Rock, Paper, Scissors in PVP

I've been in the PVP scene for a while now, and I've seen a lot of PVP viable builds. I would say PVP is BALANCE at its current state.

So how would you say a certain build is OP? People dedicated in PVP can make a certain build OP: Godly gears, Passive Tree and PVP experience (Knowing how to counter your opponent). Every build has a counter. If you can't beat a certain build it doesn't mean that build is OP or your build is weak, probably that build is a counter to your build.

I've been reading other threads and it seems like 2H users are starting a campaign against Block builds/Aegis Aurora.

2H users vs Block builds:

2H users have tons of DPS, can use legacy Kaom's Heart, HP can reach 8k+ (with Kaoms Heart), massive life regen.

Block builds have a decent amount of DPS, can use Aegis Aurora, HP about 4k to 5k max, can block.

2H users chose DPS, Block builds chose defense. Now i see 2H users wants to nerf Block/Aegis Aurora, so 2H users wants to reign PVP?

Let me here your thoughts.

So far block is a lot better than 2H from what I have seen so far. Of course with Godly gear I am sure 2H guys can be great but blockers are just better overall.

Also your HP assessment is a little off unless you were just giving an average. I have a blocker (non Aegis) who has 6K life.

For lvl 28 pvp its starting to become the same. Its forcing some classes to use certain style weapons and builds but seems like the devs are pushing for those classes to use builds which become viable only at ceiling lvl pvp. I Imagine 2h sword builds in high lvl pvp with insane block penetration and dps, ilvl 78 vaal sword with triple phys suffix will be viable against aegis max block. It just takes weapons that require great amounts of time to come across.

LvL 28 pvp examples

Staff templar
Shadow crit dagger
Sword ranger and duelist
Staff duelist
flicker strike goddess scorned duelist


many of these builds are viable. especially in team fights but the lvl of gear it takes to become viable is insanely rare in comparison to face breakers in lvl 28 or aegis max block in merci pvp. I imagine the Devs created demo builds equipping ceiling lvl gear and carbon copies of famous builds currently being used, and then pitted them against eachother.

I agree with the OP. The reason why block is generally better in pvp at it's current state is because block builds have invested more in to their characters as a whole than the typical 2h'er.

The two exceptions I've seen are... a level 90 2h ~750 dps crit sword user with legacy Kaom's that destroys pretty much all block builds. Main attacks are cyclone and flicker. Also some heavy strike here and there.

There's also a level 94 2h ~750 dps axe user with legacy Kaom's that owns in pvp pretty much the same as the previous guy. His main attacks are heavy strike, leap slam, and bear traps. Not sure if the guy is crit or not.

I can narrowly beat the first guy in our most recent matches. The second guy gives me a bitch of a time. Still trying to figure out a counter. I have an explosive arrow build for reference.

Some of the block builds I've seen have mirror worthy ES/AR gear, with some using legacy soul takers or other mirror worthy 1h weapons.

From what I've heard, the problem is that block builds require so little to be successful. A block-built PvPer with average gear can beat someone 20+ levels higher than him with amazing gear just because his build is a gimmick build relying on a silly mechanic.

If all investment was the same, then I think people wouldn't quite care as much.

It's the fact that you can slap on a single item and be a serious PvP threat whereas pretty much any other build requires TONS of investment in order to compete.

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Vaux wrote:

From what I've heard...

Come on man... Have you even played pvp? Everything you said sounds either grossly exaggerated or completely made up.

They should add to vulnerability curse, "reduces enemy block chance by X amount. I feel like this would be the perfect balance. It doesn't screw over block builds (curse removal flasks), but gives others a way to counter them.

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Vaux wrote:

From what I've heard, the problem is that block builds require so little to be successful. A block-built PvPer with average gear can beat someone 20+ levels higher than him with amazing gear just because his build is a gimmick build relying on a silly mechanic.

If all investment was the same, then I think people wouldn't quite care as much.

It's the fact that you can slap on a single item and be a serious PvP threat whereas pretty much any other build requires TONS of investment in order to compete.

Thats partially true but wouldn't ever be the case caster vs melee. Melee vs melee a lower level using anvil/aegis and a good weapon perhaps facebreakers for instance could pose a problem for a higher level theoretically better geared melee if he can't get past his block chance to land hits. Instead just keeps healing him, if they both ran the same set up likely the higher level would win if he didn't get outplayed. Casters on the other hand need to be using good gear and be high level to pvp. But once there at that point only block builds are strong...too strong vs most any build you can make besides a few that negate block entirely or partially. Block melee vs melee, block caster vs caster and block caster vs melee is all fairly balanced if you're good. Difference starts to be clear when you play say a ranger or something and notice you're healing people and killing yourself faster then you can kill them even if you land a big critical. You'd need to critical a few times in succession to come out ahead or win vs someone thats heavily geared. Or else you just go back to healing what life you took from them and reflecting damage back to yourself. Or if you're playing a 2h melee build that can't get past block chance, also 2h casters tend to suck compared to block casters aswell.

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Vaux wrote:

From what I've heard, the problem is that block builds require so little to be successful.

Block might not be balanced but what you said above is completely untrue.

Viper strike maybe, block no.

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Also your HP assessment is a little off unless you were just giving an average. I have a blocker (non Aegis) who has 6K life.

Im referring to a PVP spec character using unique items that doesn't have HP.

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From what I've heard, the problem is that block builds require so little to be successful. A block-built PvPer with average gear can beat someone 20+ levels higher than him with amazing gear just because his build is a gimmick build relying on a silly mechanic.

Well that 20+ level guy needs to rethink his build then.