Second set of PTR changes are a real head scratcher to me. They cratered WW/Rend (removing a separate 3x damage multiplier from a build is not a small nerf). WW is now almost certainly back to being the weakest Barb build and it also crushed the dream of not running Rats this season.
Then, they buffed the Crusader set to the moon. Heaven’s Fury has been used as an RGK at 140+ with Akkhan’s, which is 1500%. LoN HF has also soloed at least as high as 127 during the LoN season, which was 9750%. This was a 2k paragon clear, so certainly no where near a bleeding edge push. The new set is 300% (2PC) x 20,000% (6PC). I cannot honestly see this going live.
Finally, they absolutely mangled the Monk set. I had a lot more fun playing the set without Tempest Rush, just using generators + Cyclone. All the feedback I read indicated that this was a widespread feeling, if not an outright majority. Now we’re actually forced into using TR, and it’s still not even a TR build for the people that wanted that, because it buffs Wave of Light too. If the 4/6p bonus last even a second after you proc them, the set will be played with WoL.
The six piece now buffs all damage by 15k% after hitting an enemy with Tempest Rush while Sweeping Wind is active. Unlike SWK (which will be 19.5k after the buff to Vengeful Wind), this set won’t actually require Vengeful Wind as even at 15k% SW will do zero damage and movement speed is still literally useless for Monks, making additional stacks useless. This frees up your second weapon slot for Rabid Strike (x2 damage over SWK). If you recall, we had this a few patches ago when they buffed Inna’s on the PTR, to the same 15k%. However, unlike Inna’s, this set doesn’t require Mystic Ally, meaning no Crudest Boots, meaning your cube slot is free for BotLG (x3 damage over SWK and Inna). So, this set will use all the same multipliers as LoD WoL, but you trade 60% fire damage (Magefist Cindercoat Swamplands) for another 5k% base increase (x1.5) and a gem slot. If I recall correctly, Inna’s WoL on that PTR cleared 131, and this version will have another 3x multiplier over that.
We’ve already been playing WoL with two of our sets (plus our main LoN/D build) for literal years at this point. It’s our best key farm, our best bounty, our best speed GR and our best push build. Now our new set is just another WoL build. Extremely frustrating. The real kicker is SWK SW/TR will end up being stronger than the new set designed for SW/TR. Absolutely mind blowing how badly this set turned out lol
I know the forums are overrun with D4 hype/disappointment right now but this patch is shaping up to be an absolute disaster.
That does not sound very good for Barbs.