i guarantee you, you could throw all the rng in the world in a matchup and a skilled zon will trump a less seasoned zon almost always[/QUOTE]
in the current paradigm, yes, but let's say, for the sake of argument, that GA ranged from 1-100k damage and a lucky newb can one-shot a pro. idk why we'd want to allow more RNG considering we're already at a point where multi will only hit about 1/13 times when an opponent has shield up, then 50% open wounds proc. there's already an abundance of RNG. i haven't seen anyone make an argument along these lines: "zvz doesn't have enough RNG; we should make duels more chaotic"
regarding accessibility/cost, rand jeweler's armors with some cheap jewels are comparable to fort at this point. one of the most interesting elements of d2 has always been finding trophy items. if superior gmb bases didn't exist, everyone used 2x ravenfrost instead of 1x raven with a rare/crafted ring, itemization becomes less interesting.
i have yet to see a 500+ def ap with 4os, 100 life, whereas there are probably multiple perf fort rolls in 15ed AP on the market right now. it's fun to dream of trophy items and calculate the difference between a 4xx def armor vs 500+.