[3.16 - RETIRING BUILD] VD Brands: S-Tier Bosser, A-Tier Map! -- MURDERED BY GGG_INTERN SOMEWHERE--

"

Spiralyo wrote:

I guess getting lithomancers and leveling my gems would be the best way to get some free damage, but I'm considering making another char just to farm a bit more currency haha

In addition to spectres and gem levels, I'm looking at your current character and primaeva's side-by-side. You have about half the pob dbs despite being within two level of each other. I'm not sure if pob is trustworthy for this build, but if so, it looks like the difference is that you went crit based on the duskdawn while primaeva just focused on stacking increased damage and cast rate.

If you didn't want to give up staff block, then a searing touch would give you about 40% more full dps. With glancing blows and bone offering, you would still be block capped.

"

GERWARIC wrote:

"

Spiralyo wrote:

I guess getting lithomancers and leveling my gems would be the best way to get some free damage, but I'm considering making another char just to farm a bit more currency haha

In addition to spectres and gem levels, I'm looking at your current character and primaeva's side-by-side. You have about half the pob dbs despite being within two level of each other. I'm not sure if pob is trustworthy for this build, but if so, it looks like the difference is that you went crit based on the duskdawn while primaeva just focused on stacking increased damage and cast rate.

If you didn't want to give up staff block, then a searing touch would give you about 40% more full dps. With glancing blows and bone offering, you would still be block capped.

Yeah, crit is notoriously more expensive to build, so I probably went about this as an early build the wrong way. Either way, I'll get it going once I've got a bit more currency, as it's so satisfying when it works well. I'll have a go at your suggestion sometime too, sounds like it could be a good option.

"

Spiralyo wrote:

Yeah, crit is notoriously more expensive to build, so I probably went about this as an early build the wrong way. Either way, I'll get it going once I've got a bit more currency, as it's so satisfying when it works well. I'll have a go at your suggestion sometime too, sounds like it could be a good option.

That's probably the route I'll be taking since I already have a searing touch. I'm just farming regrets, gem levels, and betrayal crafts for the swapover from elementalist now. Fingers crossed, because I've never played a vd build and would love to make this my league main.

Nvm, I see your constantly throwing them down.

"

Spiralyo wrote:

"

GERWARIC wrote:

"

Spiralyo wrote:

I guess getting lithomancers and leveling my gems would be the best way to get some free damage, but I'm considering making another char just to farm a bit more currency haha

In addition to spectres and gem levels, I'm looking at your current character and primaeva's side-by-side. You have about half the pob dbs despite being within two level of each other. I'm not sure if pob is trustworthy for this build, but if so, it looks like the difference is that you went crit based on the duskdawn while primaeva just focused on stacking increased damage and cast rate.

If you didn't want to give up staff block, then a searing touch would give you about 40% more full dps. With glancing blows and bone offering, you would still be block capped.

Yeah, crit is notoriously more expensive to build, so I probably went about this as an early build the wrong way. Either way, I'll get it going once I've got a bit more currency, as it's so satisfying when it works well. I'll have a go at your suggestion sometime too, sounds like it could be a good option.

The fault is partly mine - Duskdawn performed very admirably in Ultimatum but that was pre-Crit flask nerf and losing some 15% or more effective Crit due to the new flask being 100% increased rather than Lucky tips the balance in favour of EO especially at early stages.

Ack, I see you have a 6L Inpulsa - why not use it for VD? A 4L VD is going to struggle in Reds for sure! :O

Highly recommend:

- Combustion - Awakened Fire Pen in links. Fire Pen is insane for map clear since we rely so much on WoC / Curse to shred resists - with Fire Pen in links, stuff is automatically much less resistant to the initial hits.

Do note you may have to retool heavily for mana efficiency to support the additional burn!


Finally you definitely want to gun for Throatseeker and Assasination soon, unless you can afford crit mult gems. Arcane Potency and Annihilation aren't too shabby, either. I would prio that below cast speed though - whatever you are feeling now, feels better with more cast speed! (Crackling Speed isn't even that bad an idea, it'll scale your Inpulsa explosions.)

"

GERWARIC wrote:

"

Spiralyo wrote:

Yeah, crit is notoriously more expensive to build, so I probably went about this as an early build the wrong way. Either way, I'll get it going once I've got a bit more currency, as it's so satisfying when it works well. I'll have a go at your suggestion sometime too, sounds like it could be a good option.

That's probably the route I'll be taking since I already have a searing touch. I'm just farming regrets, gem levels, and betrayal crafts for the swapover from elementalist now. Fingers crossed, because I've never played a vd build and would love to make this my league main.

Haha you picked the right league to try this build! Apparently a lot of VD Spellslingers are getting thwacked by Scourge because it's simply a "cannot stand still" league (again!) - and that is exactly what the current variation of this build was birthed around (Ultimatum and having to move nonstop or get destroyed).

FInally - it's a sad admission I have to make, but Fortify has been dumpstered for this build. I had hoped rapid-hits that we are capable of thanks to Corpse Pact stacks would bridge that gap and allow us to scale up to 20 eventually.

But it looks like you need a minimum phys hit to reach that and from what I've seen, I just can't get it in. Until I find a solution, it is safe to say the build has lost 20% hit damage mitigation which really sucks.

Do note that Leadership's Price is also a MASSIVE boost to the tankiness of the build since it full Saps everything it doesn't kill. (That's 20% less damage done by enemies, and it goes through hexproof, no boss modifiers, etc.)

Exalt for exalt, even at 10ex, Leaderships's Price is probably the best buy in terms of all-round offense + defense.

Following which, Glorious Vanity and Awakened Spell Cascade are the buys that will propel the build an insane amount each time.

If you can hunt a cheap explodey chest with high HP and open prefix for 10% Life Gained as ES craft - that's the budget play that retains high map clear but gives you about ~1k more tHP going into T15 and T16.



(No idea why the Explode Mod doesn't show when dropped into PoB)

Hello guys! Just started this build yesterday and I really like the mechanic.

I was wondering how do you use Brand recall? I've been using it on LMB to autocast it when walking. Should I? Or it's better to use it on certain circumstances?

And I understand the thing around spectre but I wonder how do you "use" it? Can you leave your spectre gem on off hand or you absolutely need to socket it on your main setup in order to spawn the corpses?

Sorry if it has already been answered, have a good day!

"

Feurn wrote:

Hello guys! Just started this build yesterday and I really like the mechanic.

I was wondering how do you use Brand recall? I've been using it on LMB to autocast it when walking. Should I? Or it's better to use it on certain circumstances?

And I understand the thing around spectre but I wonder how do you "use" it? Can you leave your spectre gem on off hand or you absolutely need to socket it on your main setup in order to spawn the corpses?

Sorry if it has already been answered, have a good day!

LMB and walking is fine, especially since we got massive buffs via Mastery that allow you to grab 50% cooldown recovery now (and I highly recommend taking the 3rd Cluster up north anyway, so that's 20% more).

It WILL however stop your boss DPS randomly since your brands will pull off and reattach, resulting in a bit of downtime.

TL:DR ok for regular mapping but for serious bosses like Sirus, Maven etc, best manually control your Recall.

You need to put it in your main setup and actually summon the right Spectres, so that they follow you into every map you enter. Right now there's a side effect that your Hideout no longer "stores" your spectres (since they make a new hideout each time instead of holding the old one now).. so it can be very annoying to lose Spectres once you have em. I recommend a Sulfur Flask or getting some form of Minion Regen (even if it's life flasking them.. do anything!)

Big thanks! I'll stay tuned for updates. So many upgrades possible with this build.