Shieldslam wrote: ↑Fri Sep 06, 2024 12:03 pm
jafh123 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 06, 2024 9:43 am
SnB IB is easily countered by armor + reduced arpen. Chosen is stronger because it deals magic damage. This is why there are more chosens solo roaming than SnB IB's (of these only 2 come to mind).
"Easily countered" by one of the hardest to get stats in the game. Reduced armorpen isn't just something you can easily get, not even with reknown. Armor can be socketed with talisman but WS (which IB's tend to stack) is % so you don't really get a lot out of it unless you are fully slotted and at the same time how will you kill the IB if you do so?
However, I would argue SnB IB's strength isn't exactly being uncounterable (though incredibly hard to take down and needs to be built for specifically) but rather the fact that it has good matchups across the board and if played well is able to face any enemy with maybe the exception of Shamans. Even SH's, who are supposed to out-kite you, can be brought down by a combination of AtD/M1/ES. Try playing against a kite class as any other tank and you'll see the difference. Despite playing IB yourself you don't seem to realise just how unbelievably many tools the class has, and always had.
Roaming has never been about countering one aspect or class specifically but rather being countered by others as little as possible. IB, in its current state, is simply a roamers wet dream because it has just about anything you could want except magical damage (not always better) which is the only downside:
>Multiple builds to mix things up but also two seperate all round builds that both work incredibly well
>Mostly dot dmg (has more dps than "normal" abilities to balance the lacking burst) which offers good dps by default in longer fights which duels are
>Incredible M1 which is an absolutely amazing tool against your counterclasses
>Doesn't have to invest in parry/disrupt/dodge, just stacks block and can deal with both melee and range with SnB
>Outstanding base tactics, it's genuinely insane how good most of IB's tactics are compared to pretty much every other class
>20% parry+ini buff as well as 10% block tactic in the same tree
>Can go SnB or 2h perfectly fine, even has a base stun with SnB
>Up to 20% reduced crit chance debuff on the opponent
>Second highest armor debuff in the game (unless something changed recently?)
>considerable Armor increase on a base ability for 20s with no cd
>Potent Str+WP buff base, no downtime
>WS and Toughness buff, again base
>Slow/root removal on a 30s cd which also happens to heal (plus Juggernaut)
>Heal debuff which is easy to get
>ranged slow on a 20s cd
>Imagine when they get G&M back eventually in either middle or right tree or even base, they'll literally be invincible then
Now tell me where the downsides are, besides looking bland because I genuinely cannot see it. No stealth? No pull? No Pounce like WL/SM M2? Strictly for 1v1/1v2 that is. Stacking Grudge can be annoying, I have to admit, but once you get going after a few seconds it's fine so I guess that's a minor downside. IB has
always been known to be one of the best choices for solo, just barely anyone wanted to play them.
The reason there are so many Chosen solo'ing is because the class genuinely is strong even if played badly, doesn't require a lot of maintenance or effort, magical dmg/Cleave/ToP (same as IB punishing blow but spirit dmg)/passive dmg, range stagger to catch up, looking amazing (opinion based but come on) while still being desired for every part of the game so it's a perfect main class to do everything on.
. I have only fought another SnB IB once, and I outgeared him a bit, so it doesn't count.