[3.21] Rakim’s alternate Cold-Dot Occultist (Ghostwrithe&Traitor)
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Wave 30 Simulacrum Showcase:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noCMVxkUlCg POB: https://pastebin.com/JGgAE5RN Introduction: Since Cold-Dot Builds were getting more and more popular over the past few leagues, I decided to take a closer look and create my own subversion, fitting my needs. If you stumbled upon my last Guide (https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/3338110), you might know that I prefer versatile, highly automated characters with multiple layers of defence. This Occultist-Version is no exception. It can take on all content with ease and is especially potent dealing with simulacrums and high-density delirium maps. Key-Technologies: # Triple-Dot (Vortex, Creeping Frost, Cold-Snap) # Low-Life / Ghostwrithe (8000 ES) # Heavy abuse of the Traitor Keystone, 4 Perma-Flasks, 20% Less Elemental Dmg taken # Ailment Immunity through Stormshroud # Aura Stacking (Grace, Zealotry, Hatred, Malevolence, Discipline, Flesh&Stone, Def. Banner, Skitterbots) # Optional: Golem Stacking for Phys. Reduction Pros: + reliable and consistent Damage, including high penetration for bossing + easy and forgiving playstyle + safe and tanky mapper, 8000 ES, 2000 ES Reg, 30k Evasion, -20% Elemental Damage taken + 100% Elemental Ailment Immunity + Stun Immunity + amazing in-combat recovery + permanent, automated flasks + no expensive mandatory uniques + cheap cluster jewels + easy gearing, the flasks fix most of our resistances + league starter that scales to the very endgame + occultist explosions Cons: - you absolutely need to activate our flasks once you enter a zone. Once they are running, they run endlessly, but if you forget them initially, the slightest breeze of chaos damage will kill you instantly. - not the fastest horse in the stable About the Ghostwrithe-Armor: The Ghostwrithe is an amazing alternative to Shavronne’s Wrappings that allows you to reach much higher energy-shield levels while also providing you with tons of chaos resistance. This armour is cheap and accessible even in the early stages of a league and therefore it is also realistic to archive a corrupted or double corrupted one for the endgame. But how to we prevent chaos damage from ignoring ES? That’s where the Traitor kicks in: About the Traitor The Traitor is a major keystone ability granted by Brutal Restraint (Balbala). For each empty flask slot, you gain 4 flask charges every 5 seconds (for each flask individually). Note that this base of 4 Charges can be scaled by “increased Flask charges gained” and “increased charge recovery” so you can effectively double this value without too much investment. The 3 major sources are: Flask Prefix (60%), Brewed for Potency Medium Cluster (4x10%) and the Brutal Restraint itself (up to 40%). Now add a Belt with “reduced flask charges used” and “increased flask effect duration” and you can permanently keep up 4 long-duration flasks. If you are missing the equipment, you can simply run with 3 flasks until your setup is ready for more. The Coruscating Elixir provides the essential “chaos damage does not bypass energy shield” modifier, plus 50% fire resistance and 20% less Fire damage taken. Go along with a Topaz and a Sapphire Flask and you end up with permanent 50% all-res and 20% less elemental damage taken. If this alone is not enough, you get even more utility out of this constellation with the flask’s suffixes. The obvious choices would be “25% reduced mana cost of skills”, “60% reduced effect of curses on you” and 60% more evasion rating). Aura Stacking: If you already don’t know it: the prism guardian shield allows you to reserve 3 50% auras with your life alone. All you need is the proper life reservation mastery and one corrupted jewel with increased reservation efficacy. Alternatively, there is a delve mod on rings with life reservation efficacy. Now you can add 4 more auras with your mana. My choice for socketing was the crown of the inward eye, another very accessible item which usually can be obtained with the 90% reservation multiplier corruption. Note that you can go with Determination instead of Flesh&Stone + Defiance Banner, but you will need 159 strength and a bit more reservation efficacy. Personally, I really like Flesh&Stone on Evasion Builts, as well as the synergy between evasion and energy shield recharge. Skitterbots and Profane Proxy: If you have played occultist before you might know that profane bloom requires enemies to be cursed in order to explode their corpses. Vortex does not hit and neither do the chilled grounds of creeping frost and cold snap. As a result, curse on hit does not work that great while mapping if you want reliable chain explosions. Skitterbots + Profane Proxy provide an easy and effective solution, since they curse packs very fast and reliable. And we really want that 18% shock effect for your damage. Tip: if you are levelling and you want to play it even saver, you can switch in Enfeeble instead of Frostbite. Damage should not be an issue anyway. Damage Scaling: Not much to explain here. Gem Level should be your highest priority (21 gem, +2 Wand, +2 Amu, +4 Chest), but you should be able to clear all basic content with less. Pain attunement and your 3 damage auras (Hatred, Zealotry, Malevolence) do the other part of the scaling, as do the skitterbots. Skill-Tree and Cluster jewels only play a minor part in comparison. For high-end bossing you can opt in for an additional curse / elemental weakness on hit. The crown of the inward eye provides a good junk of damage, as well as the pinnacle implicits on the gloves (exposure + dot multi). Scorched ground implicit on the boots is nice to have. Physical Damage Reduction: Evasion and 8k ES is nice, but what if that one big swing comes through? Of course, you can go armour instead of evasion, but then you also need block and Aegis to feel safe in high end encounters. But then you lose the benefit of prism guardian and you have to drop some auras. Out of curiosity I tried some Golem stacking and now I’m sticking with it, because I did not die ever since and you can see it in the wave 30 video in action. Liege of the Primordial is one of the cheaper FF/FF jewel combos out there. I got myself 3 golems with 260% increased buff effect in total, which is good for an additional 20% phys reduction, 8,5% total dot dps and 500 ES regn. That’s not game breaking, but it feels good. With some crazy megalomaniacs you can go even further. In Addition, the golems take some hits for you. You often don’t recognize it while you play, but if you record now and then and watch your footage you can see the golems intercepting and taunting. The Mana Problem: While the overall feel of the built is great, there is one small thing that might be annoying: 3 high level spells consume a lot of mana and it gets even worse, if you start cursing on hit. Even with all the reductions on the tree you can run out of mana if you throw out casts carelessly, which honestly might happen in high density maps. You can solve this by putting 2 points into Mind Drinker (mana on kill). Optional: Spell Suppression Initially I planed to skill Instinct and lucky spell suppression. Theoretically you can reach a high percentage thought crucible mods on the shield. But in the end, spell damage was not an issue. I did not die much anyway and then it was the lack of physical reduction. So, the points went to the golems. But it is possible and an option. Leveling: There are dozens of guides on various platforms for cold-dot builts. Just run cold snap, vortex and creeping frost in different 4-links and you will obliterate the early game. If you like it easy-mode, get yourself a Bitterdream for 1c at level 32 and you have effectively two 7-links. I think I used the Bitterdream until late yellow maps. I went low life pretty early with Ghostwrithe, dying occasionally to chaos damage, which is not an issue in the early game / white maps. I Picked up the Traiter as soon as possible with 3 automated flasks. Every other upgrade came bit by bit. Late-Game Gearing: Please check my Path of Building on top Last bumped on Oct 9, 2023, 1:22:37 AM
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This looks like a really cool idea. I was planning cold DoT league start for 3.22 and I think the idea of Ghostwrithe in it looks really cool.
Just a quick note though - you mention Vortex doesn't hit. It actually does (and has decent base damage, which is why it's used for cold DoT + ignite Elementalist builds). |
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Any changes for 3.22?
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