[PoE 3.24] Archmage Wording is Ambiguous | Mana Stacking MIGHT Be Harder Than Expected | Necropolis

In this video we take a look at several different interpretation of the change to Archmage support coming Path of Exile 3.24 Necropolis and their potential impact on Mana Stacking Builds.

0:00 Intro
0:32 How We've Been Interpreting Archmage
0:52 Did We Get It Wrong?
1:02 Interpreting Archmage Changes
1:43 A Favorable Interpretation
2:26 Extrapolating from the Damage Formula
2:55 Ideally It Works Like This
3:06 An Unfavorable Interpretation
3:38 Divine Blessing: A Hopeful YouTube Comment
4:36 Changes Are Ultimately Unclear
5:09 How Archmage Functions Matters
5:27 Have a Backup Plan!
5:37 Maybe A Non-Archmage Build from TelvanniPoE?
6:06 Please GGG, Grant Us Clarity
6:28 Final Thoughts & Outro

[TelvanniPoE]

I actually heard back from Chris Wilson just now! 😳
He has confirmed that "The added mana cost is applied early on for calculations. The intent is that you can reduce the mana cost through various mechanics that do so, such as Inspiration Support or the Hierophant notable passive."

This should mean sustaining Archmage's additional mana cost is quite manageable in Path of Exile 3.24: Necropolis.

[TelvanniPoE]

It looks like LocalIdentity updated Path of Building within the last hour or so. They have Archmage performing in the more favorable of the two models I was showcasing in this video, where it IS possible to reduce the added cost with inspiration. This is an encouraging sign for Archmage/Mana Stacking hopefuls.

[Palsteron]

One thing to add to this is that even if Archmage works in the most unfavourable interpretation (which I doubt), the cost is not "cost equal to % of unreserved MAXIMUM mana" anymore but simply "cost equal to % of unreserved mana", meaning that the mana cost SHOULD go down with you losing mana as well. However, it doesn't use the phrasing "CURRENT mana" and the latest pob has it as the old wording, so maybe it was just a typo in the patch notes.

As well as that, you can cheese mana costs quit a bit with lavianga's spirit (potentially even with a flask cluster + mastery for sustain) and Vaal Clarity.

Still a valuable discussion, cool vid!

[atydoewi]

hope ggg answers, it seems to be very important for many people

[knicklichtjedi]

This would be an amazing question to answer on their league Q&A page!

[alexsterling]

I think it is very safe to assume the additional mana cost would be affected by because there are already existing effects that do not, such as arcane cloak's "spend" and the various sources of "sacrifice". If they intended for the 5% to be unmodifiable they could have used one of these other phrases rather than "mana cost"

[christopherkupitz]

Appreciate this update, keep up the fine work

[Achaa]

nice try, but nothing can stop me from starting archmage. Mana stackers of the world, unite!! lol

[QanarIsDelirious]

just a reminder that there will always be your friend unleash ;)

[fluffrier]

I mean, if it's 5% maximum unreserved mana added to total cost, the gem description probably would have said total mana cost instead of just mana cost.
As for base mana cost and not base mana cost, this is probably just to add the archmage mana cost at the end of the equation before total mana cost just to prevent this massive mana cost being modified by mana cost and reservation multiplier from other support gems affecting it, maybe.

[alec]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure the wording is correct and intentional. This is because it sort of goes in between the "BASE" and "TOTAL" costs in the hierarchy.
The Base cost is the cost of the skill itself and is multiplied by the mana multipliers of support skills. On top of the (modified) base cost goes the archmage cost (the 5% of your unreserved mana) that is NOT affected by the support gems multipliers but IS affected by the "#% Reduced mana cost of skills" (or similar ones). Then goes the added TOTAL cost on top of the [archmage cost+modified base cost] like the -7 mana from the ring mod for example or something like +3 to TOTAL mana cost, and this +3 in not affected by the "#% Reduced mana cost of skills" or the multipliers of support skills.

By this logic the Hiero's "50% less mana cost of skills" multiplies the archmages cost as they go at the same time and the ± to TOTAL mana cost goes on top and is unaffected by this. But I am unsure about this. Maybe Hiero's mod is a total multiplier and the wording is like this cuz idk.

[jeffypwnzu]

can u not test it on standard before the league starts? like during the queue

[QanarIsDelirious]

lets see how hard it will be to solve :D

[Sherudons]

I'm thinking automate support is going to be the biggest fun addition they made for a while, IF they work for skills and spells, automate everything, though it depends what it supports, a number of builds I want to try are 2-3 button builds but would be clunky but if they could just trigger..

[ddelmarsmith]

Is it based on unreserved mana at time skill is cast or is it based on maximum unreserved mana?

[florenta]

Fine! a completely different matter ^)

[anathema]

Tempted by the fruit of a mana stacker.

[Ifoget]

Seems to me like if you reduced a skill to 1 mana and had 8k unreserved you're going to have a 400 mana cost.

[lolleonlolable]

i would even go as far as it should be 5% without the ability to modify it, like think of all the benefets you get from the scaling with like zero downsides now.
like you coul have like 3k life 10k mana idk 2k mana reg with 60-70%mom and still reserve like 6-7k of ur mana for auras.
and use ALL of that mana regen to feed your mom ehp and only use like 50 mana/sec to cast your arcmage spells.
sounds a bit broken or not ? like there would be no counter argument to NOT use archmage over anyhting else as a hierophant.
like imagine you could scale damage with your life without any downsides. lets say it would give your spells a life cost that would basicly kill yourself but u can reduce that buy like 90% do it dosnt mather at all.
also you can kinda double dip with manastacking transfiguration of mind (30%of the %mana becomes %damage)
also guardian exists so you could reserve all the mana as a hiero like 98% of it and snack the sanctum of thought node.
idk sounds broken to me but on the otherhand we lost all the -%mana cost from flask so maybe its not even that crazy.

remember all the shit you had to do to use sanctuary of thought before, i think u had to use like 2 different items to get the mana cost high enaugh again to counteract the -50%mana cost and u had to invest soooo much into mana regen to sustain the high mana cost. most build straight up didnt even work because u had to much cast speed etc.
without all that and no downsides ?? i dont know why you wouldent play arcmage now.

[impact]

id be very surprised if it didnt work with reductions and stuff