Deathguard exists from AoM but still there’s small amount of builds using it and the set is considered to be a bit underperforming. It was even redesigned to support acid SS (while we have Dunefiend too) but even with this move it hasn’t become more powerful.
Imo, the set could get a little offensive buff.
The 3-part bonus is very mediocre - 15% phys res is by no means great but 30% bleed res? Bleed res is not a serious problem as it can be covered with Ugdenbog Leather.
I suggest changing it to 30% elemental resist and also add 110 Oa as both Reaper and Oppressor struggle with getting it.
The 4-part bonus could also become more interesting. Reaper and Oppressor are single-rr classes, it would be cool to see, say, -15% acid RR to Ill Omen as 4-part bonus, or an RR proc as a granted skill (like the one on Venomblade).
ANOTHER SUGGESTION: remove SS support and replace it with +1 summon limit to Blade Spirits and 100% pierce->acid conversion to them. Change bonuses on items accordingly.
Also, some flat acid damage may be added somewhere on set, maybe on Chestguard or as 2-part bonus.
Yeah, the set is no good. I suggest to bump cold -> acid conversion to 50% for the 4-piece bonus. It’s a very rare conversion and why not make it a thing of this set? Shouldn’t make anything OP. Pierce, for instance, is a stronger dmg type and it is swimming in full conversions.
Definitely needs a buff, no doubts, at least for the reaper/oppressor part. Tried hard to make it work and i barely got decent results getting closer to other full purple builds while using unrealistic green setups and such. I do agree with the idea of adding a RR proc just like Vileblade has, it would make things a lot better in terms of damage. RR to Ill Omen? Definitely a no from me. The AoE of Ill Omen is very small, you already have ravenous earth for damage reduction and as great devotion proccer. An extra spell to cast will make things worse as you already have to cast abb, bh, re, pb, ss, mot, -/+ros, and finally movement runes when needed. Also i think the SS thematic fits it well.
TL;DR
Needs RR proc with some more AoE damage to the proc like Vileblade and definitely needs that cold to acid and pierce to acid conversion pumped up so it can at least get a clean 6min run.
I think generally there is a lack of acid gear with plus points in nightblade and necromancer.
Nightblade doesn’t have exclusive skills, ok. Necromancer doesn’t have acid dmg exclusive skills, ok. One can convert vitality with the deathguard dagger and the 2x shuroth rings to acid, alright, but that’s another fix point besides the set so you can’t mess around with that anymore. Can’t really convert from cold more than the set allows because generally that conversion is on just helmets and chest armor. There are fix points and i think that’s part of the balance which is needed. But i think the class combo needs more acid gear to make it worth to play around with this set.
If i missed something that negates my points, let me know. I certainly can be wrong as i don’t know everything about the game.
Probably it is not as much as lack of gear as the quality of that gear and stats it provides.
For example, ranged vitality defiler has almost 0 support - except 1 pistol - but that pistol is super-great. High damage values, conversion and -%RR mod, which is the most important part, imo; so, taking 2 Gargabol’s pistols gives you nice RR and damage boost and furthermore, you can use an overall good Blood Knight set.
Acid Reaper has a set dedicated to it, but what does it have? Very mediocre flat damage, some conversions and that’s all. No RR mod, which is very important to 1-RR-classes, even no proc or granted skill for full set.
