apr 20, 2006

What time is it?

Dirt posted:

One more dumb question: Everyone is going to start on Hardcore in the new league right? Do you guys keep playing that character even after you die and get kicked down to non-hardcore? Or do you reroll?

Hahahahahahahahahahaha.

No, most players in the guild play Softcore. Rodent/TheRat is the chief denmother for all your hardcore interests though, but there are a lot of helpful goons on both HC and SC.

TheRat
Aug 30, 2006

mother comessssss

funmanguy
Apr 20, 2006

What time is it?

TheRat posted:

mother comessssss

Its like beetlejuice, except you just say it once.

GUYS!

LESS THAN 1 DAY UNTIL NEW PATCH DROPS.

funmanguy fucked around with this message at 22:47 on Dec 10, 2015

MMF Freeway
Sep 15, 2010

Later!
I always think whatever the new league is will finally be the league that I roll in HC but it never happens. I always end up dying once in cruel for one reason or another so I don't think I'm cut out for it anyways.

funmanguy
Apr 20, 2006

What time is it?

voltron lion force posted:

I always think whatever the new league is will finally be the league that I roll in HC but it never happens. I always end up dying once in cruel for one reason or another so I don't think I'm cut out for it anyways.

I don't think it's about being cut out for it. Play what you have most fun playing. If you enjoy the way you need to play in order to be successful in HC, then do it man.

MMF Freeway
Sep 15, 2010

Later!
The HC playstyle seems fun, rerolling all the time cause I'm bad at it does not.

funmanguy
Apr 20, 2006

What time is it?

voltron lion force posted:

The HC playstyle seems fun, rerolling all the time cause I'm bad at it does not.

From what I can tell from seeing people in the guild play nothing but HC, death is just a part of playing. Like watching a really good movie with a poo poo ending, it doesn't matter because the journey was what was most important to that player. Like, I think I've seen Rat mad about a death once, it wasnt even when he was rank 4 on the HC ladder. Seemed like he just shrugged, and opened a blank tree to think of a new character.

Also, I am not like that. I enjoy dying in poe. I love yoloing strongboxes, or seeing just how much a reflect map will hurt, etc. It was fun for me, to throw my corpse at the Desert Boss right after 2.0 came out. I didn't even get the kill, just -60%XP.

RosaParksOfDip
May 11, 2009
At higher levels, dying in softcore sucks a bunch too as the xp penalties can get rough. So you could always just play to that if you don't like the idea of having to start over on death. I know I would personally gouge my eyes out if I played hardcore as I generally dislike levels 1-20/30 depending on build.

Vasudus
May 30, 2003
I play recklessly until mapping then I try not to die. Unless I've just leveled, at which point yolo double reflect no regen ahoy

AegisP
Oct 5, 2008
Hey, sometimes you just have to fight Cruel Daresso having just transitioned over into your ES/life hybrid build, get him down to ~10% hp, not dodge his attacks and not TP out when your flasks are all empty thinking you can kill him before anything bad happens.

Bad things happened.

MMF Freeway
Sep 15, 2010

Later!
I like to pretend I'm playing HC in SC and then when I inevitably get my first death I just stop caring.

uhhhhahhhhohahhh
Oct 9, 2012

ABombpk posted:

I've always wanted to do a trapper but I hear the clear speed sucks and you end up quite squishy.

Any happy mediums out there? Maybe with the new chaos spells?

As an alternative, I love blowing poo poo up. For reference, I've only ever played cyclone, ice crash, and TS Archer.

These are the two I've came up with so far:
http://poeurl.com/tqq - BM IR with Energised Armour for about ~240% increased defences
http://poeurl.com/tET - Basically identical damage and HP but mana based and with MoM

Can't decide which one to do though. Both are around 200% life. For context the most damage you could realistically get from trap nodes prepatch was 140ish%. Plus the 76% or so Elemental from Shadow start, 28% for a chosen element and a bit of spell damage for like 260% total . Now you can get 281% from trap nodes plus 20% more throwing speed and 100% trigger radius and the 108% Ele and a bit of Spell damage so you're looking at around 400% in total. No room for crit though. In the previous patch my Lightning Trap was getting around 8k per projectile with LT - Multi - Trap and Mine - Chain, which is the best combo for clearing and the more enemies in a group the quicker they die. Single target can be bad early but the best thing I've found is just Fire Trap and Bear Trap, the Trap gem isn't worth it imo. I'm hoping the BM IR one will solve the trapper defence problems but worried about only 1.8% life regen and losing HP because the traps get up to 100 mana per throw at like level 17. Probably not worth doing an EE Trapper until the patch after with the new cold trap and cluster traps.

TheRat
Aug 30, 2006

AegisP posted:

Hey, sometimes you just have to fight Cruel Daresso having just transitioned over into your ES/life hybrid build, get him down to ~10% hp, not dodge his attacks and not TP out when your flasks are all empty thinking you can kill him before anything bad happens.

Bad things happened.

This is basically the first lesson of HC. Dont think. Know. And never fight anything remotely dangerous without flask charges.

dangerdoom volvo
Nov 5, 2009
Life without death is nothing

AegisP
Oct 5, 2008

TheRat posted:

This is basically the first lesson of HC. Dont think. Know. And never fight anything remotely dangerous without flask charges.

Yes, I was being exceptionally stupid that day.

Bugsy
Jul 15, 2004

I'm thumpin'. That's
why they call me
'Thumper'.


Slippery Tilde
HC is where the fun is. Just play safe and don't rush things. Kill mobs before picking up items.

There is usually a good amount of goons that start in HC but the number always drops off as the league goes on.

AegisP
Oct 5, 2008
It's going to be slightly amusing in this league where you might want to pickup a Talisman quickly in the middle of a pack so annoying mobs stop picking it back up and make your life a living hell.

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regulargonzalez
Aug 18, 2006
UNGH LET ME LICK THOSE BOOTS DADDY HULU ;-* ;-* ;-* YES YES GIVE ME ALL THE CORPORATE CUMMIES :shepspends: :shepspends: :shepspends: ADBLOCK USERS DESERVE THE DEATH PENALTY, DON'T THEY DADDY?
WHEN THE RICH GET RICHER I GET HORNIER :a2m::a2m::a2m::a2m:

I've played exclusively hardcore since the early days of Diablo 2, and I think there's a certain mindset that you have to have. It's not "trying never to die", it's "seeing how far you can get until you die", a subtle but important difference.

The make or break point for being a hc player is your first death. That first death, or first death of a fairly well advanced character, is a toughie and I'd guess it's where most people nope out of hardcore. If you can deal with that one, it becomes much easier to accept future deaths. And after awhile, softcore seems kind of pointless by comparison.

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