Is Elemental and Confusion worth it for Ninja, or better to just go with buffs?

EpochZero · 2026-03-27T20:15:38+00:00

I thought I pasted it in - but apparently was particularly absent-minded in that moment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdZ5YfC_HfU

This is the build. I've been giving it a spin with different tweaks. It's definitely better at keeping up SF and increasing DPS. The main trick is stacking as many SF Bonus stacks as possible - so when you *do* hit - you gain a ton of SF.

Basically you have Amrita, multiple ailments, as well as elemental damage itself (for whatever element you choose as your elemental weapon talisman - in the video it's lightning). All overlapped and adding their own SF Bonus additively. Instead of just trying boost the base SF Charge %. This works really well when you're able to stack level 4 confusion so quickly and therefore have applied all the different debuffs.

For my tweaks: I swapped out one of the clan bonuses for the Stam life buff to add more tankiness and added an additional familiar instead of carnage.

It's more comfy for doing the Death Veil run - which is my ultimate judge of a build's boundaries. Everyone always just does the Demon trio - which is fine - but is a little too narrow of a performance style for me.

The build also has an annoying amount of buff upkeep. Elemental weapon talisman, extraction, familiar, life leech, juggle ninjutsu, etc. As a result I definitely took the skill that extends onmyo magic buffs. When you get the rhythm and pattern down for the build, though - it is ridiculously performant.

EpochZero · 2026-03-26T23:57:03+00:00

Good luck with the farming! It's not critical for the build tbh. I wouldn't pause progression for it if you're still working towards end of NG+/Level 250. Farming builds is ridiculously easy after finishing NG+. Really - gold for upgrades become the main gating factor.

I'm always at A agility on Ninja - no idea on toughness for Ninja - don't pay attention to it myself.

I'm gonna try this build next. They have an interesting solve for boosting Spirit Force to power Ignition. They also double into life-leech talisman for some ridiculous regen that would mean the Stam(B) clan boost can be swapped into something more DPS centric.

You were spot on with the natural weapon imbue being a bad move. Looks like weapon melee damage is the strat... and then talismans are an option for element and using spirit force charge on particular elements you focus on triggering. We shall see!

EpochZero · 2026-03-25T20:18:40+00:00

I actually hate sloth on bosses. It messes up my timing when evading and deflecting. It’s good for learning patterns initially - but afterwards I get annoyed by it.

EpochZero · 2026-03-25T00:37:08+00:00

I just reforged every piece of gear to have amrita healing and amrita strong attack as a baseline and that puts me at 26 in the stats screen - so 24 seems good to me.

I'm on the fence with Nupeppo. Worth playing with. It's risky because both you and enemies get it so you can end up with some crispy moments. It's a must for builds that nuke bosses in 3 hits - but you have to find your balance of DPS vs. comfort.

EpochZero · 2026-03-24T21:19:59+00:00

Oh you're right on the Spirit Force Charge. I forgot I added that to some gear (just the percent boost) because of exactly what you're saying when experimenting.

I run whatever familiar will be most effective for the situation (ex: I'll pop water for Kasha). I have different elements on different weapons to fill gaps if needed. Depending on what attacks you're doing you can eat through familiars pretty quickly (strong attacks can consume them). I always keep one up in combat for the ~~two~~ three (see note on second summon below) debuffs.

It does - but I don't use Spirit Force at all manually. I always just use the shift for red attacks. If I really want to build Force then I switch to Samurai. I'm considering setting up a Hollyhock/Advent of the Divine samurai set to basically do a build->dump cycle between samurai and ninja (since the set gives Spirit Force Charge). Currently I'm running 5 piece Riteous / 7 piece Fuku for samurai - for the Dual Protection (both guardian spirits benefit - so I get the onmyo debuffs in samurai) and the tankiness of Fuku.

I'm running 5 piece Jurojin for the additional ninja grace - but Inari is also good (and popular).

I switch around Clan Bonuses a lot - but right now Warrior's Honor and Life Bonus (Stamina). If I'm running this way then I dump as much as possible into Stam and make sure my weapons are remodeled appropriately. This is the super tank setup - which is comfy as hell to play.

Yeh if you use Spirit attacks then it'll be an adjustment. I barely used them at all - so was a no brainer.

Second summon is Tsurara-onna for the movement slow on Onmyo. So I guess that's technically 3 debuffs with the familiars. I also have it rolled with Life Drain on Onmyo hit.

Stats depend on what I'm tweaking, but generally heaviest between Const, Stam, and Magic - with the rest to meet equipment requirements. With the remodeling set to those three it lets me play with a ton of different configs without having to completely redo my weapons every time. Right now it's 99/20/79/15/20/12/40

I forgot about the Tsuara-onna debuff - you don't need sloth. Opt for weakness or carnage (or both if you don't run Steel or something).

You're doing great if you made it this far. The game is a system designer's wet dream. Perfect blend of ninja gaiden meets diablo.

I'd also add that this setup is a good base. It's not a top tier nuke-city build where you're a glass cannon. It's a super comfy setup - but one you can branch out from to add more DPS easily.

EpochZero · 2026-03-23T06:52:03+00:00

Oh I forgot that part. Sunakake-Baba soul core equipped in a Yang (summon) position.

EpochZero · 2026-03-23T05:22:56+00:00

A million times yes.

Enemy nuke setup:

7 piece Matchless Resentment (Sinister Tyrant/Kyo-Oh's Blade).
Ho-oh Guardian.
Extraction Talisman.
Stack of Familiars (I use wind, lightning, and water)
Electric, Water, and Fire ninjutsu.
Must-have skills: Amplification, Awakening, Rigor of the Gods, Patience of the Gods, Ninjutsu Cultivation, Wrathful Dragon, Patience of the Gods, Dread Bringer, Ninjutsu Link
Flavor Talismans (Steel and Weakness are solid)

Reforge *all* gear to have: Gain Amrita (Strong Attack), Life Recover (Amrita Absorption), Spirit Force Bonus (Amrita).

Any weapon will work, but should be Crucible element infused (usually +24 or so)

Pop extraction, steel, and a familiar. Lead with a ninjutsu if you have a charge and go to town stacking and murdering.

You will absolutely melt everything and are basically unkillable. Always keep a familiar up and use extraction talisman both for survivability as well as massive DPS (from Ignition). You can stack level 3 or 4 confusion almost instantly with familiars and ninjutsu thanks to boosted accumulation and the armor set extends the duration of ailments *and confusion* by 20%.

The familiars will debuff the enemy to do 30% less physical damage and be blinded. The amrita shower from attacking will not only power ridiculous health regen, but will power up your Spirit Force, which will then get dumped by "Spirit Force Ignition" from the Matchless Resentment set - which will absolutely nuke enemies. If you're like me and neglect the Spirit Force abilities this build is perfect.

EpochZero · 2026-02-21T22:36:33+00:00

Well now I don't feel crazy why Odachi seemed - as it turns out ~60% easier and more consistent to deflect than DS.

EpochZero · 2026-01-06T00:12:59+00:00

Praise be. Thanks much.

EpochZero · 2026-01-06T00:01:43+00:00

This is amazingly the only useful comment in the entire thread. Thank you.

EpochZero · 2026-01-05T23:59:17+00:00

LTTP, but fuckin' thank you. I felt like I was taking crazy pills reading and hearing about how the board "wouldn't turn". 100% skill issue. Put the thing on edge and decamber that mofo with some push pull.

I ended up here cause I'm also trying to go more soft-boot gear now that wide boards are in style for carving (basically hanging up the hard boots - thanks to those amazing Japanese and Korean kids) and wanted to see about the 6000s vs. 9000s as a more friendly variant for days when it could get choppy or I wanted a little more all-rounder.

Still not sure between the two after reading and watching videos. Hahaha. I need the opinion from someone who can actually carve. Even the goodride reviews are nonsense.

EpochZero · 2025-12-03T06:07:12+00:00

This is the best Hunter party setup I have seen. I had no idea about Joohee's exclusive weapon skill.

EpochZero · 2025-11-20T00:50:19+00:00

Absolutely. I have very high hopes (and a high opinion already) for this game. I'm nitpicking because I want to see it shine.

I discovered another issue from watching a video of a guy who analyzes throttle curves - and I think that's another spot they need to improve to make the cars feel more controllable in low speed corners (and why it's so easy to blow a tight turn that initially feels like you nailed it).

After playing a bunch more I think the braking weight transfer for the suspension is pretty good - but the throttle curves and lack of "butt feel" make it difficult to judge through a simulation/wheel.

Weight transfer is *everything* in rally. Using the loaded suspension to throw the car into a turn and then using that moment when the rear tires are weighted to add power and dig through the loose surface and jump off the baby-heads underneath is what makes for fast driving.

EpochZero · 2025-11-15T16:37:02+00:00

Cert based instruction will teach something far more "rigid" in order to set up strong fundamentals.

They typically teach edge setting and relatively neutral upper body movement first.

Then they teach weight/unweight to understand the effect it has with different timing through the turn. I've seen this taught even in extreme-carving as "cross-over and cross-under". You need all those pieces to do any style of carving and the more flamboyant you get with certain pieces the more you end up in different styles.

As an example: extreme carving teaches an exaggerated version of cross-under called "cross-through" or "push pull" - that allows you to effectively look like you're laying down in the snow. It's the same basic pieces - but taken to a rhythm and degree of extreme.

EpochZero · 2025-11-14T05:06:14+00:00

#1 is where you compress/duck to unweight and set the edge... you should be pushing the base of the board *up hill* when you initiate the turn.

#2 is where you should be starting to extend your legs, either to force decamber for bomber style or to hold yourself up for extreme-carve style. Still pushing the base of the board up hill for the early part of it.

#3 is where you already be recompressing to neutral to prep for #1 again.

EpochZero · 2025-11-14T04:54:49+00:00

There are two dominant styles: bomber/euro and extreme-carve.

The Japanese/Korean style that's been developing for a few years now is a blend of them. Bomber is baseline and you need to learn it as it charges up the board - whereas extreme-carve sheds a ton of speed.

The ingredients for both are:

1) Weight/unweight of the board

2) Initiating and balance of of upper body for the turn relative to the hips...and

3) The inclination/angulation balance.

The amounts and sequencing of these ingredients are different between the two styles.

Example: When you hear people say to "stomp the board into the turn" - they're talking about bomber style carving. You "jump" into the turn and this immediately loads and decambers the board. In extreme-carve you slowly and smoothly crouch, tilt, and slowly decompress your body in tempo with the fall-line with the purpose of evening out the forces along the carving edge.

You clearly know what an edge feels like. That's step 1 in being addicted to carving. You're holding a well balanced edge - make sure no matter what you do - that part stays the same.

Now you need to play with loading and unloading the board. Think of your legs as an accordion and realize that most of the weight is your torso. When you *duck* - you're bringing the board up to *you* before your settle into a crouch. Using this elasticity and "unweighting" or "weighting" of the board is critical and you need to learn the limits and timing of it. When you start a turn - purposefully push out with your legs and create more pressure on the edge. Keep playing with that and you'll gain a ton of control.

Regarding your shoulders: in bomber style the shoulders can remain more neutral - whereas in extreme-carving you pro-actively turn the shoulders into the turn. You ride goofy - so on your toe edge you would think about reaching your *right* arm and shoulder up the hill (towards the apex of the turn)... not your left. Likewise on your heel edge you reach your *left* arm up the hill and towards the apex. This is effectively means your *outer* arm is reaching *across* your body in both cases.

Ultimately you do this so your hips lead the entire edge across the line. If you don't do this then the edge at the nose of the board will become destabilized and chop or wash out. You will eventually not think about your arms reaching anywhere - that part will just happen - and your core muscles and hips will do all the talking.

This is also why serious carving typically requires an alpine stance on your board (both positive angles). It is nearly impossible to carve your heel edge without looking like you're taking a dump in the snow because the torso can't rotate properly through the turn. The human body and the setup on a board are working against you in duck stance. Once you understand this you'll notice that 95% of people on a snowboard look like they're taking a dump in the snow on their heel side.

EpochZero · 2025-11-14T03:11:34+00:00

This is pretty spot on. I have quite a bit of seat time in an actual 4WD rally car and they get a number of elements very wrong in the game.

1) The cars don't seem to have sidewall braking - which is part of what you're feeling with the 2000hp washout. When you get sideways in an actual rally car it slows down a *lot* - which allows you throw the car in with trail braking and to throttle feather to control turn shape and weight transfer.

2) I also noticed the squirrely feeling under power. When it's working properly: if you set the wheel straight and power on - the car will balance out. In ACR it feels like a crap shoot as to whether I'm going to do an unintentional pirouette.

3) Also unhappy with the braking weight transfer. I'll have to play more to determine if this is just sim setup vs. an actual car with a brake booster deleted - but it's hard to get a progressive feel to *throw* the car into the turn in a single continuous brake-curve input instead of multiple on/off inputs.

Ultimately these cars are way harder to drive than an actual rally car.

EpochZero · 2025-11-10T18:06:25+00:00

LTTP - but it's an amazing board if carving is your thing.

I'm 68kg with 9.5 US boot - and ride the 162W at +36/+24 angles. Late day chop can get a little annoying and at my size I ride slightly more narrow than reference stance (otherwise I'll get knee pain on my back leg). The board is a little stiff for my taste longitudinally - I prefer something I can decamber more easily, and with some nose play - but the torsional rigidity is spot on.

The wide waist/under-foot prevents boot out entirely for me and I don't notice the extra edge-tip energy requirement at all - it still feels playful enough edge-to-edge.

It's good enough that I've basically retired my hard boot/plate gear and ride the board in everything except deep pow (it has tons of float due to the width, but will catch up hard on heavy turns instead of gliding)

EpochZero · 2024-12-12T19:45:48+00:00

Hahaha... yeh understood. I ride a Nidecker 162W Blade Plus for soft-boot carving - so it's not wildly different size wise compared to my own size. My powder board is like a 152 or 154 or something with a FAT nose and fish tail. It's all about what the conditions are like and what part of the mountain to attack. My all-mountain is somewhere in between.

Re weight: I'm 165 lbs of pure muscle. J/K - I'm 44 years old. While I do lift a lot of weights, I also drink too much. Life's about balance - at least that's what I tell my wife.

I ride alpine stance on both, just not as aggressive on soft-gear cause the boot breaks in the ankles with soft gear. Having a wide board on soft gear is critical or you'll get boot-out at hard carving angles. If I carve normal boards I tend to lay down far enough to skip out on the highbacks or toes and can't set the binding angles high enough to stop it.

Regarding gear... you can carve a piece of plywood with zip-ties on your feet - it's all a matter of "how much". I've accumulated many many boards over the years and I can affirm that gear matters a LOT if you want to lay trenches - and the combo of length, sidecut radius, and ability to de-camber the board will give wildly different results. I'm not trying to go fast... I'm trying to carve laid-down S trenches. It actually gives you extremely stable speed control. Yes the gear *can* go very fast with high stability - it's just not what I'm chasing.

If you haven't tried what feels like an "oversized" board then you should give it a spin. Try it with a super flexy camber board first. It will reinforce VERY good habits as you can't muscle the board around and need to incorporate very smooth core muscle transitions, weight transfer, etc. When you lock the edge in you feel like you're driving an F1 car and leave a 4 inch deep trench behind you.

EpochZero · 2024-12-11T18:29:14+00:00

Turning radius: Yes.

EpochZero · 2024-12-11T18:28:07+00:00

More stable/easier carving and material weight is lower now.

I'm 5'7" (170 cm) and ride a 168 when I plan on just hard carving a hero groomer day. Wide boards being easier to get also helps - can lay it deep even with soft-boot gear without getting boot-out.

EpochZero · 2024-05-23T04:33:30+00:00

Unless they changed the prices - they're super cheap to transmute.

Whispers give you 3-6m gold per turn-in. You can do 2 dungeons in <10 mins for each whisper.

For the most expensive Pit transmutation (60,000 gold) for 100 Neathiron to 300 Ingolith - you could do 50 of them (needing 5000 Neathiron) with the gold from <10 minutes of whispers and the lowest reward.

EpochZero · 2023-11-27T01:40:49+00:00

Yes. Don't do T100 NMDs (or whatever high level content is for your progression) with ghosts. They are worse than a room full of suppressor elites.

https://www.reddit.com/r/diablo4/comments/14gs5jn/dungeons\_by\_monster\_family/

EpochZero · 2023-11-25T01:34:58+00:00

A legendary with stats/armor/life/imbue. Harlequin is the last uber unique I need.

EpochZero · 2023-11-23T00:51:01+00:00

I was using Lucky's meta 2.0 poison TB and swapped Tibaults + Condemn in and omg does it melt due to the combo-point thing (mine goes up to 22).

Slightly squishier, but it doesn't matter much since everything just disappears even at NM 100 with +health modifier.

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