[3.10] Max Block Storm Brand Ascendant: Budget Friendly, Ultra Tanky, Fast Mapper, Deathless Sirus 8

Quick question, Clarity at lvl 1 or 20?

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Quick question, Clarity at lvl 1 or 20?

20, you wont the best mana regeneration you can have, especially if you go with the expensive version and end up dropping a mana pot all together.

Btw, Perandus Signet is a great levelling unique for this character. Equippable from the start, too.

This build is rediculous, hit maps last night and it excels at everything. Did uber lab at level 71 full key. I just run through maps and everything melts, hit 5 rewards on Delerium every time if the map layout isn't cancer.

I wish I had discovered this build a month ago, I'm gonna try and push some more levels and finally finish a Similcrum.

Rate this wand for this build?

Bought the wand with the non-crafted mods and a fire damage mod for 60c and yolo-annuled it and hit the fire mod.

3.11 changes, from what has been released thus far---how do you think this build will fair?

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Wharhogg wrote:

3.11 changes, from what has been released thus far---how do you think this build will fair?

We dont know all the details yet but from the look of it Recall will now cost as much as casting a Brand and its cooldown will be expanded.

Usually mobs are following you and pulling attached Brands along with you. When mobs die Brands are often near you and with a high attachment range they start to attach to mobs infront of you.
Now Brands will warp back to their first casted location once they lose the attachment. That means they are basically gone since mobs should already be dead around them.

Together with the increased cooldown of Recall i dont see Brands being that good anymore.

Then with all the extra costs, MoM isnt really an option now.
When you get hit you hardly can cast and when you cast you better not get hit.

All in all damage can still be high but clear speed and defence is quite reduced.
I guess there are better skills now to combine with Archmage.

What do you think?

I agree with the brand changes we've seen so far, clear speed would be much slower and more clunky. However, if the damage numbers of archmage and storm brand aren't nerfed too badly the damage should still be excellent and will remain a great boss killing build.

Interesting, I am new to brand skills---have used totems and ballistas in previous leagues. So my guess is the new flavor will be archmage brands acting like turrets. If the defensive parts of this build can hold up it should still be powerful.

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Wharhogg wrote:

... If the defensive parts of this build can hold up it should still be powerful.

The defense part of this build is solid and does not rely on brands whatsover, this mechanic is in fact used a lot with necromancers using DD+VD skills on HC.
So I guess we'll have to look for another spell, without Archmage, or maybe the new brands can be made good with some other combo of gems, but the Archmage as support for brands is dead as far as I can see.
Only thing that threatens the defense a bit is that any other skill will mean you cannot constantly keep moving, and have to stand still to attack/cast/channel, but the block mechanic does not rely on you having to kite or dodge anyway.