Greetings Exiles! In this guide, I’ll be bringing you my best build in POE 3.24 league, Toxic Rain Pathfinder.

Not only does it have insane damage and clear speed, it’s completely viable even in Tier 17 Maps. What’s more, this build is very affordable and perfect for players with a lower POE Currency budget. So, let’s jump right in!

Toxic Rain

Let's start with the basic skill, Toxic Rain. It causes Spore Pods to spawn where projectiles land. This will start dealing Chaos damage in an area over time, and they can overlap with each other.

New Area Threshold

Compared to the last league build, we have made a very important update to this version, which is the new area threshold.

Due to area of effect breakpoints, you can achieve optimal single target damage by increasing area of effect by at least 37% but no more than 43%. So this is going to be our new area threshold.

We hit that goal with 20% from Bow Mastery, and another 8% to 10% from Gloves craft. Also, I personally recommend purchasing Medium Cluster Jewel with Towering Threat for the rest. With this, you can save your Helmet Implicit for more useful stuff, like mana cost reduction or curse effectiveness.

Right now I’m using mana cost reduction because I’m running maps with lower recovery, so that’s why you see this mod on my helmet.

Also Read: How To Maximize The Power Of Perandus Pact Unique Jewel In Path Of Exile 3.24?

Perandus Pact

Through Necropolis League, we got a very cool new unique jewel, and it’s Perandus Pact. It can provide you with very useful statistics, such as passive skills within the radius giving +2 to all attributes.

Luckily I bought this for 100 Chaos Orbs before they raised the price and I’ve been using it ever since. This gem increases our Chaos damage by 126%. I know it’s quite expensive now, but it’s worth the price.

But now Path of Building does not support gem modifiers, which is why you will often see it in custom modifiers of Path of Building.

Secondary Source Of Damage

Our biggest and best multiplier comes from secondary sources using Ballistas. We can have 5 of these and they will help stack Wither on the boss, which will increase Chaos damage by 90% by default.

In addition, we also get an Ascendancy node, which will increase Wither effect and give us the opportunity to inflict Wither on the enemy. In short, our damage increases faster.

The other big damage increase is skill effect duration, as Spore Pods will stay in combat longer and deal damage for a longer duration.

Sadly, when you want to do hard content, you need to retool your chest or get a secondary one because you won’t be using Ballista.

How To Improve Clear Speed?

In order to increase the clear speed as much as possible, we use Caustic Arrow. When you fire your bow, this ability creates Caustic Ground where the projectile lands, dealing Chaos damage over time.

But because this skill alone is not suitable for clearing, we added Awakened Arrow Nova Support. With this combination, our clear speed will be much faster.

So when you’re mapping, just socket Caustic Arrow and Arrow Nova Support in your bow instead of Toxic Rain and Mirage Archer and you’re ready.

Toxic Rain’s clear speed is super fast, and it’s satisfying to see when everything disappears in a split second. You will get almost full screen coverage.

Please note that I only upgrade when doing Legion. I think this is a good indicator because with this clear setup the build is fast. Honestly, if I were to pick a build that I needed to compete in other games in the league, this would be my choice. Because you can use it to farm any side content without any problem.

But since I didn’t have enough time to Min-max this build, I actually lost about 60% of the damage here. This means you actually have a lot of room for improvement.

How To Achieve Perfect Defense?

On the defensive side, we have new defensive options for this build.

We can use Automation Support and link it to Immortal Call. Since gems often activate on their own, you can level up to Immortal Call’s highest level and get nifty extra defensive boots.

Don’t forget to get quality on Automation Support as quality is cooldown recovery rate. So it will be active more often.

Currently, we’ve converted 95% of physical damage to elemental damage. Including 50% from Lightning Coil. and 14% from helmets.

Additionally, I’m using Purity of Lightning in the build so I can use a Watcher’s Eye that converts 10% of physical damage to lightning damage. Since we have very high flask effectiveness, we also use Taste of Hate to increase elemental damage by 21%.

Since we treat 66% of physical damage as lightning, my use of Purity of Lightning will further reduce this damage. We also use all Elemental Flasks, including Topaz Flask, so our maximum lightning resistance is 90%.

If you want to push to ubers, you need to swap Grace Aura for Petrified Blood, or you recolor your gloves every time. This is definitely more annoying.

Gear Setup

Next, let’s take a look at some of the important items you’ll need in this build.

• Weapon: Quill Rain
• Helmet: Hubris Circlet
• Quiver: Broadhead Arrow Quiver
• Body Armor: Full Dragonscale
• Amulet: Agate Amulet
• Ring: Amethyst Ring
• Gauntlets: Dragonscale Gauntlets
• Belt: Heavy Belt
• Boots: Dragonscale Boots

Flask

For flasks, we use Ruby, Topaz, Sapphire, Quicksilver and Divine Life Flask. Note that all flasks require a mod: increased effect and reduced duration.

Be careful when you roll your flask, as there are many mods that combine these two, but the duration will be reduced even more, so your flask won’t have 100% uptime.

Additionally, Quicksilver Flask can provide regenerate life, which you will use for mapping. But when you get into a boss fight, don’t forget to change your Quicksilver to a Silver Flask with attack speed.

Passive Tree

Finally, as always, I’d like to highlight some things you need to build on a passive tree. For this build, we used Pathfinder as Ascendancy.

In the first lab, we took Nature’s Reprisal and leveled it with Toxic Rain, so this node was a game changer early on.

The second lab uses Nature’s Adrenaline to produce Flask Charges.

The third lab is Nature’s Boon. It reduces elemental damage taken by the player and provides 3 charges per flask every three seconds.

The last lab uses Master Surgeon. When you use a flask, it restores life and gives Flask Charges when you land a critical hit.

In short, Toxic Rain Pathfinder still did not disappoint me in Necropolis League. It’s still powerful and can handle anything the game has to offer, including Tier 17 Maps! So, hurry up and give it a try!

Welcome to the DLC Preparation Checklist! This guide outlines essential steps to take before the DLC release for Elden Ring, as well as prerequisites set by the game before accessing Shadow of the Erdtree. Let's delve into it.

Bosses You Should Beat

The game indicates that there are specific bosses you must defeat to gain access to the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.

The primary requirement, considered the most crucial, is defeating Radahn. While the lore significance remains unclear, this task is emphasized.

Subsequently, you'll need to confront Mohg, Lord of Blood, as step 2. This may relate to Radahn's influence on accessing the Land of Shadow. Defeating Radahn grants access to Mohg, Lord of Blood, enabling progression.

2 Ways To Access The DLC

To reach Mohgwyn Sacred Palace, you have two options.

Option One involves following Varre's questline to expedite your arrival, though I wouldn't recommend it. Option two is accessing the portal in the Consecrated Snowfields, leading directly to Mohgwyn Sacred Palace. Opting for the latter is advisable, as you'll naturally reach this destination later in the game.

From what we've gathered about Shadow of the Erdtree, the DLC's difficulty is expected to rival that of challenging in-game areas like Haligtree and Farum Azula. Historically, FromSoft's DLCs have been notably challenging, aligning with the formidable foes encountered in these regions.

Defeating Mohg serves as an excellent test for your build's readiness for DLC content. If you can defeat Mohg with ease, your build is likely well-equipped for the challenges ahead.

Why is defeating Mohg, Lord of Blood, necessary? Our observations suggest that accessing the Shadow of the Erdtree requires touching Miquella's hand, which emerges from the Cocoon within Mohg's Boss Arena. Thus, defeating him grants full access to obtain the hand and proceed into the DLC.

Earlier, I mentioned reasons to reconsider Varre's questline for accessing the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. Let me elaborate on my rationale. If Varre's questline only leads you to Liurnia Of The Lakes, you're barely halfway through the game. If you're starting with a new character, you'll lack certain unlocked items, access to weapon levels, and talisman slots compared to using the portal in the Consecrated Snowfields.

However, if you're on New Game or New Game Plus, these concerns are less relevant, as you already possess resources from prior gameplay.

Which Build Is Best For You?

There is another crucial aspect I want to address before discussing the preparations for Shadow of the Erdtree.

While testing your build against Mohg is indeed valuable to assess readiness, it's essential to note the introduction of a new leveling system within Shadow of the Erdtree. The impact of this system on existing builds remains uncertain. While entering the DLC with a potent build capable of dealing significant damage is advisable, it's possible that dynamics may shift upon entering Shadow of the Erdtree, potentially resetting progress to a base level.

Consequently, I still advise ensuring your build is robust.

Strategies To Get Ready For The Upcoming DLC

What steps am I taking to prepare for the upcoming DLC? How am I implementing the strategies I recommend for navigating the Lands Between and acquiring necessary resources?

Smithing Stones

Primarily, I'm focusing on accumulating a substantial supply of Smithing Stones.

Through diligent rune farming and investing Elden Ring Runes in Smithing Stones at Roundtable Hold, I aim to amass a sufficient quantity. My rationale is rooted in the presumption that Shadow of the Erdtree won't introduce a new weapon leveling system, making Smithing Stones essential for upgrading weapons. This anticipation motivates my extensive gathering efforts.

The impending arrival of eight new weapon types in Shadow of the Erdtree necessitates a diverse array of weapons to be leveled, tested, and experimented with. Hence, my intensive collection of Smithing Stones is geared towards accommodating this forthcoming demand.

Also Read: Elden Ring: How To Get Unlimited Somber Smithing Stones 1-9 Easily?

For players embarking on their initial playthrough and seeking access to Shadow of the Erdtree, utilizing the Consecrated Snowfields portal to reach Mohgwyn Sacred Palace is advisable. This route grants access to numerous Bell Bearings scattered throughout the game world, facilitating maximum weapon enhancement potential.

Cookbooks

When it comes to collecting resources in the Lands Between, it's important to ensure you have acquired all the Cookbooks. These will enable you to craft various items essential for your journey in Shadow of the Erdtree.

It's better to be overly prepared than to realize you lack necessary resources, so be sure to gather all the Cookbooks and Flask of Wondrous Physick Crystal Tears, which are distributed throughout the Lands Between.

Whetblade

Another essential item you'll need is the Whetblade. These tools enable you to imbue different affinities and Ashes of War onto your weapon, making them indispensable.

• The Whetstone Knife can be found at the Gatefront Ruins.
• The Iron Whetblade can be found in Stormveil Castle.
• The Glintstone Whetblade can be found in Raya Lucaria Academy.
• The Red-Hot Whetblade can be found in Redmane Castle.
• The Sanctified Whetblade can be found in the Fortified Manor Leyndell.
• The Black Whetblade can be found in Nokron, Eternal City.

Gathering all these Whetblades will allow you to imbue every conceivable affinity onto your weapon, providing you with a significant advantage as you enter the DLC.

Stonesword Keys

There are two additional items I recommend stockpiling, starting with Stonesword Keys.

While I'm not entirely certain if they will be utilized in the DLC, given their significant role in accessing dungeons and areas in the base game, it's plausible they'll have relevance in Shadow of the Erdtree.

Therefore, ensure you visit merchants, explore the Lands Between, and acquire as many Stonesword Keys as possible to gain access to areas potentially locked behind them in the DLC.

Larval Tears

The last item worth stocking up on is Larval Tears. These are essential for respeccing at Rennala within Raya Lucaria.

With the introduction of numerous new weapons and weapon types in Shadow of the Erdtree, many players will likely want to experiment with different builds. However, using a deck-bleed weapon with only strength won't yield optimal results.

Hence, having the ability to respec for trying out various weapons and builds in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is highly recommended.

Organizing Your Inventory

The final task I'll be undertaking, and one I recommend for you as well, is organizing your inventory. I understand many of us have a tendency to hoard every item, weapon, and piece of armor in Elden Ring, treating them as invaluable treasures.

However, it's unnecessary to have multiple versions of the same weapon or numerous duplicates of armor pieces from the same set. Take the time to thoroughly sort through your inventory, streamlining it for efficiency. This will ensure that when new items are introduced in Shadow of the Erdtree, you'll be able to locate them promptly.

It's a small adjustment that can greatly enhance your preparation for Shadow of the Erdtree.

For those following the developments in Diablo 4, it's clear that Season 4 holds significant importance for the game's future. The upcoming complete overhaul of itemization, set to debut in Season 4, stands out as a major change. Alongside this, there are numerous other updates and additions teased for Diablo 4 that many players may not be aware of.

Here, we'll delve into all the available information regarding Diablo 4 Season 4, exploring potential additions and changes. Season 4 is anticipated to be the largest one yet, with significant adjustments expected. Despite these substantial changes, traditional seasonal content will still be present, including new mechanics and progression systems. Additionally, Season 4 marks the introduction of a PTR for future seasons or content, allowing players to test features before release. This season promises to be not only substantial but also likely to have a smooth launch in terms of bug fixes and balancing.

Revamping Itemization: The Key Focus Of Season 4 In Diablo 4

The most anticipated aspect of Season 4 is undoubtedly the itemization overhaul. Itemization has emerged as a widely criticized aspect of Diablo 4, with several contributing factors.

One issue is the abundance of affixes, many of which are deemed ineffective. Consequently, finding well-rolled Diablo 4 Items becomes a daunting task. Moreover, comparing newly acquired items with those currently equipped is cumbersome due to the plethora of redundant and conditional stats.

Developers have acknowledged this challenge, referring to it as the "damage on Tuesday" phenomenon, where certain conditions must be met for additional damage, leading to inconsistent performance. Given the developer discussions on this matter, it's likely that many conditional affixes will be either replaced or removed altogether in an effort to streamline the list of affixes.

Seneschal Companions Overhaul

One aspect that hasn't received much attention but I believe could be a possibility is the potential connection between effects from the Seneschal Companion in Season 3 and the itemization reworks.

In game development, new features often share underlying systems and coding, making it easier to implement similar functionalities across different aspects of the game. This principle is evident in games like World of Warcraft, where systems developed for expansions are repurposed for future updates.

It's conceivable that some of the support stones introduced with the Seneschal Companion could complement the itemization overhaul. For instance, abilities like Arcing Support, which causes the supported skill to hit additional enemies; Multishot Support, enabling projectile skills to launch extra projectiles; and Piercing Support, allowing projectile skills to pierce multiple enemies, could potentially become affixes in the itemization overhaul.

Such additions could introduce more diverse and engaging affixes to the game. With the inclusion of affixes like Multishot, for example, numerous projectile-based builds could significantly benefit, potentially enhancing their effectiveness and versatility.

Streamlining Aspect Management

Additionally, there have been significant hints indicating that alongside the itemization overhaul, there will also be substantial changes to Aspects.

This announcement was essentially made during BlizzCon. The development team for Diablo 4 has been devising a system to eliminate Aspects as separate items within the game. Currently, players often find themselves dedicating multiple stash tabs to store Aspects, particularly when progressing to level 100 and experimenting with various builds. This results in considerable inventory clutter.

The proposed solution involves integrating all Aspects into a unified system called the Codex of Power. While the exact mechanics remain unclear, it is anticipated that Aspects obtained from items will be seamlessly transferred to the Codex. Players will have access to a comprehensive list of their acquired Aspects, allowing them to easily select and apply them to items directly from an NPC interface.

This streamlining of the system is expected to greatly reduce inventory space requirements while facilitating more efficient management of gear in player stashes.

Also Read: Diablo 4 Season 3: How To Climb The Ranks In The Gauntlet? - 5 Key Tips

Unveiling The Future Of Itemization In Diablo 4 Season 4

Developers have provided significant hints about the upcoming itemization overhaul.

One key revelation is that the overhaul will be so extensive that they opted against implementing a loot filter beforehand. This decision underscores the magnitude of the changes, indicating that the overhaul will affect more than just the basic affixes on items. It suggests a comprehensive revamp touching various aspects of the game beyond affix modifications, including the addition of new affixes and the removal of unpopular ones.

Furthermore, developers have elaborated on their broader vision for itemization. They emphasize that obtaining an item marks the beginning of its journey towards excellence or potential obsolescence. This approach mirrors that of other ARPGs like Path of Exile (PoE) or Last Epoch, where players can enhance subpar items through diverse crafting systems, aiming to create top-tier or even best-in-slot gear. While the itemization overhaul may not match the complexity of PoE, it's expected to incorporate robust crafting features, simplifying the process compared to PoE while retaining depth akin to Last Epoch.

This direction represents a positive step, as it shifts the focus towards meaningful item progression and crafting. Rather than simply acquiring items and rolling a single stat, players will have the opportunity to enhance items with desired attributes, potentially transforming them into top-tier gear. Consequently, a higher percentage of items will hold value, reducing the prevalence of entirely useless loot and providing players with more opportunities to craft valuable items from their loot pool.

Exciting Teasers For Diablo 4 Season 4

Above summarizes the bulk of the information available concerning the itemization overhaul for Season 4. However, there are additional hints we've received regarding Season 4.

PTR

As previously mentioned, there will be a PTR primarily to assess the significant changes to itemization.

Endgame Possibilities: Abattoir Of Zir & Beyond In Diablo 4 Season 4

Additionally, the developers have teased various other content, particularly endgame content for Season 4. In a recent Q&A session, they were asked about the possibility of new endgame content. While they couldn't provide details, they strongly suggested keeping an eye on the PTR and Season 4 for those interested in new endgame experiences.

Another question arose regarding the possibility of an Abattoir of Zir-like feature. Interestingly, there was a subtle hint suggesting that those intrigued by such content should explore the PTR and Season 4. This suggests a focus on endgame-oriented content for Season 4, whether it becomes a permanent addition to the game or remains exclusive to the season.

Additionally, indications point towards the implementation of a system akin to the Abattoir of Zir, despite its initial shortcomings. This could be a positive addition to Diablo 4's long-term health. It's plausible that a system resembling Greater Rifts from Diablo 3 might be permanently integrated into the game, building upon the experimental nature of Abattoir of Zir. This could provide players with both curated dungeons and randomized rifts, offering a diverse gameplay experience.

This constitutes much of the solid information available regarding what's to come in Season 4. It won't be long before we have the opportunity to explore the PTR and gather more details. However, there are also additional features that may be included in Season 4, mentioned by developers but without a set release date.

The Armory System

One significant aspect is the development of an Armory system, which garnered attention during BlizzCon's Q&A sessions.

The Armory aims to enable players to save entire builds, including gear, talent loadouts, and Paragon Board setups, allowing for seamless switching between different configurations with a single click. This concept draws inspiration from the permanence seen in Diablo II, where respeccing wasn't initially available and was only introduced in later updates, possibly the first expansion.

Developers have recognized a shift in player preferences, leading to efforts in developing tools like the Armory to facilitate easier respeccing, among other features. These changes reflect a move towards empowering players to create and manage multiple builds effortlessly, aligning with evolving player expectations.

Enhancing Social Features

Similarly, in terms of social features, an aspect I consider one of Diablo 4's weaker points, the game is intended to offer a shared-world experience akin to titles like Destiny 2. While not a full-fledged MMO, it incorporates shared-world elements, albeit minimally.

Presently, the game lacks robust social features beyond a basic trade chat, a deficiency that has been acknowledged by the development team. Consequently, there appears to be a concerted effort to address this through a significant overhaul or addition of social features.

Given that raids are slated to arrive with the first expansion, it's reasonable to anticipate substantial enhancements to social aspects either preceding or coinciding with Season 4.

That essentially covers the available information regarding Season 4. I anticipate Season 4 heralding a significant transformation for Diablo 4. For those disappointed with the current state of the game, this impending update holds the potential to vastly improve their experience. Even for existing fans, it promises to deliver considerable enhancements. The itemization overhaul alone, involving the removal or adjustment of numerous conditional affixes, is poised to elevate gameplay. Moreover, the introduction of new content is always a welcome development.

In our guide to leveling up quickly in Diablo 4 Season 3, we will explore the optimal approach with insights from our gaming expert, Ruse Cruize.

Rather than providing specific guides for each class, we'll focus on a more universal leveling guide that can be utilized by every class in Diablo 4 Season 3.

The recommendations presented here will offer a blend of optimal strategies and casual suggestions to provide a well-rounded experience.

Do The Seneschal Quest

The paramount task at the beginning is to embark on and finish the Seasonal Questline, the Seneschal Quest.

This is crucial because the Seneschal serves as a companion and will play a significant role throughout this season, making it absolutely worthwhile to pursue at the earliest opportunity.

Whether your intention is to swiftly reach level 100 or progress at a more leisurely pace, acquiring the Seneschal is a top priority. It stands as one of the most substantial power boosts available, making it a component not to be overlooked.

Tree Of Whispers & Overworld

The Overworld/Tree Of Whispers may not be the most efficient method for leveling, but it stands out as the best approach for accumulating currency and Diablo 4 Items. This strategy ensures a consistent supply of gear, experience, and wealth, making the process both effective and enjoyable.

The key is to focus on locating clusters of Grim Favour quests, completing them, and then claiming the rewards from The Tree of Whispers.

This approach is complemented by alternating with Legion Events, which provide substantial XP. World bosses are a close second in terms of XP, and they now offer significantly improved rewards due to recent buffs.

The latest addition to Diablo 4 Season 3, Vaults, introduces an element of uncertainty. While their XP potential remains unclear, it is likely that they won't match the efficiency of the previously mentioned methods.

1. By completing Whispers, you can get Grim Favors.
2. By doing Legion Events, you can get the highest XP.
3. World Bosses
4. Vaults (Potential unknown)

It is essential to note that at level 15, you should prioritize your Class Quest before continuing with Overworld activities.

Upgrading Your Gear

As you advance, it's crucial to consistently upgrade your gear.

The optimal time to initiate upgrades is typically around level 30, but maintaining a continuous focus on upgrading your weapon is highly recommended.

This is particularly true for your Sacred and Ancestral Weapons, as they contribute significantly to boosting your damage output.

Also Read: Diablo 4 Season 3: Everything You Need To Know About Uber Malphas - How To Summon & Loot Table

Domhainne Tunnels - The Fastest Leveling

While this method may not yield the most significant rewards in terms of gear and Diablo 4 Gold, it stands out as unparalleled in terms of XP gain.

Before delving into this approach, it's advisable to complete the Seneschal questline, as the pet obtained will be immensely beneficial.

Located in Scosglen, the Domhainne Tunnels are the focal point of this strategy, and you'll want to repeat them consistently. Although it may become a bit monotonous, this repetitive process is the fastest way to level up.

Continue this until reaching level 45 to 50, at which point you should proceed directly to the Capstone Dungeon.

Upon reaching World Tier 3, return to Domhainne Tunnels for continued leveling. If World Tier 3 proves challenging, consider reverting to World Tier 2 for a more manageable experience.

Target levels 50 to 60 before transitioning to Nightmare Dungeons. This phase provides good XP and prepares you for the World Tier 3 Capstone, facilitating a smooth transition into World Tier 4.

Capstone Dungeon

Irrespective of the method you choose, it is vital that once you reach the 45 to 50 level range, you undertake the Capstone Dungeon to advance to World Tier 3. Progressing to World Tier enhances both XP gain and item ranges, making it crucial not to postpone this advancement.

This step is equally critical for World Tier 4. Ideally, achieving this transition should occur around level 60 to 65 or when you feel sufficiently prepared.

Nightmare Dungeons In World Tier 4

Upon reaching World Tier 4, typically between levels 60 to 65, the recommended course of action is to engage in Nightmare Dungeons.

A convenient starting point in World Tier 4 is to embark on a Tree of Whisper. This will provide gear and a Nightmare Sigil.

If you perceive that your strength is insufficient, returning to Domhainne Tunnels is an option. However, the preferred approach is to focus on upgrading your gear and consistently participate in Nightmare Dungeons until reaching level 100.

More Tips

With a robust groundwork in place, you should be on your way to reaching level 100. To enhance your journey, it's essential to remain mindful of a few key aspects while playing:

1. Engage in Helltides regularly: Helltides serve as an excellent source of Forgotten Souls and Fiend Roses, crucial for upgrading gear.
2. Consistently upgrade your Sacred & Ancestral gear, focusing particularly on the weapon when possible.
3. Keep track of World Bosses for valuable loot and Shattering Prisms.

Hope you will put it into practice immediately after reading this guide. Try to be the first player to reach max level!

In 1999, the St. Louis Rams transformed from a 4-12 underdog to Super Bowl champions, a story of unexpected heroes and incredible triumph. Like the Rams, we’re diving into the NFL’s mid-season, where every team has the potential for a legendary turnaround.

If you have enough Madden 24 Coins, you can choose one of the teams and improve the players so you can win more games!

Team 1: Philadelphia Eagles

After last year’s heartbreak in the Super Bowl, the Philadelphia Eagles are on a mission of redemption. With a stellar 8-1 record, they’re a force to be reckoned with.

Jaylen Hurts, their charismatic leader and quarterback, is at the forefront of this revenge story, backed by a blend of seasoned veterans and bright stars. This season is shaping up to be the Eagles’ year of glory.

Fun Factors

• Revenge Narrative: Capitalize on their drive to avenge last year’s Super Bowl loss.
• Jalen Hurts’ Leadership: Harness the skill and leadership of their star quarterback.
• Starpower Roster: Leverage the experience of veterans and the zeal of rising stars.

Challenges

• 2023 season: Stay on top in a highly competitive conference.
• 2024 season: Address potential retirements and maintain roster strength.
• 2025 season: Continue evolving the team’s strategy to stay ahead of the curve.

Team 2: Baltimore Ravens

Next up, the Team 2 Baltimore Ravens, with Lamar Jackson’s MVP-caliber performance, are in prime position to dominate their division, especially with key rivals facing setbacks.

Their defense, led by Roquan Smith, is formidable, echoing their championship-winning days. This season presents a golden opportunity for the Ravens to assert their dominance.

Fun Factors

• Lamar Jackson’s Magic: Utilize his exceptional abilities to outmaneuver opponents.
• Dominant Defense: Leverage their robust defense for strategic advantages.
• Super Bowl Hunger: Channel their intense desire to claim another championship.

Challenges

• 2023 season: Aim for a deep playoff run, capitalizing on current strengths.
• 2024 season: Reach the Super Bowl, building on this season’s momentum.
• 2025 season: Focus on retaining star players while nurturing young talent, aiming to become Super Bowl favorites once more.

Also Read: Top 5 Madden 24 Offensive Playbooks

Team 3: Detroit Lions

Let’s explore Team 3, the Detroit Lions’ surprising rise: The Dawn of a New Era.

Under Dan Campbell, the Detroit Lions have transformed into a formidable force.

Their newfound spirit, with Jared Goff delivering his best football and standout players like Amon-Ra St. Brown, David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta and Aidan Hutchinson, is electrifying.

The team’s stellar offensive line only adds to their strength. This isn’t just a team, it’s a movement, and everyone’s rooting for their success.

Fun Factors

• Dan Campbell’s Leadership: Embrace the team’s newfound confidence and aggressive style.
• Hunger for Success: Channel their long-standing desire to overcome years of setbacks.
• Talented Roster: Utilize their exceptional talent on both offense and defense.

Challenges

• 2023 season: Achieve the Lions’ first playoff win since 1991.
• 2024 season: Make a deep playoff run and plan for the future quarterback.
• 2025 season: Aim for the Super Bowl and start building a lasting dynasty.

Team 4: Cleveland Browns

Now, let’s turn to the Team 4 Cleveland Browns and their quest for glory: Defense Leading the Charge.

The Cleveland Browns stand out this season with the NFL’s best defense, a unit that’s been the backbone of the team.

Despite a mediocre performance from Deshaun Watson, who’s now out for the season, their defense has kept playoff hopes alive.

The Cleveland Browns face a unique challenge: a playoff-caliber roster hampered by a quarterback quandary and limited draft stock due to the Watson trade.

Fun Factors

• Dominant Defense: Capitalize on their league-leading defensive prowess.
• Quarterback Challenge: Navigate the season with a rookie quarterback stepping in.
• Building for Future: Embrace the challenge of strengthening the team without much draft capital.

Challenges

• 2023 season: Secure a playoff spot and honor the defense’s stellar performance.
• 2024 season: Address the quarterback situation by either finding a replacement or enhancing Watson’s play.
• 2025 season: With the quarterback issue resolved, keep the roster intact for a deep playoff run.

Team 5: Chicago Bears

Next, the Team 5 Chicago Bears' quest to rewrite their story: Unleashing Potential.

The Chicago Bears entered the season with high hopes, especially for quarterback Justin Fields. But things haven’t quite clicked yet. While Fields has shown flashes of brilliance, the team is still searching for the right formula to unlock its full potential. This season is critical in determining the future direction of both Fields and the team.

Fun Factors

• Justin Fields’ Growth: Harness his unique abilities and eagerness to improve.
• Historical Prestige: Revive the glory of a storied franchise.
• Draft Capital: Utilize their significant upcoming draft picks for a major team upgrade.

Challenges

• 2023 season: Evaluate Fields and the roster to make strategic decisions for the future.
• 2024 season: Execute a successful overhaul using draft capital, treating it as a foundational year.
• 2025 season: Aim for a playoff appearance and their first playoff win since 2011.

Which team’s journey captivated you the most?

Here, I want to introduce you what pros in New World do - five tips that will help you to be the best. I will go over how to best earn gold and level up your skill at the same time, what is the best time to buy legendary tools, tips for buying houses and trophies and why do you need a legendary bag.

Tip 1: Gather, Refine & Sell

When you’re wandering around the lands doing quests or just exploring the world of Aeternum, you can come across different materials such as Iron Veins, different mote flowers, fibers, or rarer variants of wood.

I always recommend that you pick them up and store them for later in one of the many storages you have available. You might be tempted to sell them as soon as you gather them.

However, I would recommend that you refine them first and then sell them. This will net you fewer New World Coins, but it will give you a valuable refining experience that you could not gain if you had sold them.

So, in a nutshell shell, I recommend that you gather everything you see, then either refine them now and sell them or restock them up, refine them later, and sell them in a bulk. In the long run, you will end up with a lot of skills, experience, and gold.

Tip 2: Legendary Tools - A Worthy Investment

When you reach your max level or unlock the ability to equip the best gathering tools, the rarest form of this equipment is legendary represented by its orange color.

They give you a fifth perk that gives you a chance to get a mote when you gather something. You have two options: cheaper Orichalcum or more expensive Mythril tools. Now, your argument against it might be that both are too expensive.

However, they are 100% worth it. Let me elaborate on why. From a pure gold return investment, they are worth it.

Let’s say that you buy a logging axe for 3K gold, it has an Earth mote perk. You go on your logging session and you get 100 motes from it. Now, 100 motes are a bit less than 100 gold. However, you can store these motes and later turn them into higher tier versions and you again get just pure added gold from it or arcane experience.

There is also another example of why they can be useful. Let’s say you are good at weaponsmithing and you can make tier five Honing Stones. They are used by many in-game players. You can make them from Death & Fire Quintessence.

So, while you are gathering to make something else, you can in the meantime farm motes as well to make these stones at the same time. You can do this for other trade skills as well. So, in this sense, you can now think about what trade skill you are going for and then from that you should know what items you can make and look for tools that have motes that can help you in making such items that you can sell or use for yourself.

Also Read: New World: How To Farm Rawhide In Rise Of Angry Earth? - Best Locations & Tips

Tip 3: Choosing The Right House

You have been nicely collecting gold, get your trade skills up, and you have your eyes set on one of many professions, like armoring, jewel crafting, engineering, and so on. You know you will need to get a house and later on trophies as well, but you might feel a bit lost about what to buy is because there are a lot of options.

In a nutshell, houses come in four tiers. The fourth is the most expensive at 20K gold and the first is the cheapest at 5K gold. They’ll give you a place you can teleport to, just like an inn.

Tier 4 has a 2-hour cooldown and Tier 1 is 5 hours.

Next is the space for storage chests. When placed in your house, they give you bigger settlement storage. Tier 1 house has 1 slot and Tier 4 has 4 slots. The best chest is a Golden Steel Storage Chest with 1,000 space. So, a Tier 4 house with four chests gives you 4K more space. That is quite a lot of space, if you ask me.

All house tiers do have five slots of trophies and here comes an argument: if it’s worth buying the best house? Tier 4 or the cheapest at Tier 1?

For a long time, I have been debating what advice to give. When it comes to buying houses, it all comes down to your preference and play style, how much New World Gold you have, and so on. Here are some of my suggestions:

1. Buy one of the Tier 4 houses in your settlement of choice.
2. Fill them with the best storage chests so you get this 4K space. This will be your main crafting hub. You will be able to refine, craft, and sell your goods.
3. Then, buy 2 Tier 1 houses as you just need them for trophies that will be needed.
4. The rest of the storage space can be separated from all the other settlements as the transfer of materials between them is free.
5. In the end, you end up with a simple one main town and plenty of space for the beginning of your journey.
6. If you think you need more storage space and you have too much gold, then you can always sell it and buy the biggest mansions in Aeternum.

Tip 4: Trophies - Enhancing Your Abilities

Trophies give you a global buff depending on what trophy you pick.

In general, you have gathering trophies that give you Gathering Luck, crafting trophies that give you a bonus to gear score to crafted items, combat trophies give you more damage to certain types of enemies, and the loot luck trophies.

So, what trophy to pick is totally up to you and what you are doing. In general, each trophy stacks up to three times and you can have five of them at the same time in your house.

As a note, at the endgame, you can combine your trophies into one ultimate trophy so you can have all combat, crafting, and gathering trophies at your home. The components can be bought from your faction vendor and you can craft them with your furnishing skill.

The main question I ask myself is if minor or basic trophies are worth it? I would say that minor, so the lowest tier is better or more worthwhile than basic or medium tier ones.

My reason is that they are very cheap compared to others and they give a significant amount of a buff that they are worth your money even in the short or long term. Then, when I would have all of them, I would slowly upgrade them to the best tier.

Little steps make all the difference.

Tip 5: Legendary Bags - Lasting Benefits

One of the questions you might have asked yourself is: Are Legendary Bags worthy?

Let’s take a look. They give a fifth perk called Lasting Consumption that makes your consumables last longer, such as your food buff, Honing Stones, Proficiency Boosters and so on.

When you play at the game at in-game level and when you want to maximize your damage output or just make your gathering run more efficient, you want to have this perk on your bags.

In the long run, they will pay off by you not needing to buy more consumables. Therefore, you spend less money and that alone is the reason why I have been using them for quite some time and I have to tell you they are 100% worth it.

Getting all of these elements of the game all at once might be a daunting task and too much. But remember New World is an MMO and MMO is not a sprint but a marathon. So, take your time and enjoy the game. With time, you will get enough gold to buy all these items. It’s part of the journey of your adventurer.

Here, I want to talk about the first hint of POE 3.23 that we were given by GGG two days ago, make some wild and unfounded predictions, and then try to use those predictions to figure out a plan for the rest of the season.

GGG’s 3.23 Timeline

If you haven’t heard, on October 9th, GGG released their initial timeline for the next 3.23 content expansion. They said they were initially going to have the next league start in November, but moved that to quote early December.

Apparently, there are some big changes coming. Maybe some new POE Items will also appear. I assume they mean that the mechanic is big and needs some time to be fleshed out and coated.

But, it’s possible they mean something bigger to the game itself, something like big changes to the passive tree or atlas tree or maybe even something that modifies and hopefully shortens the campaign. That would probably be a pipe dream. But I’m sure we’ll hear about it soon.

TOTA Events?

One real prediction I have relates to these end of season events: they’re going to have three, each lasting about a week. My first thought was some kind of race. But I’m pretty sure these events will 100% have to do with the Trial of the Ancestors. However, no matter what kind of event it is, it is very necessary to prepare sufficient POE Currency to improve yourself.

The use of the word tournament always felt a little awkward to me with TOA, but it would be very easy to create a kind of sub season event using Trial of the Ancestors.

Imagine a week-long contest where the most powerful minions turtle were removed from the warrior pool or where all the Chieftain damage was reduced by 100% or where the only minions available are those little dinky ones that you start with.

My prediction is that the final 3 weeks of the season will be three themed events for Trial of the Ancestors, featuring significant modifications to the gameplay of that mechanic and it sounds like it could actually be a lot of fun.

So, I definitely want to make time for it, maybe even figure out a Ruthless TOA build. But when exactly?

Predicting 3.23 Release Date

We know that they said the next league will start in early December. I don’t know if they’ve officially committed to this, but Crucible, Sanctum Lake of Kalandra and Sentinel all started on a Friday. That leaves us five possible days.

I doubt they would intend on starting on the 22nd or 29th of December, otherwise why say in early December?

Also Read: Best Strategies To Farm Divine Orbs In POE 3.22 TOTA League - 3 Ways

At least December 1st, 8th, and 15th, take note Exiles, that means that those three-week-long events could start as early as November 10th, just over 4 weeks from now.

But let’s see if we can narrow it down between those three dates even further. Looking at what other games are being released, there’s pretty much nothing. I’m seeing a re-release of some Arkham stuff. There’s a dragon quest game, something with Warhammer. I don’t even know what that is.

Honestly, this looks pretty barren, so there are no restrictions for when they could release something. And since Diablo 4 Season 2 starts a new season on October 17th, that looks like it’s not going to have an impact on the Path of Exile season either way, but more distance would be better particularly for those week-long events.

Because of that, I doubt that GGG is targeting a December 1st league start that leaves us the 8th and the 15th. This sounds obvious, but why say we’re targeting early December if you mean the literal middle of the month? I mean, in that case, the word ‘early’ just doesn’t need to be there. So, based on that, I’m now calling it we get the next league start for the new Path of Exile league on December 8th, 2023.

My Plan

Now, let’s just assume that I’m correct. And we’re going to use that to try to come up with a plan for the rest of the season.

If the next league starts on December 8th, then we will get those three-week long events starting on November 17th. That means we have about five weeks and just a couple of days more left in the normal part of Ancestor league.

And I want to push more of that late end game. I was trying to figure out all the classes and the atlas. I really wanted to have one Ruthless guide per starting class. And lucky for me, I only have one left and Cold DoT Witch is a darn nice endgame class.

I also haven’t forgotten about the Blight. What I decided is that I wanted to make a Ruthless specific Blight guide. So, I’m leveling that Cold DoT Witch back in my SSF, where my atlas tree is already prepped and ready for it. That means that over the next 3 to 5 weeks, you all can expect a lot of watching me take a shot at all of those endgame bosses and when I get frustrated with Ruthless bossing, then I’ll just be Ruthless blighting so you can expect a whole lot of Ruthless specific Blight content as well.

I’m really looking forward to POE 3.23!

Here’s a build guide for my Minion Life Stacking SRS Guardian. This is not a zoom build, but can clear all contents comfortably.

Our main map clearing skill is the Summon Sentinel of Radiance, the RF 2.0 minion. Though it lacks in mobility, its fire aura is nothing to scoff at.

For single target, we use our Summon Raging Spirits with Minion Instability to boost our DPS.

Ascendancies

For the ascendancies, allocating Radiant Crusade is a priority as it is a very powerful skill when clearing the campaign.

The Sentinel combined with Convocation and the increased cooldown of Convocation can carry you to early yellow maps with little to no investment. It’s so powerful that I recommend getting this, even if you’re playing other Templar ascendancies and just change to your needed ascendency afterwards.

It takes 20% of the hit damage you get. Only downside is that it’s very slow moving and it has a 20s-base duration, so you need to keep resummoning it once in a while.

Next one we get is Bastion of Hope as it can greatly help us in maxing out our attack and spell block. We trigger the attack block using Shield Charge and the spell block using any of our spells.

Allocating Radiant Faith next gives us a lot of Armour and Energy Shield.

Last, take Time of Need to help us with Curses and Elemental Ailments and regenerate one 100% of our life every 4 seconds.

Also Read: How To Climb The Ranks In POE 3.22 TOTA? - 8 Tips

Passives

For the passives, focus on pathing to the minion damage and minion life nodes on the left side of the tree.

When you get the Sentinel, allocate Convocation Cooldown Recovery Rate in the Minion Defense Mastery and the Minion AoE in the Minion Offense Mastery.

Next, we get the Reservation Efficiency nodes so that we can fit our defensive auras and path to Eldrich Battery to help with our Mana costs, all the while allocating Life, Minion Life and Minion Damage nodes along the way.

After that, we focus on maxing out our block chance by allocating shield nodes and using a Rumi’s Concoction Granite Flask. For the low-budget version, we can take Death Attunement. If you still can’t reach level 25, take Raise Spectre and Whispers of Doom for the double cures.

The next big upgrade would be getting an Elegant Hubris Timeless Jewel with two minion notable (Axiom Warden), either for minion life or minion damage.

Amanamu’s Gaze is a big boost to our DPS, but it is quite expensive.

Equipment

For our equipment, Tavukai is a required unique that damages our SRS to trigger Minion Instability.

Remember to get one with a negative Chaos Resistance to speed up the death of our SRS.

You can also use Noxious Catalysts to further speed up the process if you’re using an uncorrupted amulet. We use a Replica Siegebreaker so that any minion that dies leaves a burning ground for 20% of their life.

You can resummon the Sentinel to trigger this effect and since it’s our minion with the highest life, this would be a big boost to our damage.

Weapons

For our wand, we use the Rapture Edge Convoking Wand with plus one to all minion skill gems and a free suffix to craft our trigger mod.

For our shield, we use a shaper influenced shield (Havoc Sanctuary Archon Kite Shield) with the recovery percent life when you block. This is one of the most important mod for our defense because of our max block. You can push getting a Fossilised Spirit Shield with plus one to all minion skill gems and other minion modifiers if you have the POE Currency to spare.

The helm (Carrion Veil Hubris Circlet), gloves (Rune Grip Crusader Gloves), boots (Ambush Hoof Crusader Boots), and body armor (Gale Suit Saintly Chainmail), are pretty standard rares with the reservation and block chance mods, only required for the high budget version.

Rings

For our rings, we use bone rings (Mind Eye) and prioritize getting minion life and damage mods. Don’t forget to max out your resistances, reach your attribute requirements, and try to get as much chaos resistance as you can fit in.

Flasks

For our flasks, Progenesis is a great addition to our defenses but is not required. You can replace it with a Rumi’s Concoction for the low-budget version and an Amethyst Flask or a Bottled Faith for the high-budget flasks version.

A quartz flask (e.g. Masochist’s Quartz Flask of the Lynx) is a must, since we’re always diving in the center of packs. Try to get immunity to bleeding and corrupted blood in your life flask (Chemist’s Divine Life Flask of Assuaging). For the last two flasks, we use a basalt flask (Transgressor’s Basalt Flask of the Tortoise) and a quicksilver flask (Masochist’s Quicksilver Flask of the Bear).

For the animated Guardians equipment, we use Dying Breath to increase our minions DPS, Legacy of Fury to scorch nearby enemies, Eye of Malice to further decrease the enemy’s resistances.

Try to get a helmet with a life region corrupted mod: Gravebind in combination with a Crusader armor (Saintly Chainmail) with explode mod to further improve our clear speed.

The specters we use are Pale Seraphim for its increased damage taken to buff, Xoph’s Loyal to cover enemies in ash, and Tukohama’s Vanguard for the 25% fire exposure.

Gem Links

For our gem links, we use SRS, Awakened Burning Damage, Unleash, Minion Life, Predator, and Empower.

We put Flammability and Elemental Weakness in our trigger wand (Rapture Edge Convoking Wand).

Remember to put your Animate Guardian linked with minion life in the shield so we can easily swap it out when our AG is in danger.

We link our specters in Stone Golem with Feeding Frenzy and Combustion.

For our auras, we use Malevolence, Summon Skitterbots, Tempest Shield, Determination, and Defiance Banner. We use Flame Dash and Shield Charge for our movement skills. We use Molten Shell to boost our defenses and Convocation to recall our Sentinel. We have an extra slot in our trigger weapon, which you can use with a minion or spell of your choice.

For the low-budget version, you can swap out Burning Damage and Empower with a concentrated effect in Hypothermia and link Malevolence with Divine Blessing.

Conclusion

This build’s standard gameplay is popping our flasks, then summoning the Sentinel. Use Shield Charge to place yourself in the center of a pack and Convocation to recall your Sentinel and watch everything around you die use your SRS and Signal Prey for tanky rares and bosses.

Remember to resummon your Sentinel every 20 seconds or you could end up dying when you dive in a pack and your Sentinel is not up. Also remember to Shield Charge once every 4 seconds to keep your block chance maxed.

Starfield’s massive open world has a lot going on with vast numbers of systems and mechanics constantly working together in the background, which in typical Bethesda Game Studios’ fashion, allows for an excellent sandbox playground that emphasizes freedom above all else.

From exploring uncharted planets and surveying alien flora and fauna to building outposts and more, there are numerous sandbox activities to dive into that let you have fun of your own making and at your own pace beyond the Frameworks of the game’s plethora of handcrafted content.

Space Piracy Intro

But out of all of those activities, the one that’s probably the most enjoyable is space piracy.

Being a pirate tends to be a blast in games more often than not, obviously. And stormfield puts very little restrictions on you if you aspire to be a ruthless pirate in space, leaving chaos in your wake as you fly out of a system with your cargo bay full of valuable Starfield Items that you’ve just acquired through less than legal means.

There are, of course, plenty of ways to be a rogue in the settled systems. But if a space pirate is specifically what you want to be, there are several things the game lets you do to that end.

Different Ways to be a Space Piracy

*The most obvious one and one that you’re likely going to end up doing anyway if you intend to do the faction quest lines is to join the Crimson Fleet, which is literally a faction of space pirates.

You do have to jump through some hoops before you’re formally inducted into the fleet. But once you do become a member and gain access to the full facilities on offer in the key, the Crimson Fleet’s headquarters, a lot of avenues open up for your space piracy goals.

Like smuggling Contraband for instance, that’s something that you’re going to want to do a lot of because of how profitable it tends to be. You can, as an example, head to Neon and buy large quantities of Aurora, a substance that’s illegal to possess in every place throughout the settled systems, except Neon itself. It can, however, also be sold for hefty amounts of Starfield Credits, especially if you sell in large quantities.

You always run the risk of getting caught by the authorities, of course, but the risk is often worth the reward. And if you do plan on hauling large amounts of illegal cargo to sell for large payouts, you should also be investing in the payload skill in the tech skill tree to increase your ship’s cargo capacity.

And this is where having access to the key comes in handy, because it allows you to evade the law much better. Anytime you enter a star system that’s in United Colonies or Freestar Collective territory, your ship will be scanned for Contraband and you can’t land your ship on a planet until you’ve cleared that scan.

Those scans are, of course, mighty effective and scarily efficient, which means you need to equip your vessel with certain shady equipment to help you evade those scans.

Installing a Shielded Cargo hold, for instance, will automatically boost your chances of evading scans. Meanwhile, you can also install Scan Blockers. Each of which gives you a further 10 boost. Both Shielded Cargo and Scan Blockers can be purchased and installed only at the key.

Also Read: Starfield: How to Quickly Obtain Razorleaf & Mantis Armor Set Early in the Game?

*Something else that you’ll want to invest in for your ship if you’re committed to a life of crime of piracy is a good grab drive.

If you’re hopping from system to system, even if you don’t intend to land on a planet in a system that’s just a stopover, you’re still going to be scanned as soon as you enter, which means that you’re going to need to initiate your next grab jump as quickly as you can.

Before you have a chance to fail the scan and turn the authority’s attention, a better grab drive that you can pump more power into lets you initiate a jump much quicker. So, definitely make sure you install one of those.

*And if you’re looking for opportunities to engage in some good old space piracy fun, there’s plenty of that to be found in Starfield.

For starters, you can pick missions from the Mission Board in the key, all of which are procedurally generated quests that task you with less than legal objectives, whether that’s destroying United Colony ships or stealing from civilian vessels.

Beyond that, you can just do that stuff yourself. Anytime you encounter a ship while flying out in space, you can inhale it to initiate a conversation, after which you get the option to demand them to empty their cargo hold. How things go from that point will depend entirely on how you handle the conversation that follows.

Though, by investing in the deception skill in the social tree, we'll make enemies much more pliable to your piracy demands. Additionally, this skill also makes Contraband scans less effective. So, it's definitely worth spending skill points on for all would-be space pirates.

Of course, it also goes without saying that as a space pirate, you'll be engaging in your fair share of dogfights from time to time. And beyond the obvious stuff, like installing better Shields or more Firepower, you can also invest in plenty of skills to give yourself the edge in ship combat, all of which are found in the tech tree.

There is the Targeting Control System for instance, which unlocks the ability to target and lock on enemy ships, making your missiles deadlier and more effective, while the Shield System skill increases your ship's shield capacity and at the highest rank occasionally also lets you resist 100 of all damage taken from an attack.

The Ballistic Weapon Systems and Energy Weapon System skills are also useful skills that you can unlock early on, while on the steeper end by which point you'll probably be much deeper into the game. You can also upgrade your Automated Weapon Systems, Electromagnetic Weapon Systems, and Missile Weapon Systems.

*If you're just looking to engage in some light space piracy, then you're going to be able to get by without spending skill points in most of these. But if a life of crime is something that you intend to dive headfirst into, you're probably going to be locking horns with plenty of beefy heavily armed vessels, in which case these upgrades are going to be massively useful.

Ultimately, one thing that cannot be stressed enough is that Starfield works overtime to let you live out your space fantasy. And if your space fantasy is to be a ruthless thieving law violating pirate, there are plenty of tools at your disposal here to do just that.

The Aeromancer is a DPS sub-class of the Specialist. Depending on your Class Engraving, she can be a melee-type or caster-type damage dealer.

Skills

The Aeromancer only has two types of skills. For melee combat, she uses Umbrella Skills. For casting and meter generation, she uses Weather Skills.

Typically, Umbrella Skills have all the utility: Stagger, Weak Point or Party Synergy. Although Weather Skills have utility options, they’re less preferred compared to Umbrella Skills, so Weather Skills are mainly used for damage.

Identity

As for her identity, Sun Shower, you can activate it once you fill up the Raindrop meter. Sun Shower does AOE damage to nearby enemies until the gauge runs out.

While inside Sun Shower, all enemies, including raid bosses, receive an attack damage reduction, which can help mitigate some damage every time it’s up.

Two Class Engravings - Wind Fury & Drizzle

Aeromancer has two Class Engravings. The first one is called Wind Fury, which primarily uses Umbrella Skills. The Wind Fury Aeromancer is very flexible in terms of raid mechanics, such as Stagger Check or Weak Point Check.

The other one is called Drizzle. Drizzle increases your Sun Shower duration by 100% and also increases your Weather Skills damage up to 30% when Sun Shower is active.

So, Drizzle is recommended if you would like to play the Range Caster style of Aeromancer or use Weather Skills as your main damaging abilities.

Let’s start with Wind Fury.

Instead of attack damage reduction to enemies, your Sun Shower will give bonus attack speed and movement speed to your party members inside the AOE circle. On top of the identity changes, you gain bonus Crit chance based on your movement speed and Crit damage based on attack speed.

If you choose this Class Engraving, you would want to have at least a little of Swiftness in general. On the other hand, you don’t want to go Mass Increase, because it would reduce the Crit damage provided by your Class Engraving.

The Wind Fury Aeromancer uses Swiftness and Crit as their main combat stats with a lot of play style variations. This Class Engraving mainly uses Umbrella Skills. They can also use a few Weather Skills as DPS or to generate identity gauge.

However, Umbrella Skills are your primary abilities. The core gameplay pattern of the Wind Fury Aeromancer is to use your preparation skills with the Current Occurrence tripod, then use spender skills with the Reversal tripod. Her preparation skills with the Current Occurrence tripod will give you a very special shield called Current Shield when you successfully land a hit with them.

The majority of the Wind Fury Aeromancer’s damage comes from the Reversal tripod. You need to make sure you always have a Current Shield from the Current Occurrence tripod before you use your spender skills.

Only if you have the shield from the Current Occurrence tripod, do you have a chance to trigger Reversal tripods? This shield is classified separately from any other shields, so you can’t trigger the Reversal tripod with a Protection Rune or shield effects from your support.

Looking a little deeper, you can’t use the Barricade Engraving, because the Reversal tripod consumes the Current Shield before it does damage. But Barricade needs you to be shielded for it to apply.

As for the Engravings, she typically uses Wind Fury, Grudge, Raid Captain, Adrenaline and Hit Master. None of her primary damage skills are positional, so it’s ideal to use Hit Master.

Relic Set

When it comes to the Relic set, the Wind Fury Aeromancer has multiple options depending on your playstyle. Of course, you need to prepare a lot of Lost Ark Gold, so that you can choose the Relic set you want.

Usually, Hallucination with high Swiftness is recommended, since it’s very agile and performs well in almost every situation.

Option two is the Dominion Set. You can go six Dominions or mix with two Nightmares for less mana consumption. The Dominion Set technically does more damage than the Hallucination Set. But it’s not always preferred since it’s a hassle to maintain the set buff.

The final option is the Nightmare Set. Crit will become your primary stat to cover the lack of Crit chance. This option is going to make you slower than the other two options. However, it does the most damage in a shorter damage window.

Gems

As for gems, all you need is to make sure you have Attack and Cooldown gems on your Reversal spender skills.

Then, it varies based on whether you use three spenders or four spenders, one Weather or two Weather Skills.

There are only minor differences among the variations, so the best way to figure out what to use is for you to try it yourself.

Also Read: A Summary Of Recent Lost Ark Updates And Improvements On KR Server- New Contents & Class

Wind Fury Aeromancer

The Wind Fury Aeromancer doesn't rely on many Runes unless you're looking to run a Dominion Set, which will require you to proc Conviction and Judgment before you cast your Awakening.

Since the Aeromancer is a very mana-hungry class, Conviction, Judgment and a few Focus Runes are great for her regardless of the Relic set.

Drizzle Aeromancer

Moving on to Drizzle, if you're looking for a more skill-shot-based and less spammy class so you can focus on your positioning and decision making, then Drizzle is the path you'll want to follow.

Unlike Wind Fury, Drizzle relies on Weather Skills to do damage, while Umbrella Skills take care of utility, like Party Synergy or Counter.

As an Engraving, Drizzle increases your Weather Skills up to 30% while your identity, Sun Shower, is active.

So, your goal as a Drizzle Aeromancer is simple. All you need to do is build the Raindrop meter as fast as you can without using your primary Weather Skills, which are Wiping Wind and Scorching Sun.

When Sun Shower is active, you want to use everything on cooldown.

Standard Stat Distribution

As for the Drizzle Aeromancer's combat stats distribution, she uses Specialization as her primary stat, because her weather skills scale with Specialization and it helps with Raindrop meter gain.

She doesn't have any sort of Crit modifier outside of her Awakening and Party Synergy, so Crit is recommended for her secondary combat stats.

Most of her damage comes from two skills, Wiping Wind and Scorching Sun, during the Sun Shower state. You can squeeze them in two times each in a single Sun Shower once you achieve a certain amount of cooldown reduction.

Gem Setup

As for the gem setup, the Drizzle Aeromancer needs damage and cooldown gems on both Wiping Wind and Scorching Sun. Unless you can cast these two skills twice in one Sun Shower, otherwise you should give priority to the Cooldown gems of these two skills.

Then, all you need to do is place a damage and cooldown gem again for Whirlpool and Rainstorm.

Similar to the Wind Fury Aeromancer, Drizzle also uses Conviction, Judgment and Focus Runes. It's easy to proc Conviction and Judgment with Weather Skills for extra cooldown reduction and mana regen.

However, they're not necessary and the heavy mana consumption can be covered with multiple Focus Runes instead. It's best to have at least two Wealth Runes for optimal gameplay since Drizzle relies on filling the identity meter.

Engravings

Drizzle Aeromancers typically use Grudge, Keen Blunt Weapon, Drizzle, Adrenaline and Hit Master.

Same as Wind Fury, none of her primary damage skills are positional, so it's ideal to use Hit Master.

Relic Set Options

The Drizzle Aeromancer uses Hallucination for her Relic set. She doesn't use Salvation since the bonus attack speed from Salvation isn't that beneficial for Drizzle.

You don't use Nightmare since the damage from her Sun Shower is a good chunk of your overall damage, but it isn't affected by the Nightmare Set, because the identity doesn't consume mana.

Hallucination is the best option here as she has a fairly low Crit rate.

A Rule To Follow As A Drizzle Aeromancer

There's a simple rule you need to follow as a Drizzle Aeromancer: hold.

You need to hold damage skills when you don't have Sun Shower active and you need to hold the meter generator when Sun Shower is about to run out. So, you can fill up the meter as soon as possible.

Usually, you should be able to fill up the whole meter with these two skills, but if anything, you can always use Whirlpool, which is another great meter generator that also does really high damage.

So, this is your emergency button if you have just a little more meter to fill up. Otherwise, you want to squeeze this skill in your Sun Shower rotation for extra damage from the Drizzle Engraving.

Drizzle's damage is heavily back-loaded. Wiping Wind and Whirlpool do more damage on their later ticks and Scorching Sun takes more than two seconds to land all the hits. So, you need to be patient and look carefully for a damage window. In other words, the better you know the fight, the more rewarding Drizzle is.

Conclusion

In closing, both Aeromancer Class Engravings can be as fun as you make it. Whether it is an unstoppable blade to slice and dice your enemy with Wind Fury or calling upon nature's power to strike your enemy with Drizzle, the Aeromancer has a little something for everyone.

Kafka has brought some of the biggest twists into the meta.

In this guide, I am going to talk about things that you need to know about her, whether you have her or not, as well as cover important questions like how game-changing some of the build decisions are. And most importantly, I will showcase the most insane teams you can build with her. Believe me, these teams are amazing and it’s not something you want to miss out on.

1. New Teams

I honestly didn’t think Kafka would be this good because there were a lot of rumors going around that she would end up inferior.

But I am happy to tell you that the woman who gave life to our character is pretty amazing if not broken. So, if you are still struggling to add Kafka to your Honkai Star Rail Account, my answer is yes.

So, let’s take a look at some of the teams that are currently dominating Memory of Chaos.

*First of all, we’ve got an interesting comp made up of Sampo, Bronya, Kafka and a healer.

Now, what’s amazing about this team is the synergy with Kafka and Bronya. Basically, Kafka can trigger DoTs immediately upon using her skill and the Ultimate can also trigger Shock state on the enemies as well. So, Bronya gives Kafka an extra turn and with the massive ATK buff in addition to sometimes having Bronya ATK boost from Ultimate, Kafka will shred enemies to pieces.

And let’s not forget Sampo is also doing a lot of good damage from his DoTs, which will get triggered by Kafka’s skill.

However, there is a big drawback to using this team as well as a few others and that mainly has to do with an extremely high skill point usage. Activating Kafka’s and Bronya’s skill each turn puts a huge pressure on the skill point economy, especially if you’re not using Luocha. Because any other healer might need these skill points to keep the team alive. So, in this case, you will most often use Sampo’s basic attack and this team becomes kind of a single target killer.

But don’t get me wrong, this is probably the most fun team I’ve played with so far and the synergy is really good here.

Also, the pressure on SP becomes lower if you have E1 Bronya since then she has a chance to refund the 1 SP from her skill.

*Now, the next team is a pretty unique. Silver Wolf is yet again showing up here because it’s made up of her, Kafka, Tingyun and Bailu. This Mono Lightning team is amazing when the enemy has Quantum Weakness.

First of all, Silver Wolf can then consistently apply Lightning Weakness on them. But in addition, Tingyun’s ATK boost coming from both skill and ultimate as well as her restoring so much energy to Kafka, means that Kafka can dish out her Ultimate really often.

Although, this team won’t have that many DoTs going on, since Kafka will be the only one here doing the DoT damage. But regardless, it’s a unique comp that you can build if you have Silver Wolf.

Also, one important thing I wanted to mention here is that normally, Kafka’s best in slot relic set is Sizzling Thunder. But with this comp and against Quantum weak enemy, Genius of Brilliant Stars is way better for her. And I am talking about actual personal damage increase you wouldn’t see otherwise in other teams.

Still, keep in mind, this relic set has an extremely niche use-case. But if you do have it, it’s going to be amazing for Kafka in this team.

*Now currently, I am seeing a lot of player reports coming that Sampo, Kafka, Silver Wolf and Luocha is one of her best teams right now, which makes sense since you’re getting a massive DEF shred and RES reduction from Silver Wolf, while Luocha keeps the skill point economy happy and thriving and Sampo is the best or should I say top-tier team mate you can pair with Kafka. So, this team can easily clear the hardest content you’ll go up against.

*But what about Luka? Well, he is also really good with Kafka. You’ve probably seen a team made up of him, Sampo, Kafka and a Healer in other content creator videos. And what I really like about Luka is that the Bleed he applies from his skill scales super well with the enemy’s health, although it does have its limit that’s tied to his ATK.

So, as you can imagine, since Kafka can trigger the DoTs immediately with her skill, this bleed becomes amazing, especially since you don’t actually reduce the remaining turns on the DoTs triggered. So, the enemy will keep bleeding and Kafka will keep smiling.

Still, keep in mind this team is also extremely SP hungry. So, the best healer, unfortunately, is the limited Luocha here. But you can make it work yet again by sometimes not using Sampo’s skill if you have another healer built. And also, Luka’s skill only needs to be triggered seldom, since Bleed lingers around for 3 turns.

I mean, however you look at it, the fact that you can trigger DoT damage that ranges from 30 to 80k is insane and this team is super fun to play. And of course, you could replace Luka with Serval here who, by the way, can have her Shock exist along with Kafka’s.

However, one of the best things about triple DoT team that has Luka is that he can equip on himself Pearls of Sweat Light Cone, which helps him reduce enemies DEF further with his ultimate, while Serval is an Erudition unit, so she can’t even equip this great DEF shred cone.

In fact, if you’re running this triple DoT team, using Before the Tutorial Mission Starts light cone on Kafka, can help her regain energy so fast. Most of the times you will be able to trigger her ultimate every 2 turns, since Luka will be shredding Enemy’s DEF with his ultimate and the Pearls of Sweat light cone.

*Finally, one of the more quirky team comps that is a bit experimental at this point. But it’s made up of Himeko, Asta, Kafka and, of course, a healer.

I’ve been mentioning healers all the time. But you can use a Preservation unit, provided that they can keep the team alive. But I digress. So, this team is pretty funny because both Asta and Himeko can produce Fire DoT on enemies. Of course, Kafka can trigger them with her skill. But in addition, Asta can boost her ATK and increase her SPD, which are both important when building Kafka.

So, these are the teams that have had the most success with her. And there’s definitely a lot of variations you could go for. For example, instead of Silver Wolf, you could use Pela in a team with Sampo and Healer. So, keep in mind these teams are not set in stone.

Also Read: Honkai Star Rail 1.2: The Newest 5-Star Lightning Nihility Unit Is Coming! - Kafka Pre-Release Analysis & Builds

2. Build Considerations

Now, when it comes to Kafka’s build considerations, they aren’t that super complex, but there are some major things you need to be aware of.

Basically, you want to build her with ATK Body and either ATK or SPD boots. If you have her signature light cone, going with ATK boots is fine, but for the most part, there are certain breakpoints that allow her to take more turns as you can see here:

• 121 SPD Extra Turn Every 2ND Cycle of New Enemy Wave
• 134 SPD Extra Turn Every 1ST and 4TH Cycle of New Enemy Wave
• 161 SPD Extra Turn Every 1ST, 2ND and 4TH Cycle of New Enemy Wave

So, you can aim for these thresholds as long as you can hit them.

Just keep in mind that if you play her with Sampo or other DoT character, make sure she has at least 1 less speed than them, so they can take their turn first and then she can trigger their DoTs with her skill.

Now, as for the main relic set, obviously, Sizzling Thunder 4-set is amazing for her. But if you don’t have it, you can go with two pieces Hacker/Sizzling or Sizzling and Musketeer.

As for Planar Ornaments, it’s super simple. You can choose Lightning DMG Sphere and ATK% Rope. You can go with Break Effect instead, but it’s not always easy to guarantee Kafka will be the one breaking the enemy toughness. So, ATK% remains far more reliable.

And honestly, there’s not much to the sets themselves. Space Sealing Station is by far her best in the slot, although again if you want to go with that Break Effect build, then Talia: Kingdom of Banditry is a good choice.

And as for the overall build, you can see the overview here:

SPD> ATK%> EHR Substats

Just focus on SPD, then ATK% substats, while picking up some Effect Hit Rate won’t hurt you along the way.

Now luckily, even if she applies status conditions on enemies, you don’t need much Effect Hit Rate. In fact, you only need 10% from substats because the other 18% comes from her traces, which is perfectly enough to land her Shock DoTs consistently.

But here’s where a bit of complexity comes in. So, there’s a lot of good light cones for our mommy character. But which one you should go for?

Well, truth be told, if you haven’t got the signature cone or Good Night Sleep Well 4-star gacha cone, then her best choice is going to be Fermata, which you can easily obtain from the Forgotten Hall shop.

In fact, I would argue Fermata is really strong on her because at max superimposition, she will consistently deal 32% more damage and even when she breaks enemies, she will have 32% more Break Effect.

Although, Good Night Sleep Well does outperform it when using her in a team with other Nihility debuff characters. But I wouldn’t sweat it too much. Because the only sweat you do need to care about has to do with the Pearls and that usually goes on to Sampo or Luka.

But everything else shown here would be her best and recommended cones:

• Patience Is All You Need
• Good Night Sleep Well
• Fermata
• Eyes Of The Prey
• In The Name Of The World
• Incessant Rain
• Resolution Shines As The Pearls Of Sweat
• Before The Tutorial Mission Starts

But keep in mind, only the signature light cone comes out on top. But even then, I would say her selection of light cones is super flexible. So, you don’t have to worry which one is best for her because the selection process is pretty easy.

3. Eidolons & Opinion

So, I think in terms of the so-called Meta that’s honestly kinda similar to Genshin Impact’s, I would say Kafka is a pretty strong unit. But the biggest thing about her has to be her ability to enable multiple new teams, which in my opinion, is the most exciting aspect of any new character.

She deals good damage. I often would see her ultimate ranging from 70 to 110 thousand. And then afterwards, enemies would take 30 to 50 thousand DoT damage depending on the team comp, which in my opinion is pretty impressive, not to mention the fact it’s funny to watch my foes die before they can take their turn.

And what’s amazing here is that I have some of the worst relics equipped on her. So, imagine how much better she would be with proper stats.

Still, if I had one minor complaint, then it would be the Skill Point problems that you’ll run into unless you’re using Luocha. I will admit it. Initially, I thought Luocha was only good because of the enemy lineups we had when he first came out. But now it’s pretty clear that the best-selling point about him is the auto-healing that doesn’t require that many skill points.

With any other healer, you will quickly notice how you will run out of SP pretty fast, especially in the triple DoT team with Sampo and Luka or the Bronya comp I showcased earlier. So, you need to resort to things like Sampo only using his basic attack, to preserve some of that SP.

And I am not sure if Kafka’s at fault here. Maybe once we get a new DoT character who isn’t skill point hungry, then we can see teams that are more flexible with healers other than Luocha. Or maybe we get a healer who is similar to the coffin guy and can heal without using that much SP.

Also, when it comes to her Eidolons, her 1st one is seriously busted. It’s a bit specific and requires more Effect Hit Rate than usual to make it work all the time. But she gets about 19% DMG increase, which you won’t see happen again until E6.

And her second eidolon is literally made for DoT teams. But that would be pushing too hard if you’re F2P and if you still enjoy her using, maybe on her rerun you can go for E2.

But overall, I think Kafka is a great character that has a fun new playstyle, enables fun new teams, and I can finally have her look at me like I am not worthy of her.

It’s official that Fontaine is finally the next destination in Genshin Impact. And these are the top 5 new features coming with the 4.0 update.

Feature 1: New Region

I am sure a lot of you are anxious about the whole water exploration mechanic. And honestly, it looks pretty decent.

First of all, you can use any character to swim around, not just the Traveler. And there is no annoying Oxygen bar to worry about. So, you can take your sweet time exploring the depths, although there is a stamina bar for sprinting. But you won’t die or anything if it runs out. And there are even these currents that you can swim to and increase the speed.

But when it comes to the actual Fontaine region, it looks amazing. The devs were clear that you will barely see any empty spaces when going underwater. There’s chock full of stuff to explore, many different and cute water creatures living here and some you can even utilize for various things, like gaining a shield and there are tons of different areas to explore on the ground. So, you won’t be just swimming underwater all the time.

Now, when it comes to new enemies, we saw some cool designs of these Clockwork Meka. But there’s also two new bosses that got introduced.

The first one is called Icewind Suite. And this boss fight is going to be really unique because you’ll need to do adapt to different mechanics that you’re not used to seeing. And the other boss is going to be the big Mr Crab with a volcano on its back called the Emperor of Fire and Iron.

However, probably the biggest change we are going to see in the game is going to be this system called Arkhe. But vision users from Fontaine have this unique attribute and the Arkhe is made up of two opposing energies - Ousia and Pneuma.

But basically, characters from Fontaine will yield this power and you will be able to use against enemies of Fontaine or other various objects.

For example, the Clockwork Meka who holds a shield can be removed from it if you use one of the Fontaine characters. Or, in other example, if Ousia and Pneuma energies are aligned, the Annihliation reaction is triggered, and it generates energy.

As far as I understand, it’s not as intricate as the elemental system. But it will be the unique aspect of any Fontaine character that you pull for. Like to me, all of these sound superabstract as now and we’ll need to see how these mechanics work when the update is live.

Finally, in order to reach Fontaine, you will be able to either take a boat from Sumeru or if you have completed the Archon quest in Mondtstadt, you will be able to quickly teleport to Fontaine instead.

I guess Hoyo finally realized a lot of new players have a massive backlog of quests before they can reach a new region. So, it’s really nice to see there’s some help to fast forward this process.

On a final note, the Archon’s quest will persist from 4.0 to 4.2 update, which is great to hear this. Because the Archon quests of each nation are really exciting when playing through without filler content in between.

Feature 2: New Events

With the new 4.0 version, we’re getting a bunch of events.

Now, the major event that will be happening is going to be called Mega Meka Melee, which consists of a few activities, including some underwater timed challenges, a combat game mode and a rhythm mini-game called Dance Dance Resolution. And your reward for completing these mini-games is going to be good-old Benny boy, along with tons of materials shown here.

The next event called Relic Records will require you to collect different types of mats and defeat the monsters in the Fontaine region. To me, this looks like an introductory event to help us get better acquainted with the new region.

Then, there’s also going to be a Photo event. It’s pretty simple. Take some photos of Fontaine region, learn more about its locations and get some rewards.

There’s also a dedicated combat event called Verdict of Blades. It seems like it will be using few unique mechanics to make the combat feel a bit more different, so that’s kinda nice.

Finally, we can see all the events condensed into one place and from the looks of it. There’s also going to be a Leyline Overflow event some time later.

However, in my opinion, the biggest surprise here is the free Lynette that everyone will be able to obtain as long as they have reached Adventure Rank 25. And if that’s not all, there’s more love coming from Hoyo for the beginner players and you’ll also get enough materials to get Lynette to first ascension.

Feature 3: New Characters

Finally, we will take a closer look at the 4.0 characters.

Lyney

Starting with Lyney, he’s a 5-star Pyro Bow user. And it seems like he will have a similar playstyle to Ganyu.

His charged shot has two levels. The first charging level is just a regular charged shot while the 2nd one can become a Prop arrow and after unleashing, it will deal increased damage and summon a Grin-malkin hat. But I prefer calling it the cat in a hat. This little buddy of his will taunt the enemies and have some health. But when it expires or gets destroyed, it will deal Pyro damage to enemies.

Finally, his burst turns him into the cat in the hat. You can move around with him, damage the enemies and then, afterwards, explode to deal damage once more and create a new cat in the hat. So, it looks like his burst feels very similar to Fischl’s and I feel like his entire kit is like a mix between of Ganyu and Fischl.

Lynette

Now, the other one of the two performers is Lynette.

At first, I honestly thought she is going to be a dedicated support for Lyney. But it seems like she is more of a support that you can use with many characters.

Basically, her skill has a similar feeling to Yelan’s. You can either tap it to deal damage or hold down the button and enter this shadowy state where she runs around and has an ability to mark an enemy. And then afterwards, when the skill ends, she deals damage to the marked enemy.

I am not sure how useful it is going to be in combat, besides applying Anemo. But having more characters who have an increased run speed is great. Because Genshin’s exploration is getting bigger by almost every update.

And as for her burst, it’s really cute. Just like Lyney, she summons a cat in a hat and it will periodically deal Anemo damage in an AoE. In addition, this burst has elemental absorption. And what’s cool about it is that the element it absorbs, it will shoot out the same element attacks to enemies.

This will be really interesting to see if it applies enough of the elemental gauge, so that some characters who utilize Vape or Melt can perform it more consistently.

Also, I am not sure if Lynette has an ability to group the enemies, like other Anemo characters. But maybe this will be possible with constellations.

Also Read: The Best Guide To Wanderer In Genshin Impact! - Best Artifacts, Weapons, Teams, Playstyle & More

Freminet

And then, we finally have the last sibling, Freminet.

He is a 4-star Cryo Claymore user who has a cute penguin Pers that helps him in combat.

By activating his skill called a Pers timer, his normal attacks will increase Pers Pressure Level and unleash waves of frost damage and other varying attacks that will combo on top of each other. These attacks will vary on the Pressure Level and honestly, he seems way too interesting for a 4-star, so here’s hoping we can have some fun with his playstyle.

Also, if you use him in your party, he will reduce the underwater sprinting stamina bar by 35%. So, right now, he is the most OP character when it comes to underwater swimming.

But let’s not forget that we also got a sneak peek at the banners and the first phase will have Lyney and Yelan with Lynettte while the 2nd phase will have Zhongli and Childe as well as Freminet.

By the way, the 2nd phase banner is a nice nostalgic callback to 1.1 if anyone remembers. And the 5-star bow for Lyney will also be featured.

Feature 4: New Equipment

If it’s a new major update, you know we’re getting some new equipment. And in this case, we’re gonna be able to farm 2 new artifact sets.

However, Hoyo seems to be playing sneaky here and I cannot talk about these artifacts officially. Because nothing has been revealed about them. But on the brighter side, we’re getting 5 new craftable weapons and 5 new Battle Pass weapons as well. If you find it difficult to obtain or craft these weapons, you can directly purchase a Genshin Impact Account. This will save you a lot of time and energy.

What’s cool about the Battle Pass is that these new weapons will be added alongside the existing ones. So, if you’re still not done refining some of them, you can still take your time or start collecting new ones.

Also, for those who you who have powered through fishing quest to obtain The Catch, a new 4-star sword will be available if you’re ready to go on another fisherman’s phase.

Feature 5: Quality Of Life

Couple of a few more things I want to mention come from the developer’s discussion.

First of all, 8 of these artifact sets are going into the strongbox. And I cannot tell you how happy I am to see Emblem and Tenacity in here. Because as much as I love Shimenawa’s set, I was mostly in that domain trying to obtain godlike Emblem pieces. And I don’t even have to tell you how salty I would feel after trying to farm the Tenacity set and all I am getting are Pale Flame HP Drops.

Also, we will be able to destroy 4-star artifacts more quickly with the new button added, although I am not sure who’s crazy enough to waste that precious artifact experience here but more power to you, I guess.

And for those 5 people who are still playing Genshin TCG, you’ll be able to now observe duels, which in all honesty, it’s a cool feature to have.

Then, there’s a really cool party system update. Not only will characters enter with unique animations and stand in awesome poses, but the party screen will also have different backgrounds.

Finally, I am not sure about you, but this is one of the top anticipated quality of life changes that I needed. We’re actually getting a multi-layered map.

Part of a reason why I stopped exploring Sumeru’s desert regions is because it just became too overwhelming to navigate the areas without a proper map system. So, now that we have this, I might actually just go back and see what’s hiding in the desert.

All in all, we’re getting a new region of Fontaine that features underwater mechanics, a bunch of events that give out free rewards, including the new 4-star Lynette. While when it comes to the banners, phase 1 will have Lyney and Yelan with Lynette, and phase 2 will feature Zhongli with Childe and Freminet.

Finally, two new artifact sets, 5 new craftable weapons and Battle Pass are also coming with the new update. And there’s the new fishing sword. But that’s basically 4.0 in a nutshell.

Blade is probably one of the biggest surprises when it comes to the meta. So, here, I am going to talk about his place in the meta, things that you need to know about him, whether you have him or not, as well as cover some important questions, like how game-changing some of the build decisions are. And most importantly, I will showcase the most insane teams you can build him.

New Teams

Let’s first talk about some amazing teams you can build with Blade and how unique some of them are.

Now initially, you might think that Blade has access to limited amount of team mates he can utilize. But surprisingly enough, quite a few characters work well with him.

*So, the first team that’s really strong is made up of Welt, Dan Heng, Blade and one of the healers. What’s great about this comp is that Welt boosts Dan Heng’s damage by consistently applying Speed debuff. Dan Heng can do that himself by using his skill, but it might not land due to the enemy’s effect resistance. So, it’s easier to apply Speed debuff with Welt since you build him with Effect Hit Rate.

But not only this, Welt can also equip on himself Pearls of Sweat and reduce the enemy’s defense in addition to increasing the damage they take by 12% thanks to his Ultimate’s trace. So, both Dan Heng and Blade can dish out some nice damage.

And what’s even better, you only need to use Blade’s skill every 3 turns. You literally cannot use it until the buff runs out. So, it’s easy to manage the skill points in this team.

*Now, the next team is an F2P variation. Pela, Natasha and Fire Trailblazer or any damage dealer is the way to go here. Pela works as an excellent DEF debuffer, so Blade can hit for big damage, while Natasha puts in the work as a freeby unit to keep Bladie alive.

But you might be wondering: Why use Fire Trailblazer? Isn’t he a shielder and that works directly against Blade’s whole purpose of losing HP against enemy attacks and building up his talent to deal damage?

The thing is, Trailblazer’s shields are paper thin, so even if Blade gets hit, he will very likely get damaged as well. So, someadditional damage mitigation won’t hurt him, since you do need to consistently keep an eye on his health.

But either way, you can just replace the main character with any other damage dealer or even support. The purpose here is to utilize an F2P team. However, we did get the final Eidolon for the fire version and it gives a nice 30% DEF boost, which works both for shielding and damage.

*Next, let’s talk about his top meta team, which is made up of Luocha, Silver Wolf and Bronya. Obviously, Luocha is the best healer for him due to how the auto heal works if Blade drops below 50%, which is convenient when he uses his ultimate.

But the character I wanna talk about here is Bronya. No joke, this team is disgusting when it comes to clearing hardest challenges and Bronya helps here big time. By himself and using my build, which I’ll talk about in a moment, Blade hits for 62k damage with his ultimate, 67k with follow-up from the talent and 30k with Enhanced Basic Attack. Really amazing numbers considering he is unbuffed. But when you plug in Bronya, his damage increases from 40% to all the way to 70%. That’s insane if you think about it.

But the irony here is that Bronya is Blade’s best Harmony support because the majority of his damage scales with HP. So, Bronya’s DMG boost works super well for him, unlike other damage boosters.

For example, if I use Tingyun instead of Bronya, she is nowhere close to the Guardian of Belobog. Bronya ends up as a better booster than Tingyun by almost 25% on average. In fact, Tingyun’s skill boost is really weak on Blade. Unless I am missing something here, it boosts by like 10%.

But the number is kinda inflated because all of my damage comparisons so far have been tested against 3 targets, which is the ideal amount for Blade. And it only gets worse with a single target. However, her Ultimate boost is great for him but it’s not consistent compared to Bronya’s skill.

So, while Bronya is the best Harmony buffer for Blade, Tingyun kinda works, same for Yukong, who can boost Blade’s Crit values.

And as for Asta, she’s just not worth it for him, unless you have no other better option. But, this meta team with limited 5-star units is insane although we’re obviously looking at a premium comp here.

However, the thing that I love most about Blade, aside from his edgy approach to life, would be the fact that he works as an amazing sub-damage dealer for any team. If you have no idea who could fill the last slot when building a team, you can just add Blade and put him to work.

I think that’s the best-selling point about him. He has a pretty self-contained playstyle. He doesn’t ask for too many skill points and he delivers amazing AoE damage.

Also Read: Honkai Star Rail: Everything You Need To Know About E0 Blade - Relics, Planar Ornaments, Light Cones & More

Meta Analysis

So, Blade is a strong and versatile damage dealer. What about his place in the meta?

First of all, we have to look at the upcoming Memory of Turbulence changes. The first one that’s coming up will make Blade pretty tanky and after each cycle he will unload damage. The stacks he gains here will require him to get hit or consume HP. So, without a doubt, this next Memory of Chaos cycle is going to be tailor made for him.

Afterwards, later in August, when using follow-up attacks, all resistance of the hit enemies will be reduced by 30%, which is huge and Blade’s damage will increase significantly, helping you end the fights with more cycles left.

Now another cool thing that was added in 1.2 update is the new Forgotten Hall made up of 6 stages. Two most prominent bosses here are Yanqing, who has a weakness to Wind and summons a lot of these annoying but squishy swords.

So, Blade can easily take care of them while in the last stage, Kafka who is also weak to Wind, has 2 of these enemies that keep respawing. But 3 targets total, the most perfect amount for Blade to unload all of his damage.

Basically, the new Forgotten Hall is going to be super easy with Blade, while the next two upcoming Turbulence changes are going to help him big time in clearing Memory of Chaos.

Right now, if you care about his pull value and you are still in the process of building a 2nd team, he is perfect for clearing the hardest content.

Build Considerations

Now, one more thing I wanna talk about would be Blade’s build considerations. I won’t delve deep here and instead.

Maybe you’ve noticed that he has dual scales with both ATK and Health. The thing is ATK is much more inferior compared to HP. And so, when it comes to picking a Rope, hands down HP mainstat is his best option.

And as for the rest of the relics, there’s a lot of talks going on whether it’s better to go for HP or SPD boots. And the truth is, if you have SPD boots, use them, and try to aim for 134 Speed, which is the breakpoint against the current highest level enemies in Memory of Chaos. And this allows Blade to act twice quite often, assuming he doesn’t get debuffed or frozen.

However, HP boot isn’t that far off from SPD boots. They provide a sizeable damage increase. So, if you don’t have SPD, then definitely go for HP.

And as for the rest of the stats, you can see them here:

• Body: Crit Rate / DMG
• Boots: SPD / HP
• Sphere: Ele DMG
• Rope: HP

Substats: Crit Value > SPD > HP% > ATK%

However, what I really wanna talk about would be the new relic set. I honestly didn’t expect it to be so good for him because essentially Blade can easily maintain the 16% Critical Rate from the new set and it’s literally achievable on turn 1. It’s by far his best relic set and everything else wane’s in comparison.

However, you still need to farm for it. In the meantime, Musketeer or the Wind sets, whether 4-sets or double 2-sets are good substitutes. Like, I have a pretty mediocre build here due to how much unluck loves me and it still works out super well for him.

Still, not everything is sunshine and rainbows with this guy. Unfortunately, Blade has some of the worst Light Cone options. I mean, it’s not that they are bad, but only a few are worth mentioning. Mutual Demise, a 3-star cone is a great option if you need a ton of Critical Rate, although he needs to stay below 80%, which isn’t always easy to utilize.

Then, there’s Herta’s shop 5-star cone. But since ATK isn’t that valuable to him and weakness break takes time to inflict, it’s a good but not an outstanding option.

But here’s where things get interesting. His best 4-star light cone has to be A Secret Vow, already at Superimposition 1. It catches up to S5 Herta’s shop light cone, assuming the enemy has more HP than Blade. But at S5, this light cone is by far the strongest thing you can equip on him. That is, until you get his signature cone, which outperforms S5 Secret Vow, although by not that much. So, if you have the 4-star Secret Vow, you’re good to go with just that, since eventually at some point you will get more copies of it.

But don’t take my word for it. I’ve heard some people haven’t managed to get a 2nd copy of Sacrificial Sword since Genshin’s launch. Still, these are basically the standout light cones. Everything else falls either below or somewhere close to these. But keep in mind, Secret Vow and the signature light cone are basically the best options to have.

Initial Thoughts

So, what do I think about Blade?

He is hands down the strongest damage dealer when it comes to 3-targets scenario. He easily outdamages Jing Yuan, which makes me feel kinda sad since I didn’t expect the power creep to show up so soon. And the fact that with 1.2, he also got an insanely good relic set is just a cherry on top.

Now, while he does have a simple playstyle, he only consumes a skill point every 3 turns, which is a godsend when it comes to managing them. And so, he becomes a really good sub-damage dealer whenever you need to fill out that last spot for any team.

Still, he does suck at early game because keeping him alive is a burden that will befall one of the healers and his best team is really limited. Like literally, you need 2 limited 5-stars and Bronya. It also doesn’t help he has a weak selection of Light Cone options.

Also, I mentioned that he only consumes 1 Skill Point. But at the same time, his enhanced basic attack does not recover SP, which was a bit of a surprise to me. But it’s not the end of the world, truth be told.

All in all, Blade is an exciting damage dealer to say the least. If you have a character like him on your Honkai Star Rail Account, that’s great! I am actually surprised that a big amount of his damage comes from the follow-up attack, which is his talent. So more than anything, make sure not to use tanks like Gepard and March 7th with him, since you want this guy to lose health and use that talent as often as possible.

But otherwise, I am satisfied the way he turned out, although I kinda wish he can get another damage booster similar to Bronya because she does improve his damage massively.

Recently, we saw many videos talking about why people quit playing Lost Ark. We heard many complaints about Lost Ark users since it was released. But nowadays, they’re a lot more serious than we think.

Population is massively reduced in global and there are not enough users inside the game. There was a region emerge with various updates, but still Lost Ark does not seem to improve in ways players want. That’s why we thought of some solutions.

1. One Chaos Dungeon & One Guardian Raid Per Character

Normally, we run two Chaos Dungeons and two Guardian Raids per character. It takes almost 30 minutes to finish it. If you only have one or two characters, there is no problem.

However, Lost Ark users are recommended to raise 5 more alts instead of the main. It means that three hours are needed for daily homework. That’s a lot for dailies. So, it must be reduced at least half.

Plus, it’s better if players can choose between Chaos Dungeon and Guardian Raid. Chaos Dungeon is a solo content and Guardian Raid is a co-op. Solo content is fine, but new players can easily get rejected finding a party for the Guardian Raid. If it’s allowed to earn all rewards only by running Chaos Dungeon, it will be less stress-consuming for new players who need to spend time finding a party.

2. Adding Roster Bound Rest Gauge

Roster Bound Rest Gauge is a same concept of Rest Gauge that can be shared between characters.

Let’s pretend that you only do dailies for your main character and have several alts. Then, you can get additional bound rest gauge for not playing your alts.

When you have enough roster bound rest gauge, you can decide to apply all at one character. As a result? Plenty of honing materials for your main. This is important because adding a roster bound rest gauge can provide players a chance to focus on their main.

3. Light Of Salvation Rental Service (18 Awakening)

What is the most problematic component for gatekeeping in Lost Ark? Absolutely, cards.

DPS classes need a lot of Light of Salvation to enter higher end contents, but new players need to spend a lot of time to get them. If they don’t want to spend their time, they need to spend lots of money. But that’s pay to win.

Some can say there are new player’s cards, but nobody wants new player’s cards. Players want Light of Salvation, so why not rent them?

Let’s make players spend Lost Ark Gold and rent Light of Salvation (18 awakening) weekly. Then, new players can buy their time until they collect Light of Salvation for themselves.

4. Selectable Legendary Card Packs For Clearing End Contents

This one is also for lowering the difficulty of collecting cards. Lost Ark legion raids are really well made, but rewards are not satisfying.

To make players challenge more, motivation is a must. When they clear the raid for the first time, why not give them selectable legendary card packs? In this way, players can be motivated as they can get legendary cards they need.

5. Change Of Pheons

Pheon system is very complicated because it’s related to monetization of Lost Ark.

So, I want to compare the needs of users and corporations to find an adjustment. In the aspect of Lost Ark users, Pheons are nothing but a taxation of the company. The best way is to get rid of Pheons.

However, in the aspect of Smilegate, Pheons are their monetization model. Players can exchange gold to blue crystals, but it’s more efficient to just buy the blue crystal package they sell. It’s also important for them to make a profit.

As an adjustment, I suggest one solution. Pheons should not be applied on stones and tripods. Unlike accessories, Pheons that can be spent are Limitless. We only need to buy five accessories for our setting, but we don’t know how many Pheons will be spent on stones and tripods.

6. Adding Mechanics That Can Recovery Mistakes

In Lost Ark legion raid, one player’s mistake can kill everyone, and the raid becomes more difficult as they move on to the next legion commanders.

However, we think that’s not a great solution. We don’t want to spend 20 minutes per gate again and again until no one makes a mistake. We think it’s better to add some mechanics that can recover mistakes.

For example, let’s pretend that we are in Brelshaza gate 6. Players get killed when over four floors are destroyed. When someone made a mistake and accidentally destroyed one more floor than it should be, the stagger bar appears below the boss for once. Then, they should stagger the boss and the floor resurrects as soon as the boss gets staggered.

In this way, every try will be more meaningful.

7. No More Meaningless Grinding

In Lost Ark, there are lots of collectibles we need to farm: Island Souls, Mokoko Seeds, Masterpieces, Giant Hearts, Skill Points and more.

We personally think collectibles in Lost Ark are very well designed compared to other games. However, there is a worthless grinding content in Lost Ark. It is the Tower.

Tower is a grinding content, which you need to clear every single floor until you reach the top. It’s not fun at all. Survival mission gives so much stress to players. Then, do rewards worth it?

No. Rewards are not enough to replace our time. And can we ignore them? Of course, no. There are skill points are runes we need as a reward. To sum up, Tower is not enough meaningful content we must do.

Fortunately, Smilegate changed the number of floors of towers. Now, the Tower of Shadow and Tower of Fate (tier 1&2) only have 20 floors. It is a great change.

However, the Tower of Destiny, which is tier 3, still has 50 floors. Some of the floors in the tier-3 tower have difficult missions to solve. But they are not rewarding enough.

Therefore, we believe the tier-3 tower must be changed to 20 floors, giving all previous rewards.

Also Read: Lost Ark: Fastest Way To Get 20 Island Souls In 2023

8. Livestream Communication

Since we played Lost Ark in both KR and Global, we noticed that Lost Ark Global does not communicate with users often.

For better communication, Amazon should create a team, which can deliver important notices or discussions they had with Smilegates. Then, Global users can know what’s going on between Amazon and Smilegate.

9. Additional Honing Support For Global Server

Between Lost Ark KR & Global, content gab is one of the big complaints.

To solve the problem, Amazon released so many main contents in less than a year. And we all know, when there’s a new legion raid, we need time to progress our gear to reach the given item level.

However, the time was too short. People had to do dailies again and again and create several alts to catch up. In other words, there was no support of Amazon to provide additional ways to help them catch up main contents in a short period.

We think there should be an increase of honing chance and more horizontal contents, such as islands and summer events for extra hunting materials. Maybe secret merchants can sell honing materials, too. There are plenty of ways that can back up the speed of content release. Don’t make Chaos Dungeon and Guardian Raid the only method to obtain honing materials.

That’s all we wanted to talk about Lost Ark Global. We just want to see the game changing positive ways so that more gamers can jump in.