Predict the 3.0 Meta

Yeah yeah I know things are not final yet and alot is likely to be changed and new things added bla bla. That's why its called predict, so from what we are knowing/assuming now, what will the new meta be like ? This is just for fun, please dont get salty.


I want to exaggerate a bit here :D My personal prediction will be very pessimistic, claiming that any kind of DoT build will be trash because they won't be able to fix the current numbers, and that ES builds will be unplayable. AoE builds will still feel terrible. Therefore I predict the following incomplete list of meta builds:


1. something something (lightning) penetration stacking pathfinder/raider
HoWa is not the obvious choice here anymore, so if they dont nerf barrage or ST too much, those two ( inconjunction with life based vaal pact/vinktars) will be the #1 boss killer, alongside with ele blade flurry (and maybe EK/blade vortex). Barrage can be wands or bows, both are very strong. The elemental penetration stacking will bring the highest damage numbers, especially when combined with OP single target skills like barrage, ST, blade flurry

2. SRS
This seems to be an alltime fallback choice if the current meta is nerfed to the ground. due to ES changes the expensive low life version with poison will probably not work anymore, so we are back at life based with a staff. Will be very popular i can imagine

3. Cyclone
Same as SRS, always a good choice because its arguably one of the best melee skills and has decent single target, even without DoTs. the new change will feel great, but its problem is AoE though

4. something something crit life based MoM berserker caster with 100% leech and vaalpact or acuity
The mana leech from zerker is op for casters and with a high enough life pool facetanking will still be ez

5. melee crit abyssus
at least in softcore, a good way to scale damage still


5. RF builds, combined with MoM
this seems good, with the 30% shifted to mana going back to an old caster build with high mana regen an MoM might be worth it again

6. totems
like srs, always a good starter when everything else is nerfed. what will it be this time ? maybe shockwave ?

Also.

Unles they change Vaal skills mechanics more (I heard only about Spell Echo not working with Vaal skills so far), Vaal Fireball is still great for clearing maps.

Blade Vortex. Still OP af. No news about damage/AOE/mechanics nerfs either.

Blade Flurry still one of the strongest single target skills and was one of the most popular skills in Legacy even thoug AOE nerfs. Now Elemental Flurry will be more in favour though.

Bows. Mostly Elemental, not necessary lightning. Prime example - Signal Shot.

Wanders. Mostly Lightning based. You mentioned them in first section.

Sunder. This skill proven himself to be really good for racing. And it's still good for mapping. It's just like new EQ. New Melee staple.

Something with cold something maybe? I heard freeze / chill will get some love in 3.0

Skeleteons builds? Rofl.

I think Cyclone is not gonna be Meta unless AOE is gonna get buffed. It's just too "FeelsBadMan" at the moment.

Rf meta in 3.0

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SunL4D2 wrote:

Unles they change Vaal skills mechanics more (I heard only about Spell Echo not working with Vaal skills so far), Vaal Fireball is still great for clearing maps.

Sacrificial Harvest RIP.

It seems like GGG is trying to make MoM the new go-to keystone for durable builds.

Starforge with Cyclone,Melee phys damage,Conc/Increased AOE,Faster attacks,Melee damage on full life,Brutality support gem(new one 54% more phys damage,can't deal elemental damage).

This on Slayer with dual curse cospri,vulnerability and temporal chains. That's what im going for and seems pretty damn good,or berserker for even more damage and possibly oneshoting yourself to any phys reflect.

Whatever it is,i expect the Starforge to get much more popular with this gem.

log out build will be most popular

1. Crit traps
2. Crit dots
3. RF. Especially with more regen available and burning damage support becoming a more modifier.

something with hand of wisdom

HoWA, because i don't personally think they nerfed it, does like 15% less damage but you can use a shield or statstick instead.

It aint gonna be sunder I saw that get mentioned, if you've ever tried mapping with sunder its not great, its just really good for races because its a hard hitting line attack that you get early, if you compare it to every other melee skill you get at 12 or before they are just garbage in comparison.

Hybrids with mom gonna be popular, probably the big replacement to ES I suspect with a majority of builds around the top of the tree going for it

Who knows when it comes to skills depends what gets buffed/nerfed, all the staples are still OP minus the double dip abilities so bvortex, bflurry, bleed EQ, RF gonna be popular but depends on tweaks. Definitely a return of elemental meta, 100% of an element pen stacking on every ranged build, probably some glacial cascade inquisitors etc.

Bout all i can think of right now usually theres something blatantly obvious that myself and many others will miss that'll get highlighted in the middle of the first league, like triple dipping reave or some shit.