Melee claw in need of AoE ability

Hi all.

New player (for about a week) on my first shadow. I decided to try a melee claw build focusing on evasion, dual block, crit chance and multiplier. I'm happy with the single target damage via dual strike and viper strike so far, but I'm finding whirling blades a bit anemic for damage (though the mobility is nice).

Are there any AoE skills other than whirling blades that would be complimentary with a melee claw build? Keeping in mind I won't have very high Str (mostly what I end up with gear + a few nodes), only enough Int for the max level claws, no spell damage nodes, and no projectile nodes.

AoE-melee? No
Evasion? You get crucified in act 3 normal

Dual-Wield is not viable, Evasion is even less playable.

Reroll ranged, I facerolled from lvl 1 through act 1 + 2 in 4-5 hours to lvl 24 with my Bow-Ranger, damage of melee + safety of kiting.

Ranged >>> melee at the moment.

While I thank you for the input, I already have a concept I plan on going with, flawed or no (and from what I've been reading, the debate on evasion is far from over). Really just looking for an AoE ability that will work with that concept.

Pretty much the only viable aoe skill atm for daggers and claws is Lightning strike though it isn't much of a melee move but it's all we got.

Yeah lightening strike works well for me...im doing an evasion claw build and it works fine

Thanks for the input, I'll give lightning strike a chance when I can (pretty sure I have one in the stash).

Other suggestions still welcome.

Lightning Strike with LMP and pierce will be your best friend for aoe. It's part physical and part lightning so you get some life leech % from the skill. Also it works with life on hit if you aren't going to run CI so you can shoot your health back up if you hit a ton of mobs.

Other choices are mostly spells that would only benefit from Crit chance. Claws don't do AoE outside of LS at the moment.

Claws/Daggers will have an AoE soon, GGG have said that multiple times.
For now, as others said here, either take whirling blades, or use lightning strike. Link those skills with Life on Hit or Life Leech and you'll be fine. If your DPS is good enough, you could just kill mobs one by one using Dual Strike + Life Leech.

"

Evasion? You get crucified in act 3 normal

Dual-Wield is not viable, Evasion is even less playable.

Evasion is as viable as any other defense, you just have to make a proper build.

"

Delirii a écrit :

Claws/Daggers will have an AoE soon, GGG have said that multiple times.

Excellent, I didn't realize that was in the works. Considering my low str (I can't even use the level 3 lightning strike I have in the stash), I guess I'll just get by with whirling blades for now. Thanks all.

My thinking was the same as yours initially and I gave up with dual claws because of the lack of AoE. Then recently I thought I would give it another go and for some reason Whirling became the most awesome AoE I have ever used. Not sure what happened, it may be that I just got some great claws or maybe I realized that ice pulses at moderate range don't do so much damage either.

I am only in Act II Normal though so time will tell. The lightbulb went off in my head when I omgwtfpwnd Mereil like no other character I had used before and I have been rolling through easily in Hardcore so far.

One odd bit of synergy that goes against what it seems you ought to be doing is the Life on Hit that Claws give; because of this I use no ES gear since it just gets in the way. My armor is all hybrid Armor/Evasion and I pick up all the nearby life nodes. With a +8 life on hit claw you are getting 16 life with every hit you get with Whirling so I just warp around in a pack of mobs and regen life faster than they can dish it out; at the end I dual strike the last couple of them.

I don't imagine this will stay viable and at some point I will be making a respec to CI; possibly including a switch to Evasion/ES gear just prior to that.