Does the DH seem kind've.... lackluster?

[FireIceTalon]

DH is like the Rogue on D1: a true GAMERS class, that requires skill, precision, and calculation to use properly. It is NOT a class for everyone. Anyone can dominate with a Barb or Wiz, but it takes a special gamer to operate a more fragile yet versatile and tactical class like the DH. Rogues on D1 were the same way - a class made for hardcore gamers - and this was especially true in PvP. There were tons of good warrior and sorc duelers on D1, but far less outstanding rogue duelers. DH is basically the same thing on D3.

That being said, the DH is a awesome class, probably my favorite on D3, and it will be the first char I play come launch time.

[Zelas]

DH is like the Rogue on D1: a true GAMERS class, that requires skill, precision, and calculation to use properly. It is NOT a class for everyone. Anyone can dominate with a Barb or Wiz, but it takes a special gamer to operate a more fragile yet versatile and tactical class like the DH. Rogues on D1 were the same way - a class made for hardcore gamers - and this was especially true in PvP. There were tons of good warrior and sorc duelers on D1, but far less outstanding rogue duelers. DH is basically the same thing on D3.

That being said, the DH is a awesome class, probably my favorite on D3, and it will be the first char I play come launch time.

I'd say it is the other way round... Really, DH is a class with a ranged, homing semi-aoe nuke that can shoot things out of LoS, then you have chain teleport on a different resource bar and a skill that makes you immune to everything, which drops aggro and can be chained as well.

If anything, Wizard actually seems to be harder.

[HardRock]

ranged, homing semi-aoe nuke

I sincerely hope you don't mean Hungering Arrow, although the homing part narrows down the possibilities considerably.

That skill is anything but a nuke. It's also unreliable if you have multiple targets and doesn't really home in on targets. It merely finds a random target any time it misses or whenever the hell it likes, hence the unreliabliity against multiple targets.

that can shoot things out of LoS

It can't. It won't lock onto targets outside of your line of sight. At least it didn't when I used it patch 17.

then you have chain teleport on a different resource bar

Vault is indeed possibly the best general mobility skill in the game. It's not Teleport or Leap however, because you can't cross impassable terrain with it so it does have its drawbacks.

and a skill that makes you immune to everything, which drops aggro and can be chained as well.

Smoke Screen doesn't make you immune to anything, it just makes you invisible for 2 seconds.

Also, there's no MMO-like aggro in D3, so usually when Smoke Screen ends monsters will start focusing on you again, unless you're playing in a party. Followers and pets can barely keep the monster's attention on themselves, unlike Mercs and summons could in D2.

The cost of Smoke Screen is also a little prohibitive if you want to chain cast it. In the endgame it may turn out to be possible with specialized gear that increases your Discipline pool.

[Zelas]

Hungering Arrow most definitely can hit targets around the corner, if you have beta access, you can test it right now. Cathedral is good for it. Heck, I often just shoot it in the dark and then find out a lot of dead stuff inside the room I was shooting it into.

Besides, in the long run it is very reliable, especially if you dual-wield, so that you can reach the very nice piercing average in a short time. It does a very beastly amount of damage, considering it is free and the best part is that it takes on the damage type of your weapon, so that if you have a cold weapon it will also apply chill effect to whatever it hits.


Smoke Screen makes you immune to damage while it lasts. I know it does not say it, but it actually does - you can also test is in beta, 2 ways. Find ranged mob and wait for it to shoot at you and pop Smoke Screen while the projectile travels to you - you will suffer no damage... Most apparent with those things that come out of the windows and summon skeletons, they have this slow purple projectile that makes it easy to test with. Or the 4 pillars room before SK, where you have a bunch of archer skeletons.

Also, probably the most apparent way to test it is SK himself, wait for him to start his teleport attack animation and pop Smoke Screen before he teleports... He will teleport to you and take a swing, but you will suffer no damage.

I guess you will still probably take area damage or damage over time, but even in that case, it will be pretty darn close to the effective damage immunity in most situations.


And yes, I did not mean drop threat permanently, but the fact that whatever was moving towards you, will now move towards your follower is a nice bonus as well.

On the cost, cost MAY seem high, but then you should consider the existence +discipline items and preparation. You can have up to 75 discipline with items and preparation will refill all of it, so if you want to abuse Smoke Screen, you can build for it... I can see people doing it, especially considering that immunity bit and a fact that Choking Gas rune is disgustingly powerful.

[HardRock]

Hungering Arrow most definitely can hit targets around the corner, if you have beta access, you can test it right now. Cathedral is good for it. Heck, I often just shoot it in the dark and then find out a lot of dead stuff inside the room I was shooting it into.

I tried that multiple times, with no success. Here's an accurate depiction of the scenario I'm talking about:

     |
 MMM |
 MMM |
 MMM |
     |
     ---------------------
                    DH

All the Ms are monsters. No matter how many Hungering Arrows I fired towards the corner, none locked onto any of the enemies. I don't remember which patch I tried this with, things may have changed.

Besides, in the long run it is very reliable, especially if you dual-wield, so that you can reach the very nice piercing average in a short time.

Its unreliability comes from the fact, that if you have multiple targets it may not even hit the target you selected. Here's another one of my masterfully detailed depictions of a battlefield:

   M1
   
   
   
      M2
      
               DH

Let's say that you target M1 and fire a Hungering Arrow. It may decide to home in on M2, maybe piercing it multiple times or hit M1, pierce it and then turn towards M2 or basically it can do whatever the hell it wants. Your control over it ends after you fire. It's a completely uncontrollable, only potentially multi-target skill.

It does a very beastly amount of damage, considering it is free and the best part is that it takes on the damage type of your weapon, so that if you have a cold weapon it will also apply chill effect to whatever it hits.

For the aforementioned reasons I would only use it against solitary targets, since target prioritization will supposedly become critical later in the game.

It's damage is indeed very good for a generator in that case, but things aren't that simple against multiple targets. Base HA does ~177% damage on average. Entangling Shot comes close with 170% damage against 2 targets. HA runed to Puncturing Arrow will do on average 230% damage. ES with Chain Gang will do 340% against 4 targets. Personally, I would only switch to HA against a single, solitary target, most likely bosses.

Smoke Screen makes you immune to damage while it lasts.

Huh, I didn't know that. Thanks for the info. From your description it seems to work like Vault does.

On the cost, cost MAY seem high, but then you should consider the existence +discipline items and preparation. You can have up to 75 discipline with items and preparation will refill all of it, so if you want to abuse Smoke Screen, you can build for it... I can see people doing it, especially considering that immunity bit and a fact that Choking Gas rune is disgustingly powerful.

I did consider Discipline boosting items and skills. Knowing that Smoke Screen is an invulnerability as well changes things quite a bit.