Could Desolator get pierce->fire conversion?
This will help the fire version and prevent the weapon abusing on pierce FS (now it is like minute faster than fire one).
3 Likes
Back to runebinder
Tested this spec https://www.grimtools.com/calc/w26r90A2
Idk if I can say anything positive, only negative thoigths are left after playing. The set and gameplay are so fucking bad that there aren’t right word to describe it.
Current rune gameplay is a cancer, 'cause you need to cast runes on every random mob you encounter, wait for 1.5 sec and move to another enemy. This delay just makes mad.
The only one current example of the good rune gameplay is Chillwhisper: while blade spirits clear trash you might focus on big guys with rune.
Moreover, rune of Kalastor isn’t worth its poitns at all. I summon @romanN1 to prove my words with pierce infiltrator test. RoH+BS appeared to be better both in terms of DPS and QoL.
2 Likes
I want to talk about Skybreaker Circlet for a bit. It’s a rather interesting item that implies a rather interesting, yet poorly supported archetype - lightning Vire’s Might.
For some strange reason though, it gives skill bonuses to Volcanic Stride, which can’t be converted much, if at all. Unless it tries to promote dual damage type, but if you’re going to amass some significant % fire damage for Volcanic Stride to actually deal damage, you might want to just go pure fire since it’s the damage type OK supports natively.
Pierce portion of VM also remains unconverted: the only way to get pierce to lightning is on Stormserpent set which you cannot use fully for obvious reasons as it will defeat the whole purpose. But at least chest piece can be used, so that’s alright I guess.
So my suggestion is to change +3 to Volcanic Stride to +3 to Vire’s Might because you can’t get the skill high enough with lightning itemization (I managed to get it to rank 19, which is poor for main damaging skill).
Adding some global pierce to lightning conversion would be highly welcome too, as it will also help lightning version of RoK. But this may be a bit over the top.
it is a true fact. several setups were made and tested and kalastor just doesnt belong there, unless you just wanna do a pierce kalastor build, but performance wise, RoH and BS are the best there.
For Example, here is a theory-crafted unique use of M.Infernal Brimstone that I though might be fun:
Burn-Focused Retaliation MIB Shieldbreaker. It needs better sustain/DA/resitances, etc.
But the hybrid idea could be good fun. Lots of mixed burn sources for stacking. A large retaliation burn…but sadly afaik the duration of the retaliation DoT is not affected by normal %increased durations and this would limit the apply + kite to 2s. 
Maybe the weapon needs some sustain and conversion. Idk. The idea needs a lot of lightning->fire conversion to make a decent amount retaliation burn. It is rather convoluted.
DoT damage = no lifesteal. And without a shield to make you tanky, it’s either lifesteal or health regen with a 2H. Without gear health regen is only provides partly sustain, you can’t just wait there to monster kill themselves because as I mentioned you barely have 100k retaliation damage(And you tried and gear fully retaliation bonused items), they kill you first before they die lol. So you must keep hitting to kill them efficiently but you can’t lifesteal from burn damage either. It might be fun to play in campaign but that’s all. Shieldbreaker is already a ‘‘hard to balance resistances’’ class including with low phys resist. Torch path provides very little of these stats and blast shield+ resilience won’t save you.
You either use the skills to kite or stay there for retaliation/RATA, there is no hybrid of that. Atleast in a serious way. And if you ask me there are much better gear weapond/off-hand or weapon/shield options for kiting as fire caster than Infernal Brimstone. And same for retaliation actually, you can do better fire retaliation build with shield.
So if the weapon atleast provide physical>fire conversion, atleast we can get more damage from RF(this part will do some help for sustain), Meteor, Meteor Shower and Rain of Fire and retaliation part stays as thematic.
I want to discuss about Valdun set. After getting nerf by multiple patches since 1.1.5 (and the latest is -1 Demo skill), well except some buff Soldier part, could you please consider change some part of the set for more QoL, especially the “30% increase armor piecing” of set completed bonus. How about make it 50%? With Pack of Treacherous belt and Vuldun rifle already has 50% armor piecing, it makes total of 90% conversion. Those final 10% still physic dam really makes no sense at all (i’m pretty sure 100% pierce build should use Seal of Blades for more ADCTH instead of components which give more % armor piecing). I dont think it will break any records or buff too much for Valdun Puri or Tactician, its just annoying to get 90% conversion and not 100%. Valdun was getting nerf too much already, please give it some love 
4 Likes
+1 for this Suggestion.
I previously use Mythical Eye instead of Valdun rifle for the pierce ratio and skill point problem. But now with the swapped +1 soldier skill to +2 in Valdun rifle, my build technically lost +1 soldier skill, so now I think I must use the full set. The build Previously with Mythical Eye and now the planned change with 4 piece Valdun.
Armor piercing is a tough stat to max simply because sources of increased pierce ratio are extremely limited. In case of Valdun you either leave it as it is or use Silvercore Bolts/Blessed Whetstone.
A couple of axes also have armor piercing with which you can’t reach 100% without too much sacrifices: Nightclaw (33%), Servitor’s Slicer (40%), Notched Bone (20%, but this one is really weird item). Brutallax has it 50% at least, but still you need to scrounge up for those 100%. And if you’re using two axes, then tough luck.
I’ve suggested adding % armor piercing to Berserker, but I guess I wasn’t convincing enough.
I also think Valdun’s pierce ratio was adjusted to its current one to “tone it down”, which is surprising how it was breaking the records as we all know by now chaos damage from Brimstone’s splinters was remaining chaos. It had 100% chaos to pierce at first, then it was reduced to 50% and eventually to 33%.
most of pierce build i dont see any problem with getting max 100% armor piercing. In case of 2 handed weapon, most of them got 100% armor piercing already (Silverbolt, Nadaan, Rancor, Spite…). With a few of 1 handed weapon (like Brutallax, Nightclaw…), you just need to equiped 1 more sword and get Nadaan Constellation (it affected both weapons, not only the sword- you just need 1 sword in 1 hand). Few items got more increase armor piercing (will of blade, seelheart girdle) or just use a MI with Sinister affix. Using Silvercore Bolts or Whetstone will be too bad compare to Seal of blades. 90% armor piercing of Valdun is a weird example. If Brimstone doesnt get the conversion (100% or 33% doesnt matter), then thats another reason we should get a small buff to Valdun. It used to be OP- but now its just nothing special. And making it 100% armor piercing will not make it OP anyway, just make it a bit less annoying
1 Like
I am well aware of that, that’s why I wrote if you’re using TWO axes. With two Brutallaxes you can achieve 100%, but on two Nightclaws you can’t even with Steelheart and Will of the Blade. You’d also need to use Blessed Whetstone in both weapons, which you for one don’t want because “can’t use Seal of Blades”.
Also relying on some item(s) and/or certain prefix is a tough call because they may never drop or you need some other item/prefix in that slot.
then maybe you missed my point in the first place. I just want to discuss about Valdun, not other pierce weapons. And making to get 100% armor piercing with Valdun is nowhere impossible or make it way too OP. For your idea about other weapons (like Nightvlaw, Notch Bone), then maybe because you cant get 100% armor piercing with them is one of the reasons why we dont see any good builds that use them. They are for meme builds maybe, but not Valdun. And thats a totally different story than my discussion
How is it different? I said in the beginning that Valdun got nerfed because it was overperforming, thus you either cap pierce ratio or leave it at 90% and use Seal of Blades instead. Crate decided to tame Valdun this way, is all.
and now where he is?
I mean, a non-set pierce FS w/o any Valdun’s parts is significantly faster than 3pc and full Valdun too.
Also removing +1 to Demo on a points-hungry mastery while giving +2 to Soldier (the famous Valdun Commando, lol?) also hit it.
2 Likes
Based on what we’ve been discussing in this thread would it be possible to get some as/cs on Radaggans?
Valdun Tactician also exists, and was asked to get buffs numerous times by members of the forum. e.g.
That said. I did advocate the Purifier side gets left alone as it seemed balanced enough as is and +1 or +2 Soldier gets added without removing any other skill bonuses. More damage or conversion to the Soldier side would also help to close the gap between Commando/Tactician and Purifier.
thats exactly what i said. Valdun got nerfed like 4-5 patches continuously. You tell me that now its still overperforming and still deserve to get those ugly 90% armor piercing because thats what Crate decided to tame it? ok how about make it 100% armor piercing and then nerf it another way? Like lower base dam, lower % pierce dam, lower more skill points?? at least it makes the build does not ugly for those 10% non-convert damage. Serious pierce build should get 100% armor piercing, not 90%, not 99%, not even 99,999999%
2 Likes
i did tried it (as i mentioned that Seal of Blades is superior to every armor piercing components). Pierce devo lack ADCTH. Nerfed to Scale to 3% ADCTH doesnt help at all. What i can think of is Ghoul + Hydra + Restless remain, and thats not enough. 5% ADCTH from SoB is way too much to ignore. And forcing Valdun to use Silvercore bolt (which has a freaking HUGE 100% increase armor piercing) just to get those ugly final 10%? ok fine then, we can dump Trecharous belt aside, just give me another belt for range pierce better than that, especially with better conversion LOL
You’re the one complaining about not getting that final 10% armour piercing on the Rifle here 
. Accept that you can’t have everything sometimes and work with what you get given.
Didn’t say you had to. Even in spite of the armour piercing bonus doing nothing, it still gives you conversion, attack speed and a massive amount of flat Pierce damage. You can and should still use it.