Content Update 3.20.0 -- Path of Exile: The Forbidden Sanctum

Looking forward to this league start and finish the year off on a high note. Next year is a big year and hope we learn a lot more about POE 2.

Baldman approves!

Nice patch notes, looking forward to the rogue like aspect you are taking,
and bringing back power to endgame weapon uniques... awesome
And i love introducing stuff for melee!

However 1 thing so far coming from a main melee player (I am very bad at spells and other ranged stuff but not at melee - I mean, managed to kil all uber bosses with Glacial Hammer and 40/40 :P):

Edit: Last post was submitted to fast where i argued about the on kill/on hit of on vaal cleave, so I elaborated a bit more:

Vaal Cleave feels awkward...

TLDR: Might be good after all, we haven't played yet,, but the mechanics just seem odd? - Please do correct me if I am wrong about this train of tought! I will test this skill nonetheless and see if am utterly wrong or not...
Do not get me wrong, Cleave can do decent damage already if you invest in it. So this is a nice addition nonetheless.

NON-TLDR from this point
I really like that this patch introduced new vaal skills to indirectly buff Melee.

Cleave is done with usually a quite decent attack speed, so inserting a vaal cleave, with +0.8secs attack time is a bit odd, but it has culling strike, so we do not care about the attack time there.

However, the Buff it received is on kill, which makes it probably useless during fights that take longer than the duration and/or there are no rare/uniques before it (pinnacle bosses etc). If you die during the boss fight, well ok don't die is the solution there.

Buffs granted
- Steal like HH (awesome during mapping)
- Big AOE Buff (awesome during mapping)
- Cull (already mentioned, except small note below - considering bosses)
- Cull on normal cleave (awesome)
- 60% more Cleave damage against enemies on Low Life... mathematically feels odd
Imagine having a decent mapping build, even for rares, then:
1 shotting rares, damage buff is not utilized
"2 shotting" rares, the moment you do more than 50% - 89% damage, then the buff would become not utilized as well as you will deal another that amount of damage and killing it. Not to mention the cull is not utilized either.
"3 shotting" rares, same story, as e.g. you deal 40% damage, you will only proc the buff on your 3th hit, which would have killed it as well either way. Cull strike, not utilized. Dealing 45% damage each hit, would not utilize the buff, but would utilize the cull.
"4+ shotting rares": imagine doing 25% damage each time, cull could be utilized and buff as well (if you are not too slow)

This all not to forget you might already have gotten a HH steal buff.

Bosses
Now in a perfect scenario, you just refreshed the buff before the map boss... you got 20seconds to get the boss to Low Life, doable, except in phased bosses.
And the moment the buff is gone, you can't get it again.

Now in a sad scenario, you lost the buff (died, duration ended, etc etc) or you are facing a boss with no preceding mobs at all (pinnacle bosses etc)... the only thing Vaal Cleave can bring is the well timed culling strike?
So you will have to watch the HP bar carefully? Whilest not forgetting the boss mechanics?


Solution
No clue, having it "On hit" would be way too overpowered as well. It is just initial feedback upon reading the skill gem. That the interactiosn feel weird together.


So all in all, I feel like it is all a bit wonky? I truely hope i am wrong about this!

if mathil reads this WE ARE SPECIAL FeelsSpecialMan

Specifics:
The Atziri's Disfavour Unique Axe no longer has +2 to Level of Socketed Support Gems, existing versions of this Unique are unaffected. It now has "Adds 310-330 to 370-390 Physical Damage" (previously 205-220 to 250-270), and +10 to Weapon Range (previously +2). Existing versions of this Unique can be updated to the new values using a Divine Orb. New versions of this Unique now have +30% to Quality of Socketed Support Gems.

+30% to Quality of Socketed Support Gems
+30% to Quality of Socketed Support Gems
+30% to Quality of Socketed Support Gems

New CAne Kulemak, HUGE for some General's cry Quakes =D

ROGUELITE LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
IM HARD AS FCKJ RIGHT NOW

If Mathil sees this, post DIESOFCLIMB in chat
































Also AYAYA

Pog! Looking sick, can't wait to play!

Problem:
Players don't like clicking altars during combat.

Solution:
Inceased the altar spawn chance by 50% xD

Finally looks like i will be playing some melee this league.
Looking good! Just like mathil :v