After running around Frostgorge Sound for a couple hours as a mace/axe revenant using mainly the Mallyx legend I decided to put down some feedback before I forget it. I’m not a meta-dungeon/fractal runner, nor do I PvP, so take my feedback with that in mind.
Overall, I really like the idea behind Mallyx. Unfortunately, I do not see it working well in the current vanilla game. It relies upon stacking conditions on yourself so you can then apply more conditions to enemies (need 3 conditions on self to trigger extra effects on utilities) and use the elite skill to copy even more conditions from yourself to them. None of the weapon skills so far apply conditions to self. Mobs generally do not apply many conditions. This means most of your self condition stacks need to be generated using your utility skills. However, when you do that you run yourself out of energy meaning you can’t use your weapon skills and you won’t have the energy to run your elite for more than a few seconds. Insult to injury is that when you finally do get a decent amount of conditions on yourself it is frustratingly difficult to maintain good resistance uptime so you’re not devastated by the conditions you’re trying to copy (even when traited for resistance on demon skill use). Additionally, in large group content conditions are generally cleared so quickly there’s little to no reason to use Mallyx at all. Bottom line is Mallyx feels high risk with little to no reward, or is mostly negated.
Skills
Empowering Misery: Heals with more healing per condition on you and applies weakness to self. 1.25 sec cast, 5 energy cost, 30 sec cooldown. Overall I feel the heal is in a good spot.
Pain Absorption: Transfers 1 condition from up to 5 nearby allies (600 radius) while granting yourself and those affected Resistance. Also self blinds. 1 sec cast, 35 energy cost, no cooldown. Personally I feel the self blind on this skill should be swapped with the self weakness on the heal as it would allow the Revenant to more easily maintain 3 conditions on self. Alternatively, if the self resistance time was increased but also extended the duration of conditions currently on self this utility could gain some use in solo play while allowing the Revenant to build up their own conditions for elite skill use.
Banish Enchantment: Removes up to 2 boons from targeted foe, applies 2 stacks of confusion (plus 2 additional stacks if you have 3+ conditions on yourself). Applies 3 stacks of vulnerability to self. 1/2 second cast, 20 energy cost. Applies the confusion stacks whether the target has boons or not.
Unyielding Anguish: Leaps to target area (600 range), applies 3 stacks of torment (3 additional stacks if you have 3+ conditions on self), and creates a pulsing displacement field for 4 seconds. Also self cripples. 3/4 sec cast, 35 energy cost. My biggest problem with this skill is when you leap through a target behind them instead of displacing them behind you, it displaces them in front of you.
Embrace the Darkness: Transform into an avatar of Mallyx gaining 10% to all stats. Copies all conditions on you currently to up to 5 nearby enemies (3 sec duration, 240 radius) every 3 seconds. Also applies torment to self (4 sec duration) every 3 seconds. 1 sec cast, 5 energy cost (8 per second upkeep), no cooldown. The keystone power and the reason the utilities and heal apply conditions to self. Unfortunately using the utilities means you won’t have much uptime on avatar form.
Corruption traits feedback
The minor traits feel like they’re in a good spot. I’m not sure the boon removal on hit will be all that useful in PvE, but I’ll reserve judgement until we get our hands on the new content.
Adept tier traits feel like a no-brainer to pick the 2 seconds of resistance on demon skill use, assuming you plan on maining demon legend. 50% poison duration is of dubious value at the moment since only the third hit on the mace auto attack applies poison out of the revenant’s current kit.
Master traits are in a slight better spot. Auto use of Banish Enchantment when a target has 2+ boons is good, as is the 2.5 sec chill on crit (50% chance, 10 sec ICD). The 3% more damage per condition on self trait doesn’t appear to affect condition damage, which feels out of place in a condition heavy line.
Grandmaster traits overall feel weak. 3 second AoE burn to 5 nearby enemies on a 10 second ICD does not feel grandmaster worthy in my opinion. +2% crit per second until crit (then stacks lost) is slightly better as it opens up the use of non-crit tanky gear. The chance to copy self conditions when struck is most in line with the feel of Mallyx, but it’s only a 15% chance with a 15 second ICD. With that proc chance it seems to me it should be when you hit.