Could some of the Archon runes be added to the skill by default?

It’s probably far too late to even consider this, but I think it’d be interesting to change archon so that it gains its rune effects (with exception of the “Pure Power” and “Improved Archon” runes) by default. What I mean by this is that Archon would have Teleport, Slow Time, the Combustion effect as soon as you unlocked the Archon skill. Doing so would free up three of Archon’s runes for different and perhaps interesting effects.

For example:

Current Version:

Skill: Archon

Skill Effect:

  • Transform into a being of pure arcane energy for 20 seconds. While in Archon form, all normal non-passive skills are replaced by powerful Archon abilities. Damage dealt increases by 30%, while Armor and resistances are increased by 150%.
  • Each enemy killed while in Archon form increases your damage by 6% for the remaining duration of Archon.

Skill Runes:

  • Combustion: An explosion erupts around you when you transform, dealing 3680% weapon damage as Fire to all enemies within 15 yards. Archon abilities deal Fire damage instead of Arcane.

  • Teleport: Archon form can cast Teleport with a 2 second cooldown.

  • Pure Power: Decrease the cooldown of Archon to 100 seconds. Archon abilities deal Lightning damage instead of Arcane.

  • Slow Time: Archon form can cast a Slow Time that follows you and your Arcane Blast and Arcane Strike abilities Freeze enemies for 1 second. Archon abilities deal Cold damage instead of Arcane.

  • Improved Archon: Increase the damage of all Archon abilities by 50%.

Proposed Version:

Skill: Archon

Skill Effect:

  • Transform, with a blast that hits enemies within 15 yards for 3680% damage as Fire, into a being of pure arcane energy for 20 seconds. While in Archon form, all normal non-passive skills are replaced by powerful Archon abilities, such as Teleport and Slow Time. Damage dealt increases by 30%, while Armor and resistances are increased by 150%.
  • Each enemy killed while in Archon form increases your damage by 6% for the remaining duration of Archon.

Skill Runes:

  • Combustion: Using Arcane Strikes increases the damage of Arcane Blast and Disintegration Wave by xx% for 5 seconds, this effect can stack 5 times. The damage type of all abilities changes to fire.
  • Twin Support: Activating Archon grants two familiars that fire beams of Disintegration dealing xxx% upon enemies. While below 30% hp, the familiars can absorb one attack every 8 seconds and increases your life regeneration and life on hit by xxxx for 3 seconds (healing bonus effect occurs only once per transformation).
  • Pure Power: Archon’s Cooldown is reduced by 20 seconds. Using Arcane Strikes increases it’s attack speed by 1%, stacking 10 times for 5 seconds. Every 10 Arcane Strikes reduces Archon’s Cooldown by 5 seconds. The damage type of all abilities changes to lightning.
  • Glacial Tempest: Using Archon abilities grants a shield that absorbs 2% of your maximum life, this effect stacks 5 times. In addition, the damage type of all abilities changes to Cold, Arcane Strike and Arcane Blast will Freeze affected enemies for 1 second. Being attacked also has a 50% chance of releasing a frozen storm for 5 seconds that chills and damages enemies within 15 yards for xxx%, this effect can stack 3 times (only the frozen storm’s damage will increase with each stack).
  • Improved Archon: For every 75 stacks acquired, using Disintegration Wave can call forth a barrage of arcane meteors upon it’s path, in addition, increase the damage of all Archon abilities by 50%.

A nonsensical idea for sure, however, how would you make alterations to Archon’s runes if teleport, slow time, and combustion were added to archon by default?

Great post. If Slow Time and Teleport were made baseline, as I believe they should be, I would change Combustion to do periodic area damage, improved Archon should increase the base damage of Archon skills, cold Archon could cast Frost Nova, and Arcane could perhaps increase the duration of Archon.

Thank you, and yes I too believe that teleport and slow time should be included in the base archon skill as well. That would open up rune slots which could be used to further increase vyr’s capabilities, without dwelling too much on the set itself, which also could potentially benefit LoD and/or LoN builds too.