League of Explorers Will be Rotated in 2017 - Not 2018, Card Design Championships Voting
Basic Matchmaking Concepts, MMR & the Soft Reset Explained
Legion Beta - Build 22018

Play Your Way Returns - Davlok's "One Kick Monk" Build

After quite a hiatus the Play Your Way blog returns! It focuses mostly on non standard builds by players who are meant for specific end-game tasks or are meant to be fun specs. Read it below.

Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

You’ve heard of One Punch Monk—but now it’s time to deliver a swift boot to the head! In today’s build, Davlok#1847 props up Lashing Tail Kick as the star of this fiery flurry of kicks to debut the return of Play Your Way Thursday!

---

 

About the Build

Be prepared for a bit of investment—Davlok’s One Kick Monk centers around the Legacy of Nightmares ring set, which means collecting a whole lot of Ancient items. Still, the results are an extremely satisfying line of combustion bursting from rapid-paced kicks that will melt just about anything encountered.

This is a great change of pace for fulfilling your basic tasks, like farming bounties and Torment X Nephalem Rifts. With the inclusion of Nemesis Bracers, it’s a particularly ideal method for gathering up Death’s Breath’s without resorting to the Sage’s Journey set while still feeling like a total martial arts badass.

Davlok was way luckier than I was while testing his build!

You will want to make a couple of tweaks for survivability if you intend to tackle higher-end Greater Rifts, however. Try changing Epiphany (Insight) to Epiphany (Desert Shroud) or working in Cyclone Strike withLefebrvre’s Soliloquy for that extra defense.

 

The Skills

Here’s a closer look at this build in the skill calculator.

Active Skills:

• Lashing Tail Kick (Spinning Flame Kick)
• Dashing Strike (Radiance)
• Sweeping Wind (Inner Storm)
• Blinding Flash (Faith in the Light)
• Mantra of Retribution (Transgression)
• Epiphany (Insight)

Passive Skills:

• Harmony
• Seize the Initiative
• Relentless Assault
• Beacon of Ytar

---

 

The Items

Required Items:

• Legacy of Nightmares (2 pieces)
• Rivera Dancers
• Magefist
• Cindercoat
• Gyana Na Kashu

Recommended Items:

• Nemesis Bracers
• Kyoshiro’s Soul
  • Alternatively, The Witching Hour
• Pox Faulds
  • Alternatively, Swamp Land Waders
• Hellfire Amulet
  • Passive of your choice, likely Exalted Soul
• In-geom
• The Burning Axe of Sankis

Recommended Legendary Gems:

• Bane of the Trapped
• Bane of the Powerful
• Zei’s Stone of Vengeance

Recommended Kanai’s Cube Powers:

• Flying Dragon
• The Laws of Seph
• Obsidian Ring of the Zodiac

Recommended Stats:

• Offense: Critical Hit Chance, Attack Speed, Critical Hit Damage
• Defense: Life, Resist All, Armor
• Other: Area Damage, Resource Cost Reduction, Cooldown Reduction

Tell Us What You Think!

Are you a fan of Lashing Tail Kick? Or do you just like raining fiery destruction onto your foes no matter the method? How do you think this build will perform with the new Lashing Tail Kick item, Scarbringer, on the 2.4.2 PTR?

Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to send in your build! We’re still gathering droves of entries, so gear up, load out, and share your latest Play Your Way discovery with the world. See you in Sanctuary!

Anthony Evans' Templar GR Setup

Anthony Evans recently released a quick video guide going over the Greater Rift setup that he uses for his Templar. Very interesting video for those solo players who are trying to push their limits towards the end of the season - check it out!

C'Thun Will Not Receive More Cultists, Reno Jackson Almost Had a Brother, Value Town #76
Summer Championship Bundle & Free Heroes Event, Tyrael Changes, Balance Patch
Grand Magistrix Elisande, Transmog Update, Blue Posts, DLC #542, Subtlety Preview

Developer Insights: Behind The Goblin Giggle

Blizzard recently released a blog giving some design insights on the Goblin laughter that we're so used to hearing and that turns us into frenzied chasers at times. Check it out!

Originally Posted by Blizzard (Official Post)

"Whee-hee!” It’s a natural reaction. The moment you hear that high-pitched, maniacal giggle, you have to track down its source. In an instant, you know by the sound of that mischievous squeal that untold treasures await. No matter the peril in your way, you will track it down and claim its hoard. That adrenaline rush all starts with a sound.

Sound design can too often go unrecognized. Every clang of a sword, rustle of foliage, and mystical hum of arcane power in Diablo III was carefully and lovingly crafted. In order to lend some insight as to how these auditory punctuations are put together, we want to share the story behind one of our most iconic sound-driven features: the Treasure Goblin.

 

The General Process

Behind every monster noise and combat clang, there’s a process. Ordinarily, teams like game design and art will place requests for sound design based on what the game needs. This might be anything from a Legendary power to a new monster and their combat noises. Then begins an experimentation process that’s become more gut instinct than step-by-step procedure for our experienced and well-oiled sound design team.

“We’ve built such trust over the years that we typically just start working on stuff,” Sound Design Supervisor Seph Lawrence says, fondly looking back on the twelve years of work he’s poured into Sanctuary. Different tasks get assigned out to the team of sound designers and each artist takes their own individual initiative to bring the game to life.

Approaches vary widely, but it always begins with taking a look at the clues the rest of the development team has provided. For example, when designing sounds for a monster, it’s best to start with other developed content like story and lore, concept art or 3D models, or combat abilities. In order to narrow in on what details might be needed, the sound team begins to ask questions like, “How big is it? What’s the creature made of? Is it fleshy or made of bone? Does it spew liquid? Is it a watery liquid or more like a goo? What’s its home environment like?” The inquiries can be endless, but sometimes, even they may not be enough, and the artist pulls from their imagination to fill in the blanks.

An enemy looks really different when you think about how it sounds.

From there, a designer can delve into either an exhaustive library of original sound effects to put something together or acquire recordings of relevant sounds. This can be accomplished either by reproducing sound effects in a recording setting, or voice-over for more vocalized needs. Most often, it is a combination of all three; manipulating, layering, and mixing them together to create something new, unique, and memorable.

On Goblins and Gold Piles

While this general process for sound design applies to most of the sounds you hear in Sanctuary, the Treasure Goblin proved to be an entirely different beast. How quickly and serendipitously his sounds came together is what truly makes him special.

The Treasure Goblin was a later addition to Diablo III. When the sound team was presented with his art, there was some trepidation in the need to tackle “yet another bi-pedal monster.” So they asked, “What makes him unique? What is the best detail to hone in on?” Ultimately, the trademark grin on every Goblin’s face revealed a conniving vibe.

The development team was eager to get a placeholder into the game, so Seph took to the recording booth to experiment. “I wasn’t trying to make the final stuff,” he swears, shrugging helplessly. “It just kind of ended up that way.” Through a series of laughs, guttural giggles, and playful exclamations, the core feel for the goblin came together quickly.

The sounds that Seph produced in the recording studio went over to Michael Johnson, who is now also a Sound Design Supervisor. He processed the raw audio, playing with tonality and pitching up Seph’s performance. Ordinarily, for a darker, more horror-oriented game like Diablo, this technique would be avoided as it has a tendency to produce a cartoony result. For some reason, this direction just worked for the Treasure Goblin and the rest of the development team loved it.

The Treasure Goblin was the result of a perfect storm made up of instinct, experimentation, and a lack of fear in the final product. The team didn’t get tied up in perfectionism; they entered the realm of improvisation and riffed until it just felt right. With the emotional response this little guy evokes before he’s even seen on screen, it’s hard to argue with the results.

 

Leaving Lasting Impressions

Diablo has a very unique sound to it. Senior Sound Designer David Rovin explains that the goal is to be darker and more organic overall. “We avoid things like delay echoes or things that sound particularly ‘sci-fi.’” That said, despite his comical nature, the Treasure Goblin surprisingly fit in well to this auditory aesthetic, introducing a brief moment of humor and whimsy to the otherwise bleak and dark tone of Sanctuary.

What’s your first reaction when you hear a Goblin giggle? Are there any other sounds in Diablo that give you a gut reaction? Tell us your favorites in the comments below and the next time you’re out running bounties or Rifts, open your ears and listen a little more closely to the sounds of Sanctuary.

Hearthstone Americas Spring Championships 2016 Decklists
Summer Championship Bundle & Free Heroes Event, Tyrael Changes, Balance Patch
Legion Beta - Build 21996

PTR Patch 2.4.2 Build 37893 Live

The latest PTR build, that we datamined and published yesterday, is now live and available for testing. Check out the condensed patch notes, with just the latest changes - aka the red text on the official changelog post, below.

Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

To provide feedback on patch 2.4.2, please visit the PTR Feedback forum.
To report any issues you experience while playing, please visit the PTR Bug Report forum.
For additional information about the PTR, click here.

---

 

CLASSES

• Demon Hunter
  • Active Skills
    • Spike Trap
      • Has been redesigned
        • Now has 2 (down from 4) charges each with a 10 (up from 5) second recharge time
        • All active traps are now detonated by the next Hatred spender you cast
      • Damage increased from 340% to 1160% (up from 950%) weapon damage
      • Hatred cost reduced from 30 to 20 (up from 10)
      • Skill Rune - Echoing Blast
        • Damage increased from 575% to 2020% (up from 1330%) weapon damage
      • Skill Rune - Lightning Rod
        • Damage increased from 880% weapon damage over 10 hits to 2010% (up from 1380%) weapon damage over 3 hits
      • Skill Rune - Long Fuse
        • Replaced with
          • Impaling Spines
            • Increases damage to 1930% (up from 1220%) weapon damage
      • Skill Rune - Scatter
        • Now places 2 traps side by side and consumes 1 charge (down from 2) of Spike Trap
      • Skill Rune - Sticky Trap
        • Replaced with
          • Custom Trigger
            • Increases damage to 1900% (up from 1150%) weapon damage

• Witch Doctor
  • Active Skills
    • Spirit Barrage
      • Skill Rune - Phantasm
        • Damage increased from 675% over 5 seconds to 750% over 5 seconds

• Wizard
  • Passive Skills
    • Power Hungry
      • Has been redesigned
        • Deal 30% additional damage to enemies more than 30 yards away

• Bug Fixes
  • Fixed an issue that prevented the maximum of 8 Energy Twisters from applying
  • Fixed an issue that was causing stacks of Archon from a previous cast due to The Swami to stack multiplicatively instead of additively with a subsequent, overlapping cast of Archon

ITEMS

• Bottomless Potion of Chaos
  • Graphical and sound effects have been added to the teleport
  • Added a camera smoothing effect to the teleport
• Class-Specific Items
  • Demon Hunter
    • The Demon's Demise
      • Has been redesigned
        • The blast from Spike Trap will damage all enemies again after 1 second.
  • Wizard
    • Firebird's Finery
      • (6) Set Bonus
        • Has been redesigned
          • Your damage is increased by 120% and damage taken reduced by 3% for each enemy that is Ignited. This effect can stack up to 20 times. You always receive the maximum bonus whenever a nearby Elite monster is Ignited.
  • 
    
    • Note: Existing items will not be affected by the following changes. Only new versions of the items will roll with the added Legendary power.
    • Barbarian
      • Girdle of Giants
        • Legendary power added
          • Seismic Slam Increases Earthquake damage by 80-100% for 15 seconds.
          • Existing Earthquakes will have their damage increased when Seismic Slam is used with Girdle of Giants
    • Demon Hunter
      • Trag'Oul Coils
        • Legendary power added
          • Spike Traps gain the effect of the Impaling Spines rune and are deployed twice as fast
    • Monk
      • Scarbringer
        • Legendary power added
          • Lashing Tail Kick deals an additional 300% (down from 1000%) damage to the first 5-7 (added maximum number) enemies hit
    • Witch Doctor
      • Gazing Demise
        • Legendary power added
          • Spirit Barrage gains the Phantasm rune. For each active Phantasm (max 3), the damage of Spirit Barrage is increased by 40-50%

CAMPAIGN MODE

• The Skeleton King will now drop Leoric's Crown beginning at Level 5

Quin on PTR 37893 & Suggestions

Quin has uploaded a very interesting video about the latest changes to the 2.4.2 PTR - he goes over quite a few interesting changes, talks about positive ones and some potential problems from his perspective, and gives some interesting suggestions for improvements.

Feel free to check it out and let us know if you agree with his ideas in the comments section. Also feel free to post some suggestions as well - Blizzard devs are always watching!

Asia-Pacific Spring HCT Concludes, Top Decks of the Week, Get in Touch With Your Wild Side
Quality of Life Wishlist & Ideas
Legion Beta Key Giveaway - Week 3: Maybe We're Prepared?

Energy Twister Change

Nevalistis mentioned a future change to Energy Twister and the Twister Sword legendary. Long story short is that the fix to make the cap of 8 maximum twisters on patch 2.4.1 did not work correctly, and will be addressed in the next PTR patch. Read below.

Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Please... I dont want another season of twister wiz being the meta DPS...

We actually do have a pending Energy Twister/Twisted Sword change coming. We have identified an issue that was preventing the cap of 8 Twisters on Twisted Sword from taking effect. TLDR; The change to Twisted Sword in 2.4.1 to a cap of 8 never really stuck.

We're going to give this bug fix a run for the next PTR patch. If we find Energy Twister is still over-performing, we may continue to tweak and adjust numbers as needed. We know how important this topic is to the community, and we're keeping our ears to the ground throughout the 2.4.2 PTR process for your feedback!

Firebug Build Mechanics Explained

We newsed a while ago that the Firebird's bug won't be fixed in the current Season by Blizzard, and that players won't be punished for it.

Quite a few players still don't seem to understand how the bug actually works, which is what allows the spec to deal such high damage. For those, def TV has made a video explaining the necessary equipment, skills, runes and actual in-depth mechanics of the bug. Super interesting stuff - check it out.

For reference, here's a build and written guide put together by benifios on our Builds section. We hope you find these two guides useful!

Asia-Pacific Spring Championships 2016 - Decklists, Meta Breakdown, Information
Gul'dan Confirmed & Model Info
Class Trials, Legion Profession Q&A, Brawler's Guild Hiatus, Blue Posts, BlizzCon

Affix Enchanting & Item Optimization Analysis

How would you like to go bonkers with end-game calculations on how to optimize the enchantment process of your ancient items? MarioVX has shared on Reddit an insanely detailed and well crafted document that kind of theorycrafting to the next level.

He describes and explains in detail every proposed formula - quoting eduw from Reddit, the guy probably has a degree on Horadric Studies or Nephalem Resource Development. A very interesting read if you're willing to spend some time to understand it. Check it out.

Introduction

This document is meant as a guide on how to accurately calculate the expected values of the costs and gains of enchanting items in Diablo 3. The guide mostly addresses ambitious players with already really good gear, such that the timer required for the calculation is small compared to the time potentially wasted on maxing out enchantment possibilities in the wrong order. It introduces and applies the mathematical tools that are also a prerequisite to a more difficult item reforging analysis.

The following calculations require the specific affix chances to be known in order to be applicable. Fortunately, they have successfully been datamined and can be looked up here. Without this great achievement, no accurate analysis on this subject would be possible.

Affix Rolls & Enchanting Basics

When an item is generated in Diablo 3, a certain number of stats called affixes are randomly chosen for it following a weighted probability distribution comprised of all eligible affixes (which can be looked up at d3planner for instance) each with their specific weight from the previously linked table. When an affix is chosen, it is removed from the pool for this item and can’t roll twice. This alters the probability distribution of the subsequent rolls and means that the entire sequence of rolls for all affix slots of one item is not a sequence of independent and identical random processes. The sequence as a whole instead follows a weighted hypergeometric distribution, but using the combined information of eligibility and weights of each affix for each item, the precise probability of a certain set of affixes on a certain item can be calculated as the sum of all the set’s permutations’ probabilities. This is most important for rerolling items as a whole, but through the presentation of a choice between two rolled affixes which cannot be the same during enchantment, it becomes relevant to enchantment as well. Enchanting can present two incompatible affixes, but never two identical ones.

Furthermore, affixes are separated in two categories, primary and secondary. They don’t influence each other except - and this is important - if Resistance to All is rolled as primary, single elemental resistances cannot be rolled as secondary. Strictly it is not known and not backed up by statistical testing whether the secondary affixes are rolled first and a single resistance realization restricts all resistance, or primaries are rolled first and an all resistance realization restricts single resistances, but the naming as “primary” and “secondary” affixes strongly suggests the latter to be the case, which hence will be assumed to be the case from now on.

There are several instances of affixes in the same category being mutually exclusive, like elemental damage bonuses on bracers and amulets and weapon damage on weapons. In these cases, a realization removes not only the realized affix itself from the set of eligible affixes but also others for subsequent rolls.

Apart from deciding which affixes are chosen, the game also decides the values of each affix. These follow a uniform distribution, meaning that every possible value is equally likely.

Probability & Math Basics

This chapter is a brief introduction to the discrete probability calculus tools we need for this analysis.

Discrete Random Variables, Expected Value

Let X be a discrete random variable that may assume any value xi with probability pi for a countable (not necessarily finite) number of possible values.

Then E[X]=ipi*xiis the expected (or average) value of that random variable, if the sum exists. It is also the barycenter of the underlying probability distribution.

Benefit & Efficiency

Not a traditional subject of mathematics but important to our application to video games is the consideration of benefit and efficiency of certain stat increases for certain costs.

Benefit means the relative increase of a considered value function due to the increase in the stat. For most simple stats in Diablo 3, we can take Damage and Toughness as the value functions in question, with notable exceptions being attack speed, cooldown reduction, resource cost reduction and resource generation. In general, we have ben=new valueold value-1. If competing upgrades with different benefits and costs are to be compared in regards to efficiency, there are two ways to define a metric for it:

eff=bencost and eff=cost1+ben-1.

It is often difficult to distinguish which is the proper one to use, and in fact, not even clear on the subject treated here (enchanting / rerolling efficiency). More on this later.

If an actual benefit is not certain but subject to a random variable, we consider the expected benefit instead.

(continues...)

Asia-Pacific Spring Championships 2016 - Decklists, Meta Breakdown, Information
Medivh Released! Hero Week & Spotlight, Season 1 Starts Tomorrow, This Week's Sales
Legion Developer Q&A - Ion Hazzikostas

One-Button Authenticator

Blizzard recently release info about the One-Button Authenticator, it updates their current Mobile app to help you quickly approve a log-in attempt with a quick button press instead of typing a security code. Read more below.

Originally Posted by Blizzard (Official Blog)

Here at Blizzard we take account security seriously, which is why we recommend all accounts have an authenticator attached – but we also understand the importance of being able to access your account easily. Enter the One-Button Authenticator! This update to the current Mobile Authenticator will allow you to securely log into your account by simply clicking Approve on your mobile device instead of entering a security code. Should you wish to use a security code to log in that option still remains available.

 

 

 

Whenever* a log in attempt occurs on your account you will be notified via the app and prompted to Approveor Deny the request. You can also approve log in requests with notifications on your mobile or smartwatch without even opening the app! We hope this will help ease the log in process for those of you that already have an authenticator and encourage those of you who don’t to give it a try. You can find out more about authenticators on our Battle.net Authenticator FAQ.

 

The Mobile Authenticator with the new One-Button feature is available now on iOS^® and Android^™.

*Please note that by default you will only need to approve a log in attempt once a week per device. You can change this setting on your Battle.net Account Management page.

Headcrab & Crowbar Transmogs

The Diablo twitter account recently tweeted a gif with two interesting transmogrifications: a helmet Headcrab and a Crowbar weapon, both clear references to the Half-Life franchise.

The Headcrab can be found in the Tidal Cave beneath Greyhollow Island in Act V, but it is quite rare. Have you found the Crowbar? Let us know in the comment section where.

Interesting headpiece, nephalem. Where might such a treasure be found? pic.twitter.com/bYkDqFnqI2

— Diablo (@Diablo) 2 de junho de 2016

Crusader vs Demon Fanart

Today we would like to showcase an amazing fanart by Quang Hoang, from Vietnam. A female Crusader face to face against a mean looking Demon! Let's hope he publishes more great drawings like this in his ArtStation profile in the future.

Weekend Wacky Wild Decks - Take a Break from Standard!
Haunted Mines Rework Not This Year, Fall Championship Details, Anniversary Bundle Tip
Engineer's Workshop: Extended Draw Distance

Michael's Uliana Rank #1 Clear & Guide

It's not uncommon for Quin and Michael to trade the #1 and #2 spots at the leaderboards. We've featured Quin's clears and builds recently, so it's fair that we highlight Michael's rank #1 clear and guide too. Specially since it contains some different tips on how to maximize the build. Check them out below!

A couple things that i missed from the guide:

1. Follower gear: On every piece run attack speed and cooldown reduction. Use thunderfury, freeze deflection, unity, occulus ring (85%), immunity token, and any amulet (no ess)

2. Mythic rhythm is removed from active EPs on using a potion or gaining a paragon level. If you are carrying a MR buff, it is not removed by these things (only active EPs). Avoid using potion, and pay attention to paragon levels. If either happens, evaluate if you need to re-snapshot. You can find more in-depth explanations for EP mechanics in Davloks testing thread

Hi, Michael here. The U6 monk is currently one of the strongest builds for monk solo (if not the strongest) in patch 2.4.1. With the guide I hope i can provide some tips and tricks i have learned from playing the spec. (continues...)

European Spring Championships - Decklists and Meta Breakdown
Starcraft 2 / Heroes Optimization & FPS Guide, Heroes Funny & WP Moments #69
Legion Features Update, Demon Invasion Event, Warcraft Movie Updates, Shadow Preview

Bounty Efficiency Tips & Tricks

We recently featured a spreadsheet that analyzed whether players should craft or reroll Legendaries in order to get Ancient items on all slots - it had some average material farming ratios. LF Droid believes players can take those ratios up a notch with some tips and tricks.

He shared a video with everything the average and veteran player needs to know in order to optimize their bounty clearing times, and maximize their material gains over an hour. If you're looking to step up your game and squeeze the most out of your time, this is solid information!

Hello all,

This video is a look at bounty efficiency. This is not a guide on how to make specific speed builds or what specific skills to use. It is, however, a look at how you can play bounties more efficiently resulting in far more bounty specific crafting materials per-hour. Some people will already have this information and be using this style of play. My hope is that someone will get that last piece of the puzzle locked in and make their bounty clears even smoother.

The style of play you see in this bounty set is not for everyone. Some people play Diablo to knock over every vase, turn over every stone, and loot every item. This is by all means a perfect way to play, but this video might make you a little sad.

One of the factors that pushed me into making this video was a recent post to the front page of Diablo Fans that set a per-minute value to farming bounty materials. I felt like the estimate per-minute was drastically lower than what your average player can achieve if they just knew how to manipulate the bounties and maps in their favor. The post i'm talking about was a mathematical look at whether it's more efficient to farm base crafting materials and use the upgrade legendary from rare recipe, or if you were better suited farming bounties and using the reforge legendary recipe.

 

(continues...)

PS.: if you want the super long version of the video, with a lot more information, more suited for beginners - watch it here.

European Spring Championships this Weekend! The Angry Chicken #155: Make My Monster Grow
Heroes PTR Patch 43481 - Medivh, New Bundles, New Skins, Ranked Changes, Starting Experience
Legion Beta - Build 21874

Diablo II Patch 1.14d

Diablo II got a minor update today which improves Blizzard's ability to troubleshoot future issues. It's great to see that the game is still getting support, almost 16 years after release!

Originally Posted by Blizzard (Forums)

Specific Changes & Improvements
We've implemented Blizzard Error and System Survey to better troubleshoot crashes and assertions.

Barbarian Sculpture by Miguel Rey

Today we would like to highlight a Barbarian sculpture by Miguel Rey, a Diablo fan from Uruguay. It is still an ongoing project but you can already see the incredible detail in it. The statue is on a 1/3 scale, being 25 inches tall and weighing more than 26 pounds!

Check out some sample screenshots below, and the full gallery here.

Deck Spotlight: N'Zoth Dragon Paladin, Which Gamemode are you Primarily Playing?, The Angry Chicken #154 w/ TerrenceM
Haunted Mines Rework Not This Year, Fall Championship Details, Anniversary Bundle Tip
Engineer's Workshop: Extended Draw Distance

Tal Rasha Twister Wizard Guide

We recently featured some Firebird's gameplay guides by Mamba Shane. If you enjoyed those, you're gonna like his latest guide.

It contains some really important gameplay tips for tha Tal Rasha's Twister Wizard, an incredibly strong group spec which requires some execution finesse and group synergy. Check out the written and video guides below!

Whats up guys, it's MambaShane!

Basic Gameplay as a Tal Rasha Twister Wizard:

• Maintain Energy Armour + Magic Weapon at all times
• Stack Twisters at inverted corners, curves, poles, pillars doorways etc. with large mob densities. (practice!!)
• Use Explosive Blast for damage mitigation + bonus damage + to maintain Tal Rasha's Set Bonuses
• Your supports will keep you alive, but be aware of which affixes you can tank through (ie. molten explosions are nasty)
• Use Frost Nova on cooldown
• Use Electrocute (Surge of Power) to regenerate Arcane Power
• To progress into the highest greater rifts, you'll need a good team!

Rift Guardian Gameplay:

• Locate a confined space to limit boss's movement, and begin stacking
• Maintain Twisted Sword Stacks (8), along with Tal Rasha Set Bonuses
• Arcane power management will be your primary focus:
• Use Electrocute during Lightning (CoE cycle) to prep for Arcane damage boost
• Dish out as many twisters as possible during Arcane (CoE cycle) to maximize damage output
• Rinse and repeat

Deck Spotlight: N'Zoth Dragon Paladin, Which Gamemode are you Primarily Playing?, The Angry Chicken #154 w/ TerrenceM
NA Summer Regional Guide, Hell Billie Reminder, Chromie Patch Live
Legion Beta - Build 21846

Diablo 4 Story Fan Fiction

Have you ever imagined what Diablo 4 could be about? Would the world of Sanctuary remain in a similar age, or could it be in a completely different era? Stewart Berk, aka Odin, has shared on the official forums his futuristic fan fiction of the D4 world. See a snippet of it below, or the full post here.

What do you think of his idea? Would advancing the time era of the Diablo world be too much of a stretch? Should the devs stick with the traditional lore and time frame, or try something completely different and go bonkers with it? Let us know in the comments!

A Diablo 4 Concept by Stewart Berk

Stay awhile and listen…

With the loss of 3 of the Angiris council, and the destruction of the last soulstone, and with it the final prime evil, neither the High Heavens, nor the Seven Hells can mount an offensive any longer. An unspoken cessation has arrived to the Eternal Conflict. The realm of Sanctuary is left in peace.

Thousands of years pass. The people of Sanctuary evolve. Technology advances. The Great War and the birth of the Nephalem become myth. However, magic and the power of faith remain.

In this new age, the darkness of the past clings to society. While much of the wilds have been tamed, the gothic architecture remains and the skyscrapers are covered with gargoyles, and torches burn throughout the night. While electricity is commonplace, fire is seen as the only security against evil.

Four groups govern this new society crouched on an old land. Monks, Mages, Militants, and Mystics. Each has 2 seats on the grand council. Their number is broken by a deciding vote, a man known only as, The Justice.

Monks have embraced technology as their religion and built a cult of the machine. They augment themselves with combat tech, going so far as to replace their extremities with robotic limbs. Their goal is to become a living weapon, and they utilize no firearms. They have also developed advanced medical machines in tandem with their augments. They often hold positions of authority in hospitals. All monks, regardless of gender, shave their heads. Through the augmentation process they make their facial features more uniform, and adjust their height and build to conform to what they refer to as the "optimum standards."

Mages are the most secretive of the four. For thousands of years their art had been seen as the cause of the great cataclysm, the details lost to time. In these times they practice 2 forms of magic. Arcane and Necromancy. Neither school is looked on with favor, though both have their uses. They practice in secret and are rarely seen in public.

Mages who practice the arcane arts are usually tan, due to their exposure to heat and cold. Those who practice necromancy are marked by their pallor and sunken eyes. Spending that much time below ground takes its toll.

Militants are responsible for law and order. Their twin orders report directly to The Justice. Members of the first order, known as The Watchers, are uniformly tall and thin. They specialize in reconnaissance and long range engagement. They are ranged weapons experts and masters with both rifles and hand guns. Members of the second order, known as The Hammers, resemble their hallmark weapons. All are as wide as they are tall, and heavy in the arms. They carry heavy electrified hammers and sometimes force shields as well. Between these two orders, law is upheld through rapid deployment by motorcycle, and less common heavy raids.

(continues...)

Hearthstone Patch 5.0.0.13030 - Bug Fixes for C'Thun, Chat Bubbles, Evolve, and More!
Chromie Balance Patch - June 2nd, Unranked Draft Mode Preview
Warcraft Movie, Road to BlizzCon, Legion Transmog, Blue Posts, Prot Warrior Preview

Quin's GR 93 Clear with Uliana's Palm

Quin uploaded a video of his solo GR 93 clear with the Uliana's Palm build. Check out the build and first person perspective video on the clear below!

June 2016 Season Begins - Zul'Drak, Start off the new Season with Top Decks!
Hero Rotation & Weekly Sales - May 31st, Heroes Funny & WP Moments #68
Legion Beta Key Giveaway - Week 2: We Weren't Prepared

Deckard Cain Lives?

_Krypt_ has shared a crazy theory of his on Reddit - that Deckard Cain might somehow still be alive in the Diablo world! The idea comes from an easter egg in the Overwatch map Route 66, where a paper in the wall contains a barcode that when scanned gives the "Cain Lives" message.

However, many users have replied arguing that the Overwatch team would not be creating Diablo lore like this, and that this could be an old easter egg, referencing to the fact that Cain lives when the meteor first falls into the Cathedral instead of his post death status. Check the photos below.

Keep in mind this is all speculation. But what are your thoughts? Random unrelated easter egg? Or possibly a real hint of the franchise's future?

This can be found at the Map Route66 in Overwatch:

https://imgur.com/QuZhN37 (The date is the D3 release date)

If you scan the barcode you'll get this:

https://imgur.com/MUxrS7f

//Edit More pics:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Diablo/comments/4luwez/deckard_cain_lives/d3qas5g

Just an easteregg or a serious hint? :-)

Reminder: Season Ends in 2 Days! Top Decks for Last Minute Ranking, Kripp's Budget Zoo Warrior
Town Hall Heroes Ep. 108, Into the Nexus #108- "XP and You"
Duncan Jones Interviews, Legion Jewelcrafting Neck Items, Tweets, DLC #539

Demon Hunter Cosplay by Kadiaa

Today we would like to feature a Demon Hunter cosplay by Kadiaa, equipped with a Raven's Wing bow and some incredibly detailed armor pieces! It was used by her during the Anime Matsuri convention earlier this year. Photos taken by MineralBlu. Check it out!

Reminder: Season Ends in 2 Days! Top Decks for Last Minute Ranking, Kripp's Budget Zoo Warrior
Anniversary Bonus XP & Bundle, Hell Billie Available Next Week
Duncan Jones Interviews, Legion Jewelcrafting Neck Items, Tweets, DLC #539

D3 vs D2 Skill System Replay Value

Rhykker has published a video comparing the skill system in Diablo 3 and Diablo 2. He talks about the perceived replay value of each skill system, talks about the differences between now and then in entertainment and compares it to other games like D&D.

Generally speaking he argues that the Diablo 3 system is a big improvement over Diablo 2. Do you agree with his points? What do you think of the comparison between the 2 games' skill system?