Gameplay Help and Discussion - Mechanical question: Strike skills target # additional nearby enemies - Forum - Path of Exile (2024)

Hi there,

I'm having a hard time getting confirmation on this mechanical question. I've searched Mark's entire mechanics thread, done countless advanced google searches, and used the forum search function as well as I could, but couldn't find any information other than an old rumor about molten strike producing additional projectiles when supported by Ancestral Call Support. If anyone knows a source that they trust on this topic, or have tested for confirmation themselves, I would appreciate their thoughts.

Suppose you are using a strike skill (double strike, dual strike, heavy strike, etc) and have some source of "Strike skills target # additional nearby enemies"

If # is 1, then you can hit an enemy with your strike skill without actually being within melee range.

If # is 2, is there a sweet spot (distance from the single enemy) that allows both additional strikes to hit the same enemy?

If # is 3, can all three hit the same enemy (effectively tripling your single target dps?)

From my experience playing strike skills it feels like there is a sweet spot where my dps is just plain better, but it also feels like it could be limited to two strikes (that is, more than 2 additional strikes doesn't increase the single target dps potential). I've tried to "test" it in game but I can't tell if I'm imagining it or not.

Thanks for your assistance.

Currently playing Pestilent strike with Ancestral Call.

The clear is much better with it.
I do not notice any difference in the direct strike range, although the indirect kill range is much better due to the Master Toxicist effect.
I do not notice any improvement in single target dps.

I'm almost certain you can't shotgun except with Molten Strike and Lightning Strike. Against twinned bosses, then you can double your DPS. Single boss, no.

Edit: As of 3.7, Molten Strike cant shotgun anymore because it must hit a target to generate the projectiles, similar to Frost Blades

"

When you are in melee range it hits only with one strike. But in indirect range it doesn't hit with two strikes?

Indirect range is not the strikes themselves. I say indirect because the strikes are poisoning the mobs in melee range. When they die, they poison the packs nearby, which are normally behind them and out of melee range. More strikes due to AC means more mobs dying and poisoning the mobs behind them.

White mobs end up dying so fast that it almost feels like you are hitting them all at the same time. But with tougher mobs, you can see what's going on.

I think there is a range sweet spot for Ancestral Call's extra strikes. The wording is "a minimum distance from the user", but I imagine that still means inside max melee range. Never checked carefully though - no need to.

I'm quite sure Pestilent Strike is not shot gunning. If it were, AC would be much more single target damage than Melee Phys support. But it's clearly not. I play with AC for clear and lighter bosses. Melee phys goes in for tougher bosses. (Until I get around to annointing Tribal Fury and can ditch AC for clear...)

In general one use of skill can not hit same enemy more then once.
In this specifig case your hitting a number of additional enemies, its not possible for single target to be "additional enemy" more then once.

Also yes Molten strike produces another set of projectiles from each additional target hit, or atleast it did couple leagues ago when i tested it.

Thank you Torguemada, Baharoth15. It's interesting that Molten Strike and Lightning Strike have single target benefits due to their nature of secondary projectiles.

Anyone using a more basic strike skill like dual strike, double strike, etc... that doesn't have any secondary effects, and care to weigh in?

Anyone have a source of a previous thread about this or a comment from GGG staff?

Thank you.