Hierophants reworked Nerf or Buff?

We can start with this sentence from the Manifesto about upcoming changes to the Hierophant class.

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Bex_GGG wrote:

Balance Changes in Path of Exile: Betrayal
As well as the new Brand skills, the archetype based on them has led to changes on the Hierophant, and also had knock on effect for totems. A number of totem nodes now also offer benefits for Brands. The Hierophant node Ritual of Awakening no longer grants +1 to maximum number of Summoned Totems. Instead it now causes skills that would Summon a Totem to summon two Totems instead, and grants 3% more Damage per Totem.

Additional totems are now available from other sources, and players will have a number of options for totem builds, as well as being able to explore the new Brand skills.

We have only fraction of important information before full patch notes release but lets take a look at these changes.
Loosing one totem seems like a nerf for the first time but we should look at the problem closely.

Ok we are loosing one totem but Pursuit of faith is still there.
Typical Hierophant character can lay 4-5 totems (one basic + AB + 2 from the class + 1 shield). More totems we have the change becomes better.
Lets pretend we use four totems.
So instead of four totems we have three totems now that is 25% damage loss but we´re getting interesting features.

We are getting 3% more damage per totem which means 12% more damage (for 4 totems) and ability to lay two totems at once which is really good QoL change imo because you can save some time while fighting difficult boss. Instead of laying totem one by one you can do other things to survive (healing / casting curses / EC etc).

Laying two totems per one action also means better clear speed (less time for laying the totems).

But the best thing I haven´t noticed yet about is that you can use rare shield with +1 totem modifier now!
SO instead of rather expensive Tukohama's Fortress that doesn´t fit any build you can use rare shield with +1 totem.
And you know you can get pretty good stats from shield such as spell damage / critical strike and/or cast speed.

Do you still think Hierophant is getting nerfed?

It seems like a nice buff to all totem players / hierophant and there are also new brand skills and probably some extra buffs for brand skills and Hierophant in the patch notes.

Btw totems are still far better than self-casting (unless you play BV).

It is HUGE NERF!

why do i have to equip shield instead of weapon for one more totem?
Losing weapon means you are losing DPS.

We don't know because maybe we will have another node on the tree or slot (helmet ,....) with "+1 totem"

For control it is a nerf having totems pop up at same spot. Often you want to control that yourself. While the damage nerf seems to be 25% we also get 3% more per totem. Add in the fact that you now can link the new totem support to let's say searing bond totem you can have 3 more totems on top of that again.

So 1 totem from hiero(only 1 of the nodes lost it), 1 ancestral, 1 shield, 1 base, 1 soul mantle(allthough few will be using this so I am not adding it to math)

A typical hiero will then have 5 totems + 2 support totems OR 3 searing bond totems(searing bond has a build in free totem)

7x3%=24%
8x3%=27%

So for searing bond setups this is a total damage buff even when losing 1 totem.

Those numbers would be 27% and 30% for Soul Mantle builds.

While double totem summoning is a burden for control it increases your ability to move around during boss encounters. Instead of lets say 6 casts you now need 3 (granted it is a 100% chance of double totems) and can move away faster. This also adds a slight buff to initial damage output but doesn't affect max damage output.

Conclusion:
Losing 1 totem sucks, but I think the compensation is fair.

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Lifebloom wrote:

It is HUGE NERF!

why do i have to equip shield instead of weapon for one more totem?
Losing weapon means you are losing DPS.

Maybe slight nerf in some situations (don´t remember 3% buff per totem and new support gem for totems) but you´re also getting interesting QoL change (two or even more totems with new support gem laying at once) and there are new brand skills and ascendancy passives associated with Brand skills and Hierophant. And probably some other totem / brand passive skills on the tree we don´t know about yet.

Arknath has pointed it out well:)

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arknath wrote:

Losing 1 totem sucks, but I think the compensation is fair.

It's not fair , hiero wasn't even overpowered like retarded poets pen

I am just waiting for real patch notes and passive tree updates .

overall all things considered is should be a buff.

Its a huge nerf.
Overall.

I wrote it in the nearby thread:
(https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2255081/page/5)

//
% dmg sounds laughable trade for 1 totem. Its so laughable, you literally loosing 100% dmg from full totem then get overall +12% dmg instead. Eat this, Hiero! Ah! Happy?! No? We have somth else for you!

Now you can place your all 3 totems in one place. For one time. A nice present to every boss to make sure he\she erase em instantly from one hit. Coooooooooooooool.

And thats not even all news!!

Also if you use +totem gem = you
1. Forced to loose 40% dmg for ALL your totems.
2. Forced to swap any useful gem from your limited links removing more dmg.
Just to make you suffer even more from growing weakness.

And even thats not all!
So on top of that. Cherry!
If you want to use totems on gear - get off your weapon from off hand! Use shield! We all know whats shields are not adding so much dmg as weapons, right?

So play defensive, stay low!
Stay out of endgame, Hiero.
Literally

Go have fun in t4 Beach.
Its your maximum realm now. Betrayal viable.

Its a buff, but the loudest whiners won't admit it until you look at their account and see a higher dps heirophant with better stats than the previous league.

I always play totem templar with a shield, will be interested to see how this all pans out.