Welcome to the aether world of binding spells. As we know, aether PRM boasts some top-tier results comparable to some of the best pre-nerfs binders, if through a painstaking process of learning exactly when to press your buttons (and hoping two Reapers won’t show up). But, word is AAR also got buffed. So I decided to take it for a spin.
This is not a regular build guide or write-up. I just wanted to share with the community results of my testing. I took two concepts for a spin.
3pc Krieg + Anasteria + Decree + Conduit achieved a result of roughly 8 minutes on the average. Here is one of my runs. It is basically Sir Spanks’ build with the conduit, slightly different skill point distribution, changed devotions and some different components. I GDstashed the affixes on the book but it can do without. I also tested Wrath, Manticore and Magelord rings but this is overall better. I assembled it in grimtools from memory as I didn’t save the one I ran in the video so there might be some minor differences.
Clairvoyaint + Conduit was just an experiment but surprisingly it was also able to do an under 8 min run. It requires a set affix on the off-hand (Sandstorm) and some crazy piloting (in my case - crazy luck). I also tested different setups (Magelord rings mostly and Eternity) but came to conclusion that Agrivix relic and regular binder rings, despite the nerfs, more than make up for lack of extra ele>aether and Eternity’s cdr. Without the racial dmg you lose 20 seconds with the councilmen trio and 5+ seconds on every Alex.
My general conclusion is that you can feel that AAR got a buff and the extra 6% weapon damage on the conduit does make a difference (I’ve seen crits in the vicinity of 150-200k and adcth is more or less ok on bloodthirster) but it’s still a single target channeling spell. It will never hold a candle to AoE.
So you`re using Agrivix+double devastation setup and think its AAR that kill stuff in 9 minutes? =)
Well, i tested AAR chaos Warlock and it clear in 14 minutes with full AAR+Sigil and in 9 minutes if i drop AAR in favor of CT/Devastation.
It’s 8 minutes and yes I forgot to write a disclaimer that it would never work without devastation which does most the work. I assumed people who would be interested in this already know that. My bad.
Devastation performs disproportionately well in Crucible in campaign and shattered realm (spoilers?) less so because instead of staying in one place you need to move and 4 wave of monsters are not constantly converging in the same location.
That being said I think AAR could use further buffing on its base skill dmg to help it both in leveling and end-perform (as opposed to further itemization buffs just helping the late game)
I wouldn’t mind AAR having a third node frankly, to pull you away from other offensive skills. Otherwise it seems intended to be used with devastation yes.
Worth mentioning my AAR warlock gets like a 25s kill time with dummy. Nothing fantastic for its lack of AoE.
It’s single target damage is quite good now, I think. I mean compared to before. What AAR really needs is just a pinch of AoE. Chance to pass through. Mini sphere converging on impact. Reflect off the enemies and go the other way. Anything.
It’s nowhere near good, still. While some damage was added it’s almost inconsequential, it needs much, much more. I don’t think AAR will ever be good enough to function on its own, it will always need devastation.
By Crucible Standard sure, but Crucible biases you toward AoE. It’s definitely better in campaign. I agree it’s not there yet (and I actually do believe more damage as opposed to more AoE could make it good enough) but my transmuted AAR build is at least viable now. Not unfun to run in campaign.
As a 2 node skill it’s intended to need other skill support I think. But I think it still relies too hard on other skill support and not enough on itself, especially for being high tier in the arcanist tree.
For its detriments, 25s dummy kill time on Warlock is pretty bad. And the kill time with aether AAR was much worse.
I wouldn’t know about crucible standards, I haven’t played it in forever. Don’t particularly like it.
I’ve played AAR builds in the past, they were unpleasant. Since that time improvements have been made, yes, but most of them are cosmetic. Faster turning and such is nice I guess but doesn’t fix the problem that our death ray is anything but that. Crate have been tinkering at the margins on this skill and I suppose that’s what’s required for the vast majority of balance changes. But not this one. It needs a vast dps increase, until that happens I just don’t bother because I know it doesn’t matter.
CT, TSS and devastation all have two damage types, but AAR apparently isn’t gimped enough and needs three. I mean, why? I honestly don’t get this, are they afraid it will become a broken skill? I just can’t.
Well, it used to be 9 minutes, now it’s under 8. So there is progress.
And of course it needs devastation. PRM needs devastation, too. Even CT Vix needs devastation. No arcanist skill can do without solid dmg support from elsewhere, not even TSS.
All skills make use of other skills or just many procs. I have never seen a build posted that literally uses 1 skill and no procs. Even that elemental cadence build Mad lee posted was carried by Elemental Force, Hand of Ultos, Elemental Seekers, Elemental Storm & Ignaffer’s Combustion.
AAR is a single target skill so of course it needs an AOE skill to aid it.
I don’t need to click on that. I know what it is. It doesn’t use devastation and TD for the fun of it (great build that, don’t get me wrong). But it would be 2-3 minutes faster if it did. So when we’re taking triple runs unbannered, yeah, even CT needs devastation.
I’ve seen this before, a few times actually, when discussing AAR we end up talking about other skills like devastation because AAR can’t carry a build in the way that CT can. There’s the problem, even after countless attempted buffs. It’s disappointing, I want AAR to be great but it never gets there.
