Path of Exile 3.23: Affliction League Review (league mechanics, my build, and the fun)

 It isn't often I do reviews or updates on PoE this often but I wanted to recap what was the most fun and deepest league I've played in. Usually in PoE I play for 1-3 weeks per league. I get to about 10-12 achievements and call it (usually around yellow/red maps). That was the case in about 10 leagues. The previous league I played through all the maps then called it. This league (Affliction) I made it to 31 achievements/challenges completed. 

League Starter: I have a philosophy to never play the same build twice. I'm also still playing through all the ascendancies. You can see my previous post for every build I've played so far, but this league I settled on Hierophant because I have never done a totem build. I settled on ice spear because it looked legitimately like it could 1 shot bosses, and it didn't disappoint once I got the gear I needed to make it work (spoiler: it's very expensive to make it OP). 

The TLDR for ice spear totem build is you have to use soul mantle chest which curses you when your totems die or are re-summoned but gives you a free level 20 spell totem so you can stack an extra support gem. 

As a result I decided to level using freezing pulse until I had the currency to get curse effect reduction gear. There is 1 passive that you can get, you can get it on jewels that you slot into your passive tree, and you can craft it onto rings. Eventually I got the currency to buy the jewel that made me unaffected by curses and did extra damage per curse on me. This is when my build took off. Unless map bosses were super juiced, everything died instantly as seen in this video from a youtuber who also used the build. 

The downside of this build is you have to stack so much offense to make it worthwhile that your defenses hurt a lot. You can take maybe 1-3 hits before you die so I would not recommend this build for hardcore. I also wouldn't recommend it for SSF as the gear you need to make it work is difficult to find without trades. If you'd like to see my build take a look at my PoB here.

Now my review of the league. This was the best league mechanic I've seen, even with some of its faults. The ability to choose to juice every level/map you're on is huge. You have a choice at the start of every level and map to go into the forest, collect wisps, maybe kill some random encounters or find a vendor, and then everything you gathered juices the level just like the sentinel league did. This will make enemies far more dangerous but the loot explosions it created were awesome. I made about 50 divine in 2 weeks without much effort at all. Streamers were dropping that in a couple maps. I also loved the extra ascendancies that came with the league. I chose the charms one because it gave me 3 extra passive slots essentially and extra inventory space, which was awesome. 

Personally, I'm bummed GGG was not a fan of this league. They felt they over juiced the rewards and made the game too easy. I'm worried we'll never see something this fun again. I can understand hardcore PoE players and devs hating on it, but if they truly want to continue to steal Diablo players then they really need to embrace software trade league players getting rewarded for their time. People who don't like it can play SSF or ruthless.

Seahawks Disappointing 2023 Season: What's Next?

It is difficult to summarize this season in a few words or pictures but I think the below captures it well.  After the Seahawks defense laid another terrible performance on the field and got a lucky win, the young players, such as Tariq "Riq" Woolen, think it's worthy of an immature celebration despite the fact they were eliminated from playoff contention. 

Credit: Fox NFL

Let's summarize another 9-8 season where the Seahawks needed a win and Green Bay loss, again, to be able to sneak into the playoffs. After a surprising 2022 season, hopes were very high for this season. The Seahawks were projected to be #2 in the NFC West and top 4 in the NFC, with the Niners, Eagles, and Cowboys. Instead it seems the Rams are back on their upward trajectory while the Seahawks have leveled out in mediocre territory. 

The defense has been historically bad under Clint Hurtt and his horrible 3-4 scheme. It's hard to tell if it's scheme, play calling, personnel, and/or lack of execution. Perhaps all of the above given the historically bad results. Let's break down some stats to understand it better....

Seahawks Defensive rankings 2022 vs 2023: 

• Yards Given Up per Game: 5th Worst => 3rd Worst
• Plays per Game: 3rd Worst => Last
• First Downs per Game: 9th Worst => Last
• Time of Possession: 2nd Worst => Last
• Punts per Game: 6th Worst => Last
• Rush Defense: 3rd Worst => 2nd Worst
• Penalties per Game: 6th Worst => 5th Worst

The offense also trended down this year with players like Geno and Tyler having less productive seasons and the running game not being as successful as advertised. However, the offense going from top 10 to top 20 wasn't as big of a drop as the defense. The overall trend down, however, is very concerning.

Let's dip into the off-season and look at who's leaving, who should be replaced, and how to fill the gaps. 

Coaching: 

Pete can stay or go. The expectations for next season are low given it's difficult to turn an entire team around in a season and it's the last year on his contract. Given his age it seems like he will retire after the 2024 season and then the search for a new head coach can begin.

Both coordinators should be replaced. After 3 years of Shane Waldron the offense has been middle of the road and 2 years of Clint Hurtt being bottom of the league is a guaranteed firing. I would like to see the Seahawks bring in a more creative play caller on offense and a defensive coach who goes back to a 4-3 so we aren't using pass rushers in coverage and put more emphasis on stopping the run. 

Training staff and doctors could use some changes. Injuries continue to pile up on this team and seeing how poorly they handled Abe Lucas in the off-season makes me question who's evaluating players and recommending decisions. Hopefully Abe finds help outside the organization to get his knee better because the O-line is much better with Cross/Lucas on the ends.

Free Agents: 

• DE Leonard Williams: Re-sign (~3 years $44M)
• ILB Bobby Wagner: Re-sign (~2 years $10M)
• G Phil Haynes: Let go
• QB Drew Lock: Let go if Geno stays, re-sign if Geno leaves (1 year $4M)
• ILB Devin Bush: Let go
• LB Jordyn Brooks: Re-sign (~3 years $30M)
• C Evan Brown: Re-sign (1 year $3M)
• OLB Darrell Taylor: Let go (RFA so if minimum is offered elsewhere then match it)
• DE Mario Edwards: Let go
• G Damien Lewis: Let go
• TE Colby Parkinson: Let go
• RB DeeJay Dallas: Let go
• CB Michael Jackson: Re-sign (~2 years $4M)
• T Jake Curhan: Let go
• DT Myles Adams: Re-sign for minimum
• DE Joshua Onujiogu: Re-sign for minimum
• TE Brady Russell: Re-sign for minimum
• S Ty Okada: Re-sign for minimum
• LB Patrick O'Connell: Let go 

Non-FA's To Release or Trade: 

CB Riq Woolen: It's very clear Tariq doesn't care about winning or putting the team first. His only thoughts are being good at coverage and avoiding injury by not getting involved in tackles. His attitude on and off the field this season are not the type of culture the Seahawks should be a part of and they should seek some trade capital for him immediately while he still has value. 

SS Jamal Adams: I have never been a fan of the Adams trade and especially the huge extension they gave him. I don't understand Pete's love of this kid. He's a liability on the field and a cancer in the locker room. At this point the Seahawks need to trade or release him. If they need to package him with someone else so they can do a contract dump then so be it. 

FS Quandre Diggs: Most likely to stay but hasn't earned his starting roster spot this season. After getting paid Diggs has been lazy on the field. You can tell he's making business decisions by playing at half speed and avoiding hits where he doesn't have the advantage. He's often coming in late to scrums instead of being the first to initiate contact. I do appreciate his leadership in the locker room shaking his head at the young kids who don't care about winning, but overall it's a competition and starting spots need to be earned, not automatically retained. 

WR Tyler Lockett: I love Tyler but it's clear at the end of the season he can't keep up anymore. He's sucking oxygen after every drive, isn't getting as open as he used to, and falls down immediately when he makes a catch to avoid getting hit. It's also clear he's growing his relationships and business outside of football given the amount of articles I'm seeing about him doing real estate. Again, I love Tyler, have his autograph, and want him to have a good ending to his career in Seattle, but I think it's time for him to retire and enjoy his non-football life so JSN, Bobo, and others get to step up.

2024 NFL Draft: 

The unfortunate side of winning the last game of the year is the Seahawks dropping 2 draft spots to #16 overall. The Seahawks also traded some picks for players (such as 2nd and 5th for Leonard Williams) so they are left with 7 picks overall (1st, two 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th). 

Draft needs: The Seahawks need to target QB, FS, RB, WR, G, T, and ILB. 

Overall Expectations: 

For 2024 I am not expecting much of a difference in the Seahawks results. However, I am expecting big changes to the roster and coaching staff. If no major changes are made it's safe to expect another disappointing season and a not so promising future. The important thing is to make the necessary changes to modify the team's trajectory back to heading up so they can hit a playoff run in 2025.