(3.2) [Lighty] 2H RT Cyclone: Dope for Beast League & Lab™

"

lazycalm2 wrote:

Hey Lighty,

What nodes should I go for in the Champion Ascendancy?

It's my first time playing Cyclone. Is this a good build for endgame? (T10+ maps)
Should I go with Axe or Mace? Which one is superior, even if they're similar?

edit: I only play Softcore. Should I still go Champion or try Berserker?

Thanks for the build :)

Yes, it is a very good build for endgame mapping on SC or HC. The only thing it doesn't do very well is uber-Atziri, which is fairly niche content anyway.

As Champion you want to take Unstoppable Hero -> Fortify -> First to Strike, Last to Fall OR Inspirational.

This last point is up to you; if you play in groups often, Inspirational offers the best synergy, while First to Strike, Last to Fall is subjectively better for solo play. Don't agonize too much over the decision, you can always respec and try both if you want. Personally I use FtSLtS, because I have a ton of movespeed already, and I like the low-life defensive boost.

Go with the best weapon you have, Axe/Mace/Sword are all viable, and have only minor differences. The only two concerns are:

1) Assuming you don't use Kaom's Heart, Mace has access to Vaal Ground Slam, which is an entirely optional setup to run concurrently with Cyclone. Other weapon setups can still run Vaal Cyclone, or another setup of your choice (Earthquake, Totems, Golems, Warcry's, ranged attack for specific bosses).

2) Axes have the best unique availability, offering the highest DPS of uniques with Atziri's Disfavour, Hezmana's Bloodlust, and Kaom's Primacy in that order of effectiveness. None of these are required for the build, and this certainly doesn't mean Maces or Swords aren't good as well, only that Axes have the best unique weapons.

My advice is not to worry about weapon type until the very end. Put your passives into everything but weapon-specific nodes first (and optionally jewels). That will allow you to play with any weapon until you reach the last stages of your build, at which point you will be looking for an end game weapon anyway. If change weapons after that, you should be able to get enough currency to respec easily if need be. Personally I use Axes, because it's much easier to get Hezmana or Disfavour than it is to get a top tier endgame rare in Leagues, and I like the Onslaught bonus for mapping. If you play Standard, your experience may differ.

That's a great detailed response. Thanks a lot dude :)

Regarding the ascendancy, would you consider berserker since I'm playing softcore? Or stick with Champion?

"

lazycalm2 wrote:

That's a great detailed response. Thanks a lot dude :)

Regarding the ascendancy, would you consider berserker since I'm playing softcore? Or stick with Champion?

I think Champion is better overall. It has a good mix of everything we want while running Cyclone, plus the free fortify opens up more build options. Berserker is cool for the big damage bonus, but it comes with a disadvantage and I don't really like the other bonuses in the tree.

What did you guys take for autocasting your curse? Curse on hit or cwdt? Can't decide which one to use :-D

I prefer low level cwdt+warlord's mark.
Non stop proc to almost all mobs on the screen, fits me better, compared to curse on hit from vengeance/leap slam.

"

Sattarqt wrote:

I prefer low level cwdt+warlord's mark.
Non stop proc to almost all mobs on the screen, fits me better, compared to curse on hit from vengeance/leap slam.

I'm quite new to PoE and wondering whats your benefit of keeping cwdt at low level?

/e: nvm, i just found it, makes sense now to trigger it at lower dmg income.

"

Sattarqt wrote:

I prefer low level cwdt+warlord's mark.
Non stop proc to almost all mobs on the screen, fits me better, compared to curse on hit from vengeance/leap slam.

Thx you for sharing your experience. Yea I think you are right, indeed cwdt seems to be better than curse on hit

I'm runnig with blasphemy+warlord's. With alpha's howl and conqueror's efficency, i can use hatred, hoa and blasphemy+wm. IMO it is good option, because you can't be frozen, and your hatred is +2.

What's the difference between using a 2handed for a Cyclone build or using Facebreakers besides the weapon range?
And does the range make a big difference?

"

lazycalm2 wrote:

What's the difference between using a 2handed for a Cyclone build or using Facebreakers besides the weapon range?
And does the range make a big difference?

Range makes a big difference on clearspeed.

IIRC Cyclone multiplies your weapons base range. Because 2hrs have a higher base range than 1hrs, they have an exponentially higher return (eg: 2*2=4, but 3*2=6), giving you significantly more range with 2hrs than 1hrs.

There's also attack speed to consider. Cyclone doubles your attack speed, which means two hits with two-handed weapons, but one-handed weapons will alternate hands instead of hitting with both. Because the two-handed weapons base damage is higher, this is generally going to be better.

Will the spec work without 2hrs? Absolutely, it just isn't quite as good.