Continuing the examination of the new Reaper of Souls content, let’s look at the new Level 61 skills across all classes. Overall, these range from novelties you can ignore to indispensable necessities. Let’s dip into the specifics…
Barbarian: Avalanche
Sometimes when you are walking along, it’s satisfying when rocks fall and everyone dies. It’s particularly nice when you spend Fury like crazy, making it happen even more often.
Should you use it?
Maybe. Avalanche is pretty popular right now, but if you liked your old build it might prove difficult to fit Avalanche in. Still, it’s hard to deny the massive damage, especially when paired with Volcano.
Witch Doctor: Piranhas
Towards the end of my Witch Doctoring career I suddenly learned how to summon phantom carnivorous fish. Didn’t see that coming. They also have poison damage, but I’m summoning plenty of other monsters anyway, so it’s not so weird.
Should you use it?
Sure, trade something out. It’s nice, the cooldown matches the duration, and while the Mana cost is a little high, you should still be generating enough to make it affordable. Go for the zombie fish, unless for some reason you have huge boosts to Cold damage.
Demon Hunter: Vengeance
Basically (but not exactly) Archon for the Demon Hunter. Every other minute you will turn into a walking storm of bullets and missiles that fire in addition to your chosen attack.
Should you use it?
Yes. Hell yes. More than anything else here, yes. I don’t care if it screws your build up, it’s fun. It’s a chaotic mess of damage with you at the center, and it makes playing a Demon Hunter much more enjoyable.
Monk: Epiphany
I don’t know what happened here. This maybe should have been called, “A monk is too serene for Vengeance”. By definition, the opposite of a Berserker mode, Epiphany functions similarly to WoTB in that it improves mobility and resources. Its best use is for catching that damn treasure goblin, but Epiphany causes arguments.
Should you use it:
Maybe not, but you already are. Despite all the complaints about Epiphany, most monks are using it. If you do decide to incorporate it, go with the Inner Fire rune you get at level 69. That is a game changer for this skill.
Wizard: Black Hole
An interesting mix of crowd control and damage, which does a fair job for a reasonable cost. This puts the enemies in one place and tenderizes them a little while you wail on them with your other attacks.
Special note: A wonderful thing happens with the Spellsteal or Absolute Zero runes against Illusionist elites: I have three enemies. Now I have fifteen enemies. Now I have enemies all standing in one spot and a 45% damage boost. Now I have no enemies.
Should you use it?
Nah. Most likely not. I’m liking it, but I happened into some unlikely gear that switched me back into a Disintegrate build which works better for me. Most people playing a wizard should be using the currently popular Frozen Orb build, in which case your current setup works so why mess with it?
Crusader: Bombardment
Not “new” in the same way, since it’s the same age as the class itself, but it’s a great attack (with a harsh cooldown) that rains death from above. For some reason, way more satisfying than the Wizard’s “Meteor”. A favorite power of one-winged angels.
Should you use it?
Definitely. If you are using a cooldown build you need it, and if you are using a hammer build you probably have Steed Charge, so either way you have the Lord Commander passive which makes this even more attractive.
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