DiabloFans

One Night in Karazhan Compendium - The Expansion as Rated by the Community
Upcoming Balance Update - August 24th
Gamescom Developer Interview - Addon Changes in Patch 7.1

Templar Patch 2.4.2 Greater Rift Build

Boki has published on our forums a quick video guide talking about what he considers to be the better Templar spec, for players who regularly play solo. He sets up the follower to be both a crowd-control machine, as well as a DPS booster. Check it out!

This follower build will not only make your Templar a CC king, but he can also boost your DPS! Use this build to make greater rifts easier.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3KSF0NP6RI

Items:
- Immortality relic
- Thunderfury (Lightning proc.)
- Freeze of Deflection (Freeze on block)
- The Ess of Johan (Pull & slow 60%)
- Wyrdward (Chance to stun on lightning dmg)
- Oculus Ring (Dmg buff after killing mob(s)

Skills:

Taunt, Intimidate, Charge, Inspire/Guardian

Popular Decks of the Week for August 21
Hero Swap in Draft, Heroes WTF Moments #61, Heroes Funny & WP Moments #80
Gamescom Developer Interview - Addon Changes in Patch 7.1

Play Your Way Thursday - Grond's "Protoss Carrier" Crusader

This week's Play Your Way build is a fun and Starcraft themed Seeker of the Light Crusader build, turning your hero into a vessel that constantly shoots out Blessed Hammers, filling the screen with an infinite barrage of them. It's T10 capable and can still handle some GRs. Interested? Check it out!

Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

 

 

Heavily armored and shielded, Carriers are the flagships and main operations centers for the formidable Protoss forces. Their plasma charges can tear through well-regimented formations, allowing them to effortlessly punch through their enemies' defenses. In today’s Play Your Way build, Grond#1672 has the same plan with his stylized Seeker of the Light Crusader build.

---

About the Build

If you’re unfamiliar, the Seeker of the Light set props up the Falling Sword and Blessed Hammer skills. Blessed Hammer brings incredible amounts of damage to the table while Falling Sword provides both mobility and a source of increased damage reduction. Everything else you’ll find in Grond’s build aims to either dial up the damage or continue fulfilling the fantasy of being a tanky, artillery-slinging warship.

 

 

We selected the Protoss Carrier build prior to the launch of Patch 2.4.2, so it was mostly tested on Torment X. The build crushed it just fine, and performs just as well in bounties as it does in Rifts. There is definitely a cadence to big bursts of damage, particularly when you line up the cooldowns for Laws of Valor and Akarat’s Champion while blinding your enemies via the passive from The Sultan of the Blinding Sand. It’s a really interesting way to capitalize on the buff from Hammer Jammers while keeping your skill slots open for more utility. 

---

The Skills

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

Active Skills:

• Justice (Holy Bolt)
• Blessed Hammer (Limitless)
• Falling Sword (Flurry)
• Heaven’s Fury (Ascendancy)
• Laws of Valor (Critical)
• Akarat’s Champion (Hasteful)

Passive Skills:

• Heavenly Strength
• Blunt
• Fanaticism
• Holy Cause

---

 

---

The Items

Required Items:

• Seeker of the Light (5 pieces)
• The Sultan of Blinding Sand
• Blessed of Haull
• Aquila Cuirass

Recommended Items:

• Hellskull
• Justice Lantern
• Endless Walk (2 pieces)
• Krelm’s Buff Bracers

Recommended Legendary Gems:

• Bane of the Powerful
• Simplicity’s Strength
• Gogok of Swiftness

Recommended Kanai’s Cube Powers:

• Guard of Johanna
• Hammer Jammers
• Ring of Royal Grandeur

Recommended Stats:

• Offense: Critical Hit Chance, Critical Hit Damage, Attack Speed
• Defense: All Resistance, % Life, Armor
• Other: +% Holy Damage, % Chance to Block, % Chance to Blind, Stun, or Immobilize on Hit

---

Tell Us What You Think!

How do you fare in your tireless efforts for the crusade? Do you love Blessed Hammer, or is there another skill your Crusader favors? What’s your favorite set, and have you sent us your build with it yet?

Next week, we’ll wrap up the first full round of Play Your Way with the master of all elements, the Wizard. See you in Sanctuary!

HearthPwn Card Design Competition Season 4 - Choose Your Weapon
Gamescom Build Preview - Alarak & Zarya Data, Valla / Raynor / Sgt. Hammer Misc Changes
Gamescom Developer Q&A, Warcraft Movie Additional Scene

BlizzCon 2016 Hype

A recent tweet by the official Diablo account has shoot our expectations for this year's BlizzCon through the roof. After a user tweeted that they hope Diablo gets some sort of announcement, they replied with "BlizzCon will be really cool this year" ! Can we get super hyped already?

Originally Posted by Blizzard (Twitter)

I really hope this year Diablo gets a huge announcement at Blizzcon....

BlizzCon will be really cool this year :-)

wudijo's Support Wizard Guide

wudijo has put together an in depth guide for a high Greater Rift support Wizard. It uses the 4-piece bonus from Delsere's Magnum Opus, pulls enemies with Energy Twister and Ranslor's Folly, and controls them with Slow Time and Black Hole, while tanking everything. Check out the guides below!

Support Wizard Guide

Hey everyone,

in S7 we have seen a revival of the support wizard, and since no one really seems to talk about it and I played it for a bit this season, I decided to make a little guide for it. I tried to keep it short and concise, both the written and recorded parts. I recommend watching the video to see how it works in action, the main aspect (Ranslor's Folly pull) has a very unique mechanic that is easier to understand when you see it.

 

Support Wizard is generally used as the second (with Monk) or third (with Monk + Barb or DH) support in groups and can have a big impact especially in open, dense or dangerous rifts if played correctly, however you need to cooperate with your group a little bit more than with other support classes.

 

Diablofans build

D3planner link

Video link (9min)

 

Skills:

• Energy Twister - Wicked Wind (Ranslor's Folly trigger, Gale Force's 15% additive boost not really worth for its inconsistency with pulls)
• Slow Time - Any Rune (we have all with Crown of the Primus)
• Frost Nova - Bone Chill (33% additive for 2sec)
• Explosive Blast - Chain Reaction (damage red with Orb of Infinite Depth and for proccing Conflagration)
• Black Hole - Event Horizon (remove elite affixes, can be swapped to Wave of Force - Debilitating Force for damage red and globe spawn with Solanium)
• Teleport - Safe Passage (or Wormhole without Cosmic Strand)

Evocation, Conflagration, Unstable Anomaly I would consider as mandatory passives. The last two slots go to Cold Blooded, Blur, Galvanizing Ward or Illusionist.

 

Item setup:

3pc DMO + RoRG, Crown of the Primus, Illusory Boots, Ranslor's Folly + Strongarm or Nemesis (cube one, equip other), Aether Walker, Orb of Infinite Depth + Cosmic Strand (cube one, equip other), Obsidian Ring, Oculus Ring, Aquila Cuirass, String of Ears or Vigilante Belt if you feel tanky enough.

Hellfire Amulet is recommended but not a requirement.

Stack CDR on every piece, after that RCR. A little bit of IAS, CHC and ApoC help but is not really required, stacking defense is viable too.

Legendary gems are Toxin, Gogok and then either Iceblink, Esoteric or Moratorium.

 

Playstyle:

The playstyle is fairly simple, keep up your Orb of Infinite Depth buff and then, most importantly, you are there for pulling monsters together with Twister + Ranslor's Folly. After that you stay in the fight, buff/debuff and remove dangerous elite affixes with Black Hole. Make sure you always have a Slow Time bubble up, especially after entering a new floor, otherwise you lose the DMO 4pc bonus and risk getting oneshot on some pulls. If you don't have a Barb in group, you should also try to pull monsters either via body pull or by using Ranslor to get them closer to the fight or through corridors, doors, etc. Consider watching the videos to see a bit more of the gameplay.

Here's also a GR101 3man clear in 12min I did with this a couple days ago: GR101

 

Enjoy!

The Opera Wing Has Released!
Gamescom Build Preview - Alarak & Zarya Data, Valla / Raynor / Sgt. Hammer Misc Changes
Gamescom Legion Stream - Patch 7.1 Return to Karazhan

Firebird's Finery Hotfix Live

Nevalistis released info about a hotfix for the Firebird's Finery bug that allowed players to use Brawling to keep the set's stacks from falling off. The fix is already, and she also explained why sometimes what determines whether these are fixed by patches or hotfixes.

Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

We will be releasing a hotfix shortly to prevent an unintended interaction with Firebird's Finery and Brawling.

Some of you may be aware that when changing the live game, some changes are done as a hotfix and other fixes wait until a future patch. Sometimes the decision is clear, sometimes it’s more complicated. This particular change falls on the hotfix side of the fence. Aside from technical reasons (in which some require patches while others can be hotfixed), there are several factors we examine when we consider issuing a hotfix.

• First, how much of an advantage does the bug give?
• Second, how likely is it that someone will trigger this bug unintentionally? Is it common that someone will perform it by accident?
• How likely is this bug to impact the performance of players on the leaderboard for the length of the Season?

Looking at all these factors for this particular case we've determined that there is very little chance for accidental use, and it's early enough that resolving this immediately won't result in stale or unbeatable leaderboards for the rest of the Season.

We advise against making use of this bug. As in the past, we will be taking a look on a case by case basis to determine if any action is necessary.

---

The following hotfix is now live:

Items

• Fixed an issue where the benefits from Firebird's Finery could persist after leaving a Brawl (8/17) (source)

Nefarian Co-op Tavern Brawl Playable at gamescom 2016
Gamescom Reveal - Machines of War, New Heroes - Alarak & Zarya, New Skins & Mounts!
Patch 7.0.3 Hotfixes - August 16, Invasion XP Hotfixed, Pre-Expansion Quests Live

Diablo at Gamescom & 20th Anniversary

Blizzard released an interview with senior game designer Wyatt Cheng about Diablo at Gamescom and its 20th anniversary. He talks about what Gamescom will have related to Diablo, the ongoing support of old games and the content added to Reaper of Souls.

Unfortunately there seemed to be no hints about any big reveals coming this weekend. Watch it below!

Daily Quests Fixed! The 50 and 60 Gold Quests Have Returned
Season 1 Extended, Possible Next Hero Tease, Weekly Rotation & Sales - Aug 16th
Warforged Invasion Armor, Event Changes, Shadow Dance, Blue Posts, Tweets, WowCraft

Graw The Herald Problem

Some users are reporting that the new unique Stinging Winds monster, Graw the Herald, is not spawning on consoles. He's responsible for dropping the white Harvest item, also known as the Fallen Pennant. Nevalistis replied saying that their team is investigating the issue.

Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Graw still not spawning on consoles. So did blizzard actually do anything about the missing cosmetic items on the consoles? I'm sure we have farmed for them just as much as our pc counterparts, so it'd be pretty weak if they didn't get fixed for us.

Just popping in to say we have seen this and passed it on to our Quality Assurance for thorough investigation. We don't have any details to share just yet, but as soon as we have an update, we'll let you know!

Season 7 by TeamBRG - Leveling, Fresh 70, GR20 & More

BRGPrincess made an awesome thread on our forum sharing a few very interesting guides.

The basic guides are very similar to what we've been featuring recently, but worth noting in this particular thread is their thoughts on Build progression for each class, which Set Dungeons to master and which to avoid, along with some tips for the Thrill conquest as well. Check it out!

Season 7 2.4.2 Guides: Leveling, Fresh 70 & GR20 with no legendary items, and more

A new season has arrived and hopefully our guides can help you level up, get your free set,

help with speedfarming, complete seasonal journey and conquests, and more.

Leveling Guides: Skill builds and notes on what to change/do as you level up.

• All Classes: General Leveling Guide
• Barbarian Guide | Diablo Fans Leveling Build
• Crusader Guide | Diablo Fans Leveling Build
• Demon Hunter Guide | Diablo Fans Leveling Build
• Monk Guide | Diablo Fans Leveling Build
• Witch Doctor Guide | Diablo Fans Leveling Build
• Wizard Guide | Diablo Fans Leveling Build

Fresh 70 Guides: What to do once you reach Level 70. This includes, most importantly, "HOW TO GET YOUR FREE SET ASAP WITHOUT ANY LEGENDARY ITEMS!" Items to hunt down for, how to spend your resources wisely, etc.

• Barbarian Guide | Dfans Fresh 70 Build | GR20 Build
• Crusader Guide | Dfans Fresh 70 Build | GR20 Build
• Demon Hunter Guide | Dfans Fresh 70 Build | GR20 Build
• Monk Guide | Dfans Fresh 70 Build | GR20 Build
• Witch Doctor Guide | Dfans Fresh 70 Build | GR20 Build
• Wizard Guide | Dfans Fresh 70 Build | GR20 Build

* Builds above cleared GR20 with just the free set, yellows, no pylons and 20 paragons only *

Season 7 General Thoughts and FAQ

What's the best class? Raiment is probably the best class this season.

Best builds for each class in S7?

• Barb: Raekor > Might of the Earth > Wastes > IK is not really counted.
• DH: FoK (tryharding) > UE for 99% of your in-game time > All others are equally "not as good as UE"
• Monk: Raiment > Uliana > Sunwuko >= Inna-based variants
• Wiz : I'm not the most up to date... TRE > Firebird? > Vyr~Delsere
• Crus : LoN / Invoker Thorns > Other Thorns > Lights > Noland > Akkhan doesn't count.
• WD: re-calculating... Emptiness hotfix

What set dungeon should I master for conquest? These are just our findings. Of course, it all boils down to your preference and playstyle. But this should serve as a good starting point if you're lost.

• Barb: Immortal King > MotE (avoid Wastes)
• Crus: Invoker > Lights (avoid Roland)
• DH: All are easy but Natalya's is the easiest! (some people though hate UE)
• Monk: Sunwuko > Inna (avoid Raiment)
• WD: Zunimassa >= Arachyr (avoid Helltooth)
• Wiz: Tal Rasha (yey!) > Firebird (avoid Delsere)

For a complete list, see our Set Dungeon builds and guides.

Want to complete the Thrill conquest? Check our builds here and the guide here.

Click the links for more of our DiabloFans builds and TeamBRG D3 guides.

Ben Brode on Bugged Quests, Mobile Performance, Old Card Backs
Auriel Bundles & Free Skin for EU, Misha Collision Problem, Heroes Chop Shop #4
Legion Zone Preview - Azsuna, Blue Tweets, Build of the Month, DLC #547

WD Builds & Guides Compilation by J_Macc

We recently highlighted some Monk content, so now let's move on to WDs now! J_Macc has put together an incredible compendium of builds on our forums. He's got everything covered, from a starter 6-piece build, solo Greater Rift pushing and Torment farming, as well as a viable group spec.

He has also put together a quick video talking about this initiative and giving the playstyle and gear basics on each build. Definitely check it out!

2.4.2 Witch Doctor "Meta" Build Guide

***Update*** It seems that they've put a hotfix in that Ring of Emptiness now DOES NOT apply to the damage of your pets. I'll be updating the guides accordingly.

Hey everybody!

Just like the previous 2 seasons, here is the Witch Doctor "Meta" build guide. I think it's nice to have all the top builds in one place for a reference, then you can just bookmark the page.

Within the next couple of days I'll be working on fleshing out the written guides as well as uploading videos.

From Hero to Zero - HearthPwn Card Design Competition
Auriel Bundles & Free Skin for EU, Misha Collision Problem, Heroes Chop Shop #4
Azeroth Armory: Forging Doomhammer

Soul Reaver & Jade Harvester WD Guides

If you rolled a Witch Doctor, chances are you got frustrated with the nerf to the interaction between Ring of Emptiness and your Helltooth pets. So today we would like to highlight a couple builds that use the Jade Harvester set - which people might have finished farming by now.

They're all variations of the same base concept, tweaked for different purposes. The first is meant for pushing Greater Rifts, by Schandler17; the second is tuned towards speed farming higher Torments, by HyperionD4; and the last one is a neat video guide by Rhykker. Check them out!

From Hero to Zero - HearthPwn Card Design Competition
Blizzard at Gamescom 2016 & Official Website, Nexus Moments #32, Auriel Tooltip Error
Pre-Expansion Patch Items, August 9 Hotfixes, Blizzard at Gamescom, Overwatch Short

Quin's GR 100+ R6 Generator Monk

We recently featured a build and video guide by Quin on a Monk spec that could quickly farm higher Torment difficulties. Today we would like to highlight a Greater Rift pushing build, for those who are also getting to this point in Season 7. Check out the written and video guides below!

Hey boyz!

In my opinion/experience this build is currently the strongest possible monk setup for pushing the highest SOLO GR on a monk!

This build is trash for T10-13 Speed farming, for a speed build check: http://www.diablofans.com/builds/82237-ltk-monk-t11-13-speed

Please note: I always keep my diablo fans guides up to date and will be making adjustments to the guide whenever there is a shift in meta! so be sure to check back, and vote on the guide!

Basic game-play strategy:

• Dash every 4-6 seconds for the R6 Damage buff
• Cyclone every 5 seconds for 50% damage reduction (Pull monsters to templars Oculus Ring circles)
• Use Breath of Heaven on cooldown (when in combat)
• Use Epiphany on cooldown vs any dangerous monsters (almost everything)
• Hold down Crippling Wave

Important tips:

• You want to have +Max Spirit (secondary) on both weapons & paragon!
• You want to have secondary resist everywhere possible, or else your Harmony won't do anything!
• This build is very squishy, and you need to dodge almost every avoidable "BIG" hit.

Skill variations:

• Dashing Strike - Radiance (for slightly more dmg output but HUGE eHP loss)
• Inner Sanctuary - Temple of Protection (replace MoS - Need heavy CDR, Good for Epiphany downtime)
• WoHF - Fists of Fury (replace Mangle - Holy damage setup, Slightly worse IMO)

(continues...)

The Best and Worst of One Night in Karazhan in the Hearthstone Arena
Auriel Patch Live & Differences From PTR, Main Screen & Portrait Issues, Sacred Sweep Bug
Pre-Expansion Patch Cinematics, August 8 Hotfixes, Level 100 Boost, Blue Posts

Minor 2.4.2 Hotfix - August 10th

A small hotfix was deployed earlier today to fix an issue with achievements on Season 7. See below.

Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

The following hotfix is now live:

Seasons

• Fixed an issue where achievements for reaching levels 10, 20, 30, 40, and 60 were not unlocking (8/10)
  
  • Note: You will need to log out and back in with a level 70 Seasonal hero to retroactively acquire these achievements if you did not receive them previously

Blizzard at Gamescom 2016 & Official Website

Blizzard recently published a blog about their presence at the world's largest gaming event on Cologne, Germany - Gamescom 2016! Most players are sad that the blog does not mention anything major about Diablo, but some hope that "a few surprises in store" tease could still mean something!

The official website is also up, with things like an event schedule, a section for each Blizzard game, information about their in site shop products and more. Check it out!

Originally Posted by Blizzard (Official Post)

The world’s largest interactive entertainment trade fair is coming back to Cologne, Germany from August 17-21 this year, and Blizzard Entertainment will be there with our biggest presence to date!

Mark your calendar for 18:30 CEST on Tuesday, August 16, when we release a special preview video of what we’ll be showcasing at gamescom 2016, including some new game content. You'll be able to watch it all live on the Blizzard gamescom hub.

 

Visitors to the Blizzard gamescom booth in Hall 7 of the Koelnmesse will have the chance to playOverwatch, World of Warcraft, Heroes of the Storm, Hearthstone, Diablo, and StarCraft on more than 500 gaming stations. We’ll also have some epic entertainment on the Blizzard stage, and a few surprises in store.

 

 

In addition to the above activities, we’ll feature our famous dance and costume contests, signing sessions, quizzes, contests, and more—including two performances from Video Games Live on our stage on Friday, August 19 and Saturday, August 20 at 18:00! Attendees at gamescom will also be able to pick up some licensed apparel and collectibles, including some brand-new items, at the Blizzard store in Hall 5.

 

DAILY LIVE STREAMS AND RECAPS

Those who can’t make it to gamescom 2016 in person will still be able to catch all the excitement via daily live streams of our stage activities each day on the Blizzard gamescom hub. Well-known streamers will also be bringing you live action from the Blizzard booth, which you’ll be able to check out directly from the website, along with a daily recap video each evening at 21:00 CEST. Our gamescom site will also be your source for a full schedule of stage activities, a social wall, and more.

 

Additional details about Blizzard at gamescom will be available soon, so stay tuned!

One Night in Karazhan Patch - Golden Cards, Flavor Text, Card Sounds, and More!
Auriel Patch Live & Differences From PTR, Main Screen & Portrait Issues, Sacred Sweep Bug
Pre-Expansion Patch Cinematics, August 8 Hotfixes, Level 100 Boost, Blue Posts

Witch Doctor Cosplay by niamash

niamash, a Diablo fan and cosplayer from Russia, uploaded some neat photos of her Witch Doctor cosplay to her DeviantArt profile. The fidelity and quality of the costume is mind blowing - check it out below!

Quin's T13 Speed LTK Monk

Quin has released a build guide for a Lashing Tail Kick Monk spec, capable of speed farming Torment 13 once you have the right gear. Very cool build that should interest those getting to a point where they can farm the higher difficulties, with lots of gameplay tips on how to maximize its efficiency!

Ben Brode: Purify Will Not Appear in Arena
Auriel Coming Tomorrow, Weekly Rotation & Sales - Aug. 9th, Heroes Chop Shop - Episode #5
Demon Hunters, Invasions, Dark Whispers, and the Broken Shore Live This Week
No Man's Sky Wiki is Live!

End-Game Group Meta in Season 7

By now some of the more dedicated groups are starting to reach the higher Greater Rift echelons, which leaves the question about how the high-end group meta will be shaped on S7. Bagstone has made a very interesting Reddit thread comparing previous PTR and Live metas.

One of the arguments given is that in past seasons the group meta on PTR and towards the end of a season were considerably different. What do you think the end-game group meta will look like in Season 7? What are your groups trying right now?

PTR vs Live Group Meta Comparison

• Season 1

  • PTR: Tiklandian WD, Serenity monk, cold DH, fire DH
  • Final: Tiklandian WD, pull crusader, 2x lightning DH

• Season 2

  • PTR: Tiklandian WD, pull crusader, 2x lightning DH
  • Final: Tiklandian WD, pull crusader, EP monk, fire/mark DH

• Season 3

  • PTR: Tiklandian WD, pull crusader, 2x lightning DH
  • Final: Tiklandian WD, perma-stun crusader, 2x Hydra wizard (1x DH + 1x wizard was more common but double wizard was best)

• Season 4

  • PTR: Pull barb, heal monk, HotA barb, gen/U6 monk
  • Final: Pull barb, heal monk, support crusader, SC monk

• Season 5

  • PTR: Pull barb, LoN crusader, WD/DH, Twister DMO wizard
  • Final: Pull/globes barb, globes monk, support WD, STICKY Twister DMO wizard

• Season 6

  • PTR: Pull barb, support monk, support WD, Twister Tal Rasha wizard
  • Final: Pull barb, support monk, support WD, Twister+Archon Tal+Vyr wizard

(All of this is just from memory, so there might be small mistakes, please point out if you find any)

 

The correct DPS class combination was predicted two times: S1 and S6. NEVER was the correct top DPS spec publicly known by the end of PTR!

The correct support class combination was predicted three times: S2, S3, and S6. Note that those were the seasons in which the support classes stayed the same as in the previous one; NEVER was a change in support classes completely predicted by PTR leaderboards.

 

I hope this sheds some light on how utterly useless it is to look at PTR leaderboards. Also, there has literally been zero testing on high level GRs on PTR; all the top players who have the knowledge and ability to pull off even semi-accurate meta predictions that could top PTR leaderboards are pushing on live. So please stop asking "WHAT IS THE S7 META". You might as well ask if we're gonna have snow on Christmas and get more accurate "predictions" now.

Thank you for this, I hope this will spare us some trouble.

Meanwhile I'm juggling a handful or so d3planner links for 5 different classes (rip Crusader, I only have one build for 2man), it's quite exciting what you can do when Twisters are out of the meta.

I wish Blizzard would give us better options to gear up on the PTR, because even worse than people pushing on live is no one having any items available to test different builds. Why can't we have unlimited bloodshards and bounty mats and 100% legendary chance at Kalada if we want? I usually already save 1-2k bounty mats for PTR only but this barely lasts long enough for testing on my main class.

Yeah, I think the testing environment is not really good. Remove the 2000% legendary buff. It's pointless and annoying and not good for targeted gear farming, and makes any S7 testing pointless (you have full sets before Haedrig's). Just let us buy the gear at a vendor, I think that's how it was ~12 years ago on WoW vanilla PTR.

And damn, would be so interested in the theorycrafting you guys do behind the scenes before the season I only know from certain other people what they knew at the end of PTR. It's also one thing that Wyatt asked for (please test so we can nerf), but there's absolutely no incentive to... quite the contrary, when you find something it gets fixed, plus you lose time to push on live.

Earthbounder has also made a very interesting post summarizing the 2.4.2 PTR leaderboards, which could indicate what groups are trying right now. We're highlighting these two threads are due to how much info they have regarding this topic, and the interesting debate they have generated.

Definitely take some time to check them out!

Patch 2.4.2 PTR Snapshot

 

Just wanted to summarize the PTR leaderboards as we approach the dusk hours of the current PTR. This data says a lot or maybe just a little depending on how you look at it. /u/bagstone has some good insight into the merits of looking at PTR data here ::https://www.reddit.com/r/Diablo/comments/4urdyt/whats_the_expected_4_player_meta_be_like/d5s9ra0. Probably nothing you haven't seen before if you've been following the PTR closely, but maybe you haven't. ;]

 

I grabbed the seasonal data only because its probably a much more accurate reflection for the standard player to be looking at whats achievable at P700-900 as opposed to the ludicrous scaling that can happen at P3k+. Even if you're not a 'leaderboard player', the power gain over time is probably a consistent delta from the best player, so your experience will probably follow right along with this if you tend to be 5-15 GRs behind the top players. This is really the kind of data I'm trying to capture -- what GR clears might look like for the average player who finished the seasonal journey in full and takes a crack at the back of the leaderboards and/or how best to start the season (but not necessarily how to proceed from there). ^^

 

Hopefully this can also serve as an easy link to the slew of "wat is meta?/" posts popping up now that S7 is within view.

I only grabbed data from within the last few weeks, as there have been small changes and hotfixes here and there without a leaderboard reset.

 

On to the data!

Seasonal Solo Barb Top 3 ::

• GR79 LoN Frenzy (p982)

• GR78 R6IK4 Boulder Toss (p657)

• GR76 Leapquake (p786)

Seasonal Solo Crus Top 3 ::

• GR86 Invoker Punish (p878)

• GR84 LoN Bombardment (p667)

• GR82 LoN Bombardment (p821)

Seasonal Solo DH Top 3 ::

• GR83 UE (p893)

• GR82 UE (p936)

• GR82 UE (p710)

Seasonal Solo Monk Top 3 ::

• GR90 SWK Scarbringer LTK (p893)

• GR86 SWK Scarbringer LTK (p870)

• GR86 SWK Scarbringer LTK (p749)

Seasonal Solo WD Top 3 ::

• GR93 Helltooth Gargs (p1044)

• GR92 Helltooth Gargs (p888)

• GR92 Helltooth Gargs (p754)

Seasonal Solo Wizard Top 3 ::

• GR88 Firebird Archon (p798)

• GR88 Firebird Archon (p805)

• GR88 Firebird Archon (p829)

Seasonal Two Player Top 3 ::

• GR95 Helltooth Gargs WD + Support Monk

• GR91 Helltooth Gargs WD + Support Monk

• GR91 Helltooth Gargs WD + Support Monk

Seasonal Three Player Top 3 ::

• GR98 Helltooth Gargs WD + Support Monk + Support Barb

• GR95 Helltooth Gargs WD + Support Monk + Support Barb

• x

Seasonal Four Player Top 3 ::

• GR100 2x Helltooth Gargs WD + Support Monk + Support Barb

• GR95 2x Helltooth Gargs WD + Support Monk + Support Barb

• x

Some notes -- reminder, take data with a grain of salt, especially something as 'overview-y' as this. Most of these chars are not even close to optimized and things definitely will change. Furthermore, classes with lots of changes get tested the most, classes with few changes get tested the least. Stands to reason, right? The class disparity definitely exists, but probably isn't a big as it might seem. Groups are woefully under-represented, so this data is blotchy as best. Top groups are definitely 'hiding' their results.

 

[1] All Top3 Monks are using Scarbringer LTK, but all 3 have a different cube setup, for example. Additionally, while SWK Scarbringer LTK dominates on Seasonal, Shenlong Raiment is appears better with higher scaling on Non Seasonal.

[2] Barb looks to have good variation between LoN Frenzy, IK/RK and Leapquake, but unfortunately is several tiers behind everyone else.

[3] Crusader and DH are still performing decently in solo, but continue to be 'stale'.

[4] WD is the very clear FOTM class for S7. It's completely bizarre that Ring of Emptiness was buffed by as much as it was.

[5] Wizard still looks very viable solo despite the slew of changes.

Popular Decks of the Week for August 7
Account Suspension Wave, Matchmaker Mechanics Explained
Demon Hunter Preview, Upcoming PvP Stat Template Changes, Season 3 Disqualifications

Windows 10 Update Issue

It appears that a recent Windows 10 update is causing problems with Diablo 3, crashing the game. Blizzard's Support has suggested the workaround below, which disables the Game DVR feature. If it doesn't work, you'll need to wait for a solution - we can hope Blizzard devs are working it out.

Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

We have been seeing reports of freezing/crashing after updating Windows 10 to the Anniversary update. Many of these crashes look to be caused by the Game DVR in Windows 10 being enabled. Please try the steps below for disabling it:

Search for "Xbox" and open the Xbox app (You will need to log into your Microsoft Account.
Once open, click on the settings option on the left (Cog Wheel).
Click the slider for the game DVR to turn if off.

If disabling the game DVR does not resolve the issue, please also ensure that your graphics drivers are up to date:
NVIDIA video cards
AMD video cards
Intel video cards

Top 10 Best Builds for S7

Rhykker has put together a quick video going over what he believes to be the top 10 best builds for Patch 2.4.2 and Season 7. Keep in mind the video was made around the time when Ring of Emptiness was nerfed, with its bonus damage no longer applying to pets, so WD builds could be a little off.

In the video he quickly goes over how the build works and what is the basic premise upon which it works, as well as linking a video guide to each - some by him, some by other players. Also do you agree with his choices? What are your top 10 builds for S7? Let us know in the comments!

Karazhan Live Card Reveal Event - All the Newly Revealed Cards
Account Suspension Wave, Matchmaker Mechanics Explained
Camera Zoom Distance Limit Increase, August 4 Hotfixes

Season 7 is Live!

Season 7 has started on all regions - get out there and start racing your friends and clanmates to those leaderboard spots. Best of luck in this season to all of you, fellow Nephalem!

Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Diablo III Season 7 is now live in all gameplay regions! To create a Seasonal hero, select your class, gender, and name as usual, then select the "Seasonal Hero" checkbox on the lower left of the screen. 

What Are Seasons?

Seasons are an optional, recurring game mode that offers PC players the opportunity to periodically start fresh, leveling new Normal or Hardcore heroes from level 1 without any currency, resources, items, or previously earned Paragon experience. Similar to the separation between Normal and Hardcore game modes, Seasonal heroes will also have their own shared stash and Artisan progression. Any currency, materials, recipes, items, Paragon experience, and Artisan progression earned during a Season will be rolled over to a player's non-Seasonal profile once the Season concludes.

Season 7 will offer unique rewards and new challenges for players, including new cosmetic items, pieces of an exclusive Transmogrification set only available to those who participate in Seasons, and Season-only achievements called Conquests. Progress within a given Season will also be tracked on the Leaderboard system, and in the Seasons Journey interface.

To learn more about Season 7, check out our Journey and Rewards previews.

 

Good luck, nephalem! May Kadala be generous and your deeds of valor always be remembered. 

Season 7 Resources & Starter Builds

With the Season starting, we would like to highlight some resources that were recently featured in our daily news posts, such as the Seasonal Journey Tracker by Bagstone and the Pocket Guide by fst_d3. We are also highlighting some starter builds for every class - check them out!

Season 7 Pocket Guide

Card Design Competition Season 4 "Recent Events"
The Nostromia Elo Hell Challenge & MMR Debate, Tracer Nerf Explained
Camera Zoom Distance Limit Increase, August 4 Hotfixes

Season 7 Countdown

Patch 2.4.2 Recap Reminder

A quick reminder for those who are just coming back and missed the news in the last couple days - check out our Patch 2.4.2 recap with all information from the patch in one place!

Patch 2.4.2 PC Hotfixes

A minor hotfix was already deployed to Patch 2.4.2 to fix the interaction between Ring of Emptiness and Witch Doctor pets and followers. See below/

Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Below you will find a list of hotfixes recently applied or coming soon that address various bugs or mechanic tweaks.

These hotfixes should not require you to download a new patch. Some of the hotfixes below will go live the moment they are implemented while others may require restarting the game to go into effect. Please keep in mind that some issues cannot be addressed without a client-side patch. Also note that changes to certain abilities will not be reflected in its tooltip until a patch is issued.

Last updated August 4. Hotfixes are denoted by the date they were applied to live servers.

Previous Hotfixes: [2.3.0] [2.4.0] [2.4.1]

[LIVE HOTFIXES]
Items

• The damage bonus from Ring of Emptiness now only applies to damage dealt directly by the Witch Doctor, and not pets or followers (8/4)
  
  • For more information on this change, see this post.

Patch 2.4.2 Console UEE Hotfixes

Consoles also had their own share of hotfixes deployed recently to fix some issues with Patch 2.4.2. Check the list below.

Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Several hotfixes have been deployed to the Ultimate Evil Edition on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. As we know some of you have been eagerly awaiting this news, we've consolidated this news in one place for your convenience.

These hotfixes should not require you to download a new patch. Some of the hotfixes below will go live the moment they are implemented while others may require restarting the game to go into effect. Please keep in mind that some issues cannot be addressed without a client-side patch. Also note that changes to certain abilities will not be reflected in its tooltip until a patch is issued.

Patch notes are denoted by the date on which they were applied.

Last updated August 4, 2016

• Fixed an issue where Energy Twisters cast for free by Etched Sigil would not despawn properly when produced by Arcane Torrent. (8/4)
• Fixed an issue where Mythic Rhythm would be consumed by Exploding Palms cast by the Uliana's 2-piece bonus. (8/2)
• Note: Mythic Rhythm should only apply to Spirit Spenders that are cast manually, not by items or set bonuses.
• The internal cooldown for gaining stacks for Chantodo’s Resolve now dynamically updates with your Attack Speed. (8/2)
• Dungeon of Firebird’s Finery
• Fixed an issue where players would not always get credit for igniting 20 enemies within 3 seconds. (8/2)

The following hotfix is now live for both XB1 and PS4:

• Fixed an issue where Energy Twisters cast for free by Etched Sigil would not despawn properly when produced by Arcane Torrent. (8/4)

Crowd Control PTR Bug

Nevalistis replied to a post clarifying a PTR bug with the recently tweaked monster's crowd control resistance. She explained that in the PTR some skills could push that resistance to higher numbers, but that in the live 2.4.2 version that has been fixed. Read below.

Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Vox already made a post several days ago in the bug forum about this subject-
This is in regards to 2.4.2 PTR, It has not been addressed or fixed.
Continuous knockbacks, the ones that are supposed to only at 20% instead of the new 40% actually can ramp up a monsters Crowd Control Resistance past 100% up to such numbers even as high as 300% reportedly*
THIS MEANS -- If you use a spell like Blackhole, Piranahado, Draw and Quarter.. (dependent on which one of course) I assume he was talking about Blackhole, but using Pirahanas on WD seems to have the same affect..
It will take 30 seconds before a mob is able to be crowd controlled at all after one use of blackhole.. because each single pull within the pull is adding 20% instead of just 20% 1 time.
Please Fix this Blizzard. WD solo might be greatly shifted if this isnt changed.. Sader may not be in group just because of this bug if it is fixed. I dont know for sure, all I know is according to your description of the change, and uh logic, (it doesnt make sense to have CC resist go over 100%) that this probably isnt intended.
Thank you for your time.
Good work on 2.4.2!

Continuous knockbacks, the ones that are supposed to only at 20% instead of the new 40% actually can ramp up a monsters Crowd Control Resistance past 100% up to such numbers even as high as 300% reportedly*

There was indeed a known issue during the PTR where ongoing crowd control effects like Steed Charge or Black Hole would apply too much Crowd Control resistance. However, a fix for this was included in 2.4.2 when it was released earlier this week. While it's still possible to ramp up monsters beyond 100% CC Resistance, you shouldn't be seeing anywhere near 300%.

This is the reason it's not tracked in the patch notes; only changes that are/were visible on the live servers are included in the patch notes, which was a decision made for the purpose of clarity. Hope that clears up any confusion.

Why Change Ring of Emptiness

Nevalistis also explained why the devs changed the Ring of Emptiness interaction with WD pets, and the reason for it not being deployed with the patch and instead being applied as a hotfix afterwards. Long story short, it's about keeping builds competitive with one another. See below for more info.

Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Now, I think blizz intended to make jade and maybe arachyr more competitive with gargs by boosting roe.

This was certainly the intention.

I forgot to add a suggestion to this ring. The ring should apply the 300% dmg only to you and not your pets.

And this is a great suggestion - one we've seen from a lot of great Witch Doctors who gave feedback, and it lines up with the change we have in store. The Helltooth/Gargantuan build surfaced during a time on PTR in which we were already submitting our final builds to the production line. This means changes we could make were limited for the actual deployment build, so an adjustment didn't make the patch launch.

The good news is we've been working on a hotfix instead. Ring of Emptiness now only works on damage dealt directly by your Witch Doctor and not your pets. This hotfix should hit servers momentarily, well before the launch of Season 7.

I do want to thank the community for your discussions and testing. Your passion, dedication, and pursuit of fair play are a valuable contributor in making Diablo III the best it can be!