Thoughts on the SoT changes

Hello!

So i decided i wanted to share my thoughts reading the devblog revealing the changes coming to above mentioned career. I cant say i know how this will play out for certain without, well, playing it out but anyway here goes :

Sister of Thorns :

UPDATED PERK:

  • Perk 1: Blackvenom Blades : Melee attacks apply Blackvenom, dealing damage and increasing damage taken by 12% for 10 seconds.

This seems like a buff, unsure how big it might be without numbers though, and i gotta ask but does the damage increase work only for her or, as it seems, for the entire team? In the latter case it might be a significant buff in some ways.

Especially if all her walls actually apply it.

Talent 2-2 Atharti’s Delight - Changed to applying bleed when striking poisoned enemies instead of on critical strikes.***

The good old crit-bleed has lost most of its power with the removal of ranged functionality and old doomsight out of the picture. It can still probably be strong but likely much less so than before. however, i would keep an eye on the staff after that though, for as far as i know its damage build was really reliant on the crit/bleed spam so it might be a bit too weak without it even if it was over the top before.

  • Talent 2-3 Isha’s Bounty replaced with Briar’s Malice - Casting Thornwake grants Kerillian 2 critical strikes.

Its nice to see doomsight nerfed, it was really not a moment too soon. However, i wonder if its not actually too much with just 2 stacks per cast and only her own. I suppose i shall have to see if the cooldown build option will suffice to make it viable.

  • Talent 4-2 Bonded Spirit - Reduce the cooldown of Radiance by 50%, taking damage sets the cooldown back 2 seconds.
  • Talent 4-3 Radiant Inheritance : Consuming Radiance grants Kerillian and nearby allies 15% power and 5% critical strike chance for 10 seconds.

Bonded seems like its made to help the new briar malice get enough ult stacks to work which is pretty straightforward while Radiant at last is actually a somewhat supportive ability. Even if it just boosts damage output teamwide to do it…but at least it´s teamwide and not a superpower mode or such as intitially.

  • Talent 5-1 Pale Queen’s Choosing replaced with Recursive Toxin - Blackvenom can now stack 2 times.

A seemingly big boost to her melee ability, i worry that it might add up to be excessive if you go for such stuff.

  • Talent 5-2 Moral-Heg’s Doomsight replaced with Lingering Blackvenom - Critical Strikes apply Blackvenom to enemies near the target.

This could be quite powerful O_O

  • Talent 6-1 Ironbark Thicket - Now also increases the width of the wall

Insert meme : How many times do we have to teach you this lesson? 'Big fancy hedge that only blocks is not going to be a competitive choice unless its really supermassive.

  • Talent 6-2 Bloodrazor Thicket replaced with Tanglegrasp Thicket - Thorny vines now erupt from Kerillian and travel towards the targeted area. Enemies hit are dragged towards the target area.

I really like this, i saw the preview and it looks like it can be used for a lot of fun stuff…could be a little wider for maximum shenanigans though.

  • Talent 6-3 Blackvenom Thicket : Thornwake instead causes roots to burst from the ground, staggering enemies and applying Blackvenom to them.

So old bloodrazor but much less damage and less damage boost than old blackvenom? It doesnt feel right at all the more i think about it.

Overall i do think i like these changes, they do feel like they help reign in the worst parts of her present kit although i still feel like her baseline ability is crap and that probably goes for Ironbark as well.

And i do really like her new tanglegrasp, it seems fun.

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If ranged Crits count towards:

“Talent 5-2 Moral-Heg’s Doomsight replaced with Lingering Blackvenom - Critical Strikes apply Blackvenom to enemies near the target.”

The combo will likely be Pull Ult > Shoot density, to blob and debuff everything. Otherwise 2 Crits will just be for SS most of the time, because sitting on them for ranged will take too long.

100%. It needs to do something else. As I’ve argued before, in open areas the Ultimate has barely any use.

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I like the changes but have one big thing that is worrying me - The Deepwood Staff.

Murder of Spites, Doomsight, and Isha’s were a combo that made the staff useable. It wasn’t as absurd as Moonfire/Javelin but it was viable. With the move towards Blackvenom being melee, I’m worried that without any changes, I’m being forced into using Moonfire or Javelin. Because the utility of the staff is useful but… It’s not worth effectively losing a weapon. Which then brings up the fact that I’m losing my one caster spec that isn’t Sienna. I’m hoping that FS can see the reliance the staff had on her build.

Havent you tried the Atharthi doomsight staff? O_O

Forget viable, that build was legit overpowered for weirdly enough that staff has good crit scaling and every single thorn counts as its own hit, thus applies individual stacking bleeds + barrage/hunter procs.

Thus you had a monster of a weapon that with a single crit barrage could oneshot anything smaller than a CW and melt bosses with a str pot in hagbane style.

But well yes i do share the concern as mentioned above, the staff IS reliant on present talents for damage and thus these changes seem likely to hit too hard. Unless Kitten above has guessed it right and it has synergy with the new Lingering blackvenom talent.

Then its suddenly a horde clearing weapon that works.