[2018] Skill Reveal: Lancing Steel and Shattering Steel

We're releasing a number of new skills alongside the Betrayal League. Two of these are new projectile Steel skills that use the new Impale effect.

Shattering Steel

This skill lets you swing your Sword or Axe, releasing a spray of three projectiles in an arc in front of you. These projectiles deal more damage the further they travel until they reach their maximum range. When they stop on an enemy or reach maximum range, the projectiles burst, dealing their damage in an outward cone.



The projectiles are unleashed in rapid succession, making them capable of hitting close enemies with multiple projectiles. Like Spectral Throw, the skill doesn't perform any melee attack and therefore can't be supported by Multistrike or melee-specific supports, but the skill works very well with Projectile modifying supports like Pierce, Multiple Projectiles and Vicious Projectiles. The maximum range can't be modified, so Faster Projectiles doesn't increase the skill's range, but Area of Effect modifiers increase the size of the burst.

Impale

Shattering Steel has a chance to Impale, a new debuff that rewards repeat hits. Impaled enemies are covered in sharp metal spikes, making any hits taken more painful for the enemy. When you Impale an enemy, 10% of the unmitigated physical damage of the attack is stored, and the next 5 hits that enemy takes from any source will cause them to also take this stored damage.

You can have multiple Impale effects on an enemy, limited only by hits consuming the Impale. This gives Shattering Steel and Lancing Steel an even greater edge when they're able to hit a target multiple times.

Lancing Steel

Thrust forward with your Sword or Axe, firing a wide projectile that Impales any enemies hit. While you do this, additional projectiles are summoned as blades that float parallel with your attack, and these fly forward after a short delay. Like Shattering Steel, an enemy can be hit by multiple Lancing Steel projectiles, making the skill very effective if you're able to catch an enemy with multiple flying blades.



Where you aim controls the spread of the projectiles; Aiming up close will spread out the angle of the projectiles, though they do tilt slightly towards targets when created. Aiming at range will cause all of the projectiles to fire in parallel, letting you easily hit enemies at range with multiple shards.

The skill comes with four additional projectiles, so Greater Multiple Projectiles will increase the skill's spread at the cost of damage, while Pierce, Chain or Fork let the skill clear out groups of enemies.