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Comments
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Alchemist
Bard
Druid
DWB Infernal
Monk (Tekura)
Tier 1.5 - Not quite T1, but better than T2.
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DWB Runewarden
Jester
Serpent (hard to say, either 1.5 or 2)
Shaman
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Apostate
Depthswalker
Monk (Shikudo- could maybe be 1.5 as well)
SNB Paladin
SNB Runewarden
Sylvan
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Dragon (maybe T2, depends on a number of things)
DWC Infernal
DWC Runewarden
Magi ( ^ )
Occultist
Priest (maybe T3, maybe T2, haven't really seen their 'new' changes)
Sentinel
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(Note: None of these are bad, per se. All 3 of these could very well be higher than T3. There's a lot of factors in Achaea combat.)
Blademaster - Don't think it's awful, just nothing particularly going for it vs competent people.
Two-hander Infernal - Admittedly never really seen it. People say it's viable, I think it has the same linear issues that Runewarden 2h does.
Two-hander Runewarden - Linear, kinda hit or miss versus a lot of people. Can always RNG people to death with hugalaz.
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2h/dwb paladin. Why would you play this.
A few notes.
Sleep time, now.
Part of the problem with tier rankings though, in general, is the relevance of matchup. Good tekura monk is extremely difficult to beat as bard, for example, and really shouldn't lose. But bard annihilates a lot of other classes to the point of being broken in some matchups.
Alchemist doesn't struggle as a momentum class. DW does, but alchemist is great at keeping momentum. I'd have a really hard time ranking classes though. I agree druid is currently broken. After that, my intuition is B - DW/maybe priest, C - BM/2h/pally dwc. Everything else is A.
SSSSSSSS++++=+++
occie
Z tier (not worth playing)
everything else.
there we go.
I have met BMs able to handle everything (aff and prep) except damage, and given their defensive toolkit and reliable offense, Can't find myself lowering BM, so I am keeping them in A+.
I am keeping Alchemist ahead of all other aff momentum classes cos Alchemist has less struggle over gaining momentum. They also have a few paths to kill different classes, not so linear.
Bard is in a weird place, it's potential isn't fully tapped or played consistently. If I were to rank it against momentum classes, I am inclined to put it at the top, but due to lack of class room hinder (othr than prep), the matchup becomes apparent and doesn't put them there. I can't rank Bard against prep classes as Bard doesn't have a class based prep-finisher (not counting in salve/rift related locks). Hence I put it together with Jester, in it's own isolated category.
I'm not sure what this prep vs momentum or slow prep and fast prep bullshit you're spouting is, but it looks like you have a fundamental misunderstanding about how prep vs momentum works. It's not as simple as slow prep always winning vs momentum. Here's how I look at it. If the momentum class is able to reliably survive the prep class's execute, the match-up depends primarily on player skill. If the momentum class dies regularly to it instead - whether due to mechanics, lack of player skill, lack of pay2win items, whatever - then I'd favor the prep class. The later situation fits a lot of match-ups, like the aforementioned tek monk vs. bard. Tekura monk has the tools to both stall the bard's momentum (even through the prep options the bard has available, though it makes the margin for error considerably smaller than just running at any point) and an execute that if done properly by an artied strength monk leaves the bard with no room for escape, realistically. Outside of anthem and pax (I'm sure that's of great comfort to bard players). This is a poor situation, because no matter how good the bard is, there is little they can do against a good tekura monk.
But Alchemist is different, because the real strength to the class (which absolutely no one seems to talk about) is that it has some of the best overall defense in the game. Fantastic active hinder, active defense, prone defense, passive resists, good mobility, utility in formulation that has something for every match-up, the class has it all. There are no prep classes the Alchemist cannot survive reliably against in the game currently besides Druid with how Hydra is working atm and DWB Infernal. Even here, it is not that clear cut. The DWB Infernal is a very easy match-up for the Alchemist, so surviving their prep execute tends to be irrelevant. Druid is slightly more ambivalent - having two binds, one on a secondary balance, enables them to turtle successfully enough to reach their prep execute, alongside the ability to quickly prep and prone break with ease. This still doesn't really matter though - Alchemist have the ability to survive every damage/reclamation setup the Druid can do, bar the ones with how the 2nd hydra head is currently operating. If you can survive or handle every prep class in the game, then you shouldn't die to one. That's Alchemist.
If you play Alchemist well you should be threatening a kill on a slow-prep class from 0 in 10-15s at the earliest with shriek lock, and ~20-30 with longer routes. In turn, most slow prep classes are going to take over a full minute to fully prep you while they actively try to survive your numerous inundates. Alchemist has one of the strongest shield punishers in the game with fast reave, and their mobile hinder makes it difficult to hit-and-run normally. Fly spam with rof or aerial on a nimble alch with level 2 diadem only stalls, and I've been content to loop educes on a fly spamming slow prepper until their prep resets - while my humors have stayed at the same level. The only class that can effectively fly spam is Druid with bind, and even this isn't as bad for the Alchemist as it seems. Druids that leave the room let you take advantage of halophilic, which is potent and stalls the Druid further, particularly when they're about to execute. This lets you exert control over the timing of their instakill, which lets you counter-play. Additionally, the near on-demand lethargy access in conjunction with paralysis is very strong, because even with the current prone/double break combo the reclamation won't complete under lethargy.
Besides that case of Druid, there is only one other prep class that can reliably leave the room against the Alchemist on demand (as in not risking homunculus block, or tumbling, or outside assistance like earrings, or something easy to counter like raido) and that's BM behind hamstring/icewall/meditate, or leap high/touch shield, with phoenix for a save. I've never found this class to be an issue. It takes a considerable amount of prepping to prepare an artied Alchemist for a brokenstar that'll actually be lethal (even with a level 3 band), and this in conjunction with frequent and active slow-prepping runs the risk of actually hitting the 3 minutes limb decay. Even if they reach the prep and go into the execute, I can avoid the actual kill with ease. Pommel + voidfist is not a viable locking threat in its current state, just a bit of an annoyance that can stall you and may require some turtling if they get good rng. Their salvelocks are tricky but avoidable, and are fairly telegraphed (and requires decent player skill). Phoenix is the most frustrating part to this match-up, but it forces them to drop infuses more frequently, and you have alternative options. This match-up may test your patience, but Alchemist shouldn't lose it. Unless you run out of willpower. Then you'll lose.
The most frustrating match-up for the Alchemist is probably the Priest, as realistically if both classes are played well the fight stalemates until someone runs out of resources (this can happen with other match-ups too, just that the Priest have good defensive options against Alch, and Alch likewise has good options against Priest). There are match-ups for the Alchemist that are harder than others - hinging on Alchemist's average momentum speed and poor ability to prone - but the class is very good. None of my deaths on Alchemist in 1v1s were mechanically unavoidable and wasn't a learn 2 play issue on my side. Besides dying to reclamation with the 2nd head use. But even then I could've stopped fucking around and killed the Druid faster so really I was being a cocky dumbass.
I'm not going to talk about how Alchemist matches up against each prep class in the game, as that'll be very long. But your comments on the class display a lot of ignorance on how Alchemist works and how they match against prep classes, and I don't want that to spread. Prep classes are only a problem if you think they are. The only thing stopping an Alchemist from beating everyone in the game atm is player skill (though admittedly you automate so player skill is a bit irrelevant). And maybe a lack of money.
In an attempt to surpass mortal limitations, Iakimen has destroyed Dochitha in the name of science.
Almost all the locking affs are given at 8 phlegm, so you don't have to pay as much attention to what affs are on someone versus traditional aff/momentum classes too, which lets you pay attention to your defense more. I don't know any other class that can place as much pressure/hinder on an opponent as quickly as alch besides Shikudo. Though Shikudo doesn't have scaling room hinder (in exchange for prep) and even then, fighting a good Shikudo monk is pretty awful too.
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And you won't understand the cause of your grief...
...But you'll always follow the voices beneath.
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Do you even fight bro?
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