3.23 EXPLOSIVE ARROW BALLISTA ELEMENTALIST - League-Start to End-Game. Easy mode.

From Lake of Kalandra:Character Balance Dev. Manifesto

"

Problem: Explosive Arrow currently has a single stat for hit and ailment damage per arrow stuck in the target, but this makes it impossible to reduce the damage of overperforming ignite builds without also affecting underperforming hit-based builds.

Solution: Split the hit and ailment damage bonus for stacking arrows on a target into two stats. Reduce ailment damage and slightly increase hit damage.

Details:

Explosive Arrow no longer has "Explosion deals 5% more Damage with Hits and Ailments per Explosive Arrow on Target. Instead, it now has "Explosion deals 6% more Damage with Hits per Explosive Arrow on Target" and "Explosion deals 3% more Damage with Ailments per Explosive Arrow on Target".

so this is 40% less damage for ailment per Explosive Arrow on Target (5% => 3%).

:(

"

Thoril_Ktulu wrote:

From Lake of Kalandra:Character Balance Dev. Manifesto

"

Problem: Explosive Arrow currently has a single stat for hit and ailment damage per arrow stuck in the target, but this makes it impossible to reduce the damage of overperforming ignite builds without also affecting underperforming hit-based builds.

Solution: Split the hit and ailment damage bonus for stacking arrows on a target into two stats. Reduce ailment damage and slightly increase hit damage.

Details:

Explosive Arrow no longer has "Explosion deals 5% more Damage with Hits and Ailments per Explosive Arrow on Target. Instead, it now has "Explosion deals 6% more Damage with Hits per Explosive Arrow on Target" and "Explosion deals 3% more Damage with Ailments per Explosive Arrow on Target".

so this is 40% less damage for ailment per Explosive Arrow on Target (5% => 3%).

:(

It's a 60%+ damage nerf from what we can do now if we take into account divine blessing not working with lifetap too. Divergent EA wouldn't be as viable anymore without mirror tier investments due to spell suppression, divine blessing and mana reservation nerfs.

No more "invincible" EA build using mageblood due to melding nerf too. I was able to tank every single uber boss ability in the game besides Sirius die beam.

That said, the build should thereotically still have the ability to hit >100m Pinacle DPS and ~20m Uber Pinnacle DPS but at the cost of survivability.

Likely end-game aura link:
Determination
Defiance Banner
Malevolence
Enlighten
Purity of Elements / Wrath / Grace (Pick 2)

Sovereignty + Charisma nodes
32% mana reservation from gear
Either Enlighten 6 (+1 skill lvl) or a 50% reservation from cluster jewels

"

Thoril_Ktulu wrote:

From Lake of Kalandra:Character Balance Dev. Manifesto

"

Problem: Explosive Arrow currently has a single stat for hit and ailment damage per arrow stuck in the target, but this makes it impossible to reduce the damage of overperforming ignite builds without also affecting underperforming hit-based builds.

Solution: Split the hit and ailment damage bonus for stacking arrows on a target into two stats. Reduce ailment damage and slightly increase hit damage.

Details:

Explosive Arrow no longer has "Explosion deals 5% more Damage with Hits and Ailments per Explosive Arrow on Target. Instead, it now has "Explosion deals 6% more Damage with Hits per Explosive Arrow on Target" and "Explosion deals 3% more Damage with Ailments per Explosive Arrow on Target".

so this is 40% less damage for ailment per Explosive Arrow on Target (5% => 3%).

:(

They reverted EA status prior 3.15. Yeah for people doing Uber it suck, but for normal bosses this is just more few second the boss have to live. People forget that we path near the armor nodes for determination efficiency plus grace efficiency plus 10% from essences plus eldritch influence. I run the build without a blessing aura and bosses melt fast as always. Prob you will need Empower in your 6links and malevolence in your setup to compensate, we need to see the actual numbers before "kek ded build". On the other side I hope they nerf the shit of arch mobs and their degen on dead. You cant stand still when the fucking floor is lava, piss, poison, holy water, acid, and all the stuff you can make combining the periodic table

Cough cough. I m already playing the nerfed NON divine blessing build(gives me a scuffed build feeling) aura can be solved easy i switch it alot this league, either enl 4 in a +1 hyrri or even better an enlighten 5 in the chest, or 2 megalomaniacs with some aura reservation node.

No issues.

This build does all content with about 30 mill DPS.

People were pushing 150mill + DPS. So there is loads of flexibility to absorb the damage nerfs and rearrange defences.

Explosive Arrow will still be top tier. It will still feel amazing for anyone that hasn't played the build. For those that have played the build, it will obviously feel slightly weaker... but probably still better than anything else in the game :P Depending on patch notes.

I created this build at the end of 3.16 when Toxic Rain Champion was the king meta that league. This build felt BETTER than TR Champion in 3.16 and this was BEFORE Explosive Arrow had the buff of 5% more ailment damage per fuse. So to still have 3% is pretty damn awesome.

"

Thoril_Ktulu wrote:

From Lake of Kalandra:Character Balance Dev. Manifesto

"

Problem: Explosive Arrow currently has a single stat for hit and ailment damage per arrow stuck in the target, but this makes it impossible to reduce the damage of overperforming ignite builds without also affecting underperforming hit-based builds.

Solution: Split the hit and ailment damage bonus for stacking arrows on a target into two stats. Reduce ailment damage and slightly increase hit damage.

Details:

Explosive Arrow no longer has "Explosion deals 5% more Damage with Hits and Ailments per Explosive Arrow on Target. Instead, it now has "Explosion deals 6% more Damage with Hits per Explosive Arrow on Target" and "Explosion deals 3% more Damage with Ailments per Explosive Arrow on Target".

so this is 40% less damage for ailment per Explosive Arrow on Target (5% => 3%).

:(

Damage nerf is only 20%.

100 base * 100% more (20 fuses) = 200 now
100 base * 60% more (20 fuses) = 160 in 3.19
200 * 0.8 = 160 ( 20% less dmg)

If you used divine blessing that will be another 20-25% but high end you should use 6 link aura setup anyway so no nerf there.


Way bigger problem will be capping suppression

i do this build in 3.18 with a champion... lot less damage but easy lvl 100 with all content done. i think bow and quiver can be done better, check my profile and see waht i mean (sorry for my english)

There’s a variation that doesn’t use spell suppression:

https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/3282564

That reached 100.

"

groar wrote:

"

Thoril_Ktulu wrote:

From Lake of Kalandra:Character Balance Dev. Manifesto

"

Problem: Explosive Arrow currently has a single stat for hit and ailment damage per arrow stuck in the target, but this makes it impossible to reduce the damage of overperforming ignite builds without also affecting underperforming hit-based builds.

Solution: Split the hit and ailment damage bonus for stacking arrows on a target into two stats. Reduce ailment damage and slightly increase hit damage.

Details:

Explosive Arrow no longer has "Explosion deals 5% more Damage with Hits and Ailments per Explosive Arrow on Target. Instead, it now has "Explosion deals 6% more Damage with Hits per Explosive Arrow on Target" and "Explosion deals 3% more Damage with Ailments per Explosive Arrow on Target".

so this is 40% less damage for ailment per Explosive Arrow on Target (5% => 3%).

:(

Damage nerf is only 20%.

100 base * 100% more (20 fuses) = 200 now
100 base * 60% more (20 fuses) = 160 in 3.19
200 * 0.8 = 160 ( 20% less dmg)

If you used divine blessing that will be another 20-25% but high end you should use 6 link aura setup anyway so no nerf there.


Way bigger problem will be capping suppression

Capping suppress is not a problem once you get mageblood and proper flask, also 20% is nothing in end game gear. from 180 mil to 150, that s not a problem.

Spell suppression still can be capped by rolling it on the helmet + using 2 points to take reflexes. But we will be losing 15% faster ignite and -12% fire res.

The effect of the divine blessing nerf is big because because you will have to waste a lot of points to take RMR / Attack speed nodes to cape fuse. It also limits your aura options as it would be difficult to squeeze in vitality or precision now. There is a lot of opportunity cost in the skill tree because of this as 3 points at the end game can easily make a 15m DPS difference,