Always Learning New Things in PoE

CaptainLance9
30 Aug 202407:49

TLDRIn this Path of Exile tutorial, the presenter explores the intricacies of the Bladefall skill. Contrary to common belief, increasing the number of volleys with the Bladefall of Volleys support gem actually reduces damage output due to less overlap on single targets. The video also debunks the myth that reducing area of effect (AOE) with Conflux and Intensify increases hit overlap, showing it doesn't significantly impact damage. This enlightening lesson emphasizes the importance of understanding skill mechanics for optimal build performance.

Takeaways

  • 🔍 The player is experimenting with a Bladefall character in Path of Exile and has discovered some nuances about the skill.
  • 📊 Having 100% poison chance and using the Golden Rule helps the player measure the number of hits on enemies.
  • 🎯 The player found that increasing the number of volleys in Bladefall does not necessarily increase the number of hits.
  • 🤔 The player hypothesizes that additional volleys might be spaced out, reducing the chance of multiple volleys hitting the same target.
  • 📉 The player realized that having 20% quality with six volleys results in fewer hits compared to five volleys, potentially reducing damage.
  • 🚀 The player suggests that the number of hits can vary depending on the distance from the enemy.
  • 🔥 The player debunks the myth that reducing the area of effect (AOE) with Conflux and Intensify will increase the number of hits.
  • 🌀 The player notes that the spacing of volleys and the number of hits can be affected by the distance from the boss.
  • 🛡 The player concludes that additional volleys are detrimental to single-target damage in Bladefall, especially with Cascade.
  • 🌟 The player reflects on the idea that there's always something new to learn in Path of Exile, no matter how experienced you are.

Q & A

  • What is the main focus of the video script?

    -The main focus of the video script is to discuss the skill 'Bladefall' in the game Path of Exile, specifically how the number of volleys affects the damage dealt and the unexpected outcomes of increasing the number of volleys.

  • What is the significance of the 'Golden Rule' in the context of the video?

    -The 'Golden Rule' is a mechanic on a character that reflects every poison inflicted back to the player, which the narrator uses to measure the number of hits on an enemy by observing the number of poisons procced on themselves.

  • Why does the narrator believe more volleys is a bad thing for Bladefall?

    -The narrator finds that increasing the number of volleys in Bladefall results in fewer hits on the target, which in turn decreases the damage dealt. This is contrary to the expectation that more volleys would hit more times.

  • What is the narrator's discovery regarding the number of hits with different numbers of volleys?

    -The narrator discovers that Bladefall with six volleys consistently hits four times, while Bladefall with seven volleys (Bladefall of Volleys) only hits three times, and Bladefall with five volleys (Bladefall of Impaling) hits seven times.

  • How does the distance from the enemy affect the number of hits in Bladefall?

    -The narrator notes that the distance from the enemy affects the number of hits, with more spacing potentially leading to fewer hits due to the spacing between volleys.

  • What is the narrator's opinion on the use of additional volleys for single-target damage in Bladefall?

    -The narrator concludes that additional volleys are detrimental to single-target damage in Bladefall, as they reduce the number of hits and thus the overall damage.

  • How does the narrator test the effectiveness of Bladefall?

    -The narrator tests the effectiveness of Bladefall by observing the number of poisons reflected back to the character, which indicates the number of hits on the enemy.

  • What is the narrator's observation about using Cascade with Bladefall?

    -The narrator finds that additional volleys hurt the DPS (damage per second) significantly when using Cascade with Bladefall, as it affects the number of hits on the target.

  • What is the narrator's conclusion about the use of Conflux and Intensify with Bladefall?

    -The narrator concludes that using Conflux and Intensify to shrink the area of effect does not necessarily improve the overlapping hits on the same target with Bladefall.

  • What is the overall message the narrator wants to convey to the viewers?

    -The overall message is that there is always something new to learn in Path of Exile, and even experienced players can discover unexpected mechanics or outcomes when testing different skill setups.

Outlines

00:00

🗡️ Bladefall Mechanics and Damage Analysis

The speaker discusses their experience with the Bladefall skill in Path of Exile, highlighting a significant discovery about how the number of volleys affects damage output. They explain that having more volleys, contrary to common belief, can actually reduce the number of hits on a single target, thus decreasing damage. The speaker uses a character with a 100% poison chance and the Golden Rule to measure hits, comparing the impact of six, five, and seven volleys. They find that seven volleys result in fewer hits compared to five or six, suggesting that additional volleys may not be beneficial for single-target damage in Bladefall, especially when using Cascade. The speaker also touches on the effect of distance from the enemy on the number of hits and how it influences the overlap of volleys.

05:01

💥 Debunking Myths about AOE and Intensify in Bladefall

In this section, the speaker addresses common misconceptions about the use of Area of Effect (AOE) and Intensify support gems with Bladefall. They test the idea that reducing AOE size with Conflux and Intensify would increase the number of hits on a single target. However, they find that this does not significantly improve overlapping hits and can sometimes even reduce them. The speaker also notes that increasing AOE size does not necessarily decrease the number of hits, contrary to what might be expected. They conclude that the belief that reducing AOE size is always beneficial is not universally true for Bladefall and that additional testing is required to understand the skill's mechanics fully.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Bladfall

Bladfall is a skill in the game Path of Exile. It is a spell that sends out multiple projectiles in a wave-like pattern, dealing damage to enemies in its path. In the video, the presenter discusses the impact of the number of volleys on the skill's damage output, revealing that more volleys do not necessarily mean more hits or damage when used against single targets.

💡Volleys

Volleys refer to the individual waves of projectiles that a skill like Bladefall sends out. The script explores how the number of volleys affects the frequency of hits on enemies. The presenter finds that increasing the number of volleys from the standard six to seven actually decreases the number of hits, suggesting that the additional volleys are spaced out, reducing the chance of multiple volleys hitting the same target.

💡Poison

Poison in Path of Exile is a condition that deals damage over time to enemies. The script mentions that the presenter uses a character with a 100% chance to poison enemies to measure the number of hits from Bladefall. Every time Bladefall hits an enemy, it inflicts poison, which reflects back to the presenter's character, allowing him to count the number of hits.

💡Golden Rule

The Golden Rule is an item in Path of Exile that reflects poison back to the attacker when equipped. The presenter uses this item to measure the number of times Bladefall hits an enemy, as each hit inflicts poison that reflects back, appearing as a debuff on the presenter's character.

💡Quality

In Path of Exile, quality refers to the enhancement of a skill's base properties, such as increasing the number of projectiles or the chance to inflict ailments like poison. The script discusses how increasing the quality of Bladefall to add more volleys can actually be detrimental to damage output against single targets.

💡Cascade

Cascade is a notable passive skill in Path of Exile that increases the area of effect of skills. The presenter mentions that the impact of additional volleys on Bladefall's damage output is less significant when using Cascade, as it affects area damage rather than the number of hits on a single target.

💡Intensify

Intensify is a support gem in Path of Exile that can be socketed into skills to increase their area of effect and the number of intensity stacks they can have. The script explores the myth that reducing the area of effect with Intensify would increase the number of hits on a single target, but the presenter finds that this is not always the case with Bladefall.

💡Concentrated Effect

Concentrated Effect is a support gem that reduces the area of effect of skills but increases their damage in a smaller area. The video tests the common belief that using Concentrated Effect to shrink the area of effect would increase the number of hits on a single target, but finds that this does not significantly improve Bladefall's performance.

💡Clearing

Clearing refers to the ability to quickly eliminate groups of enemies in Path of Exile. The presenter notes that while additional volleys may help with clearing by covering a larger area, it can decrease the damage output on single targets, which is crucial for defeating tougher enemies or bosses.

💡Agony Assassin

Agony Assassin is a character build in Path of Exile that focuses on dealing damage over time through conditions like poison. The script mentions that the presenter is working on a cast and crit version of this build, indicating that the character relies on casting spells and gaining critical hits to deal damage.

Highlights

Always Learning New Things in Path of Exile

Working on a Bladefall character and discovering its mechanics

Bladefall has six volleys by default

20% Quality on Bladefall increases volleys to seven

Bladefall of Volleys has five volleys and impales instead of additional volleys

More volleys result in fewer hits on the same target

Regular Bladefall with six volleys hits four times consistently

Bladefall with seven volleys hits only three times

Bladefall with five volleys hits seven times

Additional volleys decrease damage by increasing the space between them

20% Quality on Bladefall reduces damage by nearly half

Hit count can vary depending on the distance from the enemy

Bladefall of Volleys is not beneficial for single-target damage

Cascade doesn't significantly change the number of hits

Concentrated Effect and Intensify do not improve overlapping hits

AOE reduction doesn't necessarily increase hits on the same target

Learning new aspects of Bladefall even after multiple builds

Unexpected findings in Bladefall's damage mechanics

Always something new to learn in Path of Exile