Warrior Slam and Basic Attack OP/Broken AF

[Beta Ray Shill]

Decided to test the warrior - SSF, no trading, no build guide, no crafting beyond weapon runes, same shared stash as the sorc, merc and ranger I tested with.

Well it looks like the ‘get gud’ keyboard warriors are also POE2 warriors as well - because it’s clear now this is the ‘turn your brain off’ class.

The slam and especially the basic attack are so OP that bosses are shredded with even just basic magic weapons. By the time I got to Ekbab and Iktab, I was one-shotting the big shield guys (without even removing the shield) and the boss fight itself was just me swinging the basic attack until the were annihilated.

And I thought the ranger was OP as she was shredding through these bosses compared to the sorc - but the warrior can’t even let them begin the fight!

Basic attack and slam need a massive nerf. There’s no point in even playing the game the way they are now.

Superficially, the shield attacks and totems etc add strategy but there’s never an opportunity to use them since slam and basic are so overtuned.

The ‘fire molten rocks’ attack is a joke - doesn’t even do damage from what I can tell.

The ‘boneshatter’ - had it equipped, never once saw the indicator during stun. Then of course they all just died in one shot to slam/basic attack.

Armour attack - bugged if you add the ‘25% speed enhancement’: it gets stuck repeating it until you remove the speed gem.

---

Geonor

Warrior - 2:22min (laughable - I don’t think the boss even got to use the ice rain attack)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuvb47oqZXg
Ranger - 5:18min (thought he had about 10% too much HP but otherwise seemed normal difficulty)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhweuUu4io0

Ekbab and Iktab

Warrior - 1:14min (started trying to use skills, then just went ‘face-tank’ with the basic attack because what’s the point in thinking with this guy?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_TWO8QxSKc
Sorc - 4:19min (seems like a normal game that requires thinking and allows the boss to use all mechanics)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IC-ViGU2-M
Merc - 2:43 (thought he was slightly OP here)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EohpiK3UXdw

Draven

Warrior - 0:44min (perfect mindlessness)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTZwEwoDHWk
Ranger - 1:24min (thought she was OP here but nothing like the warrior)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REOgkXFK5GQ

Asina

Warrior - 0:38min (with just a basic magic weapon????)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsXrEdUWq5E
Ranger - 1:44min (again, thought was obviously OP versus the sorc on the same but clearly not!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA0o_Y6LNJ8

Rudja

Warrior - 1:05min (this boss fight actually caused tons of deaths with the other classes, esp as she was ‘allowed’ to do her explosion attack several times over the fight - here? What can you say…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8QuExtna28

[dynatierchen]

Originally posted by Beta Ray Shill:

Originally posted by Ding Chavez:

That's a lot of work for a nonsense post :zaglol:

Not as much work as this video of me one-shotting everything with the easy-mode OP AF warrior's basic attack...on Act 2's final levels...with the same weapons I had in Act 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ5EjI9_nps
Maybe try reading first 'git gudder' - because nonsense is what people talk when they don't do that.

Truth is in, guess what, videos.

Crazy isn't is.

youre not nearly oneshotting everything in this video xDDDDDDD did u watch the footage urself at all ?! XDDDDDDD

[sanjuro]

Originally posted by Kashra Fall:

Originally posted by Beta Ray Shill:

Not as much work as this video of me one-shotting everything with the easy-mode OP AF warrior's basic attack...on Act 2's final levels...with the same weapons I had in Act 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ5EjI9_nps
Maybe try reading first 'git gudder' - because nonsense is what people talk when they don't do that.

Truth is in, guess what, videos.

Crazy isn't is.

I too think I am super powerful at the start of act 2, using a maul that I got in the end of act 2 (Because cultist is not from act 1.) amped up to 118 damage and one shotting (Sometimes) my enemies. When in actuality, you'd clear faster/more enemies with armorbreak and bone shatter. Kind of puts the basic attack to shame for anything except bosses. Bosses is hammer of the gods/sunder/armor break/perfect strike.

the basic attack however is so great for clearing mobs
to some degree it's because of the cultist greathammer, and having aoe increase, the aoe support gem, etc.

[Kashra Fall]

Originally posted by sanjuro:

Originally posted by Kashra Fall:

I too think I am super powerful at the start of act 2, using a maul that I got in the end of act 2 (Because cultist is not from act 1.) amped up to 118 damage and one shotting (Sometimes) my enemies. When in actuality, you'd clear faster/more enemies with armorbreak and bone shatter. Kind of puts the basic attack to shame for anything except bosses. Bosses is hammer of the gods/sunder/armor break/perfect strike.

the basic attack however is so great for clearing mobs
to some degree it's because of the cultist greathammer, and having aoe increase, the aoe support gem, etc.

It's cultist and herald. That's why it is great, but boneshatter has inherent shockwave+the support gem+herald and it just blows up entire rooms, not small sections. Hence why it is so used.

[Beta Ray Shill]

Originally posted by dynatierchen:

youre not nearly oneshotting everything in this video xDDDDDDD did u watch the footage urself at all ?! XDDDDDDD

Is this guy blind?

0:02: 1 shots 6 enemies with the basic attack
0:16: same theme continued
0:21: high health vulture things taken out in 1 shot
0:23: a comedy of 1 shotness
0:26: I actually just did the leap shot for a change to shake things up...guess what? It 1 shotted them

LOL.

I mean, think before you write mate.

[Detergent]

Act 2 final zone/boss.
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2324928423

Warrior is easy.
I just fling myself at enemies with zero care in the world and they pop. Bosses, I can't be bothered to dodge. Too busy channeling my skill.
All I did was do what everyone said not to do... put all my points into armor. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Ghost | Severage]

Originally posted by wulfster42:

Originally posted by Jet Uppercut:

Monk is stronger than Warrior. By a LOT. I actually got bored because with the +2 to strike range node near Merc Flurry can just clear through the entire campaign by itself without anything touching you.

Not true, Q-staff is stronger....that is 100% true. Warrior/titan is better at q-staff in every way than a monk (either ascendency). Try it. Seriously. You got bored you say? Try doing that with 10x the damage (no joke).

Warrior nodes are insanely strong for attack/two handed/physical damage. You also have rage nodes right there to add MORE damage multiplier. You hit all the req stats way easier and you just freeze the entire screen with ice strike and herald blows everything up.

The diff between a titan (who not only gets all the above but ALSO gets 50% more for all small nodes (which is how you end up with 10x the damage), crushing blow (heavy stun anything prepped for it...basically heavy stunning twice as fast) and 40% MORE damage vs heavy stunned enemies, is just insane.

Forget end game, tons of chars get overpowered by end game. A Titan q-staff user (or like I was going q-staff in 1 weapon slot, bow in other) is overpowered by act 1 and never stops killing everything before it can hit you.

That's something I've seen too in the warrior part of the passive tree. Its absolutely insane how many high % damage nodes there are compared to the entire rest of the passive tree. It's ridiculous. I bet my q-staff monk would be even more broken if only half of those dmg nodes were near the starting position of the monk.

I feel like witch/sorc are the 2 weakest classes since there's almost nothing of value in their starting position of the tree and I absolutely disliked the sorc as my first character. I hate the early game skills. Rerolled monk and blasted through the campaign into high end game, campaign bosses died within mere seconds. Same with poison ranger, its absolutely overtuned tbh and the easiest class so far. I bet warrior is even worse compared to ranger/monk with all those dmg nodes lol.

Though I have to admit, the two handed mace skills are absolute trash. Tried them and disliked every single one of the skills, slow, boring and way to small aoe even on the biggest aoe skills.

[sanjuro]

Originally posted by Kashra Fall:

Originally posted by sanjuro:

the basic attack however is so great for clearing mobs
to some degree it's because of the cultist greathammer, and having aoe increase, the aoe support gem, etc.

It's cultist and herald. That's why it is great, but boneshatter has inherent shockwave+the support gem+herald and it just blows up entire rooms, not small sections. Hence why it is so used.

yeah i used basic attack + boneshatter for so long, and perfect strike on bosses or tougher enemies

[wulfster42]

Ghost,

Yeah honestly nothing is as easy as a warrior start using q-staff. Toss in bow in your other weapon slot for ice salvo, snipe and basic ranged attack (instead of doing stun buildup with your staff.

Because off titan you even get defense more defense/eshield through hulking form.

Monk starting position is actually the worst by far, because there are so few damage nodes and you are as far away as possible from the warrior. Merc and even witch/sorc can get to the damage nodes. Ranger and monk are the two that pretty much can't and they pay for it.

Ranger at least has deadeye that is a very good ascension, so still rocks, but monk? Neither monk ascension compensates for it's starting position on the tree. The only thing both of them have going for them is a FREAKTON of dex, accuracy (and because of them attack speed) and easy access to acrobatics and the avasion nodes to make it work.

I love/d deadey, was my first character to finish cruel act 3 and get to end game, but most of that is because bow is just so strong (and tailwind...gotta love tailwind). That being said you can at least double if not tripple the damage of bow skills as a titan compared to a deadeye, and....well, the best defense is just to kill everything before it can hit you. Titan has that covered.

Also it's so versatile, you can rock as a Titan with any 2 attack types, mace/staff staff/bow, xbow/spells, minions/bow etc.

Most other ascensions are more focused around one type of attack or another (not all, blood mage is slightly better with spells but works with everything, witch hunter is good with anything etc).

Merc can get over to the yummy damage nodes, but you won't have the eshield at all, probably the worst starting position for eshield in fact. Biggest problem with merc (and the awesome witch hunter ascension) is defenses, but....you can get so much damage on a merc and have such clear speed due to Zelous, that nothing hurts you really so it doesn't matter. Just make sure you use a bow on your merc primary, hit all the damage nodes (Attack/two handed/physical) over by warrior, and just use an xbow in alt weapon slot for Plasma + emergency ammo.

That sets you up along with Decimating strike, to kill all bosses before they attack, and blow up the entire screen of enemies before they can attack as well.

Titan/Witch hunter/blood mage/Stormweaver are pretty much the best ascensions in my experience. Other ascensions vary in usefulness (like deadeye is still pretty good) but they don't quite make the cut. Those 4 can all be insanely strong, and usually are by the time you get your first ascension if not before that.

[sanjuro]

wulfster, about your quarterstaff warrior build, do you basically pick dex on all the small attribute nodes to get it to +200?

[Mirror Force]

laughable. Any bow build barrage + snipe one shot almost every boss from act1 to cruel act3 with garbage gear, yet you crying like a baby warrior is broken with a 2min+ kill video.

First day got on the internet?

[wulfster42]

Originally posted by sanjuro:

wulfster, about your quarterstaff warrior build, do you basically pick dex on all the small attribute nodes to get it to +200?

It's a mix of dex and int pretty much, prioratize dex on equipment as well. You need NO strength nodes at all, not even one (I mean basic nodes). You get 24 strength from the 8 strength nodes and 25 strength from the keystone on the way to getting your 2 rage generation per hit. You also get 12% increased strength from the two small 4% strength (6% with hulking form) nodes in your ascension. Then you get the 10 strength as part of 3 keystones along the way as well. That alone nets you more strength than you will need for gems/equipment.

Int is mostly (but not all the way) covered by the 2 8 int (12) and 1 25 int nodes over by the large eshield increases. You still need a bit more int to cover your Q-staff reqs but don't need many from your attribute nodes.

That gives you about 31 total attribute nodes by end game, or about 150 dex, meaning you still need about 60 from stats all together. The int can usually be covered iwth +all stat bonuses, meaning it's just pure dex you need from equipment, and more to the point you need about the same amount as anyone else who puts all their attribute nodes into dex.

STR is totally covers. Int....can be....pretty easy between the nodes (you want the 60% increased eshield node that is right above it and the 2 15% base eshield small nodes (that become 22% for you due to hulking) anyway, so your not going out of your way.

Didn't really have a problem with stats at all, mainly due to hulking and having both int and strength nodes fairly close to warrior (and in the direction I was heading anyway).

Main focus is damage.....damage nodes (melee/attack/two handed/physical) are a prioraty and there are freakton of em. In addition you wanna pump up the rage, you can get to 53 I think it is, but dropping the duration rage nodes saves you some skill points and you only lose 4 max rage (that is what I do). That is a more multiplier (From rage) and works in combo with all your damage nodes to make you just destroy everything.

Secondary focus is armor/eshield (primarily eshield but the armor % increases eshield regen significantly). Pretty much protects you from all off the screen attacks. You freeze and demolish anything you see, but sometimes things can attack you before you see them.

Hulking form ends up adding ALOT of defense because you get something like 10 or so 12% eshield/armor nodes, a few pure armor nodes and a few pure eshield nodes, and all of them are boosted by 50% (effectively making it like you have 15 of the eshield/armor nodes, and 6 instead of 4 of the small eshield nodes (think you get 2 15% armor nodes along the path to a keystone...so that is like having 3 of em.

Anyway focus on dex primarily, but you will need int until near end game when you get up to the int nodes. I had it on my leveling equipment anyway, so it wasn't a problem. Rings are really good for having stats in a pinch (usually have elemental rings of various flavors with stats on them as needed for leveling).

[wiseguytoo]

just play the game will you.. this game is IN THE EA STATE. come on....

[wulfster42]

Monk sadly (Starting point) has to take nodes for strength and int because of it's position. At least it does have dex nodes to help, but it can actually be harder for a monk to get to the 212 req than a warrior because of the need of other stats (from base attribute nodes). Monk needs int, but doesn't get much from keystones or nodes near it's start point. Monk DEF needs strength for support gems, but again, very little strength from keystones or nodes.

Warrior gets 100+ free strength and 49 free int on the tree (without having to go out of it's basic path at all, literally 3 nodes for the 49 int and 6 nodes for the 100+ strength.

Monk/ranger meanwhile can get dex and it's not far out of it's way, but doesn't get the hulking form bonus for small 8 dex nodes, can't get as big of a % increase in total dex (warrior can actually get alot more strength btw, you can take 12 str -5% mana nodes, 3 of them, still not out of the way at all (you pass by them to get the +max rage nodes), for another 54 strength, and nearby is another 5% max strength node. You totally don't need it to use q-staff/bow though.

[sanjuro]

cool, it's nice to see a warrior build that's different than the typical ones

[Catastrophe]

Originally posted by Beta Ray Shill:

The ‘fire molten rocks’ attack is a joke - doesn’t even do damage from what I can tell.

Wtf are you talking about? You can one-shot mobs and those behind them with that.