Just like you are assuming we have not tried your build.
I have personally tested ever combination possible. You have some of the best barbs in the world in this discussion and assuming Free or myself have not tested a simple passives or the benefit of oculus ring makes you look bad. And as far as why you are seeing videos of pushes that don’t include oculus is because it can be a hindrance in top world rank clears. This is because followers aggro mobs and this can hurt area damage and kill times.
This is a legit thing. My 138 was without a follower which means no oculus rings. You really think I could attain the 117th best clear in the world missing a valuable item. Yes because grouping all mobs faster without a follower is more important for area damage then the bonus from oculus.
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You, Free, MB, are on the same page and that’s great. It seems that every time I post about my progress someone has too pull me into a discussion of how I’m not conforming to the guide. I get it.
Again, I don’t think you do. I can’t recall you ever uttering, “Good job bro!”. I’m not seeking your approval, but at the same time it’s not hard to miss your distain for what I do when all you seem to do is rain on the parade. I’ll say it again, playing according to the guide will yield the greatest clears. Now let’s move on.
Peace
Huh? I didn’t assume that you didn’t, I in fact know you didn’t say it because you actually didn’t say it.
Are these my imagination or did you forget about them? A lot of goodies on you assuming things here.
And I want to emphasize just this part.
Then another dose of it here.
Oh yummy I can keep going.
And here
You are shameless! You went back and changed so many of your responses. No integrity. It’s beyond me how people can live a life of deception.
I didn’t change anything. See when you rub peoples nose in the dirt why would we congratulate you for a sub par run? What happens is you get you dirt that I had on my nose thrown right back at you.
I’m just the one that is saying what everyone is thinking.
Lol is DH going on about something else again. It was amusing at first, but then just got annoying. Keep sitting in your occy bubble bro.
I can’t even make out what you’re saying.
All I know is that you and thinking are not well suited.
We are gonna make a new guide for wwbarb just for DH. The entire guide will just say stand in Oculus ring.
“It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”
Mark Twain
Oh, when anyone makes a post about having gotten a personal best GR clearance I put a like on it and sometimes make a “Well done” comment.
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I haven’t been coming around much, but I am gonna weigh in.
DH, your build is literally the Crimson build in the guide minus spear. You stomp to pull density into an Oculus?
Cool. That’s what all variants of the build already do.
You tank in Oculus?
That’s what the Core does; and if you have enough Paragon, that’s what the Crimson variant does as well.
The only difference is this supposed “tanking in Oculus” and not using Spear, and frankly, that’s not a unique build variant or play style. That’s what the build already does. I mean, if you don’t like Spear, cool–don’t use Spear. I’m not here to tell you how to have fun. All I’m saying is that if you want to tank in Oculus, the Core build is better for it, and the numbers are in the OP–and not what you posted.
You’re telling us that your apple isn’t an apple, even though it looks like an apple, tastes like an apple, and has the same seeds in the middle. I mean, bro, do it how you like it, go nuts, but when someone tells you, “Hey, if you wanna do that, the Core build is stronger,” and when that comes from folks in the know, it behooves you to pay attention.
No one here is saying: The way DH does things is wrong.
What Chris and I are saying is: If you wanna do it that way, you’ll have more success with the Core build because it lets you tank in Oculus without RoRG and defensive passives.
And we’re right–for lots of reasons, many of which are outlined in the OP.
And just to be clear on something, Chris knows this build better than almost anyone–myself included. He’s one of the best Renders out there, and has far and away more play time and experience with the build than everyone in this thread. He doesn’t deserve mockery and criticism; in personal conversation, he and I have both discussed your contributions to the Barb cause, particularly how you’ve stepped up and been a positive member of the community. I’m not sure where all this outrage and nastiness is coming from, but you need to cut it off and quick.
I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that. You probably had one drink too many.
You’re confused.
It’s not my build, but it is, as you said, “the Crimson build in the guide minus spear”.
Great, I agree.
Good. Please stop trying to convince me otherwise.
Then don’t.
Frankly, I don’t want to play the way you suggest. I’m comfortable playing the way I do.
But yet you are by saying I that I should play according to your recommendations because it is the best way to play and many times in this very post.
He done his fair share of it.
Is he above it.
I want to continue to be that, though I hardly believe I am.
I play Crimson variant free of RF. Can we leave it at that?
Edit:
I do want to point out that for 6-8 months I’ve posting about “tanking within the Oculus ring for its full duration” and only now and you being the first, are saying that this has always been the case. If this was the case, why have you waited so long to make this declaration. Having always been able to tank in the Oculus ring and actually committing to doing it as a practice are two different things. Show me just one video time stamped 6 months ago that backs your claim. You’ve really made this more than it ought be.
Why have you done this? I’ll tell you.
You are bent on having your way. Idk how many time I’ve cordially asked you to stop suggesting, recommending, advising me with unsolicited information. There have been a number of players that have chimed in to help me achieve what I’m trying to accomplish, but never you. It’s your way or highway. I’m at a loss with you. What tone am I to take with you? Is it, “Shut up already!!!”. You tell me, please.
I told you that I drop 20% damage and you said nothing. And I have greater DR with what I am doing. I can post both D3planners you can tell me where I’ve errored. Are you up for that challenge?
Umm . . . huh?
DH, tanking in Oculus is crucial to every build. ZR is really good at it, especially the Core build, because when all defensive buffs are active (Band + Wrath + Wastes 4 + IB Armor bonus), and you have good Augments on your gear, you can sit in Oculus and hard-cast until the cows come home–at least until density thins out, but if you stay longer than that, you’re just wasting time.
In fact, this is in the OP–and has been since it was published:
And later in the followers section:
No one makes “tank in Oculus” their hill to die on because it’s what everyone already does. As you push higher and higher (with or without Spear–that’s your call), incoming damage will begin to outweigh your main stat, and you’ll gradually take more and more damage and thus be able to tank for less time. But–and this is absolutely crucial–if you want to successfully clear GRs and continue advancing, you’ll eventually need to rely on hard-cast Rends, and if you do that with enough AD, you’ll detonate most of the trash in just one or two COE/Oculus cycles/bubbles, and there won’t be any reason to stick around.
I’m not sure where the disconnect is happening, but let me put it this way: Everyone already tanks in Oculus for as long as it is necessary to kill trash.
There is no “my way.” You posted in a public forum. You better expect people to advise you how to fine-tune your setup. Play it however you want, but don’t expect folks to care if you’re purposefully gimping the basic build just to have fun. No one can weigh in on what’s fun, but we can discuss efficiency and such. If you’re not concerned with that, well, maybe there’s nothing to be gained by posting about it, yeah?
Thing is, you didn’t really drop 20% damage. If you drop the 3 defensive passives, you can take offensive passives, and if you drop RoRG for COE and hard-cast in Oculus on your Physical cycles, you’re doing way more damage than you are just sitting in there with Crimson’s. The thing about ZR is that it’s no longer a damage-over-time kind of build where Whirlwind and AD gradually chip away at enemies. It’s now closer to a burst damage build where you group up density, stomp them into Oculus bubbles, and hard-cast them into gooey bits.
99% of your damage comes from those hard-casts on Physical cycles (in Oculus). The rest of the build is just moving around, gathering density, and getting setup to deal the real damage.
Of course, if you want to play it differently, cool–go nuts, have a grand ol’ time. I just wouldn’t expect anyone to clap you on the back for purposefully making the build weaker and ignoring the advice of folks who know the build inside and out. And if that’s going to be your attitude going forward, well, maybe this isn’t the thread for you.
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There is a clear nuance in our “tanking”. I have chosen to live and die by it, period. I have said that my version of “tanking” is to stay in the pocket for it’s entire duration.
You say:
There is a clear difference in our “tanking” styles. The difference is even clearer in the OP.
Here is Seras:
https://youtu.be/nGXYasKbAd4
He is in and out of the pocket, never resting in it. He at times even outright ignores the pocket even when conditions are right.
If this doesn’t clear up the disconnect, then idk what will.
No, you’re completely wrong. That’s what you would like to see happen.
Wrong again. You’re not and never have tried to help me “fine-tune” my “setup”. You have only tried to conform me to OP, for years now. As I said earlier, there have been players who have helped “fine-tune” my “setup”, of which you are not one. For some reason you seem to believe that my postings disrupt the mojo the OP.
I don’t care if you care, just don’t shoot me down.
A second point. I can understand this from new players, but from you? We’ve been playing and posting for 8 years, you know me. Why do you keep hounding me to conform? What are you trying to accomplish?
You’re saying that 3 passives with conditional damage is better than a guaranteed 20% damage, I disagree.
I will.
Some do players already do show support and that’s awesome of them.
So don’t support me, but exercise the same discipline to stop hounding me.
News flash! As much as you would like that to be the case, I’m not going anywhere. You need to learn to accept one and all. For the record, I don’t hate or dislike you, on the contrary, I pray blessings on you.
Peace brother
Sometimes I think getting a couple of Barbs together IRL for barbecue and a few beers would solve a lot of the animus between them…
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I think the very same thing. The scenario plays outs: A few Barb go to Blizzcon, have a few dinners together, a few beers… I’m not as brash in person as I am in text. 
I think you misunderstood–several things, actually. I haven’t been telling you to play X way. What I–and others–have been saying is that if you want to play the build and be super tanky, the Core build is better since you don’t have to muck about with RoRG and the extra CDR requirements. Note in the OP how it compares the DR and damage of Core and Crimson’s, and the only time you want to use Crimson’s (no matter how you play) is when you can drop Band of Might for COE. Otherwise, the damage difference is minimal while the difference in toughness is significant.
That’s really it. That’s all we’re saying. I’m not sure why you find that so controversial.
As for tanking in Oculus, I still don’t think you get what I’m saying. What you’re seeing in Seras’s video (and the videos of other skilled players) is a willingness to re-position to deal more damage or to set up future damage bursts. You only sit in the Oculus for as long as it takes to bleed out (burst down) density around you, because once density thins, you aren’t doing damage to, well, anything.
So, when Seras leaves the Oculus bubble, it’s to gather more density with Spear, or because he needs to re-position to better group mobs, or because there’s not enough density to make it worth his while to sit there and bleed out a few shamans. See what I’m saying?
So, if you’re dead set on tanking inside an Oculus the entire time, well, what I said earlier still stands: Go ahead and do it.
But that’s what we already do when conditions make that optimal. It’s not a new or unique style of play, and it’s not a variant on the build or anything. I get that you acknowledge it’s not the optimal way to play the build, and you’re clearly not worried about optimizing it, so that’s all good. There isn’t really anything to discuss, you see?
And that’s what I mean about the thread and posting. I don’t mean you should never post here and go away. I mean that what you’re describing isn’t novel or unique, hence why a few of us seem confused that you’re bringing it up at all. You’re reading into this way, way too hard, and yeah, I mean what I said: You need to take a step back and chill your tone. No one’s bashing your personal goals or saying you’re wrong for having fun the way you do. You’re saying, “I tank in Oculus!”
And we’re saying, “Well, yeah. We all do when it’s worthwhile.”
Now, if you’re saying that you can bend the build for it to be worthwhile all the time, well, that’s simply not true–not with most maps and mob compositions, anyway. But you do you and have fun.
I’ll leave it to Seras and Chris to explain why you’re not getting the damage you think you’re getting.
Maybe. I’d need a lot of bourbon depending on the political makeup of the group. The election is coming up soon.
Patch notes are out!!!. Random class clone on pyl0on plus a 4th cube slot for season. Also barb got a buff to blade of tribes and they reverted the mantle of channeling nerf. less go!!!