Mercenary skills

[Zenogs]

So not sure why devs even developed any skills for this class other then grenades and basic attack everything else is absolute trash. Would have been better if they made sword branch instead if this is best they managed XD Seriously Mashine guns skills deals 0 dmg, High end skills are all about falling from the sky randomly or need detonation. Why? For who? These kind of stupid ideas what ruined diablo all the dumb ass mechanics that nobody fcking asked for.

[Sloop]

Publicado originalmente por Antpile:

Publicado originalmente por Zenogs:

my normal shot is 3k dmg galvanic shard 300 XD it ain't much of discution XD

Sometimes you have to look past the math and actually try the thing. Galvanic shards looks like crazy low dps in the tooltips, but it's actually nutty dps. The thing is, the tool tip is doing the math based on hitting a single target with a single shard from each shot. But it's basically a lightning shotgun, so the closer something is, the more of those shards they are going to eat.

Just, trust me. Go use it. You'll see. Always try every skill in your main tree at least once, no matter what the tool tip might say; Or else you miss out on things like this, where a skill is MUCH better in practice than it is on paper.

It locks down an entire screen of enemies, they can't even move (with constant Shock and Electrocute procs), they just stand there and get blasted by herald of thunder and witchhunter aoe procs, so comfy to play (in T13 maps now)

a bit more fun than spamming grenades, since grenades have fuse timers and are a bit unreliable where they land, also annoying in tight corridoors or bridges (like in various Bog maps)

But overall, I do also feel that most merc skills are worthless, glad they're going to adress them and make them usable, now it's either grenades or galvanic builds (and I'm talking about endgame, everything works in campagin so it's irrelevant at that point)

[bean]

ppl can flame me if they want but i find mercs to be one of the strongest classes and BY FAR the most versatile class. Merc synergies are cheap and they stack in a way that you are not forced to completely pick one loadout and max it at the cost of every other loadout.

(looks at all the other specialist classes that are available)

When i started my merc I immediately realized that mercs are not a nuke, they are snipers with grenades. Their damage is not impressive but they don't have to be there to do damage. Sounds good to me!

Since then I built my merc around that idea and it works great. To each their own.

In my build, explosive shot is a COMPLETE waste of a skill slot. I already have tons of 'detonating' abilities and my nades are supported by GCD passives / gem supports. Armor piercing + HV shot requires SO LITTLE investment and yet remains a HUGE damage dealer for single targets / picking off annoying mobs. Literally 2 support gems and done.


THE SHOTTY
this thing is the best!
It will do whatever you want it to do to everyone it touches.

Go ahead, put whatever you want on it and then proceed to blast whatever you want all over everyone you want to. Ive had armor damage, ive had fire damage, ive had stuns, red gems, green gems, blue gems and right now i have it set up as a healing skill lol... the shotty gives no.... excuses.

[bean]

Its all about preferences and playstyles, all are valid if they are viable.

for example:

Publicado originalmente por Pliauskis:

a bit more fun than spamming grenades, since grenades have fuse timers and are a bit unreliable where they land, also annoying in tight corridoors or bridges (like in various Bog maps)

But overall, I do also feel that most merc skills are worthless, glad they're going to adress them and make them usable, now it's either grenades or galvanic builds (and I'm talking about endgame, everything works in campagin so it's irrelevant at that point)

I'm surprised by something like this since tight spaces, bridges and corridors are why i love mercs and grenades.

[Hormesis]

Publicado originalmente por bean:

Its all about preferences and playstyles, all are valid if they are viable.

for example:

Publicado originalmente por Pliauskis:

a bit more fun than spamming grenades, since grenades have fuse timers and are a bit unreliable where they land, also annoying in tight corridoors or bridges (like in various Bog maps)

But overall, I do also feel that most merc skills are worthless, glad they're going to adress them and make them usable, now it's either grenades or galvanic builds (and I'm talking about endgame, everything works in campagin so it's irrelevant at that point)

I'm surprised by something like this since tight spaces, bridges and corridors are why i love mercs and grenades.

same lol. creates a choke point. i hit enemies w/ contagion that spreads all my dots, which are significant. in small corridors where enemies are basically on top of them i can clear an entire section of a map with gas grenade+essence drain+contagion and all the support gems which add burning, main, amour break, decaying hex, despair, chaotic freeze, blind and hinder. i agree also with your early assessment that merc is incredibly versatile. depending on how you build him he can shine in different places. as a legionnaire i could just as easily pick up a staff and make a summoner build or become a melee KO champ. i'll be sticking with merc or possibly shadow/trickster at launch

edit: oh and he's getting buffed today lol. i can't wait to see how that turns out

[Sweetrollthief]

crossbow feels pretty bad until you get attack speed up. I played grenades build but didn't like it. switched to 100% physical damage with armour break and gave my rip wire ballista cc gems.

[Markierer]

Are you talking about end game or acts?

[5ean5ean]

Publicado originalmente por Markierer:

Are you talking about end game or acts?

Im 96% certain they mean Acts.

[Zenogs]

Publicado originalmente por Antpile:

Publicado originalmente por Zenogs:

my normal shot is 3k dmg galvanic shard 300 XD it ain't much of discution XD

Sometimes you have to look past the math and actually try the thing. Galvanic shards looks like crazy low dps in the tooltips, but it's actually nutty dps. The thing is, the tool tip is doing the math based on hitting a single target with a single shard from each shot. But it's basically a lightning shotgun, so the closer something is, the more of those shards they are going to eat.

Just, trust me. Go use it. You'll see. Always try every skill in your main tree at least once, no matter what the tool tip might say; Or else you miss out on things like this, where a skill is MUCH better in practice than it is on paper.

I tested it and it deals absolutely abysmal damage point blank hit the boss did about 50% of my normal attack damage. It fills up the stun bar quick, but concidering i'm built in ice I stun em regularly eitherway.

[5ean5ean]

Publicado originalmente por Zenogs:

Publicado originalmente por Antpile:

Sometimes you have to look past the math and actually try the thing. Galvanic shards looks like crazy low dps in the tooltips, but it's actually nutty dps. The thing is, the tool tip is doing the math based on hitting a single target with a single shard from each shot. But it's basically a lightning shotgun, so the closer something is, the more of those shards they are going to eat.

Just, trust me. Go use it. You'll see. Always try every skill in your main tree at least once, no matter what the tool tip might say; Or else you miss out on things like this, where a skill is MUCH better in practice than it is on paper.

I tested it and it deals absolutely abysmal damage point blank hit the boss did about 50% of my normal attack damage. It fills up the stun bar quick, but concidering i'm built in ice I stun em regularly eitherway.

Where are you at in the game?

And it defiantely helps to get lightning damage for a lightning skill. Just a thought.

[Markierer]

Publicado originalmente por 5ean5ean:

Publicado originalmente por Markierer:

Are you talking about end game or acts?

Im 96% certain they mean Acts.

I never used grenades. Just two of them: shotgun (lvl1 talent) for single target and lightning (lvl5 talent) for aoe.

[Zenogs]

Publicado originalmente por 5ean5ean:

Publicado originalmente por Zenogs:

I tested it and it deals absolutely abysmal damage point blank hit the boss did about 50% of my normal attack damage. It fills up the stun bar quick, but concidering i'm built in ice I stun em regularly eitherway.

Where are you at in the game?

And it defiantely helps to get lightning damage for a lightning skill. Just a thought.

I'm nearing end game act 3 cruel. The shotgun skills do indeed deal a bit of dmg but they nowhere near grenades or basic attack I mean some of them have 10% dmg or 20% dmg as base meaning you need to hit nearly 10 palets to deals same ammount of damage basic attack is dealing per second.

[Zenogs]

Publicado originalmente por 5ean5ean:

Publicado originalmente por Zenogs:

I tested it and it deals absolutely abysmal damage point blank hit the boss did about 50% of my normal attack damage. It fills up the stun bar quick, but concidering i'm built in ice I stun em regularly eitherway.

Where are you at in the game?

And it definitely helps to get lightning damage for a lightning skill. Just a thought.

Plus constant reload and mana cost makes em even more undesirable. But shotgun is not the ones I have most issues with. The mashine gun and artillery ones are, while one deals absolutely no damage and completely destroyed by reload mechanic other one is bloody random which make zero sense.

[5ean5ean]

Gotta get further in the game bud. Things change

[Zenogs]

Publicado originalmente por 5ean5ean:

Gotta get further in the game bud. Things change

But that is by definition bad design, game suppose to be fun from get go not at end game. Why even bother adding skills if you make em usseless untill end game. Acts are suppose to be where you test out effectiveness of your skills and builds while end game where you optimise saying it gets better at end game makes zero sense.

[Enderoth]

I mean, not to be a ♥♥♥♥, but git gud.

I spec'd into increasing stun buildup, decked out Explosive Shot with Scatter Shot, Overpower, and reload on stun gems.

Get a good crossbow (don't be afraid to upgrade it--alloy or construct are the best so far, whatever has the highest damage numbers you can get), and then run around infinitely clicking explosives on groups and bosses alike.

Swap to cold infusion instead of overpower if you're fighting a boss to get more damage.

I occasionally throw out an oil grenade to make the enemy vulnerable. Otherwise, I oneshot everything short of yellows and bosses.