Physical damage so far (April 3rd - 6th update)

[mad_lee]

So after some incessant whining constructive feedback Physical damage got an unprecedented amount of new toys and positive changes. Here are my impressions from playing some Physical builds.

I will be adding more builds as I test them.

1) Warborn Death Knight Death Knight, Level 100 (GD 1.2.0.3) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator (21% phys res in-game)

Notable changes:

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Mythical Warborn Gavel: replaced modifier for War Cry with 45%40% Weapon damage modifier for Cadence and added +2 Targets modifier for Reaping Strike

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• Cadence: increased % Weapon damage scaling with rank to 430% by rank 16, 550% by max ultimate rank
• Deadly Momentum: increased Physical damage and % Damage scaling with rank

NEW!

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Cadence: Reduced internal cooldown for melee Cadence charges to 0.35s, from 0.5s, this impacts how frequently Cadence can generate charges from WPS skills.

Feel amazing! It doesn’t have top dog single target damage (but it’s still very respectable) but it maintains the same damage against packs with very hard hitting and fast recharging Cadence hits. Physical resist is still build’s tankiness bottle neck but it compensates for that with high DA and high Armor. Overall feels like a great build, I don’t think Cadence ever felt so good.

2) Blitz Warlord

Chains of Anguish version: Warlord, Level 100 (GD 1.2.0.3) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
Normal belt version: Warlord, Level 100 (GD 1.2.0.5) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator

Notable changes:
Physical resist in-game: 43% (down from 83%)

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Soldier

• Field Command: reduced % Armor scaling with rank to 15% by rank 12, 25% by max ultimate rank
• Military Conditioning: increased % Physique scaling at ultimate ranks to 28% by max ultimate rank. Reduced % Health scaling to 20% by rank 10, 32% by max ultimate rank.

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Oathkeeper

• Haven: reduced % Health scaling with rank to 20% by rank 10, 32% by max ultimate rank

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Bargoll’s Root: reduced % Weapon damage modifier for Shattering Smash to 33%

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Chains of Anguish (all versions): increased Duration and % Physical Resist Penalty on the skill proc. The Skill proc now correctly Modifies Retaliation damage by -25%.

NEW!

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Field Command: reduced % Armor scaling with rank to 15%20% by rank 12, 25%30% by max ultimate rank

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Dire Bear: reduced Armor to 90 replaced Physical damage with 4% Attack damage Converted to Health

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Mythical Ring of the Black Matriarch: added 2% Attack damage Converted to Healt

I think right now build feels mostly balanced. It lost its appeal as Celestial Crusher (before it negated Callagadra and Ravager due to its Physical resist cap) but with the direction that Celestial fights have moved (Sunder is just too oppressive and you have to move around anyway) I think it’s okay.

I still feel like some items/affixes weren’t properly compensated for nerfs they endured, namely Collosal Grasp gloves and Overseer’s prefix.

3) Avenger Archon

Archon, Level 100 (GD 1.2.0.2) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator

Current phys res: 35% (down from ~64%)

Notable changes:

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Nature’s Avenger Set: reduced % Health Regeneration bonus to 30%. Reduced % Health Regeneration on the skill proc to 150%160% and removed the % Physical Resist to 8%.

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• Avenger’s Armor: increased % Physical Resist to 4%
• Avenger’s Crusher: reduced % Weapon damage modifier for Upheaval to 70%
• Avenger’s Pauldrons: increased % Physical Resist to 4%

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Mythical Doombringer: reduced % Weapon damage modifiers for Feral Hunger and Smite to 30%

NEW!

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Maul: increased % Attack damage Converted to Health scaling with rank

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Judicator’s Seals Set: reduced Cooldown on the skill proc to 3.5s

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Oak Skin: increased Defensive Ability scaling with rank to 108 by rank 12, 180 by max ultimate rank

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Dire Bear: reduced Armor to 90 replaced Physical damage with 4% Attack damage Converted to Health

Still overall a huge net loss in this patch. I think if you cut its Physical resist in half you can’t at the same cut its damage. Either give it a bit more damage but leave the Physical resist change or cut its Physical resist but give it its damage back.

4) Ranged Warlord

Warlord, Level 100 (GD 1.2.0.3) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator

So this one got the same buffs to its adtch which is great and even

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Viper Sandspitter: increased % Weapon damage modifier for Righteous Fervor to 15%

But the problems still persist: damage is not enough to justify build’s relative glassiness: just 11% phys res and 2900 armor.

Will add more builds later

Suggestions (so far)

- Cadence main skill still needs more. There should be an extra tdm modifier for 2H cadence.

- Physical devotion map and items lack adtch. With means of passive defenses being taken away physical builds need help with sustain.

- Nerfs to damage on Avenger should be reverted (including previous patch nerfs). It’s the only viable 2H AA/WPS archetype and its damage is far from op to begin with. Set should also be compensated for the loss of phys res.

- Octavius Paladin needs more support from items. Ugdenbog Repeater could use a second mod to Rune of Kalastor and set could give an extra projectile to rune as well.

NEW!

- Colossal Grasp gloves should get a higher compensation for phys res loss (maybe higher AS or CS)

- Overseer’s should get a bit more for phys res loss (maybe Healing effects or %Block Chance)

[AngmarDT]

I propose “+5% block chance” on Mythical Colossal Grasp: fits nicely on shied-theme item and does not make a build overpowered due to it.