One thing that was discussed in the weeks prior to the expansion was the use of the Winter King items and the chances of it being adjusted with the new mechanics of multiple class skills (hinted at Necromancer).
For those who are not familiar with the items:
This search query gives you both of them on one screen
The weapon is designed to suggest the weapon to be used for a trickster: Nightblade + Shaman. However, this combination only has one pet permanent pet and one temporary: Briarthorn and Primal Spirit - the latter who does not have a physical damage component making % physical to cold damage irrelevant.
Aside of the other stats, the following is given by both items that affect pets:
+2 to Primal Bond
Bonus to All Pets
+9% Attack Speed
24% Vitality Resistance
24% Chaos Resistance
+1 to all skills in Shaman
Bonus to All Pets
+144% to All Damage
+10% Health
28% Elemental Resistance
Bonus to All Pets
24-40 Cold Damage
15% Chance of +250% Cold Damage
30% Physical Damage converted to Cold Damage
33% Cold Resistance
33% Reduced Freeze Duration
Increases Armor by 20%
One might also consider adding a coldstone to the blade giving an additional:
Bonus to All Pets
8 Cold Damage
+75% Cold Damage
+75% Frostburn Damage
10% Slow target for 2 Seconds
Aside of that it gives some interesting buffs to nightblade:
+2 to Veil of Shadow
-40% Movement Speed to Veil of Shadow
+2 to all skills in Nightblade
-10% Cold Resistance to Veil of Shadow
Considerations:
- A nightblade with 2-h does not benefit from the top tier melee duel wield techniques.
- A ritualist (Shaman+Necromancer) does not benefit from the nightblade bonus
- A reaper (Nightblade+Necromancer) does not benefit from the pet bonusses + see 1.
- A trickster (Nightblade + Shaman) only has one permanent pet / one summon pet w/o a physical component
Personal note: I had hoped the mythical items of both would serve the necromancer class more clearly (except for the bonus to pets).
Questions:
- Do you think its worth rolling a ritualist with the mythical version of the items, and have a frost-enhanced-skeleton army build? (Same as pets on fire, but then frosty), but wasting the nightblade enhancements?
- Do you think its worth building a reaper build with a 2-h?
- Do you think its worth building a trickster with only one permanent pet / one summon?
- Are there other items I am missing that can solve any of these issues?
- Do you have any suggestion to the developers to change these items so they better serve a reaper/trickster/ritualist (or other class)
- Do you think the top tier of nightblade skills should allow for the use of a 2-h? (offtopic: also for this one)