Rework of Witch Doctor Sets

I’ve done a full rework of each of the class sets, starting with the Witch Doctor. In case anyone wants to check it out, I posted it in the main forum. I’ll just link it here to keep any comments consolidated:

Rework of Witch Doctor Sets

no offense, but I’ve been playing LoD DoD build as an alt in S18 (after starting with Zuni DoD) and a rework that basically turns Zuni into a kiting build doing no damage itself is absurd.

Like I indicated, it is a pure summoning build, which currently does not exist in any viable form in the game. Plenty of people enjoy the play style of just getting to watch mass minions swarm the enemies and kill them on their behalf.

Dagger of darts build does not capture that play style. It’s also the only reasonable build for the class, which is a huge problem. The minions only do 1/50th of the damage themselves, so they are pointless until your are actively casting a spell. Well, that jut make it a caster build, almost like a Multishot build (but worse, since it is highly dependent upon fetish positoning, which you can’t control). You might as well just forget the pets and incorporate the splinter rune effect into poison dart, and it would play exactly the same. That would even be superior since it wouldn’t be dependent upon a 15% fetish proc rate passive.

The rework is basically the dagger of darts build, except that the 10 fetishes are always shooting darts, rather than only doing so when you do. Additionally, other 10 melee fetishes are actually doing comparable damage. When you need to attack a specific target, you throw a hex down on top of it. The shaman wil hex that cluster and the dart fetishes wil focus fire it.

So yeah, the rework increases the build diversity of the class, restores a summon-based build popularized by Diablo 2, and makes a greater variety of skills viable.

Jade doesn’t need a rework. Thematically it’s OK (although one can ask why locust swarm is in there, but it can be construed as that the locusts eat away the flesh and with harvesting a soul the enemy gets deleted from existence :grinning: )
Jade also has the one of the most unique playstyles of all the sets of all classes.

Arachyr is thematically (lord of critters) OK but the 2-piece bonus could use a rework as it is lackluster.
On the old forums somebody suggested to have the 6-piece be something like: enemies affected by Locust Swarm take X% increased damage.
I like that suggestion as it fits the theme very nicely. :frog::spider::fish::bat: :heart: :mosquito: :grin:
Yes, it’s another “tagging” mechanism but I wouldn’t mind it at all, especially if they remove the “tagging” from the 6-piece Zuni…

To make Arachyr really work, the critter ceremonial knifes should be updated with new legendary affixes as well as Depth Diggers (I have asked for this change a lot) so we can pick more runes.
I would also like if they removed the cooldown from the Bogadile and Wave of Mutilation runes, 2 of the most beautiful looking skills in the game. It gives us more choices and because of the mana cost and casting animation it won’t be OP I think.

Zuni is thematically also OK but the 4-p (whenever you have a pet summoned you gain X% damage reduction?) and 6-p (enemies hit by your pets take x% increased damage) could use a rework. We can only partially command our pets so I don’t think it’s OP to remove the “tagging”.

I agree with a (complete) rework for Helltooth. That set is like a big pile on of skills without thinking it through. :disappointed_relieved:

By “rework” I don’t mean that it necessarily completely changes how the set functions. In fact, for this particular set, the playstyle is pretty much intact. It still revolves around the same idea of spreading your DoT and then detonating that damage with a close-range AoE. For the most part is simply fixes a number of issues that the set has.

It also improves its performance v. single target. Jade suffers because the 2p single target mechanic is quite poor, and Soul Harvest itself is even less effective v. single targets without trash to proc Grave Injustice. The rework rectifies this incorporating spirit barrage. It’s a fun skill to use, is designed as a single target skill, and fits perfectly into the theme of the set. It makes it more interesting than if it were just haunt as the single-target skill because haunt is already used to much.

The rework then gives it a bit more of a unique identity with its CC mechanics. Rather than yet another WD build that uses piranhas, it adds grasp of the dead. Everything gets slowed by 80% and grasps adds a root. So, you can pretty much lock down everything on the screen. You can then easily weave between enemies pull non-slowed targets to the slowed/rooted ones.

Finally, it shifts some damage into haunt itself rather concentrating so much damage into burst. One of the biggest complaints of the set is that it basically takes all the DoT in the game, concentrates it into one build, and then immediately makes the DoT neglible - basically a giant middle finger to fans of DoT effects. In fact, I’d honestly prefer to remove the burst damage from Soul Harvest entirely, but figured that would be too drastic to fans of the set.