Vortex Gaming

The recent update brought significant changes to the Monk's Mystic Strike and Exploding Palm. Mystic Strike's stealth duration was reduced, but its damage increased, while Exploding Palm's animation speed and explosion damage were greatly boosted, leading to a dramatic improvement in burst damage. Although the reduction in i-frames slightly lowered survivability, the ability to quickly subdue enemies makes it more fun to play, and overall, the Monk is considered more powerful in PvP. While the patch notes initially seemed disappointing, actual gameplay reveals a much stronger Monk than before. 💥 Instant Burst Damage: Exploding Palm's animation speed and damage have significantly increased, allowing for quick enemy takedowns. ⚔️ Damage Buff: Mystic Strike's damage increased by 20%, favoring aggressive playstyles. 📉 Survivability Warning: Reduced i-frames mean you need to pay more attention to positioning.

After the update, the Monk remains a powerful PvP class, and its potential can be maximized through specific builds. The core strategy is to chain Mystic Strike, Seven-Sided Strike, and Exploding Palm for instant burst damage. Zen Shield should be used just before engagement to reduce damage and deal area-of-effect damage, but use it carefully considering the Vithu's Urge set nerf. For the Paragon tree, 'Brawler' is recommended due to the increased importance of survivability after the i-frame reduction. 🛡️ Core Skills: Utilize Thunderfist, Zen Shield, Mystic Strike, Seven-Sided Strike, and Exploding Palm to balance offense and defense. 💎 Legendary Items: Combine 'Deadly Insight,' 'Blessing of Enlightenment,' 'Fjord Wild,' 'Woven Blade,' 'Cragmitt,' 'Silent Palm,' 'Heating,' and 'Taciturn Wind' to maximize synergy. 🌿 Green Sets: We recommend 4-piece 'Grace of the Flagellant,' 2-piece 'Untouchable Mountain's Bank,' and 2-piece 'Vithu's Urge'.

According to a user's experience changing from Wizard to Blood Knight, the Blood Knight boasts overwhelming survivability while dealing damage comparable to a Wizard with minimal gear. While Wizards require complex maneuvers and specific gear setups (Black Hole, Lightning Nova prefixes) for high damage, Blood Knights can achieve high damage with a very simple skill rotation and 'one-button' play. Especially in high-difficulty content, the Blood Knight's tanking ability to withstand boss attacks without dodging is a significant advantage unmatched by the Wizard. 💪 Overwhelming Performance: Deals damage comparable to a Wizard with minimal gear, becoming much stronger when properly geared. 🛡️ Excellent Survivability: Possesses strong tanking ability to withstand high-difficulty boss attacks without dodging. 🎮 Easy Controls: Very simple skill rotation allows for 'one-button' play, reducing fatigue.

For Blood Knights, efficient green set combinations vary depending on the content. For the Legacy of the Horadrim (raids), a combination of 4-piece Vithu's Urge and 4-piece Feasting Baron's Pack is recommended. For dungeon play, 4-piece Vithu's Urge and 4-piece Baron's Pack is ideal. These combinations further enhance the Blood Knight's strong base performance, enabling stable and efficient play in various content. 🏛️ Legacy of the Horadrim (Raid): Maximize raid efficiency with a 4-piece Vithu's Urge + 4-piece Feasting Baron's Pack set combination. dungeon Dungeon Play: Increase dungeon clear speed and ensure stability with a 4-piece Vithu's Urge + 4-piece Baron's Pack set combination. 📈 Maximize Potential: The correct green set combination further enhances the Blood Knight's powerful damage and survivability.

The recent balance patch brought significant changes to the PvP environment. The Barbarian's Whirlwind skill saw an increase in cooldown and a decrease in attack range, weakening it. The Wizard's stealth skill was also weakened, directly impacting meteor builds. Monks saw two off-hand weapons weakened, but still remain powerful. Necromancers' damage was reduced by 40% during Wraith Form, but their movement speed increased by 60%, improving mobility. Blood Knights had a chest armor change, but it had no significant impact. ⚔️ Barbarian Nerf: Whirlwind skill's cooldown increased and attack range decreased, reducing its power. 👻 Necromancer Adjustment: Damage during Wraith Form reduced, but increased movement speed improves battlefield mobility. 🧙‍♀️ Wizard Weakened: Stealth skill nerf reduced the efficiency of meteor builds.

The 'Elite Sled' tournament starts on the 23rd, and its biggest feature is that all players participate under equal conditions without Resonance. This is highly advantageous for players with less character gearing, as they can copy and use other players' green sets, magic, legendary items, and even pets. Pets, in particular, are a crucial factor that can make a big difference in the tournament, so copying a player with good pets is important for victory. You can select your desired class and setup, test it at the training dummy, and then apply it directly to the tournament. ⚖️ Fair Competition: All players participate under equal conditions without Resonance, allowing for skill-based matchups. 🔄 Gear Copying: You can copy other players' green sets, legendary items, and even pets, allowing for diverse build experimentation. 🐾 Importance of Pets: Pets have a significant impact in the tournament, so copying a player with good pets is strategically advantageous.

The PvP tier list after the balance patch is as follows. S-tier includes Monks and Necromancers, who remain powerful despite being weakened. A-tier includes Demon Hunters, whose tier rose due to the nerf of their main adversary, the Barbarian; Barbarians, who are still solid despite fewer builds due to the hammer nerf; and Druids and Crusaders. B-tier includes Wizards, who still have alternatives as their cooldown reduction helm was not nerfed despite stealth being weakened. C-tier includes Tempest, who remains at the bottom with no improvements, and Blood Knights, who saw changes but are still lacking. 👑 S Tier: Monk, Necromancer (Still top tier despite nerfs) 🏆 A Tier: Demon Hunter, Barbarian, Druid, Crusader (Solid performance and beneficiaries of meta changes) 📉 C Tier: Tempest, Blood Knight (Minimal improvements, remaining in the lowest tier)

For Necromancers, two main builds are used: a summoner control and sustained damage build, and a ghost and area-of-effect damage build. The summoner build involves summoning and buffing Mages to inflict silence and fear, then using Wraith Form to deal damage while approaching and shield damage. The ghost build focuses on concentrated area-of-effect damage using ghosts and scythes, then charging with Wraith Form to sweep through enemies and escape. Demon Hunters have no balance changes, so they continue to use their existing Strafe build, with the core strategy being to survive with evasion skills, activate buffs, and attack with Strafe, then evade again if enemies approach. 💀 Necromancer (Summoner): Summon Mages to inflict silence/fear, approach with Wraith Form and deal shield damage. 👻 Necromancer (Ghost): Focus area-of-effect damage with ghosts and scythes, charge and escape with Wraith Form. 🏹 Demon Hunter: Survive with evasion skills, activate buffs, attack with Strafe, and evade again if enemies approach.

For Barbarians, while the Hammer skill nerf weakened hammer-focused builds, the strategy of activating Wrath and Fury buffs then dealing heavy damage with Gendar and Hammer is still effective. However, the Hammer's reduced range and increased cooldown require precise execution. Currently, an older Gendar-focused build uploaded to the channel two months ago is more commonly used. Crusaders can choose between two builds: a classic area-of-effect damage build and a mobility and area-of-effect damage build. The classic build uses invulnerability upon entering combat and deals damage with area-of-effect skills, while the mobility build moves around the map on horseback, uses area-of-effect damage skills, and activates invulnerability to survive if taking damage. 🔨 Barbarian: Attack with Gendar and Hammer after Wrath and Fury buffs, precise execution needed due to Hammer nerfs. 🛡️ Crusader (AoE): Use invulnerability upon entering combat, deal damage with AoE skills, and bind enemies with Judgment. 🐎 Crusader (Mobility): Move on horseback dealing AoE damage, activate invulnerability to survive when in danger.

Druids can choose between two Bear Form builds and one Wolf Form build. Bear Form builds are divided into DPS-focused and tanking-focused, combining human form and bear form skills. The Wolf Form build uses protective skills and Ravens, then transforms into Wolf Form to utilize movement skills, claw attacks, and howling. For Tempest, the Whirlwind build is recommended, activating Whirlwind and buffs, then attacking and using movement skills to chase or escape. For Blood Knight, a build using spear, spinning attack, movement skills, and transformation skills is recommended, though some believe the build used in previous tournaments was better. 🐻 Druid (Bear DPS): Generate primal power and heal in human form, enhance ground attacks and bind in bear form. 🐺 Druid (Wolf): Use protective skills and Ravens, then transform into Wolf Form, utilizing movement/claw/howling (complex). 🌪️ Tempest: Activate Whirlwind and buffs, then attack, using movement skills to chase or escape.