[outdated] Caustic Arrow Solo Map MFer (20/300+)
|
Spoiler
I'll have more feedback on the build later. Like I said, only ran one map, but based on that T6, its clear-speed is better than HoWA, as is the boss kill damage. Just due to the nature of the mechanical difference in the way KB and ST work (namely, ST requiring the boomerang effect to kick in before it really starts to push out the damage).
The central thing I like about it is that it isn't reliant on a secondary mechanic (poison) to do the heavy lifting. " To be fair, any MMO/aRPG is about the dps output, eventually. It was only a matter of time before power creep exacerbated it. I'm just going to be glad when ignite/poison are no longer the go-to boss-killer builds and we can start seeing immunity drop from bosses. I mean, there's a reason builders like Mathil run a poison or ignite build for 80% of their characters. And CI. :P Patiently waiting on the meta shift. Anyway, that said, the LL Wander that I have right now doesn't have high inherent crit chance, and the CoH-AM setup is obviously inferior to a pair of Skyforth's. So I'm figuring I might save up and rework the build to fit those in. I have this amulet available to replace Presence of Chayula if I get it. Only 6-7ex away.
Update
So, I got Skyforths and ended up having to go with a different amulet.
The central difference I believe is that HoWA is safer. What it loses in clear speed and boss damage (the wander is fricken STUPID at boss-killing, I melted Core Malachai in record time), it makes up in defense. Without a metric shitload of liquid capital, there's no way you can reasonably break 6000 ES with Skyforth AND maintain the same dps output. We're talking dual 10+ex Opal Rings and an amulet like the one below, but with % ES instead of that phys dmg. With Skyforth and this amulet: 5278 ES KB (in Thunderfist 5L): 49,136 (hideout, no charges) Barrage: 57,266 (hideout, no charges) With the boots linked in the previous post regarding the Wander, and Presence of Chayula I'm at 6,503 ES KB: 44,949 (hideout, no charges) Barrage: 52.562 (hideout, no charges) While I haven't tested it yet (I'm officially broke AF) I'm pretty sure that just playing intelligent mechanically, the Skyforth setup will flat out be better for things like Uber Atziri, Guardians, Shaper, etc. on the sheer basis of being able to generate PCs without Orb of Storms (which quite frankly, I find useless anyway). But... that's if you can survive potential one-shots. Not sure 6.5k would make a significant difference versus the Uber spear, though. But god DAMN, the single target power is retarded. And I don't even have any unique flasks. Jul 27, 2011 - Sept 30, 2018. Last edited by Serleth on Apr 2, 2017, 1:59:35 AM
| |
|
@Hank
Spoiler
I ran Doomfletch last league, and I'm deep into HoWA this league. Doomfletch was significantly faster clearspeed, but weaker on boss fights. Doomfletch is also a lot less tolerant of low rolled gear - it puts out so little physical damage before the added elemental, that you really have to get gear with max rolls on every bit of phys, or your resulting elemental is weak.
Both physical and elemental reflect mods are suicide with Doomfletch. With HoWA, I put out so little phys that I can take phys reflect maps easy. Not so with DF. DF and tornado shot you barely have to aim - you end up with projectiles everywhere. Bottom line - I think HoWA is more fun... but I'm pretty sure it's going to get nerfed into oblivion with 3.0, while DF, maybe, maybe not. Current league IGN: Teldra_Anc_LAD
Feel free to message me in game if I'm on. |
|
|
@grimjack68
Spoiler
Good stuff in your last post RE Doomfletch. My WI toon is capable of boss kills so I'm mainly looking for a high clear-speed build. Trouble is... I'm currently grinding out the last bit of fuses needed to 6-link a nice ES chest I have. At that point, I'd be ready to roll HoWA, going with 2 HoTM for leveling and then upgrading them/buying nice HoWAs. Whereas if I wanted to go Doomfletch, it looks like I'd need a 2nd 6-link (the bow) and a bunch of phys gear. So it would take a lot longer to get Doomfletch up and running. But the clear speed tempts me :-) The Doomfletch build I've had my eyes on is the one Fyndel posted in the ranger forum. His build doesn't get much life leech at all - so I'm wondering if the build might be a little more reflect-proof with some more leech. Last edited by hankinsohl on Apr 2, 2017, 3:30:34 AM
|
|
|
Just a quick question regarding the tree. Sorry if it has been asked before, but the build being so popular it feels impossible to check 570 pages of info lol.
If I wanted to try and go CI would this be a viable option? Using occultist and trickster with this tree below. Missing pierce cluster because Rigwald's quiver is so cheap atm. " | |
" Personally, I would strongly recommend against going CI and MF with this build. The really nice thing about life-based CA, is that you can do decent DPS and have decent survivability with very little investment in gear. This means that you can equip 2 MF rings, MF boots and can get MF/life/resists on your Helm/Gloves/Belt and eventually get AOE/Life on your chest. Going CI introduces additional survivabilitgy requirements which means that you'll end up forgoing MF to make up for defense; namely you'll need stun immunity (somehow), freeze/chill immunity/flask, more investment into DPS mitigation (i.e., energy shield because you cannot flask out of high DPS-but brief damage situations but will instead need to back away - and you'll likely need to get energy shield leech somehow because you can no longer use flasks). Bottom line - going CA-CI-MF is certainly workable - but you'll end up with far less MF - I think - than going life based. The purpose of this build is to farm up to Tier 13 or so maps with decent clear speed and great MF - going CI would mean that your MF is going to be far lower because of the survivability factors mentioned above when going CI. Last edited by hankinsohl on Apr 3, 2017, 12:38:03 PM
|
|
" Makes perfect sense, thanks for the explanation! I've made a decent bow last night and also collected a bunch of IIQ gear (thanks to legacy stuff lol) and will very likely start this char soon. Pity about crit multi, wanted a res of some sort, but kept getting +2 and only 1 good suffix while rolling with alts and regals. It turns out to be quite hard to get +2 and 2 good suffixes... | |
|
Selling the Wander
Fun build, but it's blatantly clear CI is so much better than LL. Whatever minimal loss of DPS you're going to suffer is easily made up by double the eHP pool.
Sold. Probably gonna be a Standard kid until the beta unless I figure out something else I want to roll.
And probably my last respec of the league, possibly build
Shatterfun, featuring Shocks! Jul 27, 2011 - Sept 30, 2018. Last edited by Serleth on Apr 4, 2017, 9:42:58 PM
| |
|
Spoiler
So, just gave the Hall of Grandmasters a shot with the HoWA toon. Nearly cleared one wing, but ran into a guy called Strikedeezy at the very end. Killed everyone else, but that guy... wow. Impressive damage output, and without frenzy charges I just can't push out enough damage, which I never thought I'd say about a HoWA toon!
Back to the drawing board, I guess. :) Hindsight: Should have tried swapping out my GMP for Slower Projectiles. Dammit. Current league IGN: Teldra_Anc_LAD
Feel free to message me in game if I'm on. |
|
|
@Serleth/GrimJack
Spoiler
@Serleth Interesting take on LL AKA Glass Cannon - I enjoy the play style where you can charge into a room without much caring what's in it - maybe taking a big burst of initial damage - but then quickly recovering ES/life and quickly dispatching whatever's attacking me. With 6Kish ES, this sort of tactic would end up killing me far too often. @GrimJack I don't know whether or not you tried this tactic or whether or not it would help against Strikedeezy, but... you can out-range just about every mob using faster projectiles. I cheesed a bunch of the wings, swapping out GMP for faster projectiles and just attacked from range. Usually I'll get a hit or two in, the mob will get a hit or two on me, but then I just back out, regen energy shield and repeat. This allows me to kill any life-based toon. And many mobs can't even take a hit or two from "faster projectile" spectral throw - so this tactic works really well against a lot of ES mobs too. Edit...
Spoiler
As mentioned in several posts above, I'm rolling HoWA for my second toon... but this time, I'm going crit. Crit seems to offer 40% or more potential DPS than non-crit with possibly similar expenditure for gear. I'm following Invalesco's guide; Invalesco seems to know what he's talking about and has an easy-going demeanor in his posts. Curiously, his build doesn't use Ancestral Protector - missing out on 15% or so DPS against bosses and whatever content you decide to drop AP. Meanwhile... Vaal Haste duration has been nerfed so much I'm considering not using it at all - I don't have it linked with Increased Duration - so maybe it's somewhat better than I'm currently experiencing - but wow! - maybe 4 seconds of VH and then it expires - big deal! - and even with ID, duration is going to be on the order of only 6 seconds, as compared to 10 seconds previously. For me... if for some reason stuff isn't dying fast enough I'll simply drop Ancestral Protector. And then if it's still not dead, I'll pop VH - previously I had VH up as much as possible. ======= Also... @Serleth... No doubt you've seen Mathil's Starforge cyclone raider... maybe that variant will be strong enough against Shaper to make the build completely viable for all content. Last edited by hankinsohl on Apr 5, 2017, 8:08:06 PM
|
|
|
@Hank
Spoiler
That's epic strategy! I'm absolutely going to liberate that idea next time I give it a go.
PS: Vaal Haste linked to a q20 increased duration is still 7s. And at 24 souls per use, I can keep it up most of the time, as I tend to kill a crapload more than 24 souls every 7 seconds. Current league IGN: Teldra_Anc_LAD Feel free to message me in game if I'm on. Last edited by grimjack68 on Apr 6, 2017, 12:02:34 AM
|
|
