This item is a MASSIVE problem child in this game and has been the cause of an incredible amount of frustration on my end, so I figured we’d look at how this patch affects my personal role, the high health roam character.
So I recently checked today and with 3-4 completed items (usually the basic Fountain/Crucible/Treads/Stormcrown or whatever, I’m just playing casual with some fun builds) my max health typically falls in the 4.4k range. Sometimes slightly more.
Now, I do not know if Aftershock deals crystal damage or not. Or if it’s affected by the shield stat. Sometimes it feels it isn’t as the item just does a massive chunk of damage regardless.
So, against a 4.4k health character without factoring shield (exactly 4400 health) you will take (on the current patch) 616 damage PURELY from the Aftershock effect, not counting the base damage of whatever is hitting you. Put this on a Koshka with a similar 4 item build and suddenly you’re getting chunked for almost a third of your health while you’re the tanky character.
Let’s repeat, an assassin with Aftershock can burst down a tank as effectively as a glass cannon carry. Now, factoring in defense you MIGHT be able to lower this amount by about 30% (pulling numbers outta thin air for this just from experience) so. Without EXACT numbers, let’s say 700 damage is going to be about what you take overall from just a single ability and auto.
Now, with the nerfed Aftershock that bade damage is reduced by 44. You’ll take a base of 572 from the proc, and still take all the damage of the ability and auto as well.
Now, as someone who frequently plays supports and tanks I feel this is nowhere near a significant reduction and really is just a “crowd pleaser” nerf to make fewer people complain about this horrendously overtuned special effect.
The big problem I have is that it gives some CP (a damage stat) which alone isn’t a big deal. But it also adds a massive burst of damage on a very low cooldown (any assassin remotely worth their salt will be able to time their abilities so they nail multiple procs) at an extremely low cost (I believe it’s 2400 gold, tied with Clockwork for the title of one of the cheapest crystal items) and it is often a better pickup than actual CP items.
Now, I would be happy to see the item cost increase by (at the very least) 300-400 so it is near the cost of other frequently purchased core items, as it has become a core pickup for melee CP assassins. It’s no longer an item supports buy to deal damage (though they can do this as well)
TL;DR Aftershock lost 40 damage on proc and still remains incredibly low cost. It hasn’t lost any effectiveness and the heroes who use it won’t feel any effects from this pitiful “nerf”.