Balance Manifesto Recap and Implications to Leaguestart
As y'all know balance manifesto for Expedition was just released, I'll list the changes shorthand and throw in my impressions about my approach to the new league. I'd be glad if you did the same too!
- Skill gems reworked, multipliers are systematically adjusted so that highest multipliers will have other downsides restrictions and vice versa.
- Controlled Destruction now Less Crit Chance.
- Bow and Traps were kept relatively the same.
- Some (relative) melee gem buffs, seismic cry gutted.
- Archmage took a big hit.
- Flasks reworked, charge gain and Adrenaline mod nerfed.
- Diamond flask changed to %100 increased crit chance.
- Consec Ground no longer gives crit chance.
- Ailment immunity for Ele and Inq removed, for Raider nerfed. Harder to cap overall.
- Poison buffed with %50 more. Assassin and to a smaller extent PF poison nodes nerfed.
- Endgame Bosses now have lower ailment thresholds.
- Trigger effects now cost mana
- Flame Dash, Smoke mine, Dash, Second Wind nerfed.
- Fortify effect mods nerfed.
- DoT multiplier cluster jewels nerfed. DoT multiplier now a suffix mod.
- Veiled mods and aisling slam nerfed.
- Fire Burst & Hollow Palm nerfed.
- Ele golem nodes nerfed.
- Raider onslaught nerfed.
Thoughts:
- Archmage had it coming for a while now.
- Really harsh nerfs to popular mobility skills. Melee unaffected mostly due to leap slam, whirling etc.
- Reap triggers now gain stacks!
- PF Poison looking real juicy right now considering the nerf to its ascendancy node is insignificant and flasks are more scarce now.
- Traps might be finally good?
- Might also play a strike leaguestarter, (Lightning strike or glacial hammer), but need to see the numbers on the melee support gems.
Right now the starters I have in my mind are GH Slayer, Shield Crush Bleed Glad and some kind of trap into Blade Trap Sabo.