[3.16 - RETIRING BUILD] VD Brands: S-Tier Bosser, A-Tier Map! -- MURDERED BY GGG_INTERN SOMEWHERE--

Hey Prima, I saved up some currency and am trying the build out - obviously pretty far off the recommended gear still, but just wondering if you'd be able to check my PoB out and suggest improvements and what gear I should go after next to get it going a bit better. Currently it's working in yellows reasonably well, but the damage is fairly low.

My thoughts are getting clusters working asap and trying to find an aspect of the spider belt.

https://pastebin.com/PyQuHjcn

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Spiralyo wrote:

Hey Prima, I saved up some currency and am trying the build out - obviously pretty far off the recommended gear still, but just wondering if you'd be able to check my PoB out and suggest improvements and what gear I should go after next to get it going a bit better. Currently it's working in yellows reasonably well, but the damage is fairly low.

My thoughts are getting clusters working asap and trying to find an aspect of the spider belt.

https://pastebin.com/PyQuHjcn

Heya, Duskdawn requires some more crit mult to push down red maps, but that will come naturally. The key stat to bump up now is definitely Cast Speed.

There are probably 2 things choking your build right now:

A) It lacks startup speed. This compounds into very slow DPS ramps and feels bad especially with Scourge backtracking and early league where you WANT to pick up items.

B) It's probably OOMing a lot despite all your good efforts!

I made some drastic changes.

https://pastebin.com/EjMsueMs

1) Got points back by dropping Spiritual Aid, Lord of the Dead, and the pathing to the reservation nodes. Just take what you can with the Thread.

You can pick SA up later, Cast Speed is King especially pre-Cane.

2) Change Explosive Impact travel node to Cast Speed one.

3) Take Precision, Mental Rapidity and Nimbleness.

4) Travel out of Witch using the Cast Speed nodes on the left.

5) Take Fire Walker! Huge!


RE: Mana - it's very important you video a run and see if your mana bar is constantly emptying. It means your casts are throttled and your damage just stops.

You can also drop Skitterbots since you naturally Shock and Chill.

Purity of Elements may have to go if you are still OOMing, and you'll have to pick up the resist on Gear, for now.

Finally PoB appears wonky, make sure you have the Brands Attach to blah blah every 0.3 sec Max as one of the masteries.

I'm in a bit of a rush so I may have missed some steps but the PoB is accurate. On paper you lost a chunk of DPS but the Cast Speed makes the build not feel like total ass to start off. Do let me know how you feel before and after the changes!

Also, flasks are HUGE. Definitely: 1) Get a source of Onslaught, Silver Flask if need be. It changes the way the build plays. 2) Enduring Flask of Pupil (~20% reduced cost of skills) is really BiS until maybe super lategame. It's a free 20% reduced cost multiplier!!

Finally, pick up cheap LGOH spell rings (check my profile for an example). They add a lot to early sustain. Although, Fenumus' already helps you a ton probably. Hmm.

WAIT A SEC. You don't have Aspect of the Spider on an item which is why we wear Fenumus's! You must be feeling very squishy T_T Get either the LGOH ring or buy the beastcraft (but make sure you are able to kill it by fixing the other issues first).

Thanks a ton, that's definitely working a lot better now. But yeah, still feels like I'm missing a few pieces, probably the Aspect of the Spider would help a lot so I'll start saving for that.
Very cool build though, playstyle is pretty unique, and when it's working for me it feels amazing - just sometimes the damage disappears and single target right now is a bit rough.

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Spiralyo wrote:

Thanks a ton, that's definitely working a lot better now. But yeah, still feels like I'm missing a few pieces, probably the Aspect of the Spider would help a lot so I'll start saving for that.
Very cool build though, playstyle is pretty unique, and when it's working for me it feels amazing - just sometimes the damage disappears and single target right now is a bit rough.

If there's socket space, flame golem with elemental army and combustion (and meat tank for more survivability) could help with single target by reducing effective resistances by 20-30 (combustion and fire exposure), along with the innate flame golem damage increase buff. Wave of conviction could do the same with slightly higher exposure, but might not always trigger the ignite needed for combustion whereas the golem would keep on attacking.

Have you had a gander at reciprocation staves + fenumus + es gain watchers?
double es gain on hit and spending ES ahead of mana might be a version where u invest out of mana on tree, get save points there but keep -mana cost on gear

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Spiralyo wrote:

Thanks a ton, that's definitely working a lot better now. But yeah, still feels like I'm missing a few pieces, probably the Aspect of the Spider would help a lot so I'll start saving for that.
Very cool build though, playstyle is pretty unique, and when it's working for me it feels amazing - just sometimes the damage disappears and single target right now is a bit rough.

Psaakryn's idea is ingenious! I hadn't even realised you were missing an exposure source. Definitely get that fixed - any exposure right now is going to bump you up some 20-30% DPS, and Combustion is indeed another source of early resist shred.

As for the damage disappearing, it is very likely the scenario highlighted as follows in the FAQ:


Why am I not doing damage all of a sudden?

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waggypants wrote:

Have you had a gander at reciprocation staves + fenumus + es gain watchers?
double es gain on hit and spending ES ahead of mana might be a version where u invest out of mana on tree, get save points there but keep -mana cost on gear

That is a nice wall of badges holy!

I think one of our contributors went down this route and commented that the loss of tankiness wasn't worth the swap (25% base block / 35% base block on Duskdawn). It is certainly one avenue of doing it though, since week 1 Fenumus prices seem a bit high.

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GuiltyHollow wrote:

I really love the concept of the build and I'm trying to save the currency for this build. Is there a list of required items for the build?
From my understanding it's impulse, -Mana Cost craft jewelry, and Duskdawn?

I would say to make it early Red comfortable - Inpulsa, Mana Cost Jewelry.

Duskdawn - well, to be honest, I'm looking at Spiral's current predicament and it looks like he's in a bit of a power trough because Diamond Flask got taken down so many notches. It does grant a lot of tankiness but the lack of cast speed and base crit really makes it pale in comparison to Cane of Kulemak.

I'm currently pushing into reds with a dual-wield EO setup. Even two Doryani's Catalysts are going to carry you easily into all Conqs.

Don't overlook the gem levels - Level 19/20 Desecrate as well as access to Stoneskin Flayers / Lithomancers can make or break boss damage. This is after all a Arca Brand build - one of the biggest upsides is accurate corpse explosions.

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primaeva wrote:

Cast Speed is King especially pre-Cane

Wow, it is.

I just hit 82 and I'm still running armageddon brand because I dropped a searing touch, but I'm leveling gems for arcanist brand (including a 20% divergent vd I snapped up for 10c!). I'm also respecing my tree as I pick up scours and regrets, and going from 39% increased cast speed to just 102% was a huge qol boost. I'll probably get another 50% when I fully swap to vd, too. This is fun.

I got my aspect of the spider online and can pretty comfortably do tier 11ish, but damage is definitely a barrier on getting higher at the moment on this kind of budget I suppose. I guess getting lithomancers and leveling my gems would be the best way to get some free damage, but I'm considering making another char just to farm a bit more currency haha