If you are not using a META build, you can't play endgame AT ALL

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poeGT wrote:

No you're wrong.

This game has an overflow of builds/skills that can be geared to comfortably clear all content.

Meta is just basically fully optimal, not "only option".

You can pick nearly any skill and clear everything. For example you can just build around frost blades and /lol content.

Many of the non-meta builds are better because items are cheaper as well. So you get more efficiency farming earlier.

Could you link me a non meta build that can clear ALL content without large amount of EX investment?

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ryuukk33 wrote:

This is starting to become a real ISSUE!

If you are not summoner or saboteur, you'll never be able to handle red maps and end game

GGG balance moto is to focus on META shifts

So if you are like me and like to play something different, you'll have a hard time killing stuff in Metamorph

I tried dual void battery freezing pulse, my tooltip shows 400k DPS when i have all 9 power charges, good for mapping, but for boss damage is a JOKE, he one or 3 shot me

For metamorph? LOL, you better no do them at all

Before that i experimented a little bit with winter orb, let me tell you one thing, don't bother trying to waste your time playing a build you enjoy

you'll be better following the META shifts, or you'l be poor the whole league

I am playing trickster, so I guess it's not meta? ED/cont one.
Only legion templar boss in t16 maps is hard and ripy, other content seems to be easy.

Thing is there is no universal definition of meta. Surely necromancers, miners and cyclone are meta. What else?

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Johny_Snow wrote:

Thing is there is no universal definition of meta. Surely necromancers, miners and cyclone are meta. What else?

I don't think cyclone falls under meta, albeit it's still popular given it's the only "melee" skill worth investing in. That said, you still have to spend a lot to get up and running decently, even when it was the legion meta.

Necros rose up after blight, and their performance is dramatically better than most given minimal investment. You gotta like the style of play though.

Miners have been a go to for early boss killer more or less since I started in Abyss. Trappers came and went, but miners never really left.

Typically meta is dictated either but whatever got significantly buffed and the league dynamic itself - with legion the two mains were ED/Contagion and Cyclone - ED cont was the most effective for monoliths where Cyclone was the best bet for emblem bossing. But even then there were alternatives to ED/Cont.

And of course, you can't deny the streamer influence.

Have you tried not being bad?

Oh snap!

The problem is there is a huge gap between viable and nonviable builds. This gap has actually increased with every player nerf and increase in monster buffs. It forces the players into the extreme ends. Defensive based builds aren't viable at all. So the only defense you need is to put enough points into defense so that packs don't kill you. Bosses kill with multiple one shot boss mechanics... so your best defense is DPS so you end up needing to dodge fewer attacks.


The increase in difficulty did little to nerf my best build. It amounts to a speed bump. The build still does millions upon millions in DPS. I kill conquerors at awake level 8 deathless. Sirus down at awake 5, next time I try him I'll get him awake 8 no problem.

What the recent nerfs did though, was break a few of my other builds that were borderline on viability.

The sad part is they keep doubling down, and it keeps making the problem worse. I cannot imagine being a new player right now. I'd get frustrated and quit before I got out of white maps.

And since GGG keeps doing the same thing over and over, it means one thing. They want the game in this state.

Thing is the "problem" of crap builds being bad is not really a problem but a very positive for the game.

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Defensive based builds aren't viable at all.

I hope you realize this is not true. Guardians for example are 9% of the high level builds, top 3 and also extremely defensive.

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Johny_Snow wrote:

"

Defensive based builds aren't viable at all.

I hope you realize this is not true. Guardians for example are 9% of the high level builds, top 3 and also extremely defensive.

Well and of those guardians how many are Hoag/minions? xD. Anyway the thing is that there is only 4 "true viable defensive builds" in the game right now and only jugg and gladiator are cheap/ssf viable to get going:

1- Mana guardian 20k+ EHP that in most cases also use minions otherwise he has 0 damage.

2- Jugg + high sustain skill has awesome mitigations and sustain but still really susceptible to one shots since he has (in most cases) to be melee to deal damage and sustain.

3- Block Gladiator + High sustain skill, you are immortal up to when you don`t block two successive big hits and die.

4- STR stacking/Int stacking + high sustain skills + attribute stacking items.