The ever-shifting sands of Diablo 4’s meta keep players constantly re-evaluating their builds. With each season bringing tweaks, buffs, and nerfs, skills rise and fall in popularity. Season 8 is no different, and one question on many players’ minds is: How good is Blood Wave, the Necromancer’s signature Blood skill?
The Power of the Tide:
Blood Wave fundamentally releases a formidable, gradually advancing wave of blood that inflicts damage on adversaries within its trajectory. Its primary attraction is its extensive area of effect, which theoretically enhances its effectiveness in eliminating groups of weaker foes. Nevertheless, its sluggish pace can be a disadvantage, potentially exposing you to threats from quicker elite enemies and bosses.
So, what makes Blood Wave potentially shine in Season 8? The key lies in its synergy with other skills and aspects. Certain Legendary Aspects and unique items can significantly enhance Blood Wave’s damage, range, and even its speed.
Synergies and Ideal Builds:
Overpower Builds: Blood Wave inherently benefits from Overpower, dealing bonus damage based on your Maximum Life. Building around Overpower with skills like Blood Lance and the “Blood-soaked Aspect” can turn Blood Wave into a devastating opener.
Blood Surge Synergy: While seemingly counter-intuitive (since one consumes corpses and the other needs them), clever resource management and corpse generation can allow you to weave Blood Wave into a Blood Surge build for added AoE control to keep the endless waves away
Corpse Management: Blood Wave on its own doesn’t generate corpses. Therefore, incorporating skills like Corpse Explosion, Corpse Tendrils, or even the Golem’s corpse-generating abilities is crucial for sustained damage output and efficient resource generation.
When Blood Wave Falls Flat:
Minion-focused Builds: Blood Wave doesn’t directly benefit minions. If your build heavily relies on your skeletal army, other skills will likely offer better synergy.
Single-Target Damage: Blood Wave’s slow speed and AoE focus make it less effective against single, high-health targets like bosses. You’ll need to supplement it with strong single-target damage skills.
Acquiring Diablo 4 Gold and Boosting Your Progression
Powering up any build in Diablo 4 requires resources. Farming Diablo 4 gold efficiently is crucial for upgrading gear, crafting, and imprinting aspects. If you’re struggling to keep up, consider exploring Diablo 4 boosting services like dungeon carries or boss kills to accelerate your progress. This can free up your time to focus on experimenting with Blood Wave and perfecting your build.
Alternatives to Consider:
If Blood Wave isn’t clicking for you, several alternative Necromancer skills offer similar or superior performance:
Blood Lance: Excellent single-target damage and Overpower potential.
Corpse Explosion: Reliable AoE damage and corpse generation.
Bone Spear: High damage and piercing capabilities.
Decompose: Reliable corpse and essence generation that does great damage when paired with the appropriate aspects.
The Verdict:
Blood Wave in Diablo 4 Season 8 is a situational ability that can be highly effective, especially in certain Overpower-centric builds that compensate for the absence of corpse generation through alternative methods. Nonetheless, it necessitates meticulous strategy, appropriate equipment, and a comprehensive grasp of its constraints.
