I think the biggest flaw with this runeword is it doesn’t create a new viable weapon choice for the cost.
Compared to Bartuc’s as mentioned above, it’s a lesser version with a new mechanic. While that mechanic is nice, especially in dual claws, it lacks in other areas, making the dual claw mosaic build not efficient.
Running Hell Act 1 with these claws, I was surprised at how often it does proc. The 50% chance feels nice, but it can cause some issues with Phoenix strike. I find myself triple casting Ice damage, when I want it to run down all the elements if I’m facing an immune. Rather than having to count my charges and strike accordingly, I just want to burn through them to dump all elements. The chance to not use charge is both a boon and a debuff in this way.
The two larger issues I noticed, is that while I’m building charges I’m barely inflicting any damage. 98% of my damage is coming from the finisher. While I’m trying to build charges and clear mobs, I’m also getting heavily damaged due to lack of sustain. With BoS and Fade not stacking, I’m forced to choose between ias for faster stacks, or fade for sustain. These are not end game claws as you struggle with trash mobs in hell a1 on players 1 with dual mosaics. In a players 3-5 game on a playthrough, you would be struggling to kill even basic enemies without getting thrashed. Clearing trash mobs in hell a1 shouldn’t take 2/3 super healing potions each mob. Without sustain on these, you’d have an easier clear time running a goofy max shadow master and mind blast build where you just sit and stun while the shadow and merc do everything; which in turn would allow you to keep your mal gul and trade them for a vex to make a hoto.
These claws need WAY more for the cost of Mal Gul.
They should have some Vitality on them for greater life pool. They should have some resistance on them like jade talon. They need lifesteal and more ias like other solid melee choices. If all we get is a new mechanic, we’re sacrificing stats, speed, lifesteal, res, crushing blow, deadly strike, etc for the cost of 2 high runes. Double that loss if you want to dual wield for a higher retain chance.
I think it’s a nice idea, and I love that they’re looking at the MA skill tree, but I feel like this just adds a normal-mode-only viable mechanic that is unobtainable until early stages of end game. If the stats are to remain the same, the Mal Gul needs to be downgraded to maybe io shael. That way we get some Vit and ias and the cost is more inline with the stats provided. They can even dump the mechanic to 15% so duel wielding only gets you to 30%. For the cheaper cost it would still be fine.
To really make MA viable, the charge skills need to be reworked as they do almost nothing by themselves without a finisher. New mechanics won’t solve that problem. At it’s best, it’s an expensive band-aid. At it’s worst, it’s a high rune dumpster. Same level of disappointment as if you stuck mal and gul into a claw and got nothing but the rune stats on it.
