Path of Exile

Now i'm worried.
They buffed the new lightning skills by a crazy amount compared to what they'd shown before.

Lightning conduit went from -> to
1842 top end -> 2359
10% more / 5% shock -> 15% more/5 shock
5% crit -> 6% crit
26 mana -> 16 mana

POB updated except for some shit like skill gems unfortunately. The crit minion node is a bit underwhelming, but with new minion mod items should be fine, especially with new spirit offering.

Melee used to be OP because Fortify. Then casters got Fortify easily so they nerfed Fortify. Then they nerfed it again. This basically led to the downfall of melee as a decent build because a lot more mechanics are instant get-out-or-die and ranged can just BE ranged and be fine. Melee have to dodge it. Melee can still do insane dps, but most of it is elemental conversion type shit so pure phys, ESPECIALLY IMPALE, are basically non-viable for late-late game.

If you want to still blast red maps and non-Ubers melee is still completely fine. Flicker is great for clear, but the fucking worst for bosses unless you hit some 30mdps threshold or something. I played Flicker during Incursion league because I thought it would be good for temple clearing and incursions. Fun fact, the Omnitect at the end of the temple has a PURE DEGEN in its DIRECT CENTER and will fucking own flicker strike characters that don't have good regen + leech. That was when I knew Melee was not the way for bossing. Slammers are still good, but you gotta do warcry setups and it's hard to actually consider them melee as you use most of them from a decent range.

Trickster CI melee will absolutely be viable though. A LOT of survivability built in for that setup.

Edit: beaten

I still don't agree that the problem is 'melee'. The good melee skills are still used frequently. Lightning Strike is still among the most used skills, Spectral Helix is ranged but it's scaling the same way and spends most of its time in melee anyway. The issue is that these skills shotgun and most melee skills don't. While Cleave got a damage buff to 260% effectiveness or whatever it was, it's competing with skills that have that effectiveness and hit 2-4 times. Most melee skills are literally half the damage as the skills that get used. Melee as a playstyle is fine, melee skills are just dogshit.

They need to re-design the gems. Half the melee skills have no flavor anymore. If we look at what's probably the 3rd (ok, 4th, but Molten Strike just doesn't get used because the top 2 are better) best melee skill, Boneshatter, it has the cleave type effectiveness then special mechanics with the gem that scales a lot of the difference between it and the top skills. Sweep doesn't only need 280% effectiveness, it needs to do something like 100% more damage to knockbacked enemies as a starting point. Cleave should be a dual wield skill that hits for the full damage of both weapons.

Deathwing said:

Damn, I was hoping for a repeat of Absolution and Reaper starts to 3.15.

Damage was looking fine, assuming you could reliably automate the shocks. Which is a lot easier said than done, so maybe the damage buffs are for the "intended" way of 1-2 playstyle *barf*.

That said, you're still just playing a targeted AoE skill. There's a reason no one play hit-based Hexblast, and it's not because of the damage. The AoE is going to be nutty large on that skill or Impulsa will be required.

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I'm telling you, stormbrand in thunderfists! Easy like ~2m damage storm brand to clear maps with, and can just spam conduit on anything that doesn't immediately die with 2x brands constantly shocking it.

Then use an annihilating light and laugh at your PoB numbers.

Only real question is can you get enough shock effect as an inquis? Or do you have to go elementalist and be super squishy.

Granted i only finished act 5 but wanted to try to level with lightning skills again because it's been alot of arma brand lately.

Gotta say the lightning masteries are crazy, and you can get them so fast...Makes for a comfy run so far with oos and SB mines and hopefully conduit will only be better

Deathwing said:

Have you played brands since they made it return to its cast/recall location after detaching? Are you gem swapping chain for bosses?

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I doubt I'd even use brand recall anymore. Just play it like arma brand and cast new brands everywhere as needed.

Only thing I'm not really sure on is actual shock effect on inquis. I really don't wanna go elementalist cause they suck, but I'm afraid inquis isn't gonna be hitting max shocks vs shaper etc even with it being a crit setup.

Doubly bummed about this release to be honest. With the removal of Frostferno, my build is dead: Ele Hit totems. Even ballista is missing Demise (although there is a new quiver to replace it so that might be ok).

On top of that, I'm going to miss the release weekend as Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Poison, and Joan Jett are playing in San Antonia the 21st and I've got tickets so gonna be out all weekend :/

I guess I "get" to wait to see what is OP before starting.. or just play something like ED or maybe something simple like arc mines/traps.

Do you have a PoB on that one DW? You've mentioned it before, would be curious to look at it

Alpha nerds are reporting that all non-hit forms of shock have a 4s cooldown for re-application now - skitterbots, necro corpses, prolifs from shocking yourself with maligaros, etc.

Looks like they are really forcing you to apply shocks manually and play conduit similar to BF+BB.

I don't see why new corpses wouldn't work, but again that's just BF+BB or DD etc.

I'm totally fine with having a shock skill plus conduit for big single target, but everyone trying to automate the shocks is really in for a rough time.

Can you layer a couple different automated shocks and then have each apply with a four second cooldown to reapplication? You're dropping shocking ground while also having skitterbots while Storm's Gift is leaving shocked corpses?

Poison Animate Weapon boys unite!