Connect with us
Are you still troubled by some tough bosses in Elden Ring? Are you looking for a powerful build to dominate in the upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree DLC? If yes, then don’t miss this guide!
Today I’m going to show you an overwhelming Strength build. This build requires a significant investment in strength, but is easy to get started early in the game. Not only that, but players can transition from a pure strength build to many other variants later, making it an excellent starting build for Elden Ring DLC.
So, what does our build require? For weapons, we choose Executioner’s Greataxe. It has a solid 115 critical damage followed by strong strength scaling.
In addition, we need Ash of War Cragblade, brew Flask of Wondrous Physick, and obtain three Insignia Talismans each: Axe Talisman, Blue Dancer Charm, and Ritual Sword Talisman.
Don’t forget that the most important thing is to prepare enough Elden Ring Runes, whether it is to equip weapons or upgrade stats, this is crucial.
First, let’s start with the basics of farming Greyoll Dragon. But before we head to the dragon, let’s quickly get Lordsworn’s Greatsword, which we’ll later upgrade with Ash of War Sacred Blade to easily use our primary weapon.
On the way to Baron, we naturally grabbed the two halves of Dectus Medallion, all Souls, and other fun stuff at each campfire. For example, while riding to reach the first half of Fort Haight, we can grab Axe Talisman in Mistwood Ruins, which increases the damage of charged attacks. Just nearby, close to the gigantic tree, we can also find Crystal Tear.
In addition, we have to smash the lowly dung beetle north of Third Church of Marika to get Ash of War Sacred Blade.
Once we find Greyoll, quickly grab the back half of Medallion and take him down the usual way. You then need to divide your hard-earned Souls as follows: 20 for Vigor, and the remaining Souls for one real stat, Strength. Don’t forget to continue collecting Boss Souls during the rest of your journey.
Now we are ready to start farming our weapons. Imprint Ash of War on Greatsword, then travel to Liurnia of the Lakes. Ride past Stormveil Castle on the right and reach the first bonfire in Liurnia.
From there, you can already see a church, behind which the thugs with Executioner’s Greataxe are waiting. We can defeat him with Ash of War until he drops our axe. This enemy has a 5% drop chance, which may sound small at first, but it never took me more than 15 minutes.
We now have a coveted weapon that only requires the necessary leveling materials. Well, head to Liurnia of the Lakes and quickly get the key from the dragon, then head straight to Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel where we’ll get Smithing Miner’s Bell Bearing [1] and upgrade our Greataxe to +6.
When we were done, we could beat the crap out of our opponents. But we also need a proper Ash of War.
To the southeast of Fort Gael, at the bottom of Caelid, we will get Ash of War Cragblade, which gives our weapons 15% more poise and 10% more damage. This also makes this Strength build even crazier.
Also, don’t forget to upgrade your axe to heavy immediately for better strength scaling.
Now, there is another Talisman that is very important. It is a Blue Dancer. Head to Stormveil Castle, ride east to the bridge next to Mad Pumpkin Head, and cross the vortex into the depths. In the cave, after defeating the boss, we will find Blue Dancer Charm, which increases our damage at a low equipment weight.
Another high-level Medallion is Ritual Sword Talisman, which gives us an additional 10% damage when the health is full. Take the grand elevator to Altus Plateau. From there, head north to Lux Ruins, briefly applaud Queen, and pick up this gorgeous piece of gear from the chest.
We are far from done. From the ruins, enter Sealed Tunnel, go through the gate and climb the stairs, where you can obtain Smithing Miner’s Bell Bearing [2]. Now you can upgrade your axe to +12 and you will have B-scaling in strength.
Now that everything is ready, here comes the slightly tricky part. We will return to the bonfire in Fort Faroth and defeat Putrid Avatar under the tree. He’s a bit tricky in my opinion, but with focus, it can definitely be done.
It only took me about three or four charged attacks to break his stance, and after about two or three turns, he would die and drop Crystal Tear. Together with the previous one, we will brew a Flask of Wondrous Physick. It further increases the charged attack and stance damage dealt.
Now we want to bring the weapon up to A-scaling. We can find many Smithing Stones in Caelid’s Sellia Crystal Tunnel and Altus Tunnel. Once you have all Smithing Stones, you can upgrade your axe one last time to +18, with A-scaling. Now you are ready to start a glorious adventure!
These are all the tips you need to know to complete this Strength build. What do you think of this build? What do you think was helpful? In this spirit, my brave heroes, have a great time and have a great day!
With the arrival of New World Season of the Guardian, players will need a lot of gold to upgrade their gear to reach a 700 gear score. Therefore, farming enough gold coins has become our primary goal of entering the new season as always.
In this gold farming guide, we show you how to make 4-5k gold per hour by farming Dark Hide, and share the best tips and places to farm Dark Hide in Season 5. These top farm locations will earn your tons of New World Coins. Without further ado, let’s get started!
Dark Hide is a rare material in New World that can be obtained by skinning high-level beasts and is used to craft powerful armor and weapons that require a high level of Skinning skill. For example, you can use it in the step of making Prismatic Leather.
As you can see, the current price of Dark Hide in America Northeast region is not very high at 0.65 to 0.75 gold per coin, but you can earn some pretty good coins from it as well.
Let’s start by talking about some tips you need to pay attention to when farming. First, don’t forget to wear farming gear. In my case, these items bring me Skinning Luck.
By the way, Regular Luck and Trade Skill Luck are completely different things. The first increases the drop rate of enemy items, and the second gives you additional resources during gathering. Here we need the second one.
The best item to increase farm luck is Earring. An Earring can give you almost +10% extra luck. And don’t forget to respec your attributes. We need maximum Dexterity, which will increase our yield and luck.
Killing mobs in some areas will drop up to 100 Dark Hide. If available, you can use Savory Fish Cake so you can increase your chances of getting rare items when skinning them, as well as get a little extra gold.
In addition, playing music can also increase your gathering yield. If you wish, you can also use Powerful Proficiency Boost, which increases the amount of resources collected using tools by 15% for 30 minutes.
Next, let’s talk about a few of the best locations for farming Dark Hide in Season 5.
Our first farming site is located in Dredged Landing in the lower right corner of the map. You can see two Shrines here, and you can see the path from one Shrine to the other. There are many lions and scarabs on your path. Farm them to get Dark Hide, Scarhide and Smolderhide. But the drop rate of the latter two is smaller, which is why we need farm luck.
Also at the bottom of the map, where Crocodiles appear, brings us the same resources. You can run and farm the location in a loop.
Another really cool place is Isle of Zurvan. Shrine of the Lion is in this area, and you can also go here to attack Mammoths, but your main farming target here is Chameleon. They are fast and disappear at any time, but are easily killed. The best way is to get close to them so they don’t disappear.
After you kill these Chameleons, you can go over and fight those Mammoths like I said. You can earn thousands of gold coins per hour using this method.
Of course, you can use things like your horse and fast travel to speed up farming efficiency. But in reality, these locations are very close, so it doesn’t make much sense.
In addition, there are a lot of lions here, and killing them will drop a lot of Dark Hide. What’s more, there’s a high monster density here, with 25 to 30 appearing at once not uncommon, making this a quick farming location. Especially if you use a powerful weapon like an Axe or a Spear, you’ll most likely be able to kill them super fast here.
Another location worth paying attention to is Elysian Wilds, where most enemies that drop Dark Hide can be found around the entire area. Most of the enemies here are level 63 and above, so make sure you’re above that and head in any direction that has a variety of beasts in an area to increase your farming efficiency.
I will list three locations with more animal habitats: Hornhold Labyrinth, Shirzad’s Pride, and an elite area in the southern Elysian Wilds.
At the entrance to Elite Zone, you have by far the best spot to farm Dark Hide, where you’ll hunt Mammoths. This area is full of them. They are very high level and are powerful opponents, but their rewards are also very large. Try taking them one by one to make your farming easier. Don’t forget that when you have good gear, you will fight multiple enemies.
The last location is at the end of the elite area in Abandoned Temple. This area is full of lions, and they may offer fewer rewards than Mammoths. However, they are top level, and the higher the level of a creature, the rarer the loot it receives. It should be noted that you can skin Vanash here, so that you can also get some designated item drops.
Anyway, that’s the end of this guide. Hopefully, these tips have been helpful so you can find some places to farm your Dark Hide efficiently and earn a little gold. Good luck!
Finesse Shot and Controlled Sprint are both old meta on FC 24, so what is the new meta on FC 24? That’s exactly what we’re going to learn today. In this guide, we’ll take a look at 4 game-changing new meta Skill Moves. Without further ado, let’s get started!
First, there is a new Skill Move introduced at FC 24 this year, and that is Flair Nutmeg. Even at the highest levels of the game, Flair Nutmeg and Flair Nutmeg Pass are the most impactful weapons.
I’m talking about Pro vs Pro gameplay, but not many people are using it in their games. I rarely encounter players using Flair Nutmeg Pass. As a new meta-Skill Move, this is definitely worth learning.
Flair Nutmeg is a new 5-star skill in EA FC. This means you can only use it on players with a 5-star Skill Move. To get the most out of Flair Nutmeg, it is necessary to spend FC 24 Coins on explosive players such as Kylian Mbappé, Marcus Rashford, or Ousmane Dembélé.
In fact, executing Flair Nutmeg is actually pretty simple. All you have to do is hold down L1/LB and R1/RB, flick the right analog stick to cancel the movement and rush in the specified direction. While we recommend using Flair Nutmeg to get into the side areas, you can go wherever you want.
So what is Flair Nutmeg Pass? It’s best used on wings. While we’re doing Flair Nutmeg, I’m going to press X, which will cancel Nutmeg animation. Then I’ll pass the ball to the excellent players. It’s a game-changer!
When you go down the side, your opponent may expect you to go straight in this game, but you have to surprise it. At this moment, the best way to surprise him is to use Flair Nutmeg Pass. This way, you can take a clever shot when your opponent isn’t expecting it. Now you have a new weapon to use on Wings.
One way to defend against Flair Nutmeg is to take a few steps back and hold L2 in line with Skill Move to make a tackle. However, be careful with this strategy, as missed tackles can leave a lot of room for the opposing striker.
Next on our list is Inverted Trivela. This Trivela technique involves hitting the ball with the outside of the foot, creating a turning effect. Use this technique during a match to surprise your opponents.
The goal is approached from that corner based on the player’s dominant foot. For example, if you are a right-footed football player, run towards the goal from the right side. Make sure to stay diagonal to the goal; otherwise, you won’t be able to get the shooting angle Trivela needs.
Before shooting, press and hold L2/LT button on your gamepad. Aim for the far post and keep shooting.
The far post detail is crucial here. The goal is to use the outside of your foot to shoot the ball into a corner that the goalkeeper cannot reach. So, no matter which corner you attack from, aim in the opposite direction of the goalkeeper on your gamepad.
Shooting ability is also something to pay attention to. It is crucial to adjust the power based on the distance from the target. Failure to do so could result in a shot being deflected or leaving it too easy for the goalkeeper to catch the ball.
Next we have Crossing. Crossing is the best trick we’ve seen since FIFA 19. And FC 24 Crossing is crazy and you really need to master it. Even at the highest levels of play, it’s the most threatening skill.
Classic Crossing in EA FC 24 is one of the best ways to get the ball into the box, especially when the forward is in a suitable position. However, it is important not to use too much force when passing the ball, lest the ball fly over the player’s head. Before you pass the ball, make sure your attacker is ready to receive the ball and shoot to complete the move.
There are many players in the game who can fill this role for you. As you can see, we have Ronaldo as RF and RAM, and what you want to do is you want to use L1 Square Cross. You can use it once you are in and around the area, or even inside the box. It will increase the force by 1 to 1.5 bars, making it more difficult for the goalkeeper to catch crosses.
The last one on the list is Player Lock Fake. Player Lock Fake is a game-changing move that you really need to master.
So how to implement Player Lock? You just need to hold down L3 and R3, then flick the right stick toward the player. So how do you fake it? You can cancel it by pressing R3 and L3 again.
Just like you can see in the example. If you’re running down the wing and a player moves inside. After you do this, most opponents will try to track the run. Then you just cancel it and choose another option directly. It’s all about finding space, utilizing space and creating space.
That’s it for the four new meta Skill Moves we’re talking about here: Flair Nutmeg Pass, Inverted Trivela, Crossing and Player Lock Fake. These are powerful skills that can change the rules of the game, so come and try them out!
Talking about defending in FC 24, there are 3 types of defending, which are Legacy, Tactical, and Advanced Defending. However, you can’t use Legacy Defending in competitive mode, meaning you can’t use it to play online games.
So, if you want to learn how to defend in FC 24, Tactical and Advanced Defending is what you need to learn.
In Legacy Defending, by holding X, your player will press the ball holder.
But that’s not how it works in Tactical and Advanced Defending. This is what will happen if you hold X or A to contain in Tactical and Advanced Defending: observe the behavior of the player with the indicator.
Instead of the player standing in front of the attacker and challenging him, he will just run beside him. That means, in Tactical and Advanced Defending, you need to be the one to control the behavior of your defenders.
Jockeying is crucial to control the behavior of your players when defending.
Whenever your opponent is approaching, instead of holding X or A to press the attacker, what you need to do is hold L2 or LT button. By holding the L2 or LT button, your player will stand in a good shape to defend.
Then, use your left analog to move your player while holding the L2 or LT button.
Whenever you’re using the Jockey, your first objective is to deny him of free passage. Your second objective is to place yourself in a position to block any shot he plays. Your third objective is to wait for him to try and dribble past you. But since you’re standing in front of him, you will win the ball.
The last thing is to wait for the perfect time to use Stand Tackle to win the ball.
To use Stand Tackle in Tactical or Advanced Defending, press the button you used to shoot.
You can also use Hard Stand Tackle. This is more effective than a normal Stand Tackle. Hold R1 or RB, then press Circle to use this.
Whenever you want to make the tackle, make sure it’s from forward to avoid any foul. If you tackle from behind, you will give away a free kick or penalty inside the box.
Also, get the timing right because if you miss a tackle, it won’t be easy to recover with that player.
Now, let’s go back to Jockey and talk about how to use Speed Jockey and when to use it.
Once you hold L2 or LT to activate your Jockey, your player’s speed will reduce. So, if the attacker is moving fast in front of you, you need to use the Speed Jockey to keep up with him.
To perform this, hold your Sprint button together with the Jockey button. There are some situations in which your opponent will get past you while using Jockey.
Then, you need to take your hands off the Jockey button and let your player run at full speed to get the ball. To do this, use your left analog and Sprint button only to control your player.
Let’s talk about how to keep a good defensive structure when playing the game.
If you use all the defensive techniques very well but can’t keep a good structure when defending, it won’t be enough. That is why I’m going to teach you how to avoid those common mistakes that always make your defense slack.
Firstly, whenever your opponent is attacking, don’t ever press with any one of your 2 center backs. Pressing with either one of them will destroy your defensive shape. If your opponent is a good attacker, he will utilize the opportunity you gave him.
To keep a good defensive shape, your right back, left back, and 2 center backs should be intact with no cursor on them. If you rush out to press with one of your center backs with no 100% guarantee of winning the ball back, you will leave your defense vulnerable.
It’s not forbidden to switch to your center backs. You can switch to your center back to anticipate and stop your opponent’s movement. Once I see his opponent making a run, I switch to the center back to stop the run. The difference here is that I switch to my center back to drop back. The other one is that I switch to my center back to press. You should know the difference and avoid making mistakes.
Anytime your opponent is attacking, press with your midfielders or any other players except the center back. Pressing with your midfielders will keep your defensive shape, and your opponents will find it hard to go through.
Of course, if you learn these tips and know how to properly invest your FC 24 Coins in your players, winning various games easily will be a piece of cake for you!
Greetings and welcome to the latest guide for WoW Classic Season of Discovery Phase 2, with a primary emphasis on the Feral Druid within PvP.
I've labeled it as speculation due to the uncertainty surrounding the runes scheduled for the upcoming phase. Thus, our discussion will revolve around the runes speculated on forums and the essential abilities that Feral Druids urgently require for improved playability in PvP.
Phase 1 was and still is very rough and unfair for Feral when it comes to PvP. We are forced to play every kind of hybrid build with Cat Form kiting and Sunfire spams. But that’s not the cat we want. I mean, we are not even using Feral abilities and Feral talents, so we can’t really consider it as a Feral. On the other side, if you try to use cat abilities as the main source of DPS, we still run the balance tree to get the clarity and pray for it to proc for the instant Shred because it’s unusable with 60 energy and not so good DPS. The only good thing is the Feral talent that allows us to refresh 40 energy instantly whenever we shape-shift, but that’s also limited because of mana problems.
Our other spells are Rake and Shred. Rake has so low DPS even with Savage Roar and Mangle bleed buff, and it costs the same as Mangle but does less DPS. Feral is almost made as a one-ability class in this phase, which I can’t accept.
But before we jump into runes’ prediction and the things we hope we get in the next phase, let’s talk about abilities and talents.
At Level 40, there is some fantastic news for new abilities. We are finally getting our stealth opener ability, Pounce. So, we don’t walk cluelessly around in stealth just to hit a Mangle. Pounce allows us to hit 1 free ability, get 2 combo points, and hit a couple of auto attacks while our target is still stunned. However, we still have energy issues.
Another opener ability we got between Levels 20 and 40 is Ravage, which actually deals with some nice damage but costs 60 energy and doesn’t stun the target. So, we need Pounce to get actual opening damage with these 2 different abilities. Having in mind that with Pounce, we deal with a couple of auto attacks while the target is stunned.
Next, the brand-new ability is finally another combo point finisher called Ferocious Bite. It deals instant damage, unlike Rip, which deals damage over time. However, the use of these 2 is situational, but Rip still remains the best DPS finisher with numbers.
But it’s not always about the numbers in PvP. New levels don’t bring us just attacking potential news but also defensive ones. At Level 40, we are getting Dire Bear Form and Frenzied Regeneration, which boosts our defensive capabilities a lot. A Level 40 Druid with proper PvP items and the talent Survival of the Fittest had some insane HP, like 4,500 health and about 40% to 50% reduced damage. And when we add Frenzied Regeneration on top of that, that makes Druids insanely hard to kill in Phase 2 in Bear Form.
Next to offensive and defensive capabilities, we also have a Cat Form Dash and Travel Form so we can actually close the gap with enemies or kite them and heal. But wait, a lot of shape-shifting also requires a lot of manas. But there is also a solution for that. We are getting innervate at Level 40, which regens our mana on some insane scales, so we can actually shape-shift and heal in the middle of the fight.
These abilities and possibilities bring Feral Druid surely onto another level when it comes to PvP. We are not a one-ability spec anymore.
For talents, we can finally spend our points where they belong - in a Feral tree. Some of the important and matchable talents would be Sharpened Claws, which increases our crit chance in Cat Form by 6%, and Blood Frenzy, which adds another combo point whenever we make a Critical Strike with an ability. This is one of the game-changers and the start of the better times that will come for Feral Druids.
On top of that, this talent will make Druids actually stack agility instead of strength because now we have direct advantages for our Critical Strike, which wasn’t the case in Phase 1. Strength still gives us 2 points of attack power, while Agility gives us 1 point and gives us bonus armor, dodge, and crit. For every 20 points of Agility, we get 1% of critical chance.
The next important talent we are getting is Improved Shred, which reduces its cost by 11 energy. And by the time we hit level 40, we will have a Level 3 Shred with some increased damage, plus a 30% bonus scale from Mangle bleed effect. So prepare yourself in case these crits.
Other mentions would be Savage Fury, which finally boosts our Rake damage and will probably make it worth with Savage Roar and Mangle bonus, like in Phase 1, where damage sucked hard. But this talent also increases the Claw damage, which means our Mangle is getting buffed once again for the same energy cost.
There are also Predatory Strikes and Heart of the Wild for Faerie Fire (Feral), and even Feral Aggres sion in case we decide to go for Ferocious Bite damage.
As I mentioned because there are a lot of variations we can try, and all that still depends on runes we are actually getting in Phase 2. And with runes being mentioned, let’s see what we had on the runes’ wishlist: Eclipse, Berserk and Tree of Life. So, they are more or less aiming for each spec to have their ultimate rune. These 3 would be surely the game-changers in both PvP and PvE.
Berserk would surely make a big difference, especially in PvP, where we could hit 5, 6, or 7 Mangles in a row, which on this damage scale would be probably absurd. While in PvE, Berserk is already decent with DPS, so getting this ability would be a blast. But I don’t think we are getting Berserk in this phase. I think that’s an ability saved for later phases.
Still, it’s not impossible because we don’t know what runes other specs are getting. So, I would rather talk about realistic things that Feral lacks at the moment and the runes that would be nice to get for a much better experience in PvP.
The first thing that comes to my mind, thinking about PvP and PvE, is a Tiger’s Fury. This ability is completely useless at the moment. With a 30 energy cost, this energy cost should be zero, or even better for Feral, would be something like a talent from the Cat called King of the Jungle to make our Tiger’s Fury restore 20, 30, or 40 energy when used and keep the ability damage bonus. That would be a blast in both PvP and PvE, especially in PvP because now we got Pounce opener, and this would lead to instant 3 to 4 combo points in the opener without our enemy moving at all.
While we still talk about offensive runes, I have to mention Primal Gore. This one would be amazing, but I think it’s less likely to happen, and we would probably need to sacrifice one of the other PvP runes we are talking about now if we want to use it. Probably, this one would be used much more in PvE.
The next game-changing rune for PvP would surely be Predatory Strikes. With 5 combo points, we get an instant ability, which we can use either for Entangling Roots to kite or instant healing like Healing Touch. This rune would improve survivability and stability in fights, so we don’t need to constantly shift into Travel Form and waste tons of mana on shape-shifting. I don’t even think this is something unfair when I compare it to the Priest survival ability and damage in Phase 1, which is insane.
And the last thing Feral Druid needs is some kind of slow to control the fight and make Shreds easier to land. A perfect solution could be Infected Wounds with a 50% movement speed reduction debuff from Mangle. But this one wouldn’t be a game-changer to actually waste 1 whole rune on this. For example, a combination of 70% from agility into healing done and a 50% slow on Mangle should be a nice combination for just 1 rune, which would add much more stability in our fights.
Something that could also be considered adding in Phase 2, for example, Apex Predator’s Craving, where our Rip has a chance to proc Ferocious Bite. Because I feel that Ferocious Bite won’t be used much since we have so much bonus bleed damage, and Rip just outperforms it for pure numbers. This free Ferocious Bite damage doesn’t need to be at maximum 5 combo points.
Leveling with Druid has never been better. In Diablo 4 Season 3, we managed to combine poison with lightning to create one of the best hybrid builds that lets you level with ease. This build has insane AOE damage, raining lightning from the sky continuously, all the while spreading poison, which infects the entire screen.
Unlike other early-level Druid builds, this one has absolutely no issue with Spirit, as we have 2 skills that instantly give us large chunks of spirit, again and again. There are absolutely no items or RNG aspects that are required for the build. Everything is obtained from the Codex or very early in the seasonal quest line.
If you have zero or low amounts of spirit, the first 2 skills you want to use are Blood Howl and Trample. Blood Howl provides you with 20% Health instantly, and then, thanks to Innate Blood Howl, you also gain a chunk of spirit. Trample is a great movement tool and good for burst damage, but thanks to Savage Trample, it now also provides a large amount of spirit on the cast.
The first attack you want to use in a pack of enemies is Rabies, which spreads poisoning damage to them. This season, we also have the Virulent Aspect, which is unlocked from the very first chapter of the season and will cause your Rabies cooldown to significantly lessen, which means you can use Rabies more often, and that is absolutely huge for that damage boost.
With Envenom, you’ll deal much larger crits against enemies that are poisoned, and thanks to Neurotoxin, any poisoned enemies are slow, which is important because Nature’s Reach, another passive, causes you to deal double the damage bonus against slowed enemies.
Poison Creeper is another ability you want to pop early on, as it immobilizes enemies, meaning Nature’s Reach is active, and thanks to Brutal Poison Creeper, your Critical Strike Chance goes up by a whopping 20%. Now, you can use your Lightning Storm ability, which can cause massive crits.
With the combination of abilities and passive stacking, clearing out large enemy packs will be a breeze. Thanks to Enhanced Blood Howl, once you start killing enormous packs of enemies, Blood Howl’s cooldown will be significantly reduced, and then you should use Blood Howl to constantly get your spirit and health back whenever it’s off cooldown.
If Trample and Blood Howl are on cooldown and you need Spirit, then we can use our Wind Shear basic attack, which is the best basic attack for Druid because it causes enemies to become vulnerable and increases your movement speed, which makes Druid much more efficient at speed leveling.
To summarize, use your spirit generators, then pop Rabies and Poison Creeper whenever off cooldown, then spam Lightning Storm. Then, pop your spirit generators again whenever they’re off cooldown. And if they’re on cooldown, you need to chuck in a few Wind Shears for that spirit.
The same rotation applies to bosses. This build may not have the best single-target boss damage, but because of the constant healing, you’re not going to struggle at all. It’ll just take slightly longer than some of the other classes out there.
So, let’s go over the skill tree in more detail. The priority when you’re leveling is to unlock a new skill on the toolbar rather than upgrading an already existing ability, and some of the earlier passive packs we actually get later on as we’re leveling. So, put one point into Wind Shear, which is our main spirit generator, and then one point into Enhanced Wind Shear and Fierce Wind Shear.
1 point into Lightning Storm, 1 point into Enhanced Lightning Storm, and then 1 point into Primal Lightning Storm, so we can immobilize enemies and take advantage of the several damage boosts. This build provides. You’ll want to max out Lightning Storm to 5 out of 5 ranks pretty quickly, as it’s your main DPS option. Along with unlocking new skills, side by side, unlock Blood Howl, along with Enhanced and Innate Blood Howl as soon as possible, so you can get healing and spirit more efficiently.
Then go for Poison Creeper, alongside Enhanced and Brutal Poison Creeper. Once Lightning Storm is 5 out of 5, put 1 point into Rabies, then go and put 1 point into Trample, which will help with mobility and burst damage. 1 point into Enhanced Trample and Savage Trample so you can then have another ability which generates spirits.
Then go back and get Enhanced and Natural Rabies, which will make the skill much more efficient. Eventually, you’ll want to get Rabies to 5 out of 5. Now, the rest of the skill tree focuses on passives. Put 1 point into Neurotoxin, so you can put 3 points into Envenom, 3 points into Nature’s Reach for more damage against crowd-controlled enemies, 3 points into Defiance for more damage against elites, 3 points into Circle of Life for constant healing whenever you cast Lightning Storm or Wind Shear.
Thanks to Circle of Life, whenever we cast Lightning Storm, we gain back even more healing. So just combined with Blood Howl, you’ll never need to pop a potion. All this healing is great because it means we can use our key passive, Ursine Strength, and deal 25% increased damage whenever we have more than 80% Health, which seems to be nearly all the time, thanks to the constant healing.
Put 3 points into Natural Disaster, one point into Heart of the Wild, so you can put 3 points into Wild Impulses, and 3 points into Abundance. 3 points into Predatory Instinct for more Critical Strike chance, and finally, 1 point into Elemental Exposure and 1 point into Charged Atmosphere, so you can put 3 points into Electric Shock, which can further increase damage against immobilized enemies.
Let’s go over the aspects I recommend while leveling. Every single aspect comes from the codex or seasonal quest line early on, so you aren’t at the mercy of RNG. For offensive aspects, Edgemaster's Aspect is good at increasing damage based on how much spirit you have when you cast Lightning Storm. Aspect of Inner Calm boosts damage for each second you standstill, which is because you’re channeling Lightning Storm and getting constant healing, is very much possible.
Shepherd’s Aspect increases your damage by 6% for each companion. Poison Creeper is a companion, so that does count for that little boost. Nighthowler's Aspect boosts Critical Strike chance whenever you use Blood Howl. For Utility or resource aspects, the Virulent Aspect, as I mentioned before, is very good as it reduces Rabies cooldown as it spreads.
And then, Aspect of the Umbal is another one I’d recommend to maybe put on one of your rings, as it will boost spirit generation quite a bit, as we constantly slow or immobilize enemies with this build, which all counts as crowd control. There are no defensive aspects that are a requirement, but Aspect of Disobedience to boost armor and Aspect of Might for easy damage reduction are beneficial aspects. But trust me, you won’t need these because of the constant healing the build provides.
There’s not much to say for gear. You’re going to be constantly out leveling gear, so keep on replacing it. This especially applies to your weapon, which you want the highest GPS weapon for.
If you’re playing on the seasonal realm, you’ll have the Seneshcal Construct. There are obviously some very strong legendary and unique stones, but these are dropped much later on in the game, so you won’t encounter a lot of them early on while leveling.
Early on, for leveling, I found the Utility Aspects more useful. Reconstruct helps even more with healing and survivability, while Protect gives you a barrier on top to help with survivability. If you don’t have these, then an attacking skill with Poison support can help to poison more enemies and apply slow to them through Neurotoxin. You’ll deal more damage efficiently. Support boosts Critical Strike Chance even more, and Slowing support adds even more slow to the mix.
If you do have Arcing support alongside an attack, you can use Resource support. You can gain back massive amounts of spirit. Unfortunately, I don’t have this combo unlocked, but if you do, by chance, get these stones, do use them, as that will help your spirit generation a lot. Have a play around with the combinations. There are some useful ones, but don’t get caught up too much on this while leveling. Most of the power from this comes from the endgame.
So there you have it, my Poison Lightning Hybrid build for Level 1 to 50. It’s faster, stronger, and just better than all previous Druid leveling builds, and you’ll be level 50 in no time.
As a Madden 24 player, my approach revolves around coverage strategies. Each year, certain metas such as corner routes and bunch trips tight formations tend to trouble many players online. I take immense pride in effectively countering these prevalent metas through strategic coverage adjustments. In this guide, I will dissect 5 tips, catering to players ranging from beginners to those seeking super-advanced techniques. These insights are designed to elevate your coverage skills swiftly.
Let’s start it off with the number 5 tip. You should be playing the game of base align auto-alignment. If you don’t play with base align, every coverage that you could call is going to come with tells. Let’s come out on Cover 1. First things first, you see that we have a single high alignment. Notice the alignment of our 2 safeties, 2 high Cover 2 Man. Now let’s audible to Tampa 2. Notice the width change in the outside corners. Now it’s audible to Cover 3, single high, but kind of looks like Cover 1.
Let’s take a look back at Cover 1. Notice the depth change of the outside corners. Let’s look at Cover 4, which just like 2-man under. Different alignment by the outside corners. The point that I’m trying to make here with this is that if you are playing anyone who knows anything about this game, you need to make sure your coaching suggestion is set to baseline.
This is going to make sure that your players are locked into a position no matter what play call you have as soon as you break the huddle. So now we can come out in that Cover 1, audible to the 2-man under, audible into the Cover 3, and audible into the Cover 2, and you’re going to see that we have the same alignment from all of our defensive backs. This is going to make it so much easier to set up more consistent blitz pressures, as well as disguising your coverage behind those blitzes as well.
Mable coverage is your friend. So many players are afraid to attack the user in the middle of the field in Madden 24 for that matter. To make sure that your opponent has to attack your user, the coverage known as Mable is very prominent. In which players will set 30 yard flats, 5 yard Curl Flats, and they will come out in some sort of Cover 2 or Cover 4 and make these adjustments. By having 2 5 yard purples and 2 30 yard blues on both sides of the field, your opponent will have to throw into the middle because the sidelines are going to be covered. You’ll note that if you actually look at this coverage, it still can be thrown to the sideline.
Then comes for our number 3 tip. Your 30 yard blues must be backed up. So whether you want to do this individually or globally, you will want to make sure that they are in an off alignment by backing them up to 12 yards off the ball. They will play the correct depth that is necessary to defend a corner route. Now, in this situation, you’re looking at interceptions instead of wondering why your coverage broke down.
A lot of players do not know the grid that deep out knockout works in this game. In fact, a lot of players in Madden 24 will actually use deep in KO when running a Cover 3 base defense after all they think that middle third defender should have that ability. The deep out KO works on the field from the hash marks all the way to the sideline on either side of the field.
So even if you are using a middle third defender, it’s better to have the deep out KO because you’re going to run more coverages in which that player can actually impact throws like corner routes to the sideline, for instance. After all, if the only area in the middle of the field that a deep out KO doesn’t work is basically roughly 10 yards between the hash marks.
Keep the play that you break the huddle in on defense in your audibles. Let’s take, for instance, that I have zone drops active. I’m coming out in Tampa 2. Maybe I fear that corner route we were just talking about, but I have that zone drop set to 30, and I’ve backed it up. But then suddenly, my opponent decides that they want to maybe audible. Now, I’m put in a spot where I don’t want that 30 yard blue anymore. So I reset my play, resetting the play when you have zone drops on changes your zones back to default setting.
As a result, I can actually be in a spot where if my opponent were to try something, maybe like an out a route from the slot, I won’t have a player in a 30-yard setting. And then they’ll audible or motion into something where you want those zone drops back. But then I want them back on.
I have covered 2 already in the audibles. Choose it from the audible menu, and your zone drops go back to where they were. So now if you want that 30-yard setting, it’s all the way reset, and you’re going to be in a spot where you can defend that route for you once again. Keep the play in your audibles. That does it for today’s list of tips that will help you in coverage, no matter your skill level.
Are you ready for Diablo 4 Season 3? This guide provides a comprehensive overview of everything you need to know before diving into the new Diablo 4 season, Season of the Construct, including insights into leveling characters, completing the season quest, and understanding the mechanics of this season.
Let's first explore the new Diablo 4 Seasonal content, featuring the Companion, Arcane Tremors, and Nightmare Vaults, before delving into some leveling tips for returning players or those aiming to reach World Tier 4 swiftly.
The Season of the Construct centers around The Loom, an ancient technology crafted by the founder of the Horadrim and his companion Ayuzhan.
Stolen by the demon Malphas, this loom becomes the focal point of your battle against his minions, the Constructs. The town center under Kehjistan, known as Gatehall, acts as the new seasonal hub area, providing access to the fresh seasonal dungeons, Vaults.
To aid you in the fight against Malphas, you'll have a new seasonal Seneschal Companion, also known as the robot spider pet. Acquired during the Seasonal Quest, the Seneschal is a Construct that you repair to become your own companion.
It's crucial to acquire the Seneschal quickly, as it's a permanent pet capable of dealing damage, crowd control, and even healing you – overall, a valuable ally. The companion levels up with your progression in the game and comes with its own customizable skills.
These skills are equipped through Tuning and Governing Stones, obtained from Arcane Tremors, Vaults, and crafting from Shattered Stones dropped by Constructs at the Jeweler in Gatehall. You have 2 slots for Governing Stones, dictating your Seneschal's abilities, and 6 slots for Tuning Stones to enhance those abilities.
Once you have the Seneschal, your focus shifts to obtaining these stones.
Begin by clearing Arcane Tremors found across Sanctuary. In these events, you must locate Cores from Constructs or Towers, place them in a brazier to summon Malphus’ Heralds. Defeating these constructs has a chance to yield stones and shattered stones. Importantly, when you defeat the Heralds, you earn the seasonal Rare Currency, Pearls of Warding. These function as a form of currency for "gambling" in the new vaults, offering more Governing and Tuning Stones.
After acquiring Pearls of Warding, head to one of the 3 Vaults in Gatehall. Inside the vault, you'll find the "Statue of Zoltun Kulle," allowing you to exchange Pearls of Warding for stacks of Zoltun's Warding. These stacks act as a counter for the numerous traps throughout the vault. Every time you're hit by a trap, you lose one stack, and if you reach 0 stacks by the end of the dungeon, you won't unlock the special Wardwoven chest containing valuable loot and additional Tuning/Governing Stones.
Additionally, you can turn the Vaults into Nightmare Vaults to expedite the process. These vaults feature more traps, tougher enemies, and additional Wardwoven Chests to unlock. Vault Sigils to start Nightmare Vaults drop similarly to normal Nightmare Sigils in World Tier 3 and 4.
So, the basic cycle for the season involves participating in Arcane Tremors, obtaining Pearls, entering a Vault, clearing it without getting hit by traps, enhancing the companion's skills, and repeating.
Upon completing the questline, you gain access to a fourth vault – the Uber Vault. Here, you'll face traps, enemies, and eventually, fight against Uber Malphus, a stationary boss capable of dropping two powerful Unique stones. It's recommended to tackle this challenge at some point during the season.
Now, let's discuss strategies for fast leveling in the new season.
Upon creating a new character for the season, you'll be presented with the option to skip the campaign and choose the World Tier you want to play on. If you've already completed the campaign, skipping it with a new character is the faster method for leveling. Contrary to expectations, opting for World Tier 1 is the best choice for quick leveling.
Choosing World Tier 2 offers a 20% experience and gold boost, but the enemies become more challenging, requiring more time to defeat. This makes it less efficient than selecting World Tier 1, where enemies are easier, and you can clear dungeons more swiftly.
As you progress to the mid and end game, you'll transition to World Tier 3 and World Tier 4 for increased XP.
To help you level up fater in Diablo 4 Season 3, here are some useful tips.
With no updates to experience at the Season of the Construct launch, the quickest way to level your character remains half-repeating the Domhainne Tunnels dungeon in Scosglen. However, alternative methods, including new seasonal activities, are available for leveling.
Upon spawning in, ensure you claim your renown rewards. If you've played in earlier seasons and completed renown for all regions by discovering waypoints, clearing strongholds, finding altars of Lilith, etc., you can claim the bottom rewards for all regions. These include 2 skill points, +1 Potion Capacity, +80 Maximum Obol Capacity, and most importantly, +4 Paragon Points. If you haven't unlocked these, there's no rush to obtain them immediately, but you'll want to secure these rewards later.
Firstly, progress the Seasonal Quest as much as you can until it becomes challenging or you lose interest. This allows you to obtain the Seneschal Construct Companion as soon as possible. Afterward, you can start grinding the Domhainne Tunnels. The strategy involves clearing the first section without releasing any prisoners, teleporting out to Cerrigar, sorting your inventory, resetting the dungeons via your map, and then returning. Repeat this process until around level 50, occasionally incorporating Helltide for essential resources like Forgotten Souls and Fiend Roses to upgrade your gear.
For those who prefer alternatives, Legion Events are an excellent option, spawning frequently and providing substantial XP upon completion. You'll receive an alert on the map before they spawn, and kindling the campfire at the location five minutes before it starts increases your XP gain for the event up to 15%. Engaging with other players in the world to clear the event enhances your XP gain.
Other activities include World Bosses, Whispers, and the new seasonal activities. While World Bosses spawn every 6-8 hours and offer great XP, it's advisable to avoid them in the first week of the new season when players are generally too weak to tackle them effectively.
Grim Favors present diverse quests on the map, including harvesting a zone, clearing a cellar, or the XP-rich option of clearing a Whisper Dungeon. Grim Favors can overlap with World Bosses and new seasonal activities. The new seasonal activities consist of Arcane Tremors found throughout Sanctuary and the Vault dungeons. Grinding Arcane Tremors is recommended for leveling as they provide XP and the new Rare Currency.
Mixing up these activities while clearing Domhainne Tunnels or choosing one based on personal preference is up to you. Remember to clear Helltides occasionally, stock up on elixirs to boost XP gain during activities, and engage in seasonal content. At level 15 (or 25 for necros), complete your Class Quest to unlock a special feature of your class. Later, around the level 50-60 range, attempt the WT3 Capstone Dungeon in Kyovashad to increase your World Tier, leading to leveling beyond 60.
Upon reaching WT3, the most efficient use of your time will come from Nightmare Dungeons or Nightmare Vaults, offering substantial rewards and XP. Nightmare Sigils, required to activate these, can be obtained as random drops from enemies in the game and through crafting at the occultist. To maximize XP gains from Nightmare Dungeons, it's advisable to engage enemies that are 10 levels higher than you, although tackling lower-level ones is acceptable if the higher-level ones prove too challenging initially.
While you can continue participating in the previously mentioned activities, their impact on character progression is likely to be less significant compared to Nightmare Dungeons, which become a crucial element in advancing your character. As you approach level 70, consider attempting the WT4 capstone. Following that, you can continue tackling Nightmare Dungeons and mix in other activities like completing the Seasonal Quest, addressing your renown, or exploring various in-game tasks.
Thus far, we've covered what we believe beginners should focus on at the beginning of this new season.
Looking ahead, an upcoming Gauntlet dungeon is on the horizon—a weekly rotating fixed dungeon where players compete on leaderboards, with top weekly scores earning a permanent spot in the Hall of the Ancients. While specific details about these dungeons are yet to be revealed, if you're up for the challenge, keep an eye out for this dungeon in the weeks or months to come.
What are your thoughts on the season so far? Does it pique your interest?
