This is simply false. Stricken has increased build diversity actually. Certain elite hunter builds don’t use it. If this gem didn’t exist then AoE builds wouldn’t be able to push at all.
Nearly everything in this game is forced if you want to push as high as possible. You must have specific skills. You must have specific gear and gems. You must have specific maps and mob types.
Learn to have fun in the lower end or get used to doing what is needed to push higher. If your goal is 100 GRifts and solo carrying T16 for friends then you don’t even need Stricken.
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Bane of the trapped is good because it works multiplicative and has a higher damage number but it isn’t such that say a thorns build would never kill a rift guardian without it. Would there be a next best possible gem if they baked it into greater rifts? Sure. That will always be the case as people strive for min maxing stat values. However if we open up the possibility of options for builds and especially Legacy of Dreams builds that need BotS and LoD where I personally think LoD should’ve taken blackthornes or krelms as a wearable set instead. Anyways the point is there is a ton of wasted potential on the other gem options. Although most of them need a serious buff or synergy with legendaries to ever shine moving forward.