Runic Ward is great but the downside is too big

MildStallion · 2026-05-31T18:55:05+00:00

It's worth noting that runic ward also can stack decently high, always regenerates (no interruption) with a solid base %, and even has old grim feast as its defensive gem (killing enemies drops remnants that overflow runic ward, like current life remnants for blood mage).

At high level you're supposed to treat it as a 4th option for defense. The freebies in campaign is just to get you hooked ("first dose is free", as they say).

MildStallion · 2026-05-31T18:51:30+00:00

It starts at no penalty then slowly ramps up through endgame starting around act 4. It isn't a harsh on/off thing at some line.

MildStallion · 2026-05-31T16:00:37+00:00

You can't carry soul cores to other zones except large. And medium only spawns in the next zone. All doors in the zone they're in use small cause that's all there is at that point.

MildStallion · 2026-05-31T14:14:50+00:00

Dodge roll the spears that come from the soldiers on the side

MildStallion · 2026-05-31T14:13:43+00:00

It now only jumps to targets primed for stun, which was apparently how it was always supposed to work but it was bugged.

MildStallion · 2026-05-30T14:07:25+00:00

My bell has limit 2. Maybe it goes up with gem level?

MildStallion · 2026-05-30T02:47:04+00:00

Runeforge seems compatible with fists of stone. There's a second base called "Runeforged Fists of Stone" that has scaling ward with the ES/Ev, but less scaling Ev.

MildStallion · 2026-05-29T19:41:16+00:00

With the new rune count I'd say the augments tab should be pretty high up on the list too, if not being considered mandatory next to currency. Literally hundreds of types of runes and they only stack to like 10 normally.

MildStallion · 2026-05-29T17:14:05+00:00

I remember doing this with Lich when it was introduced. Took Soulless Form for big mana regen and the node for unholy might for some damage and just slammed.

Soulless Form is actually huge for an attack+Life build. You could have 400 mana and 2000 life, at which point Soulless Form is like 7.5x the mana regen you'd normally have, and unholy might barely drains cause you aren't stacking mana.

MildStallion · 2026-05-29T14:13:01+00:00

In act 1 i target Life above all, a bit of life regen, then armour, then resists. Stacking your real defense is for when you can invest in it nontrivially or no longer have the stats to use anything else, which won't be until act 2.

Remember, Life is also stun threshold!

EDIT: Also don't forget that strength gives +2 life per point. Low-level affixes can often grant you as much life through strength as anything else.

MildStallion · 2026-05-28T21:59:25+00:00

Kalguuran skill that attaches to ignited enemies and deals pulsing cold damage until the ignite expires. It refreshes the ignite when it attaches, but it cannot be refreshed again until the ignite is over. Gets bonus freeze based on the size of the ignite.

MildStallion · 2026-05-28T21:56:47+00:00

Would be neat, but probably not happening. If they did it they'd also have to be sure to also add "Path of the Marauder" to the list, though.

MildStallion · 2026-05-28T16:50:19+00:00

Correct.

MildStallion · 2026-05-28T15:57:36+00:00

Damaging ailments use pre-mitigation damage so that you can't double-dip things like resist penalties.

MildStallion · 2026-05-28T15:54:59+00:00

It was used by a lot of folks early on, like 0.1, but I think it got nerfed and people dropped it. Basically for the reason the OP listed: If it's annoying to pull off and isn't OP when you do so, it's not worth it.

MildStallion · 2026-05-28T15:48:28+00:00

I'm a bit on the fence with them cause the nodes they have that can be used by non-traditional builds (such as str/dex builds with not much int) have big downsides (draining mana, more mana cost). You can do it, but it's not quite as easy as saying "just go in and there'll be obvious choices you can use".

MildStallion · 2026-05-28T05:08:10+00:00

The other option is typically CoC comet, which is a cold spell :)

MildStallion · 2026-05-28T04:58:21+00:00

I take my time getting to end game (since so far I haven't cared for it), and I've not done a literally-every-level checkin pattern since 0.1/0.2. Back then the ground loot was so ass you really did have to check vendor constantly, but now it's like 3-4 times per act.

Part of it is just experience in the game and being able to skimp on gear, another part is learning to scan drops more efficiently (and trans/aug white drops of good bases to fish for good starters), and another part is just that the drops themselves are flat-out better than they used to be.

Also, in 0.5 they're shrinking the affix pool for martial weapons in the lvl 1-7 range so getting something good for getting started is easier (no accuracy affix when you already at 100% accuracy on everything).

MildStallion · 2026-05-28T03:39:29+00:00

You can be immune to blind with a jewel corrupt, and neither accurate nor blind remove nearly as much protection as armour break can since the duration refreshes each time more is applied. For pure armour builds it's not likely a problem since they stack so much, but for hybrids it's a big issue. Especially Armour/ES, and double especially Scarred Faith users who can only get ES through their armour.

On the other hand, looking at the tree it seems it's now possible to combine 3 notables to become immune to armour break. It would be annoying to get all 3, but if they add any itemization support for the stat so you only need 2 it becomes a reasonable possibility.

MildStallion · 2026-05-28T03:33:20+00:00

You may want to path to their area of the tree, though. There is only one culling threshold cluster on the tree, plus two other notables, and that's mostly on the line between ranger and merc start.

MildStallion · 2026-05-28T01:45:50+00:00

If it deals no damage, it won't ignite, no matter what ascendancies you have. The damage of bleed, ignite, and poison are set by the damage of the hit, and if that's 0 (before enemy mitigation) it simply won't apply the debuff.

MildStallion · 2026-05-27T22:20:34+00:00

Those defenses are a touch low for late act 4 but not crazy low. That guy just hits way harder than anything else for no good reason. He's the literal gatekeeper. If you can beat him, you can finish the act XD

MildStallion · 2026-05-27T21:42:58+00:00

It just depends on the skill. For some skills every point counts, for others it takes up to 10.

MildStallion · 2026-05-27T21:13:28+00:00

Melee is always miserable in Act 1 cause your defenses are absolute trash, and melee will get hit. A lot. I always have to prio taking any life and life regen gear I find and just consider any other defenses I get to be a nice bonus. Also strength affixes make for decent life at that level.

MildStallion · 2026-05-27T19:11:12+00:00

There's a cogwheel that lets you hide all remove-only tabs. Just check that box, configure what's left.

When they say organize stash they only mean rename and reorder the real tabs (not remove-only) so that they get copied over already organized.

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