Vaal Double Strike

If you Multistrike with this, does it make 3 clones?

"

GetPucked wrote:

I'm curious how this interacts with multistrike, wonder if you get multiple illusions.

"

SKRen wrote:

If you Multistrike with this, does it make 3 clones?

I too would like to know this.

Multistrike does not create more clones, nor does it seem like the Clone uses Multistrike himself (though I could just be missing it, since he usually stands inside of me while attacking)? I'm starting to wonder if the support gems I'm using are even doing anything except raising the mana cost...?

I have to agree with pretty much everyone else here. The ability is really cool but getting the 64 souls is a pain for what you get. Plus, you have to a have completely separate link setup to use it (if you want it to do anything worth spending the effort). If it worked all time (while uncharged) just like the normal skill and then simply released the clone on the hit which impacted after the 64th soul was aquired, then it would be useful.

As it stands, I can't justify a complete link setup for a impotent attack that lasts a few seconds and takes several minutes to build up.

I love the concept though so my suggestion would be to allow it to be used as normal when it is uncharged. The argument against this would be that the Vaal gems working this way, would replace normal skill gems. I say, just make them cost more mana than the normal skill gems. Enough to make a person get more mana nodes or use more mana leech. This way it would not be a replacement but a play-style change.

I get the feeling that they should add pants or something to the game (4 or 6 slots) that allow only Vaal gems to be used from, although other gems can be linked to the Vaal gems (supports). This would mean the Vaal gems would have a place, rather than being a third-wheel, as such.

"

Aimeryan wrote:

I get the feeling that they should add pants or something to the game (4 or 6 slots) that allow only Vaal gems to be used from, although other gems can be linked to the Vaal gems (supports). This would mean the Vaal gems would have a place, rather than being a third-wheel, as such.

pants is dominus.

I don't see what the Soul problem is, I was able to use it at least 5 times in the last Map I did...

I generally save it for Bosses to kill really fast, it's really fun seeing all the attacks from both you and Clone.

But can anyone from GGG verify the DPS on the Clone, or is it based on the tooltip DPS of the Vaal Double Strike?

I used Vaal Double Strike (VDS) once, in Normal Mud Flats, on a (mostly) trapper Shadow, at a very low level. Double struck a rhoa, and my copy scampered off and double struck a couple more rhoas before vanishing into the ether. Brought a little smile to my face, reminding me of the Shadow Warrior/Master for Assassins in Diablo 2. I miss that mechanic; it made Amazons and Assassins my favorite D2:LOD classes.

Having said that, the VDS copy just doesn't hang around very long at all, and for his damage to be effective later in game, you really need to make a melee build. Given my experience with melee builds, I don't think I'll be doing that any time soon.

Then there's the additional knock against all Vaal gems: the charging mechanism. I understand its purpose -- specifically, to limit use of a somewhat more powerful version of a skill that would otherwise make its normal counterparts redundant -- but given the fast-paced nature of the game, it's all too easy for me to fall back on my usual tactics with normal, spammable skills, only to realize when the combat's almost over that my Vaal gems are finally charged up... with nothing worth using them on. Additionally, when I do use them, they're not nearly effective enough to make me see the value in keeping them around. There are a few exceptions -- VFireball, for example -- but most of the Vaal gems need not only to be charged up, but also to be used just so in order to be worth the time, effort, and sacrifice of a gem slot. For me, they're just too fiddly for a fast-paced game.

I love the concept on this gem! Having a shadow clone is really, really neat.

That said, the AI needs to be improved. To be honest I can't say whether the duration is too short or not since in my opinion he's not functioning properly. If he were firing on all cylinders going full aggro, it's possible that the short duration would be alright. Even then, he's not much of a minion so it's possible that an extended duration would be nice.

For the people asking: Multistrike makes the clone do Double Strike + Multistrike, so 6 attacks. I've played around quite a bit with links, and typically the usual ones that you'd expect are quite effective: Melee Physical, Added Fire, Multistrike.

One change that I would like to request would be to allow multiple instances of clones. I had 3 Vaal Double Strikes linked up to Increased Duration + Multistrike, but I was very disappointed to see that only one was able to exist at a time. It was also difficult to sustain one constant clone even with 3 gems.

This gem has a great concept and is easily my favorite of the Vaal melee gems. Currently it feels like it's had the fun aspects of it sucked out, but with some tweaks and balance changes I think it could be really fun to use.

Some time ago, I got the gem to a lvl req of about 50.

Increased duration + multistrike + increase physical dmg = a good burst of dmg, BUT not for the charges at cruel or merciless.

I'd say keep the charges what they are in normal and things will be fine for this skill.

Interesting Note:
It seems that you can put two of the same vaal gem on and the gems will alternate which gem gets which soul. This is extremely nice with the vaal summon skeletons where you can have two uses for a boss battle. Although this does become impractical on higher difficulties due to the increase in charges.

(I haven't done this with this skill, but it does work with the vaal summon skeleton)

So maybe 2 vaal double strikes + increased duration + increased physical dmg would be more useful. But, that's just a thought.

Update:Got to Act 2 Cruel. I can say for sure that doubling vaal skills (at least the skeleton army) wasn't practical with the increase in charges. :/