Season 13 Hits Diablo III
After several weeks of horrible weather in Brisbane, it is good to see the seasons are changing somewhere!
It is time for a new Season in Diablo III (my favourite isometric loot-centric action-RPG), with brand new seasonal rewards and new class sets to collect and perfect over the next few months. So what are the big drawcards for this season, and why should you head back to Sanctuary?
That Inarius portrait frame
As the seasons have gone by, the seasonal portrait frames have elaborated on characters in the Diablo universe or new map areas. My favourite so far was the Season 10 portrait frame, which focused on the Black Soulstone. However, I love the portrait frame for Season 13 – it is a very simple design complemented by wings and a small crown/halo. While not appearing in the standard frame, it looks as if a spear is also visible once you achieve Conqueror status.
Do not cuddle Blaine’s Bear
I have been chasing Menagerist goblins for the last year or so and I know I am nowhere close to collecting all of the cosmetic pets in the game. Blaine’s Bear at first looks like a variation on Overseer Lady Josephine, but is definitely a unique little companion. Blizzard has advised us against asking where the blood has come from, or why he has such sharp little claws. For those who have not used pets in Diablo III before, these cosmetic critters won’t do damage to enemies, but they will definitely pick up all of that pesky gold around the place, saving you a few previous mouse clicks that should be reserved for your enemy.
Accessorise with these Class Sets
Seasons are still the best way to assemble and perfect a chosen class set for one of your characters, and this season has a few choice class sets that are worth considering.
There is a lot of focus on melee combat this season with the Demon Hunter Shadow Mantle set asking you to switch out your trusty hand crossbow for a sword or dagger and the Raiment of the Jade Harvester also requiring your Witch Doctor to be in the centre of the fray to utilise Haunt and Soul Harvest effectively. Wizards and Monks are decked out with their class defensive sets, but still do a good deal of damage. Barbarians seem to be the only out of the mix, with the offensive Might of the Earth causing everything to fall out of the sky this season.
The Crusader’s Thorns of the Invoker set is fantastic for tanks who want to be up close and personal with a demon horde – when complimented with the Belt of the Trove, you have a great way to withstand most attacks while automatically calling down Bombardment for adequate crowd control. The Grace of Inarius set is also a good introduction for players who are just starting out as Necromancers but are used to melee combat, and you can accessorise with the Wisdom of Kalan to increase the number of Bone Armor stacks as well.
With about twelve weeks, there’s lots of time to pick your class (or even take one of your favourite characters into the Season to level up all over again!) and work your way through the first four chapters either on your own or with friends! I’ll be posting updates on my Twitter as Runa the Barbarian and Vespasianus the Necromancer brave the Greater Rift trials and risk all on Kadala’s good fortune. We would love to hear about some of your builds for this inauspicious season, and hope that number 13 is not just an omen of bad fortune!
For more information about this season, head on over to Blizzard’s Season 13 preview!
