Pierce

"

...unintuitive...

The mechanics are intuitive in an exacting sense. The game's wording is meant to be interpreted like scientific or trading-card game terminologies: explosions and strikes are fundamentally different definitions. If it says explode like exploding arrow, be assured that no piercing, forking or chaining will lead to multiple explosions. Explosions by definition is spawned by the destruction of a projectile like any HE-shell.

Hence tomatoes are fruits, pistachios and almonds are seeds and not nuts, etc.

...we need a Game Terminology Page, Mark.

I saw a potential for Pierce but then i found out about Chain.
Why would anyone use Pierce over Chain?! WHY? There is no reason for that. Chain is absolute now and pierce is left into the dust, it's just silly skill. I would prefer if it had 100% chance to pierce at level 1, like chain/fork has 100% chance to Chain/fork.

Give it a 100% chance to pierce and add increased projectile damage OR make so it has % chance to pierce % of enemies armor?
Otherwise this support skill is too weak compared to alternatives

this gem plus projectile weakness (both either at lv 10 or less if the gems have quality) will provide 100% piercing, which is wonderful for sparks gem (in closed areas). thats a 100 or less dex requirement last i remember.

as for usefulness for other things, good point as chain and fork changes the direction of projectiles.

Does anything interesting happen when this is used with knockback.I assume if targets can only be hit once per missile then no.?

yes, if hit by knockback, same projectile doesn't hit second time via this combo. same projectile doens't hit same foe period untill something changes the projectile after wards. like chain or a spark with 100% piercing, still nothing "special" in combo with knockback though.

might want to test fork with increased knockback duration (passive not a support).

This support is pretty boss when combined with other sources of pierce, like Projectile Weakness or the Piercing Shots passive. Just saying.

I have a question:

I am using frenzy linked to pierce and lmp. so for each "action" i fire 3 projectiles, does pierce proc like a critical strike, so all the 3 projectiles will from the one "action" pierce if the the pierce procs? or does each projectile carry it's own chance to pierce?

I find it strange that we have a 70% pierce gem and nodes for 60% pierce in the tree in the form that if you want to got for the 100% you dont have to pick up the pierce keystone as it would be a waste.
(70% + 10% + 10% + 30%) > 100%
or you go
(70% + 10% + 10% + 5%+ 5%)
which is essentially a point wasted since the 10% projectile damage which come along with the 5% pierce are very investment ineffective nodes.

so both ways suck but still pick one if you want a reliable build


Also why have <100% pierce in the tree.
This forces you to use the skillgem which is by now farweaker than chain in most situations.

Example: Lightning arrow with chain. -> 30% less damage
Lightning arrow is fast as fuck so reliable 3 hits unless sth dies -> 210% damage
+ autotargeting!

Lightning arrow with pierce -> 1 hit + 70% of the time a second -> 170% damage
3hits -> 220% damage

But! you have to line them up which consumes time which you could easily use to fire just a second time with chain -> inferior clearspeed
And you have to roll lucky. Causing you to having a) some very bad days and b) -> inferior clearspeed
as you have have to watch if they die (even white trash that you 1 shot) because maybe you roll unlucky und just kill the frontline.


Such Rng killed cast on crit for me.
You have to crit and then have to roll lucky on cast on crit.
I would highly prefer a 100% cast on crit with a reduced damage percentage
/ 100% pierce with reduced damage (according to your crit chance if you see the need for a percentage)