3.8 New Queens Escape + Baron - super fast physical skeletons + zombies

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grimlock9999 wrote:

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hi thanks for this guide.. Im currently lvl 48 .
my problem is the incursion timer, I'm not sure if im playing it wrong or I prolly dont understand the mechanics. but i never finish a single one (filled the monster bar) due to the timer.

can anyone give me tips?

The incursions are much more difficult early game for us summoners. We simply don't have the move speed to find the stone, and move it to where it needs to go. I imagine it's be a bit easier for the dex based characters who have earlier move speed. Thankfully, it gets brainlessly easy after your second lab run:

The best thing to do is Rush Bone sculptor in your ascendencies. By the time you get here, you should have a decent quicksilver flask, 20-30% move speed on your boots and phase run in a gem slot. At this stage, you will be killing every monster and moving fast enough to both find the key (stone of passage), pick it up, and run it to the doorway. You should also have vaal skellies by now, which is great for doing damage while you move elsewhere and cast normal skellies. This means you are clearing 2 mobs / bosses at once.

I had the same difficulties as you, but am now finishing the incursions with 15 seconds left!

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I'm not sure I'm a fan of the 'Voideye' recommendation for a unique unset ring - all the +5 to Purity is giving you is 4% res all. What do you think of 'Redblade band' and putting the Stone Golem in it? +30STR, +3 to golem, 25% chance for golem to blind, and 30-40 life seems like a strong option.

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grimlock9999 wrote:

Hey Sighlight,

The short answer is that lifting nerd is an expert at min/maxing and synergising builds, as well as explaining them. I love his videos too, so if he thinks skellies only are better, they probably are overall. That answer from the build creator seems right too: Zombies are optional, and that build gets more pure life.

I've been following that skellie only build from the start, and it is really good. I think in a SSF HC build, the Skeleton only version is better than including zombies (this build). It would just be easier to adapt to the items you find.

On the baron: If you use it trying to get 1000 strength, then yes, you are definitely limited in item choice. We use it for a damage buff, to allow us to get strength (life) ourselves, for more zombies, and to keep our Guardian and Spectres alive. So this build does allow you lots of flexibility as long as you don't aim for 1000 strength (I'm happy with 600 strength, since our life regen is really high anyway).

The reasons stated for not using zombies are valid, but are really more a matter of preference. The cons of using zombies: They provide a chance for projectiles to chain more and hit you, they take gem slots, they are not great at targeting the enemies you want, there is definitely more life for you if you take kaom's heart instead of a 6 link chest.

The pro's of fast zombies are: more consistent DPS, more pure physical damage reduction, more meatshield, more taunts, more minions taking aggro, better synergy of global buffs like minion speed, minion life, minion chance to blind on hit. Of course the main pro for me is that you get 600K AOE DPS without any button pushing, and even if your placement of skeletons is terrible, the zombies will stay close and kill things nearby. Since laziness is why I play summoners at all, I think this build wins on laziness :)

The main difference in the two builds lies is the cold damage. Cold damage is great, in that it gives you chill, chance to freeze, and the chance to use auras which help your party.

BUT, There are a lot of factors that need to come into place before that cold damage hits maximum. To get 1.9 Mill DPS you need to cast your lightning skill and hit with it to proc EE, minions need to be be in range of your aura, you use your mana to buff cold damage, use grip of the council as gloves, maybe allocate EE and aura node on the tree, possibly cast offerings, use at least 2 gem slots for hatred and generosity, and give up blasphemy and enfeeble.

This build simply needs frenzy charges, which you can reasonably expect to be up 90% of the time. We lose zero damage if the enemy is a boss, guardian or shaper, and need no other factors to align to get our maximum DPS. We can be miles away and the minions still hit just as hard. Also note that the skellie only build has fast attack speed, so if the enemy moves, the DPS goes down faster than our slower attack speed, higher single hit option.

The defensive consideration is this: an optimised Kaom's heart build has 9.5K life, this build fully optimised has 8K life and enfeeble, phasing and an aura slow. For end game bosses, the effect of enfeeble is about 10% EHP (effective health pool), say 800 health. For normal mobs, the EHP is above 30%, say 2400 EHP. Add on the extra flat physical reduction from zombies, the slow, the phasing and the resistance aura keeping our minions alive and we're not too far behind. I'd still say that flat life is better though because this game has lots of explosions that only life can save you from.

Also, since I love movement speed, on both minions and ourselves, not having it is a huge con. Again, minion movement speed is a huge boost to our effective damage, but not our tooltip damage. That's why I choose queen's escape over Femur of the saints.

Of course, all of this is just a mental exercise. Both builds have similar playstyle, use similar items and gems, similar passive tree...It's just fun trying to see what will be bestest and considering new items, new bosses, new corruptions. That's why we love this game!

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gepmah wrote:

I'm running a bit twiked kind of this build on HC incursion, and it's pretty good so far. Incursions are hard when your minions slow as f, but later on you clear whole incursion easily.

For my personal preference, I'm running with Ahn heritage(+3 max res) and Montregul grasp(for stronk zombies :)
double Fragility for perma Onslaught
Wyrmsign for Rampage, clear speed is crazy)
The Baron for extra zombies and strength to boost all of my minions
and ofc Belly
(Second Violent dead jewel is useless, cuz with Zombie ascendancy and 1 violent dead, zombie slam cooldown is 1.5s down from 5, and second Violent dead gives 1.25s slam cooldown, which is nothing)


TLDR: this is a nice starter build, all the gear you see below acquired with him alone (not SSF ofc :D)

Heres my gear (lvl 80 for now)

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grimlock9999 wrote:

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Note that the voideye was originally for decoy totem, not purity of elements. I still think the AOE taunt and damage blocking of a really tanky totem is useful, but the cast speed is very slow, so a golem doing the work without you pressing anything probably fits the build better.

Sorry, you're totally right. Regardless, I'm using the totem as a 'quick' get out of jail free card if I think things are about to get messy. Tanky totems are nice but I'm hoping that by the time the totem dies I've repositioned/resummoned/fled.

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sighlight wrote:

Question:
We kill all bandits right?

I think Alira can be ruled out (this build can easily cap resistances) and Kraitlyn too (move/cast speed boosts are weak compared to other options). Maybe Oak would be an option but I feel like you'd get more out of the two passives.

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Where in the freaking world can i find a higher level host chieftan? :c i cant find them on any map anywhere and not with desecrate either HALP :c