Haven't had time to check in here recently. Been really busy irl.
High_Elf wrote:.
Images on the forum don't always show up for me either. I don't know why.
An updated "abbreviations" section is a very good idea. I'll add an info card when I have time.
Taem wrote:.
I'll try to address your questions and/or add to some of the stuff Siosilvar already posted. Sorry for wall of text.
StarhawkStarhawk isn't meant to be a long-term weapon choice for Phys builds. It's only listed as a temp upgrade for Shaula to make Dunc farming faster if you haven't yet completed the Set. I added it b/c playing SSF in 2.0 is fucking brutal, and you may not complete the Set until very late into the game (I was clvl 134 before I finally completed the damn thing).
I used Jah Runes in Starhawk b/c:
> You can find them or upgrade to them w/o much effort.
> Higher Phys damage = more leech when using Fusillade.
> I didn't see a reason to waste time and valuable ACs crafting jewels for something that's not intended to be used for very long.
Maybe P-Emeralds would be better, but I didn't care enough at the time to try them.
And in case you're wondering why I added IED instead of ED MOs to Starhawk, I didn't want to ruin it and have to spend untold hours/days/weeks farming for a new one in case I wanted to use it for an Elemental build.
Steel PunisherBeing disappointed with Steel Punisher's damage output is normal. It's been a common complaint from players for a long time. Melee Sorc damage in general has never really been that great complared to a lot of builds. And in 2.0, although survivability is better, overall damage output at every stage of play is noticeably lower compared to previous patches.
Leech+ElementalAfaik, leech doesn't work with Innate Elemental Damage b/c it's not converted damage. So if you go Elemental and you feel like lack of leech is hurting your survivability, switch to a Fire/Lightning spec.
Glacial TorrentIt's probably great for a Cold Sorc, and you may get it to work decently for a pure Cold-based Melee Sorc, but at 1 point and w/o Paradigm Shift+Cold Blooded, it's slower than Bladestorm against bosses. I think it would need some investment to really be effective (e.g. more points, dedicated gear to boost damage, etc.), and I'd be concerned that diverting resources to boost Glacial Torrent just for bosses may leave you vulnerable in other areas. That said, I don't discourage anyone from trying stuff out.
Snow Queen vs. Vengeful PowerCold/Lightning is great for Early Game leveling, but it's not that impressive by the time you hit End Game. When you take stuff like CtB, Avoid, LoMA, leech, Phys Res, and Melee Devotion into account, there's no need for 400k-500k defense. Anywhere from 130k-350k defense is generally enough (depending on spec). Otoh, +8% Life right out of the gate and +20% native Phys Res are useful from beginning to end. And although everyone just kinda dismisses the Crushes Attackers thing, every little bit of extra damage dealt to an enemy helps.
More braodly though, Poison/Lightning is balanced and effective enough that players can do pretty much everything with a single spec (plus, the extra skill points give them the freedom to experiment with other skills or nix Meditation and dump points into a more expensive mastery later). And since this guide is, and has always been, written for people new to Median, I don't wanna confuse already overwhelmed new players by recommending multiple specs at different stages of play (e.g. Cold/Lightning -> Fire/Lighting). I've tried that in some previous versions of the guide. It wasn't well received.
Edit:
Abbreviation list added at the beginning of the guide (under a spoiler tag).