REVIEW OF THE [0.5] RETURN OF THE ANCIENTS PATCH NOTES (WE WON)

Storyline / Setting

• Game: Path of Exile
• This video is a patch-notes review for the “Return of the Ancients” (0.5) update, not a narrative playthrough. The “story” discussed is essentially the patch’s impact on build viability and endgame progression (maps/trials/encounters).

Gameplay Highlights (what the patch changes do to builds)

Main “important” buff/change called out

Salvo Support (character-level change; affects Tornado/Twister builds)

• Old:
  • Gained a seal every 2 seconds (max 3)
  • Granted 2 projectiles per seal
• New:
  • Gains a seal every 1 second (max 6)
  • Grants 1 projectile per seal

Key takeaway: The reviewer doesn’t treat this as a straight nerf. They say Twister “did not get nerfed”, and that Salvo + Barrage have synergy due to the extra projectile generation.

Tech/support interactions

Anticipation + Unleash support interaction

• Skills supported by Unleash gain 25% increased skill gain frequency
• The patch notes claim this applies to all seal skills, and the reviewer says this helps keep Twister viable.

Flicker Strike bug fix

• Heightened Charge support now correctly applies to Flicker Strike extra flickers per power charge consumed
• The reviewer calls it one of the best supports for Flicker Strike—now it works as intended.

Notable removals (big “the build is dead” moments)

Reverse Chill build-enabling setup nerfed

The reviewer says a unique interaction related to Reverse Chill is effectively over:

• Shackles of the Wretched can no longer roll:
  • “all elemental ailments other than freeze”
• Instead, it can roll:
  • % increased cold damage per curse on you

Conclusion: Reverse Chill won’t be a thing next league.

Other removed/changed tech

• Soulcore Ultimatum (“Fight Club tech”)
  • Fixed a bug that allowed completion using a single soul core
  • Now it requires the intended method → trial takes longer
• Infernal Legion 3
  • Removed (the reviewer hears/chat says it’s “dead,” but notes they can’t personally verify future playability claims)
• Overextend support
  • Removed
  • The reviewer highlights it as a daze-on-crit-style support that’s gone

Major balance themes (survivability/defenses)

Energy Shield nerfs across the board

• Vile robe base ES reduced (example: 171 instead of 184)
• Energy shield recharge nodes reduced (example: ~15% down to ~6%)
• Convolescence notable cut roughly in half:
  • 40% faster start → 20%
• Overall takeaway: ES “got slammed pretty hard.”

Shield Wall nerfs

• Fortifying Cry change:
  • Shockwaves from one Shield Wall can’t hit the same enemy multiple times
• Shield Wall damage scaling changed:
  • 5–7 added fizz per 15 armor instead of 6–8
  • Reviewer notes shield base armor was raised, so the practical impact may be mixed

Build-specific nerfs (reviewer’s “watch-outs”)

Eternal Rage nerf (weapon set restriction)

• Old: could place it on one weapon set and avoid spirit ruin
• New: like Blink, it draws from both spirit totals
  • Result: it can’t be localized to one weapon set

The reviewer expects this will change or hurt builds relying on weapon-set tricks (including a poison-burst interaction).

Argent reload mechanic nerf

• Previously: 100% reload on killing blow (the reviewer references “100% use rate” earlier)
• Now: effectively 1 in 4 chance equivalent behavior

Patch-history reference by the reviewer:

• ~35% → 100% → 25%

They still consider it good due to pack size, just less guaranteed.

Leech system nerf

Reviewer summary:

• Pretty much every source of leech changed
• An added upper limit:
  • If a hit would deal more than 40,000 total damage, leech calculations treat it as 40,000
• Mentions additional changes to deflect/armor/evade to make scaling more linear
• Blood Mage is expected to be hit because of leech nerfs

“Hard targeted” build casualty

Time of Need interaction removed/reshaped

The reviewer explains a previously broken/abusive setup using:

• Time of Need + Hexeous Fulmination (Hyad?) lineage support
• Purpose: keep mana/life stable

Key changes:

• The support behavior no longer functions the same way
• Time of Need is no longer a duration skill
  • Interval and recovery/blessing frequency values reduced

Outcome:

• The associated Hierophant/poison-leech variant (described as “this character might be on the chopping block”) is likely no longer viable.

Gameplay Strategies / Key Tips Mentioned

• Patch-note triage strategy: The reviewer purposely focuses only on changes they consider most important, skipping reveal details and “everything else.”

• League-start plan after the patch: They intend to campaign with Twister/Lich, then swap to Abyssal Lich for league start. They explicitly dislike leveling spells then swapping to attacks for newer players.

• What to expect for “safe” archetypes (reviewer’s assessment):

  • Abyssal Lich and Spiral Volley / Projectile Acceleration / Rain of Arrows are described as unchanged (reviewer says they remain safe)
  • Chayula described as safe
  • Whirling Assault only slightly nerfed (not a big deal)
  • Flicker Strike described as improved due to the bug fix

Gamer(s) / Sources Featured (mentioned at the end)

• Rabbit (referred to as having a guide)
• EDC (mentioned alongside Rabbit as part of guide references)
• Kparian (mentioned in a chat claim about Infernal Legion playability)
• K/“Kparian said” / chat members (general “chat told me” references; no other specific usernames provided)
• The Path of Exile YouTube channel (where the reveal video is hosted)

(No other named gamers/creators are clearly specified beyond Rabbit/EDC and the brief mentions above.)