I have no issues with a set that is centered around running around and summoning hydra’s while avoiding damage, it is the Wizards pet set!
That being said, the defensive mechanic also impact offensive throughput is a bit concerning. I think you should lose a head based on % of life lost, not “when hit”.
I agree with this as well if they keep the lose head mechanic. It needs to be based on % life, not just being hit for 1 damage lol.
+1
Blizzard(skill) really need some legendary items to raise it’s potential; it’s rather shocking that such an iconic skill has received so little attention.
That’s why I suggested Blizzard skill to increase Hydra damage. Wouldn’t take much time to add it there.
Not enough imo as blizzard would just be used to buff/enhance hydras while still dealing little damage by itself.
Yes. But we shall see if they have time to make Blizzard shine in a hard way.
Here are the most wanted wizard skill buffs in the community inquiry meaning that Hydra-Blizzard-Mirror Image set would be a match made in heaven.
Hydra 32
Blizzard 23
Mirror Image 20
Signature Spells 9
Ray of Frost 8
Teleport 8
Electrocute 8
Disintegrate 7
Black Hole 7
Twisters 7
Arcane Orb 6
Slow Time 6
Wave of Force 4
Conjuration Skills 4
Magic Missile 4
What if somewhere in 2p, 4p, 6p or another legendary item, Blizz adds an option to regenerate shield every time a hydra head deals damage? Will it solve the problem?
I want that the set is whatever you want it be, not jsut a channeling set. You wanna use Arcane Orb with the set, then it should work with Arcane Orb. You wanna use it with one of the three channeling skills, then it should work with them.
This can be achieved by letting the set have different multipliers for different skills, so that it adjusts for the legendaries that are already in the game. aka a different multiplier for Arcane Orb than for Disintegrate, etc.
It was confirmed that the Hydra Heads disappearing will have an internal cooldown, so apparently the damage reduction buff will not go away almost immediately as we speculated.
it is definitely better than we thought, but I personally still don’t like this mechanic. But that is my personal preference.
Like Oblivion I think tat is not enough. Even on its own, Blizzard is one, if the the most weakest skill of the Wizard when you compare it to all the others.
Blizzard would hardly grind some HP away from enemies over several seconds, while things like Disintegrate annihilate the same group of enemies within 2 or 3 seconds.
I often experience this when I level a Wizard from 1-70 just for fun. Blizzard (skill) is just terrible compared to other skills, even when not factoring in legendaries.
One way to improve Blizzard would be to give the skill a cooldown of e.g.15 seconds and reduce its duration to 3-4 seconds, and then significantly increase its damage, so it can be used more like a nuke.
But that is just a suggestion, not sure if other people like that idea…
I don’t want this set to be used with ES and DW. I want all dmg source being only hydras. We are going to use a generator to build Arcane Dynamo stacks and Arcane Attunement too if arcane hydras. I don’t want to stay static channeling, I want to avoid dmg while building shields using a generator.
For groups is a different story, if the set performs great, I can imagine a similar rotation that the used with bazooka.
Let’s be serious, wiz has only one build for normal players: Vyr. There are somo LoD builds that can be used for T16 but the items and paragon required are high. Bazooka hides the truth and the community thinks wizs are top, but bazooka is a weird build that requires an insane amount of paragon and items to work. DMO and TR are dead and Firebird is beyond useless, Vyr was nerfed and then barb sader and monks received buffs to make some builds more strong than Vyr pre-nerf… Now channeling is nerfed too lol
This set is our last chance to get some fun this S20. Would be bad for the class we become the new ratnec with this set? I would love it.
Want it or not is your choice. We are discussing about the best possible build and how it affects game balance. 10x damage from DW and ES is too much to exclude out of the equation.
Anyway, please buff back Vyr chantodo also. Such good old days.
IMO yes, we can avoid using DW and ES. Devs can make hydras don’t be affected by channeling and balance the set dmg without this mechanic.
Since we can’t find any info about this on patch notes and there is a 2 weeks PTR, we can push for a change if channeling affects the set.
The only way to do that is to change DW and ES completely, not Hydra. And for that matter, the complexity of balance will be brought to a whole new level.
Why the set can’t be balanced without DW and ES? I would prefer any other choice: SS/Ooid/AW, SS/Ooid/Furnace, SS/Ooid/rimeheart, … just make don’t work with channeling.
The other way, which I honestly prefer too, is to buff Serpent sparker more, say from 600% to 900%. Next we can have a source that increases hydra damage by 600% while moving or something (which makes it synnergize with hexing pant, and you sure can’t channel while running). There you go, 10x more damage without using DW and ES. This sure reminds me of condemn build, with both weapon and offhand giving huge buff.
P.S. I forgot the furnace in cube, so let’s leave SS alone and buff a source to 700% while moving.
This aproach is much better. I always prefer a free slot: AW for T16 and other (furnace, ooid, …) for grs. Channeling is the wizard’s cancer because its poor implementation, DW and ES is the only source of power for the class if we don’t count vyr and all builds are forced to work with these two items and this crap mechanic. It’s easy to buff the class forcing ppl to channel than to remake the whole class…
The class needs a big change, let’s start making this new set funny and not funneled into channeling.
I strongly advise you to watch rob theorycraft. I believe hydra heads will be just like squirt necklace and we will get tons of damage reduction out if in parties. But for solo push it will be LoN build.
Because the channeling buffs from DW and ES are general modifiers that works om everything due to how channeling functions.
And since Hydra’s are pets and thus passive Damage it works for those too. That’s why channeling sets utilized Hydra in the first place.
So the only way to combat it is to create a different and more appealing approach. Then you can balance it accordingly depending on which playstyle you want to promote. If one offers x10 multiplier and the other x15 then players will go towards the x15 option
Even if the alternative offers 9x or 10x only, I’ll choose the alternative. Channelling for damage on another skill is quite clunky, and even more so with the nerf to DW, ES and Mantle.
Step 1: Deathwish and Etched Sigil don’t affect Hydra. If you let this be channeling will again be dominant and having a new set doesn’t change anything it will feel much the same.
Step 2: If needed (and I expect it is) sneak in a Source and maybe a weapon that can support this build. I presume the x10,625 damage multiplier of the items is already included in the damage expectations and if so removing them should be compensated.
Would like to somehow integrate Mirror Image in this set.
Now this set works a little different (due to the heads), but I’ll quote an older post I made for a new set (it and many other ideas are in the Wishlist 2.6.8 post from Davez).
Maybe some ideas can come from it.
These 3 skills together would be amazing.