There doesn't seem to be a reasonable benefit for leveling up the Detonate Dead gem

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CanHasPants wrote:

I don't remember if I ever posted about it before, but DD is one of the worst designed skills in the game.

It is not a skill gem. It is a cookie cutter / universal gem swap that has (virtually) no mana cost, no attribute requirements, and does nothing in the game except counter enemy necromancers. It has no mana cost or attribute requirements because you don't level it unless you're a noob, because leveling it does nothing. At all. Anybody can use it with absolutely no restrictions, and it trivializes one of the only actual challenges in the game (packs of multiple rare necros).

And yet phase run was somehow bad design and needed to be removed for rebalancing.... Lol

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dualestl wrote:

Searing Bond is also a complete joke.With all the burning damage nodes and using Searing Touch,the damage is still a joke.

Hell even with 3 totems its still barely worth using.

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dudiobugtron wrote:

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dualestl wrote:

Searing Bond is also a complete joke.With all the burning damage nodes and using Searing Touch,the damage is still a joke.

Hell even with 3 totems its still barely worth using.

Consider using dual redbeaks instead of searing touch.

Also note that is works well as a melee support skill, since it does dmg to everyone in melee distance around you even if it's nowhere near you. Like your own mini righteous fire.

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dudiobugtron wrote:

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Archwizard wrote:

You know, I've never really used Detonate Dead as anything other than an anti-necromancer spell. I must say that your analysis seems spot on, which makes me glad I read this before making the Cast on Melee Kill / Melee Splash / Detonate Dead character I'd been thinking about.

Hopefully you read this reply too, and find out that Detonate dead doesn't consume mana when used with trigger gems.

Hopefully also you read this second part of my post and discover that what you are suggesting, while cool, is just a less cool version of infernal blow.