So I have the experience of playing several Albrecht’s Aether Ray builds: Chaos AAR Black Flame Mage Hunter, Fire AAR Sorc, Lightning AAR Mage Hunter and Aether AAR Mage Hunter. Out of all those every build except Chaos has pretty obscene damage and all those builds rely on just one skill that has just one nod. Chaos AAR is gimped by a silly transmutor and itemization/devotions.
Aether AAR Spellbinders can hit sub-5 minute Crucible timers without investing into defense and are the strongest AAR builds around, so maybe Clayrvoiant set needs some adjustments as well. Even Clayrvoiant Battlemage (!!) can hit sub 6 minute (!!!) timer.
I think flat damage on AAR skill should be brought down a notch. It kind of makes every other skill in the game look silly. But with this I propose giving AAR something to compensate. Best solution would be adding adtch to AAR to new items or increasing ADTCH to AAR on existing ones.
Community might dislike it, but at this point you can’t deny that AAR is a bit broken.
So what’s your opinion on the matter? Should AAR be nerfed?
No, leave it as it is
Yes, but adjust just Clayrvoiant’s and Aether AAR
Yes, flat damage should be adjusted but more adtch should be given in return
AAR deals incredible damage when you can convert all of it to same damage type. Offensively it’s outperforming. Clairvoyant needs tone done as well small touch on base damage skill, since none of AAR damage type isn’t underpowered, so you’ll not harm any build doing that.
But at same time damage reduction or other defensive mod will be welcomed as compensation for the lost damage.
That’s why I am against increasing AAR AdctH. But if you decrease slightly the damage, you’ll leech worse than now. So damage decrease is probably the sound option.
Then everyone will ignore items that give adtch and stick to conduits that seem to give AAR sufficient ADTCH even thru 24% weapon damage. In my opinion, it’s much easier to bring down flat damage value of AAR. At the rate AAR hits at max casting speed it’s a bit ridiculous.
Even when you can’t, like with Clayrvoiant’s Aether AAR it still dishes out insane damage. Even Chaos AAR has very decent damage despite transmutor, but it’s slow because it’s Chaos (so shitty devo map, a lot of extra buttons, super resistant Reaper, etc.).
I agree.
So remove weapon damage Conduit as well? How will AAR builds sustain then?
Your sorc had low DA (like most sorcs would not be comfortable to play with that DA, but not yours) and just 7% adtch and it was surviving just fine. Yes, defensive layers were helping, but it was leeching really well thru that weapon damage mod despite low adtch.
In general it isnt over performing I would say. A lot of AAR builds average in the 6:30 range, with 4b/1banner which is by no means out of hand. The best course would be to target the outlying specs, and begin with chipping away at the damage mods found there.
It is long past due that aar be a useful skill… I would hate to see cold aar end up useless because the gun was jumped and the base skill was nerfed, when it was the mods on certain sets/items that made a select few flavors of it over perform in crucible
I wasn’t really proccing Ghoul when I played your sorc, mate. I was just busy trying to line everyone up and annihiliating shit. 7% adtch was enough. If you throw 16% adtch on it probably becomes unkillable.
I changed to Star Pact, remember? So more Blast Shield and more Nullification. I have probably procced Ghoul here and there, but it was a very smooth sailing overall, like build wasn’t relying on Ghoul too much. You could probably slap on Haunted Steel and skip Ghoul in devotions and it would be even better.
I think you can check it yourself. Change it to any other Conduit. And see for yourself. Like you will have same tankiness and max res, but no weapon damage, so no adtch. You won’t lose damage, because obviously 24% weapon damage is a tiny part of AAR’s overall damage. But you will lose adtch completely. See how bubbles save you then.
