They added a MAB/MACC augment to the feet instead, didn't they? It's probably much weaker, but how does the current damage compare to before considering you also lose out on augmented Herc feet?
Yes/No.
They added Macc (up to +25) and Mab (up to +20) merit categories.
Despite the english description we don't know yet:
1) if those merit categories work
2) if they work only on SAN spells or all elemental ninjutsu
3) if they work (macc) on ALL ninjutsu or just elemental ones.
Also they changed the Relic augments on head and feet
Head:
SAN ninjutsu damage +5-25% >>> Yonin HP +10-50, Innin SC and Magic Burst bonus +??%
Feet:
Feet Ninjutsu casting time - X% >>> Mab/Macc + ??%
Mab/Macc augment bonus could probably be something like +1 for each merit spent, up to +5 macc and +5 mab, maybe?
For a grand total of +25 potential Mab, assuming that's what the augment does, assuming all that category works.
Mab+25 is surely nice but:
1) it's nowhere as close as 25% damage
2) it's now on the feet, whereas the head is specifically tailored for nuking, check the stats
Head wouldn't be close to what it used to be even if they swapped Head/Feet augments. That would help closing the gap (if you go 5/5 into Mab merits) but there would still be a gap.
Relic Feet +3 are not the worst but clearly a very bad nuking option anyway, so that augment won't help it making it good compared to the other available options (mostly AF+3 and augmented Herc, if I recall)