3.23 EXPLOSIVE ARROW BALLISTA ELEMENTALIST - League-Start to End-Game. Easy mode.
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3.23 Update.
Hey Guys, Explosive Arrow will be as solid as ever! Again, it will probably be the best and easiest league-starter for most players. Minor changes to the quality of Explosive Arrow. We get MORE fuses, so have a higher DPS potential if you weren't capped already (22 vs 20). With the offset being that you have to stack those fuses faster unless you pickup increased duration nodes elsewhere (20% duration loss from quality). So overall, it's pretty much identical and will shred the entire game. This will still be a top tier build and demolish all content from league start to Uber Bosses. I still haven't found any other build that tops this one... so I'll probably do this build again but maybe I'll go Champion to mix it up. Enjoy! ---------- This build is for you if you like to easily clear all content without thinking, and like to kill bosses in seconds. Haha, we have millions and millions IGNITE DPS and still have amazing tankiness. Yeh... everything just melts. Watch live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/brunowa_ Get the latest Videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0UHiZPF7vB6N6o4eGs8mPA Here is an end-game video for those working towards it: 3.18 VIDEOS: Uber Maven melting: https://youtu.be/sUrmXTaNwxA Uber Sirus Just Melts: https://youtu.be/cwl3a7-0d04 Uber Shaper 2-man carry: https://youtu.be/S69cfu2qlyg Uber Uber Elder: https://youtu.be/HLFRukDrcvA Uber Searing Exarch: https://youtu.be/y_YJ6v_d6aI Uber Cortex showing a little clearspeed too: https://youtu.be/Q2sU4etGzAQ 3.17 Videos (most people can expect to reach this level of DPS.. the above is very min-maxed): 1. The Black Star: https://youtu.be/afaWjclnFx8 2. The Infinite Hunger: https://youtu.be/yBpRdIvNapc 3. The Searing Exarch: https://youtu.be/VgnU_WaFwtU 4. The Eater of Worlds: https://youtu.be/UtibtVGvN_U 5. Sirus: https://youtu.be/ZBa1JqxnAAc 6. Maven: https://youtu.be/GIig_CuiMOI 7. T16 Mapping/Clear - Minotaur: https://youtu.be/jyKJMM20Fqw 8. T16 Mapping/Clear - Crimson Temple (influenced): https://youtu.be/eINmK2aiRNo
Pro's and Con's
+ Amazing DPS + Amazing clear + Amazing bossing + Amazing tankiness + Very simple gameplay + Drop totems and run - Have to backtrack for some items that drop
Gear Detailed
Bow: You want to prioritise ATTACK SPEED. Attack speed is essential for this build, so you MUST have a short/thicket bow. Short/Thicket Bow +1 socketed gems +2 socketed bow gems 17%+ Attack Speed Craft fire DOT or gain fire as extra chaos. Can use a Quill Rain or Storm Cloud early on for cheap. Upgrade when you have the $$. Quiver: Fire damage over time Attack speed Life Elemental damage with attacks Resis Chest: Lots of options here to suit your needs: - Hyrri's is fantastic - spell suppression and DPS. - Rare with spell suppression and life - Rare with Life and resis, - Loreweave. - Brass Dome for ultra defence. - Queen of the Forest for ultra speed. Helmet: Blizzard crown with life, resis, -9%+ fire damage. Gloves: Damage over time Attack speed Spell suppression Life Resis Boots: Movespeed Spell suppression Life Resis Can use Atziri's Splendour for a cheap option, and provides great stats. Amulet: Damage over time Life Resis Elemental damage with attacks Bonus if you can get +1 gems or even better +2 gems (fire/dex gems). Ashes of the Stars is a good alternative if you are stacking some kind of quality gem or as an intermediary before you get a better rare. Rings: Life Accuracy Resis Curse on hit with flammability Elemental damage with attacks The new ring Polaric Devastation is AMAZING for the extra DPS by covering enemies in ash. If your defence/life is all good, then opt for this ring in your LEFT slot. Belt: - Dyadian Dawn. Use catalysts to get ignites to deal damage faster at 42%. - Headhunter is best in slot for end-game (mapping). - Mageblood is good too, or other life/res as needed.
Gems
Bow: Explosive Arrow, Ballista Totem, Awakened Burning Damage, Awakened Elemental Damage With Attacks, Lifetap support, Ignite Proliferation. Swap in Awakened Deadly Ailments for Pinnacle Bosses. Chest: Determination, Grace, Purity of Elements, Defiance Banner, Precision, Enlighten (4) Culling strike setup (throw on bosses to cull them): Arcanist Brand, Flame Surge, Lifetap, Culling Strike. Frenzy and Combustion setup (fire frenzy for charges, and throw trap on bosses for combustion): Frenzy, Lifetap, Lightning Spire Trap, Combustion. Other: Molten Shell, Flame Dash, Ice Golem, Lifetap
Levelling
Levelling tree is in POB further below. Kill all for bandits and points. Ascendencies: 1) Shaper of Flames 2) Mastermind of Discord 3) Heart of Destruction 4) Bastian of Elements for defence, or Shaper of Storms for offence.
POB
3.21 POB here: https://pastebin.com/Pzxq45pJ The above is insanely well all-rounded. It's a slight tweak of what I did in 3.18. If you can achieve the above gear you will just demolish everything in the game. OLD POBs are below: 3.19 POB: https://pastebin.com/9MrARdXc Use Awakened Deadly Ailments for pinnacle bosses. Use Ignite Proliferation for everything else. - - - - - - - - - - - - Thanks to Schejian for the mini write-up on using POB for Explosive Arrow below: 1, Don't look at "Total Damage per Ignite" (useless). We only care for ignite DPS and Attack Rate  2, Don't set your Fuses to 20 if you can't reach them. Otherwise POB will give you false numbers on everything. AttackRate *6 Totems * Hitchance * (increased duration) = Fuses EA Explosion description is kinda misleading here. You might think: "Well I get 5% more Damage per Fuse. 10x Fuses = 50% More 20x Fuses = 100% More So im kinda fine with only 10Fuses, i'm just losing out on the 50%more" But the way the multiplier stacks its actually WAYYY more than that: Going from 10->15 Fuses is 75% MORE DPS Going from 15->20 Fuses is 52% MORE DPS Going from 10->20 Fuses is 166% MORE DPS (Yes. Double your Attackspeed, get 166% more DPS) Have a look at the more Multiplier in PoB:  That's why im pestering everyone here to go for more Attackspeed. It's by far the best way to scale our damage. Further detail being added as needed overtime. Last edited by brunowa on Dec 3, 2023, 3:10:39 PM Last bumped on Oct 28, 2024, 12:39:06 PM
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Thanks for starting the tread. Your gear is insane.
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Thanks for the build and videos!
Folks considering the build should definitely watch your T16 map clear - I think the playstyle will not be everyone's cup of tea. | |
" Yep. Obviously the more DPS you do the smoother and quicker it is. It's like running through, dropping a bomb, and continue running. Some people may not like it. Also, I was using mana in that video. You can see on the boss fight I don't have max totems summoned for most of it so DPS is significantly lower. I have since changed to using Lifetap and consistently have max totems summoned... so it's a big DPS buff compared to what you see there. | |
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I haven't played totem build, how's leveling with this build, use totem directly or respec to totem later?
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" So you are not using ignite proliferation in mapping? How does that feel? I mean the proliferation feels amazing EDIT: Also did you forget to respec out from Ash, Frost and Storm cluster since you don't have Shaper of Storms anymore from Elementalist? Not much use for that cluster without it unless you get shock from somewhere else. Last edited by Guilty1 on Feb 2, 2022, 1:00:35 PM
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Thanks for the guide.
Is it easy to counter the life-drain effects from Lifetap especially when you use Lifetap with multiple skills? Is there a certain point (like an amount of HP) when you should switch to Lifetap and use Mana in prior to that point? |
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" I am undecided on Ignite Proliferation. Ideally you would swap it Prolif for mapping and swap in something else for bossing. The clear is still amazing without Ignite Proliferation... but it does make it that bit smoother when you have it on. Ash, Frost, and Storm still gives good elemental DPS and I was using Sadist in my cluster. But checking it out I don't think Sadist works with ballistas. So thanks for point this out. I'll play around with it. EDIT: I have removed Ash, Frost, and Storm and opted for an extra jewel socket (rain of splinters), 6% more life, and 2% life regen whilst moving. Last edited by brunowa on Feb 2, 2022, 7:45:41 PM
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" Life drain with LifeTap is very minimal at end-game... I don't even notice it. It's not like we are spamming skills constantly either. It's more like "drop a totem and move", in which time any life leech/regen etc would balance it out before you drop your next totem. When to switch? Whenever it feels comfortable. For levelling, Palsteron has a full video guide on it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmbuheS_HL8 Last edited by brunowa on Feb 2, 2022, 7:47:08 PM
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