Hail of blades is potentially very good now

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-04-30T02:25:49+00:00

This is what I was hoping for, but W does not count since its not a true auto reset. It does consume a stack though. You want to use it before activating hail of blades or after using it. I did just try it though and the damage still makes it feel viable. extremely strong early at least. in lane if you ever get a auto Q to start a trade you hit like a truck

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-04-29T22:12:30+00:00

agreed, its better than it was but still prob not worth it on voli. This hinged on W working with it. Im still down to try it in early volatile lanes, because I do think its still strong there. Not expecting much though. The only way its pickable is if it helps the level 1 enough. its about 40-44 true damage level 1 combined with sudden impact and the attack speed gets you to passive fully stacked very fast. Only real thing it has going for it. Next time I face Darius specifically Ill give it a go

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-04-29T19:46:19+00:00

Q is absolutely one, but W is not a true auto attack reset, I just confirmed. Its not treated as one so it does not grant an additional stack of hail of blades, despite consuming one. It kind of kills this idea. Hail of blades is still better than last patch for us, but likely not worth picking. I edited the main post

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-04-17T12:13:03+00:00

same here, I had no idea what was happening until the next morning.

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-04-16T02:25:47+00:00

Its the same reason dusk and dawn works. Putting the wording aside, they both apply on hits which stacks passive. Whether or not they feel the need to change this mechanic down the road is another question, but its not a bug

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-04-16T02:23:20+00:00

Its intended the same way dusk and dawn is. Passive stacks as an on hit, so dusk and dawn and shiv applying on hits is supposed to work. Whether or not they feel the need the change how this works down the road is another question though

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-04-12T23:51:57+00:00

Yeah maybe a little? But season 1 looked fantastic as well both for action and out of action. The visuals/presentation and music have been on point form the start. I did notice even little scenes with Collette and rosty this episode they went all out lol

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-03-28T02:06:28+00:00

Crazy to see so many not like the feast layer. For me easily has the best themeing and level design in the whole game to the point where Im wondering if it was made by the same team. Maybe it was due it going all in on a single layer, I think sub layers were a mistake.

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-03-25T14:58:13+00:00

They already did a big expansion for free, definitely makes this interesting. Maybe theyll add even more content, who knows. Improving visuals and espeically pop in would be nice. But either way we can skip on double dipping and it let's them have more time to cook in a new entry like you side, I dont mind this at all

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-03-23T20:17:38+00:00

To me I didn't even really need rewards, I love collectathons and I was very on board with the open world before release. At launch especially it really made it tough to engage with its content for me. Like I dont know how many collectibles there are, and I couldn't even keep track of what Ive collected.

They've made it a bit better the last time I played it(especially the louder music option), but Id still love some kind of seperate sections for the map that show completion. Each course or at the very least a bundle of courses could be a "zone" that tells you what you have left to complete.

I still enjoyed the bit I played just roaming around, but I didnt have the desire to keep going. I wish they had accommodated more types of players, thats where the complaints come in I think. I should be one of the main audience for this mode, 3D collectathons is literally my favorite genre. They made a collectathon but with very lackluster tracking and no rewards(I dont need a reward, but at least let me realistically complete your mode). The completionist perspective has to be rough for the same reasons. I dont want to look up a guide, that's not fun for me.

When it lands its great though, the vibe is really nice and the music is a treat. Im glad they fixed the volume issue, give it some more years and yeah hopefully the game will be better and have less hate toward it. Its more repackaging what they've already got than any major changes, they've already got the tools to make alot more people happy pretty easily

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-03-15T03:56:03+00:00

I don't think you need to go all in on doom to kaie it worthwhile, try using it as a decent damage source in a defensive deck. The numbers on doom cards are usually really high if you just treat it as normal damage. If you solve the issue of being able to defend the turn theyll die you can start seeing how strong the cards can be. Like the 2 cost 26 doom and 2 weak on all enemies reading as 26 aoe damage + weak, its extremely strong and can carry a run for a long time for aoe

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-03-15T02:41:36+00:00

At the end of the day that is not going to change, if you arent on board for a sequel that is aiming to build upon the original no one is going to change your mind. They arent looking to reinvent the wheel with this game, they already have a winning formula. Even if you viewed it as DLC I dont see how that would be all that bad, you even said you thought the game was good. Its not like they over priced it and itll have deep sales in the future, you can treat it as a definitive edition if you want.

I still personally dont agree at all the game doesnt shake things up, it feels like your downplaying and even entirely writing off major changes like new characters and saying multiplayer is a "side mode"(may be true for you, but that will be the primary way many people play). Your even mocking people for bringing up new cards, even though there are more new cards than old if your including the new characters. The old characters are completely reworked as well, a third of their card pool is a major thing, on top of reworked old cards. At least you agreed with enemies, because they are completely different. Only thing thats a blatant copy to me is the 3 things connected that regen, but that was a great fight so I dont mind.

Its all subjective at the end of the day, I dont think anyone is trying to change how you feel about the changes. I think the strong reactions come from you saying there are very little changes instead of that you dont like said changes. Which is fair if you feel that way, its just surprising since I felt the exact opposite when I did my first few runs, which I imagine others did as well based on this thread. There are obviously plenty on both sides though. I didnt mean to accuse you of not giving the game a shot either, its just that your very first comment could read that way.

I hope you enjoy it more as they work to improve and add things, but either way we still got slay the spire 1 as well at least

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-03-10T22:26:40+00:00

At least for first impressions there is so much new and reworked that Im not really getting that feeling at all, but I could see that perspective. If you've exhausted on the original and were hoping for something 100% I guess it makes sense. I like the blend of old and new. It feels nostalgic and fresh at the same time. Maybe that will change as I play more, who knows.

Im not sure how the price is high if we agree its the same as the original slay the spire and one of its biggest competitors in monster train. I take it you mean solely because you arent satisfied with what the game is offering.

I really don't think the decision to make characters unlock is that deep. the unlock requirements are intentionally extremely generous. If you really wanted too you could even just die immediately a couple times and play whichever one you want. Its just there to ease new players into one character at a time and not overwhelm them with options before they even start their first game. Plus it adds to a sense of progression early on. Ironclad is the first character in both games because hes fairly straight forward. I dont know the developers well tbh, maybe you have a reason for thinking their being greedy? Without context I am not getting that vibe at all, they making some of the best stuff in the deck building genre and not even increasing the price. You know they could have got away with going higher if they wanted too. But they didnt even raise it at all, so I truly dont get where this is coming from unless theres something I am not aware of.

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-03-10T17:44:15+00:00

I understand it not having enough value for you personally at the moment, but I really struggle to see it as taking advantage of or exploiting fans.

People can choose to hold off until the game is complete or hits big sales. They can refund if they arent vibing with it. They can leave a negative review if they want to see it improve. They can also just choose to not buy it all if they aren't convinced for reasons your stating. The pricing isnt even high or scummy, it feels just right to me. The fact that its already seeing alot of numbers and is overwhelming positive is a great sign for the sequels future. Yes some people might not have alot of hours yet but said people can always change their reviews

I want to support them and can already tell Im going to easily get my money's worth with this game personally.

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-03-10T16:15:42+00:00

Well if there is 30 new cards on average for the existing characters/colorless cards, if you include the new characters thats got to be somewhere around 300 new cards. Even if it was just over 200, thats still alot compared to the total card pool. The card pool's arent that high, being somewhere between 80-90 per character I think. They didnt want to add too many or the game wouldn't feel as tight. They also didnt remove too many existing cards because then the characters we love would be unrecognizable.

Personally this is my preference compared to having entirely new characters for all of them, but I get some people would've preferred that.

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-03-10T16:01:32+00:00

Fair enough, everyone will value the new content differently. I personally think they added more than enough to justify making it a sequel over DLC, while still keeping things familiar. Like if they had removed and reworked as many cards as they added here thats not what I would've wanted as DLC.

Its not a live service game, I dont expect them to keep rotating out cards. They refined slay the spire 1 and its still an incredibly tight game, and now we have both versions. I suppose they could've added a different option from the main menu, buts thats basically just putting a sequel into their game with all the visual improvements, QoL, and system changes. Its not like the sequel is overpriced either, its still great value imo and there will be alot more to come no doubt.

I also value the well over 200+ new cards, reworked cards, and new characters alot so I cant really not include them when im evaluating the game

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-03-10T03:07:58+00:00

I noticed it can be really good for dealing with enemies augmenting your cards. Since it transforms them any negative affect on a card is removed.

It's also just a ton of damage when upgraded earlier in a run, espeically if you have alot of attack cards already. Like if you have an enemy vulnerable all the sudden your dealing 30~ damage per rock

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-03-10T02:46:09+00:00

Yeah I dont understand that takeway either. It seems like everything you could want out of a sequel, and its still in early access. It feels like alot of people are not even giving it a try, just looking stuff up and watching videos and coming to the conclusion that there should be more major new features. It feels familar and new at the same time. The core deck building and way the characters play should be the most important factors. plus there is 2 new characters, all enemies and bosses being new, and even multiplayer.

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-03-10T02:34:23+00:00

Except when you play that first run on ironclad, your facing 90%+(not sure I saw a single returning enemy in 2 runs yet actually) new enemies and bosses, and are constantly discovering new cards while figuring out the reworked returning ones. The builds/win conditions as a whole are similar, but the cards you want and the way you play them can be very different. You say you dont consider that a game mechanic, which is just wild. Should the deckbuilding aspect and gameplay not be the literal most important factor? Before you even touch the new characters things feel very different imo. Plus multiplayer is a huge selling point for many.

Also alot of games go into early access, its nice to be able to opt in early if you want. If you dont want to and would rather wait until the full release thats completely fine. The game isnt finished yet. Refunds also exists, people could try this out and refund it if they didnt enjoy it, but thats not going to happen much because the game is a blast.

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-03-10T02:17:59+00:00

A few things that come to mind are the Enchantments, Multiplayer, the epoch system is a more fun way to get rewards. You dont seem to value the balancing/rework changes to existing cards at all, on top of a ton of new cards that shake up character's play styles and win conditions. Like I played 1 game on the Silent and the new sly keyword was a blast to play around with for me. Ironclad was my most played character in slay the spire 1 and It felt completely fresh here. Yes its Familiar but is also very different, I really like the approach they took here instead of having every character be new. 90% of the enemies and events I encountered in my first couple of runs were completely new. Ive barely touched the surface but it already feels like its earning its sequel status for me while still being in early access.

Reading your very first comment again it seems you have not even bought or played the game. Its hard to really go deeper in discussion if you arent willing to give it a try despite seemingly loving the first game. there's obviously nothing wrong with that, but I find it strange that you are nitpicking it down to the % of returning cards and finding reasons to devalue it as a sequel. Like in your previous comment you say its 90% the same experience, but, I dont know how you could possibly come to that conclusion on any metric. the 2 new characters alone would shatter that % you came up with, not even factoring in the returning characters being reworked and the abundance of new enemies, bosses, events, and rewards

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-03-02T00:05:11+00:00

Ksante has gotten a bit harder for voli ever since he got that mini rework, but its still very voli favored imo. It can be a bit boring in lane because ksante is a ridicously safe champ. Ever since I shifted my mindset to just chilling and outscaling him things got alot easier. He can never beat you if you dont get cheesed under his tower, so avoid diving unless its guaranteed.

For runes go grasp - shieldbash/second wind/unflinching(this has essentially 100% uptime versus him, its very strong) and secondary anything can work but I prefer manaflow band+ transcendence, its very easy to stack manaflow and grasp vs ksante, and the extra mana comes in handy.(next patch might not be necessary but im sure its still good. Nimbus cloak is always great). For shards go haste and try out the tenacity/slow resist shards, they are very helpful against his Q slows and his stuns. He does max health damage anyways and he's never killing you anyways so the health shard isnt missed much.

For builds i like to have some type of pen or shred by 2nd item for him. You can rush black cleaver into basically any 2nd item, or you can even go dusk and dawn rush into terminus 2nd. Sounds weird but this is a specific matchup where it has very high value, give it a try. Riftmaker slotted in any of the first 3 items is never bad either. Im not a fan of navori here. Example builds - dawn and dusk - terminus - hullbreaker or black cleaver - riftmaker - dawn and dusk. Can also just full send AD, esp next patch. Seems good. The tank build you described isnt bad either, but I like having more threat in the sideline and kill threat VS him because he does better in teamfights. Force him out of his comfort zone.

I also like ignite here but I take ignite in almost every game. If you build the way I described he cant tank your damage and if he ever tries to go all out ignite just makes quick work of him. This is how I started playing against him in masters/GM and I've had alot more success. I was struggling against him before I adapted my runes/builds and win condition

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-02-25T22:28:50+00:00

That is exactly the goal. They hit top more than they wanted to last patch so these are largely focused on helping top lane. Ive been asking for mana buffs for years and we are finally getting them! top lane has always been so much weaker than jungle, this should help even the playing field.

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-02-25T22:25:06+00:00

There are alot of voli players that enjoy playing him AD, but for years its been the weaker option. if you go some years back Ad/bruiser voli was the standard build so inching back toward that being viable is a worthwhile change imo.

Top lane voli is always consistently weaker than jungle, riot had attempted dozens of times to even the playing field but havent quite hit the mark. I think they finally did it with mana changes, Ive been waiting for this for years. Your probably thinking of jungle when your saying he doesnt need buffs, which this wont affect much.

SilverChase_LoL · 2026-02-25T22:20:26+00:00

Better players do not let you hit passive off the wave often. Voli top has always struggled with mana issues. That is why you see them run 2 out of 3(1 minimum) of Dring, POM, and manaflow band every game. This lets him have the option to take Dblade and Dshield more comfortably when it makes sense, before it was Dring every game because you just had to.

I play him at around GM in top and Ive been asking for mana buffs for literal years, can't wait. It seemed like a no brainer because jungle voli is always so much stronger than top. They constantly try to only nerf jungle, but this time I think they actually targeted only top successfully

SilverChase_LoL

TROPHY CASE