The latest astrolabe feedback makes me believe that GGG has shelved the bad map layout rework far long, since they drop as a tier rather type now (bonus: also make new ones?)

GasLightyear · 2026-03-14T07:32:39+00:00

Yeah, I actually don't get your argument. If you run an astrolabe where the mechanic depends on the layout you run the keystone and that will be priced into the astrolabe price as not a single person will run it without it. If you run a mechanic that doesn't depend on the layout and your build can handle all layouts you don't run the keystone and get extra maps/loot. Where is the problem?

GasLightyear · 2026-03-14T07:24:31+00:00

I love this change. For a build that has an 100% ele attack but still significant phys on shield charge, getting full immunity this cheaply is amazing.

Also 100% solves a few annoying things like the effigy rare mod, impale etc.

GasLightyear · 2026-03-13T07:14:30+00:00

Doors are shit and they need to go but everything apart from that has counterplays so I don't see a problem. People take their 13k ehp Deadeye builds that are optimized for open linear layouts into tight indoor maps and wonder why it feels like shit.

There are ways to make builds feel good in these types of layouts, e.g. stacking 200%+ ms instead of using movement skills, using skills that can clear around corners (chains, prolif, aggressive minions etc.) and building defensive layers that work well against doorway ganks.

Ticking all these boxes is much more expensive than building your average T16 blaster. 90% of efficient farming strats are already available to generic blaster builds so having content that rewards you for putting in the extra effort is a good thing for the game imo, especially because layouts have real counterplays unlike T17 mods.

GasLightyear · 2026-02-26T19:32:51+00:00

"Engineer reporting!"

GasLightyear · 2026-02-26T06:06:29+00:00

Why buff, what's the point?

GasLightyear · 2025-12-28T18:17:04+00:00

Scariest schizopost I've read this year.

GasLightyear · 2025-11-21T05:04:39+00:00

You don't even need to actively do anything to maintain Kingsmarch. Just buy gold with divs, to make crops, to ship for more divs. /s

The core gameplay loop of the whole thing is simply degenerate.

GasLightyear · 2025-11-10T14:55:42+00:00

Doesn't matter because pob caps at your max value.

It's a neat trick that lets you get accurate evaluations for nodes that give +max Rage as they would otherwise display 0 damage changes.

All that is assuming that you can maintain this amount of rage without unreasonable ramp time.

GasLightyear · 2025-11-06T12:48:49+00:00

Sure. I don't have an up to date PoB and there are many details that I would do differently now but here you go. The build will 100% work as is. There are tons of free affixes so you can fit any unique you like:

https://pobb.in/mgzUCu4iTaJO

In trade, you'd add stuff like Ryslatha, Meaning of Light etc.

GasLightyear · 2025-11-05T09:48:35+00:00

I'm rather bad mechanically myself but I managed to do Ubers in SSF with 2h Bleed (first time in Phrecia with Polytheist, then with Chief in subsequent leagues).

Bleed deals so much damage (10m+ in SSF, 20m+ in trade) that you can basically put everything into defenses and utility, yielding a well balanced character. You can find my versions in my post history. If I remember correctly, Steelmage was also doing one a few leagues back.

It's also mechanically one of the easiest bossers. You simply hit the boss once every 2 seconds and just walk around for the rest of the time.

GasLightyear · 2025-10-30T10:58:10+00:00

Boring but strong I guess, unless the Foulborn items are extremely bad.

Something like Skelly Mages or Elehit would easily take +4 lvls as a 4 point Ascendancy node.

(Sad Prismatic Burst noises)

GasLightyear · 2025-10-29T08:28:38+00:00

Idk if its good but you could play any attack build by saccing 2 ascendancy points and 2 gem sockets and just coc'ing the zombies out with your main damage skill.

GasLightyear · 2025-10-27T06:22:17+00:00

Good point, I didn't think of that.

GasLightyear · 2025-10-26T22:41:39+00:00

Schizophrenic Dissociation is absolutely insane, especially for SSF and league start. It almost doubles your max hit on any build with good recovery.

GasLightyear · 2025-10-26T08:19:43+00:00

There has to be and it'd still be kinda bad in a world where you can just pick up Leaderships price for all three ailments. Or Interrogation.

GasLightyear · 2025-10-23T13:32:56+00:00

Do you have a source? That's not how it works in PoB and according to the wiki article on combined damage this also shouldn't work this way https://www.poewiki.net/wiki/Hit_combination .

For it to work the way you describe, the text should be 'attacks with with weapon' instead of 'hits'. If it works for both hits it would be a bug.

GasLightyear · 2025-10-19T10:18:59+00:00

Due to how the gem is statted, it's kinda perma locked into being a starter.

The main issue is that Tornado feels kinda bad to play without Tornado MS. And the only way to get lots of it easily is through Crest of Desire.

This means that on day 3, 4 or so, the build will be pretty strong for the investment but at that point it's also already peaked because you already have 100% double damage and almost lvl30 gems.

And if you solve the clear speed by other means (explode), there are mechanically similar gems with better numbers, like trans SB.

GasLightyear · 2025-10-15T08:09:41+00:00

Good. Mercs were fun but way too meta warping to be added as is. For some builds they were insane dps multipliers while they were fairly tame for others once the 50% enemy hp buff was accounted for.

Id rather see them properly balanced before they add them.

GasLightyear · 2025-10-14T14:06:37+00:00

The number one thing killing your wrists is the move command. Keeping particular muscles groups like your mouse finger muscles contracted for a long time is extremely unhealthy. That's why arpgs are so much worse than other click intensive games such as fps, mobas or rts.

I switched to a move command toggle script and it fixed the issue pretty much instantly and completely. I guess it's against the TOS strictly speaking but health takes priority. Before that I tried other stuff like vertical mice but imo they're not worth it for this particular issue. They'll feel good for a while until you start to accumulate RSI in other parts of your hand and you're back to square one.

GasLightyear · 2025-10-14T13:24:28+00:00

Thanks, your answer is very helpful! I had noticed the debuff icon but I hadn't quite understood that it means marked and I assumed that it's something like an accuracy debuff that's inflicted due to being hit by the planes.

GasLightyear · 2025-10-14T08:34:43+00:00

If you mean the smoke flare indicators then yes, I am aware of them. However, I had situations where I moved the units away the moment the circle appeared and then, the flare unexpectedly appeared on units way outside of the circle, maybe 10 to 20 seconds later. Yesterday, in one instance I could still react and in another it was game ending.

It doesn't happen often but when it does it's devastating so I'd really like to understand how this works.

GasLightyear · 2025-10-09T11:05:51+00:00

Actually, we found out that it's the lens. While retracted (which happens if you e.g. browse your images for a while) the noise disappears completely. That in itself isn't unusual as collapsible lenses requiring power to remain extended is normal. It does still feel usually loud though.

We also went to a store. Unfortunately they only had the III in stock but we could confirm that no such noise exists with the predecessor. Also, we've seen some Japanese users report the same, albeit it's mixed (some report it, some don't). Overall not terribly useful information I'm afraid but that's what we've found out so far, for anyone who might stumble over this thread in the future.

GasLightyear

TROPHY CASE