[3.6] Milky's Scorching Ray Totems (updating process)

Puh that one is really tough.

I liked derigueuer's clean listing and i see point 5 similar, have to update that part a bit.

On the other side converting the build into something else is very hard due to the relatively unique pathing and it would require at least 40 regrets (thinking about flametotems/incinerate totemer that uses rf on himself which is substained by totem leech for boss dps).

Belvis blessed me with eye cancer. However i like the Martyr aspect a lot (a item i would wanna use as well and i like building around uniques).

Overall i liked derigueuer points more, i'll send you the key in a minute :)

I´ve made a comparison in Path of Building.

Compared Chieftain and Scion Guardian + Chieftain.

Picking a marauder class as a 2nd scion class is the only way to benefit from the alternative start which saves 2 skillpoints.
The extra skillpoints of scion barely grant a benefit since they are needed to path out of the scion area. If the area is skipped completely (no regen nodes and no jewel) its 5 skillpoints which could be used for more offensive stuff like totemic zeal or shamanistic fury.

Despite being curse immune (enfeeble) and having a extra jewel (copied a totem life and totemdmg jewel i had) it deals a bit less damage (~3%).

The life for the scion in my setup is around 3% higher due to the higher strenght of the class. The liferegeneration is marginal as well (2% more for scion, 1242 vs 1262)

Scions block is 2% higher. needed to remove cwdt + tempest shield for a lvl 1 clarity to gain the bonus stuff of the class.

From the defensive stats i expected less of the scion. The curse immunity grants protection against crits (~2% due to assassins mark), less dmg from vulnerablity/proj weakness, around 15% fewer resists are needed and whatever else the curses can do :P The thing is there arent always all curses up on the char and even when they are, not all affect us from the mobtype attacking us. The worst case are ranged attack dudes when proj. weakness, vulnerability and assassins mark are up on the char (4% critmulti, 2% critchance, ~6% phys/dot dmg, 8.5% proj dmg). In those cases its better to have the scion. If there are no curses or meaningless ones up it grants no benefit to have the scion.

Chieftains 8% less dmg of enemys always works. No curse is on the char, enemys deal 8% less damage to you and the totems. If there are some up the effect gets nullified and with all bad case curses up its worse than the scion.

While mapping i usually have ~4 curses up, with no loot they stack... if there is some looting time spend they dropp rather quickly.

Chieftain also has 20% totem placementspeed and automated endurance charge generation, fire immune and in general tankier totems.

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If no Soulmantle/Kikazarus are used, scion is way worse than other choices. Its also worse in the leveling process

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TL:DR

Defensive the scion can be slightly stronger.
Offensive the Chieftain is slightly stronger.

The difference between both is small.

Utility wise a Chieftain (or even Berserker with warcrys) is definetly better. Tankier and fire immune totems make breaches and bosses way easier and placementspeed/charge generation mapping more enjoyable.

I am enjoying playing this build. But I feel that my AOE is a bit small. I know AOE was nerfed but wanted to know if getting more AOE nodes will help at all or if I am pretty much stuck with what I got? Thanks for a great build!

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WolfeDude wrote:

I am enjoying playing this build. But I feel that my AOE is a bit small. I know AOE was nerfed but wanted to know if getting more AOE nodes will help at all or if I am pretty much stuck with what I got? Thanks for a great build!

the aoe naturally increases with gemlevel of righteous fire. every 4 levels you gain +1 radius which scales well with the aoe gem and templar aoe cluster.

On lower levels the aoe is not great, but later on it gets pretty big.

You know that you can trigger Elemental Overload with orb of storms even tough you have Ancestral Bond right?

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ChavelaVargas wrote:

You know that you can trigger Elemental Overload with orb of storms even tough you have Ancestral Bond right?

yes and i wrote it down 10 times in the guide

Hi guys. I have a noob question. Do burning damage nodes increase rf totem damage? Because when I grab them tooltip damage stays the same. Or we pick them for Searing Bond?

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Mdramadesu wrote:

Hi guys. I have a noob question. Does burning damage nodes increase rf totem damage? Because when I grab them tooltip damage stays the same. Or we pick them for Searing Bond?

yes it does. There is no tooltip dps or RF.

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Milkyslice wrote:

yes it does. There is no tooltip dps or RF.

Hmm, how do you calculate it then?

I can see its tooltip dps only with Herald of Ice/Thunder enabled (and it didn't change when I grabed another burning damage node). When should I stop using them, btw? Heralds, I mean.

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Mdramadesu wrote:

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Milkyslice wrote:

yes it does. There is no tooltip dps or RF.

Hmm, how do you calculate it then?

I can see its tooltip dps only with Herald of Ice/Thunder enabled (and it didn't change when I grabed another burning damage node). When should I stop using them, btw? Heralds, I mean.

Math, the feel if the dmg is fine and Path of Building calculates it for you.

yeah thsts somewhat buggy with the heralds, it doesnt affect the dmg of rf at all. If you use RF you dont want those heralds anymore, they are just good for leveling until rf totems are used