Static Strike

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Kaw wrote:

I made a build around this skill and it is amazing.
Incoming nerf is to expected I think.
I only hope they only nerf the explosion and not the build up of static electricity. The explosion makes everything so OP. I would be totally confortable with 50% less damage for the explosion.

I retract the OP part. Its very good until you do >68 maps. The scaling later on is not amazing.
Now I still enjoy the skill, but I think it is pretty balanced.

The area damage isn't categorized as 'melee' is it?

I can confirm the aoe part is still melee damage as it procs Cast on Melee Kill.

The damage this skill does to single targets seems a bit strong: 110% on the first hit, then 77% on the AoE, and that's with no supports. Throw in Concentrated Effect, and even truly single-target setups will be struggling to compete even against lone targets, whilst the Static Striker is hitting the main target hard *and* zapping anything else in melee range (the nova is large enough to still hit a bunch of mobs even with Conc). What does this mean for skills like Double Strike?

it means use melee splash =p?

edit: it was a joke hinting at doubling the AoE part instead of the single target part. using con effect would mean the single target part balances out while everything else is double murdered.

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Vipermagi wrote:

Melee Splash plus anything means you're dealing less Damage with a smaller AoE and poorer single-target than Static Strike. Dual Strike probably compares simply because it hits with two weapons simultaneously. Woo. Everything else just sucks, compared.

Unless I'm being stupid here I can't see how Dual Strike can compare to this. Dual Strike is at a measly 170% Multi now if both your weapons are the same. If you dual wield with this weapon you'd be doing 110+77% to the main target. I'm not saying nerf static. I'm saying do something about pretty much every other melee skill.

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Vipermagi wrote:

Dual Strike can deal pure Physical Damage - Static Strike is always going to be Elemental. That tiny edge that Static has in raw Damage is lost due to Resists being far more common and generally more potent compared to Phys Resist (and mob armour is next to nothing).

A Very good point. But considering the fact that Static Strike is also an AoE on top of doing very good single target aswell kinda tips it in favor of Static for me anyhow. I don't think 17% of your damage is particularly tiny either, you can also scale it up like crazy using Phys to Lightning, Melee Phys, WED and even add Penetration to that if you got the slot. It's true that Physical damage is king when you have a good 1H or a decent 2H but when it comes to this skill it just has so much going for it. Like I've said, please don't nerf it. Bring the other trash tier skills up to this level. There's a reason the ladder isn't dominated by melee people.