there are shielding options too..
#Region 2, and the Slow Death of EHP
finite birch
spiral salmon
which gets halved from axe hits..
and eats budget...
shielding is by all means a decent substitute
but still
spiral salmon
thing is most axe mobs hit hard as a bitch
so relying on shieldling leads to it failing when you really need it most
finite birch
it does protect you for the first hit
spiral salmon
stuff like oarsmen and draugers
my big issue is the clear difference between melee prot and other prots
in terms of like, budget
like this is the first 10 things for armor proj prot
finite birch
that's 3 items lol
spiral salmon
and yeah brittleice being there isnt a good look either
finite birch
2 skins for alutana 3 skins for entropy and 1 shield
spiral salmon
but below it are things like
sullen mica
right boots of alutana pseudo buff because of the FS trade
spiral salmon
which arent all the best, but are at least SERVICABLE ðŸ˜
finite birch
right boots of alutana pseudo buff because of the FS trade
not really it has zero armor now
i think it had 8 armor once upon a time
sullen mica
it had 7 or 8 iirc
sullen mica
but like a 0.5-1.5 drop isn't going to mean much with the bought back damage and greater versatility of said damage
finite birch
1.5 armor drop is HUGE in r2
spiral salmon
there are armor/magic prot
finite birch
we know dude...
spiral salmon
id go through filtering by agi for magic/proj as well but you get the point
finite birch
problem with r2 is that builds outside of buzz lightyear stuff are absolutely horrid
spiral salmon
wanting melee prot without shooting yourself by blocking off other items for that slot is a pain in the ass
finite birch
at least in r3 you can still make unique builds and have fun
but in r2 it is genuinely over
spiral salmon
yeah
sullen mica
discrediting Shielding's ability to cover for melee prot is high key insane person behavior though
edgy pumice
wish my situationals didn't get annihilated in r2
spiral salmon
getting your melee dr boost halved because you took a hit from something that already kicks like a mule
is not ideal
finite birch
i think you're overexagurating it
spiral salmon
even if it only lands 1 hit, you're left pretty vulnerable
finite birch
i use it and it's just fine
spiral salmon
i do too
edgy pumice
lost 120 ehp due to armor reworks and situational nerfs
finite birch
unless you're building shielding 4 or some shit
spiral salmon
but i also dont run shifting or purple much
sullen mica
unless you're building shielding 4 or some shit
Adamantium Skin users may still exist we don't know for certain
spiral salmon
anyways also in regards to r2
why is rhino gear arguably better than a lot of dungeon rares lmao
finite birch
r2 item design everyone
spiral salmon
like literally anybody playing a melee class who's new and just hits r2
can find rhino gear in alnera and for literal pennies get 20 armor, 40% dmg, 40% atkspd
not counting offhand
i dont think it should be nerfed per-say
but its viable gear for a scary duration given its t3 gear
spiral salmon
r2 item design everyone
there are like so many other things you could do this with
Which honestly drives the point home ðŸ˜
finite birch
Inb4 bark
unfortunately bark is LITERALLY your only damage piece
if you run buzz lightyear
unless you count the 12% attack from cfbtw
woeful zenith
Was gonna say winter but umm inure is doomers
spiral salmon
i mean buzz has some flexibility with offhand
finite birch
but yeah talon is insanely good for tank
spiral salmon
but thats it
talon is a good piece
and like, the only tank boots for armor besides coe which requires toughness or a maxhp cope piece
finite birch
winter's march was cool until inure got taken to the backyard and shot in the head once more
edgy pumice
real sparrow
talon is a good piece
and like, the only tank boots for armor besides coe which ...
?
Colossal Sabatons
And the CoC one
real sparrow
in general no not really
spiral salmon
who wouldve guessed
real sparrow
Melee prot 2 goes a lot tbh
spiral salmon
fair
real sparrow
-10% speed and +1 armor maybe would make sense
spiral salmon
but talon's extra armor in the end is probably doing more for your overall ehp than mprot 2
real sparrow
Colossal and all
spiral salmon
i feel like they'd be real
if they lost the thorns and blast for a 3rd level of mprot
real sparrow
but talon's extra armor in the end is probably doing more for your overall ehp t...
I have no idea how good mp2 is compared to pure armor
isn't that just
Mechanized
Those are real too I think
spiral salmon
melee prot
real sparrow
Second wind 3 and some melee prot I think?
spiral salmon
both armor/agi and prots scale individually, so once you get close to 30, just 2 levels of a prot arent worth as much as raw defense
spiral salmon
like the more you stack prots the more effect they have
thats why, if you ask me, prots only even become real when you have at least level 2-3 total
1 single level of a prot is doing fuckall
especially compared to any armor above like, 20-25ish? i think
real sparrow
Ya fair
stuck jungle
hey look, thorns and blast prot
Even if those got removed i dont think it would get much to compensate
not sure they even qualify for a 0.5 armor trade
sullen mica
not sure they even qualify for a 0.5 armor trade
allegedly thorns is actually worth a fuck ton of budget
see: the Shackled Earth's Boon adjustment a few months back
spiral salmon
idk i feel like its inconsistent
or at least got it's budget changed between r2 and r3
because they just slapped it on a bunch of side stuff in r2
like go to otm, filter by isles and thorns
thorny pike
the only item in the whole game with thorns %
spiral salmon
i think a good few items lost thorns actually in recent balance updates during revamps but i dont really remember
but yeah, pennies of max hp, thorns, or regen just infest a lot of items
thorny pike
i think a good few items lost thorns actually in recent balance updates during r...
celsian sarrisa, osseus mask, icicle greaves (lost both flat and %)
swift ruin
the only item in the whole game with thorns %
eldrask legs used to have them but then it was shot
thorny pike
i just mentioned it
swift ruin
ah mb i forgot the name
i do not think thorns really counts for much tbh unless it's actively part of the item design
wind sierra
celsian sarrisa, osseus mask, icicle greaves (lost both flat and %)
Sarrisa was actually reworked TWICE for some reason
It was the thorns thing with att dmg%
Then in previous balance it was changed to first strike (2 or 1 i forgor) with smth else
And now it's first strike with shielding
And throw rate because that synergizes, aparently
It should just be shielding first strike and some dmg%
I don't know why it wasn't done like that, but if it's at least used then whatever at least it's not fucking sacharrine sample
valid pilot
was sarissa created by spinning a wheel with every stat in the game
swift ruin
"thorns items should be removed" mfs when the changed item is throw rate melee damage technique poise agility ineptitude
fresh python
i am sorry dumplingsushi I will never use thorns
fickle crystal
Sarissa is not that weird guys
swift ruin
its pretty weird tbh
first strike implies you deal more damage on the first hit
throw rate implies snowballs, typically faster throw rates
shielding implies being in melee distance when you take damage
kbr implies taking hits frequently
was this intended to be for tball?
because these are the snowballs in r2
wind sierra
Point blank tridentball 
sinful horizon
but yeah, pennies of max hp, thorns, or regen just infest a lot of items
whats wrong with regen ðŸ˜
fickle crystal
Both 0.8 throw rate
wind sierra
Is there even point blank trident in r2
swift ruin
i could see tridents I guess
wind sierra
Please just make it melee piece again
fickle crystal
Melee and first strike is just what twisted splinter is now
spiral salmon
whats wrong with regen ðŸ˜
Its not an inherent ‘wrong’ its just that it sits (or sat) there not doing anything on a bunch of atuff
sinful horizon
i think regen being spread across a lot items is fine
because it will always be useful
spiral salmon
finite birch
Stormborn Javelin and Apotheosis Spear for example
stormborn is 1 throw rate
plain basin
i agree with this but not for the normal reasons of caring about game balance but because i am malicious and want the game to be easier so i can make more money