[Archived] Archmage Hexblast | 4M+ Ignite DPS | Budget Options League Start to Endgame

a5 sirus down easily, but that guys really not a test until a8.
this leagues been rough for drops in general and i wont be getting to shaper very soon i think. i enjoy the playstyle but theres just too many mods that are annoying with this build (reflect, no regen, elemental avoid, hexproof) plus random mobs on maps spawn with hexproof etc.

edit -

https://pastebin.com/H8cvks5gi

got skyforth and switched to gladiator subascendancy - it makes a big difference in survivability but i also have a really amazeballs shield for this setup which may be hard to get. im still trying to figure out how to get closer to blockcap, currently at 70 attack/69 spell. i got rid of glancing blows, its too rippy for ulti.
at 1.6m sirus dps currently with a lot of optimization to go. i dont know if i can hit 5m on a sane budget but 4m should be doable with acouple good clusters and that should be enough for endgame to feel good.



i may try to transition into an archmage cremation as it uses a lot of the same gear and see how that goes lol. will definitely revisit this build when i am doing more bossing and have more currency. but for just general atlas progress its a bit difficult

I'm trying out Leap Slam + Fortify support for movement and a CWDT setup instead of the Storm Brand, mostly because I have no added fire damage on Hexblast so it's handling EE by itself. Not my favourite movement skill but I prefer it to Shield Charge, and I'm finding durability has improved a bit.

The prevalence of hexproof mobs is a bit annoying, but it hasn't been unbearable aside from one particular mob on Maelstrom of Chaos that was immune to both hexes and ignite. Otherwise, liking the progress so far. Ultimatums have become completable on lower-tier maps finally.

I found it difficult to survive following the guide setup so I made a number of changes to accommodate.

- Replace boot with Windshriek. This gives me another curse limit for Temporal Chain, making ignite last longer on enemies and slowing them down. The boot itself makes curse AoE much bigger plus it got some nice stat on it. Currently I am running General's Cry - Vigilant Strike - Faster Casting Support - Flame Dash on this for Fortify and slightly faster casting speed because I found the stationary casting of General's cry a bit long and dangerous.

- Glove is the same, running Elemement Weakness - Despair - Temporal Chain - Enhance as my curse limit is 4 thanks to glove, boot and keystone.

- Headgear running CWDT (level 1) - Voidsphere (level 3) - Arcane Cloak - Flammability . The key being level 1 CWDT as it forces spell auto cast at much lower HP threshold, plus unlinking it to any gem level higher than 38 so even in a linked setup it does not affect Arcane Cloak or Flammability.

- Scepter running Sigil of Power - Increase AoE support - Second Wind. This gives two cast of Sigil of Power so I can cast it on the run instead of forcing me to stay on its AoE.

- Shield running Scorching Ray - Spell Totem Support - Multiple Totem Support. This help when enemy are Hexproof.

Now my only issue is getting around being Frozen, and getting more Chaos Resistance. Standing at one spot get me killed very quickly so the above setup really help.

I wish there woul be a video guide!

I'm pretty new into poe and following thid guide to level was really good.
(tried some other guide before and was lost at level 58 and started new)


Now I finished playing the "story" and now I kinda got stuck.

How do I get the things to start mapping? Im not really swimming in chaos.


Otherwise the build is really fun! Love seeing all those enemies getting cursed and popping into nonexistence!

@ZombsterB
If you re pretty new to PoE, not sure this is the build for you...
I like the build, it s interesting and fun for advanced player i think, but i would not have like starting with it as for me this build is far from being tanky.
Then to learn bosses mechanics and basics of the game, this build s gonna be hard starter.
just my thoughts

"

ZombsterB wrote:

I wish there woul be a video guide!

I'm pretty new into poe and following thid guide to level was really good.
(tried some other guide before and was lost at level 58 and started new)


Now I finished playing the "story" and now I kinda got stuck.

How do I get the things to start mapping? Im not really swimming in chaos.


Otherwise the build is really fun! Love seeing all those enemies getting cursed and popping into nonexistence!

I thought about making a video guide but it could get outdated very quickly. Meanwhile, I can edit the text guide whenever and wherever is needed.

In order to start mapping, you should continue to do whatever it says in the quest log. You have to do something in Oriath first and then you will need to go to your hideout and put a map (that is an item that you will be given) into the map device (that should be in your hideout by default). That will create portals that will enable you to enter maps.

When you do maps, you will drop more maps and you can increase the difficulty by placing watchstones (items that you will get later) in your atlas. I would recommend you to look up a guide about atlas basics as it can get pretty complicated. For basic information this video seems fine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rR0Ffk72sQ&ab_channel=ThisisBadger

Progressing your atlas effectively is another thing. You should upgrade the maps by using Orbs of Bindings or Orbs of Alchemy in order for them to be rare. That will increase the amount of loot that you will get - and also the amount of maps that you will drop (people complain about too little maps dropping this league so you really want to pay attention to this). Also, try to kill all or almost all monsters in the map (that will also increase your chances of dropping another map) it will say in the upper right corner of your screen if there is less than 50 monsters remaining. It will also add modifiers to the map and some of them can be deadly! This is very build dependent. For this build, look out mainly for these modifiers:

- Reflect Elemental Damage
- No mana regen

You cannot do these modifiers so if you get it on the map, use Chaos Orb to reroll the map, sell it, or save it for another character. Hexproof and Avoid elemental ailments can be annoying but it is possible to complete. A good video about being effective with your atlas is this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kPInyQHwME. This is a little advanced. You can only watch the beginning for now and get back to it later once you progress further.

As Arakillikara said, this build might not be ideal for new players but it is doable if you really like it (I'm glad you liked it so far!). The main problem is that the damage in the new league mechanic (ultimatums) is actually quite high even in lower-tier maps and this build will become tanky only after you get some of the upgrades. You also cannot stop for more than one cast or you die. You can watch the new video that I have uploaded today about me completing ultimatums on this build to get an idea on how to play in ultimatums (spoiler: it is just running in circles).

Have you downloaded PoB Community Fork so that you can look at the PoBs of this build? There is some gear in them that I do not mention explicitly in the guide (just the boring rares with no special modifiers). You can look at the PoB and try to get similar gear. Also, it is very important to read the "League Start Order of Upgrades" in the Gear section because some prices are quite high right now so you will need to make compromises with your gear.

If you'd liked, I could set up trade links for you so that looking up gear upgrades is easier, so let me know if you need it! Looking up gear that is affordable and viable is a skill all by itself and if you are new, you might spend too much for no reason. Example for the staff: https://www.pathofexile.com/trade/search/Ultimatum/E9Ww4XyC5. The main tip for beginners probably is that you do not have to get the exact modifiers that I have in the PoB. So for instance, you need 75% of all elemental resistances. I have a ring with cold and lightning resistances in the PoB, but you can also buy a ring with fire resistance if you compensate for cold and lighting in your other gear slots (helmet for example).

You can start mapping with basically nothing. The only thing you need is to have resistances capped at 75% (except chaos) and some life and mana. Lower-tier maps are easy. You will need upgrades for higher tiers though.

You will also need to start selling stuff. Do you have any premium stash tab? If you have one, you can set it to public and list your items for sale. Basically, anything that you drop on the ground can be converted to currency.

If you get anything with good modifiers (life and resistances mainly), sell it to other players. You can go to Options > UI and turn on "Advanced Mod Descriptions". If you then hover over an item and press left alt, it will show you the "tiers" of modifiers and also their range, tier one being the best one. If you get an item with multiple high-tier modifiers, it will usually have some value. The most valuable ones are simply high-tier life, mana, energy shield and resistances on most gear. It will definitely take you a while but you will get the hang of it with time!

What I do to be efficient with trading is that if I see an item that I think might be "ok", I just list it for a few chaos orbs (1 to 5) without looking up the exact price. I look up the price only if I think that I got a REALLY good item. This will save you a lot of time. TIP: if you list something for a low price and someone messages you instantly, do not sell it for that price! Look up the actual price and relist it.

You can also vendor items with no good modifiers and then exchange Orbs of Alterations for Chaos Orbs. Another good source of income is so-called "vendor chaos recipe" (video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyyAxGSBr0g&ab_channel=ZiggyDGaming).

Thanks for the build guide and write up. I'm having fun playing this build although struggling a bit with survivability but i am missing some of the required unique's.

Might try switching over to the tanky version and see how it goes.

"

SephMeph wrote:

Thanks for the build guide and write up. I'm having fun playing this build although struggling a bit with survivability but i am missing some of the required unique's.

Might try switching over to the tanky version and see how it goes.

The tanky version requires some expensive items as well, unfortunately. It was only meant for leveling from 97 up. You could try a "budget" tanky version by getting the small cluster with Stubborn Student notable 4 times and 2 times some random large cluster jewel with 8 passives. That would give you a lot of armor but it would also cost a lot of passive points. The cost of each small cluster is also 10c and at that point, you might invest in Cloak of Defiance instead. I think you will be better off if you just farm some currency and get some of the upgrades from the "endgame" section.

I have taken a look at your character and made some adjustments. Here is the result: https://pastebin.com/JLdPYk8y.

Ideally, you would also get Cloak of Defiance (even unlinked) and Atziri's Foible as fast as possible but you can make some big changes even before that.

I think that you should swap to a staff with 6-link and get a rare body armour with life and mana. Here are the trade links for the items included in the PoB: https://www.pathofexile.com/trade/search/Ultimatum/B46bweWC8 (body armor), https://www.pathofexile.com/trade/search/Ultimatum/k94Wp9wU5 (6-link staff). You can also craft some resistances on these.

Then you will need to swap from Shield charge setup to Vigilant Strike + Faster Attacks + Ancestrall Call for fortify. This option is better for fortify uptime anyway (over 10 sec with high lvl Vigilan strike) and it will also let you play range and not charge into enemies.

I would also invest in Rumi's Concoction and replace the granite flask. Also, get increased armor on the quicksilver. Try to get a high attack block roll.

You should change your rare jewels. Here is trade link for budget ones (no life but with resistances): https://www.pathofexile.com/trade/search/Ultimatum/oR4aQg4hl Getting mana here is great for defence and the resistances will allow you to use Crown of the Inward Eye helmet early. If you are still tight on resistances, simply get a rare helmet with lots of life, mana and resists.

Also, just simply leveling up will help you a lot. I would get a second cluster jewel (budget ones: https://www.pathofexile.com/trade/search/Ultimatum/O6BMM8lfE) and all the rare jewel sockets that you can asap for more mana and resists.

You should also upgrade most of your rare gear to have mana and life. Here are the trade links that I used: https://www.pathofexile.com/trade/search/Ultimatum/2m5eXLpHk (amulet), https://www.pathofexile.com/trade/search/Ultimatum/4E5jzwZI9 (belt), https://www.pathofexile.com/trade/search/Ultimatum/8LPrglvhV (ring). Make sure that you have all resistances at 75! (I have searched for general "elemental resiststances" so you will need to pay attention to them).

A big defensive upgrade would be anointing your amulet to Disciple of Unyeilding. The oils cost around 14c total. Ideally, you should buy Atziri's Foible first and then anoint so that you do not have to do it twice, but if you think it will take you a long time to grind currency, then anoint your amulet early. 3 endurance charges are huge for defence! Alternative is using the Enduring Cry for endurance charges but that is not really reliable and you need to cast it. Micromanaging endurance charges AND fortify at the same time would also be quite annoying.

Last thing - get your last ascendancy! If you haven't found all the trials yet, join the global chat 820 and see if anyone else is offering them for free.

Wanted to ask a quick question here. I notice that there seems to be some different info for stun recovery. Early in the guide you recommend running for stun recovery belt and boot enchant but later you say to run mana regen on Omeyocan. So far the build has been a blast with a very cool dot style. Just been really wondering after getting to maps if I should be running labs for stun recovery boot enchant. Thanks in advance!

"

Demonsuke wrote:

Wanted to ask a quick question here. I notice that there seems to be some different info for stun recovery. Early in the guide you recommend running for stun recovery belt and boot enchant but later you say to run mana regen on Omeyocan. So far the build has been a blast with a very cool dot style. Just been really wondering after getting to maps if I should be running labs for stun recovery boot enchant. Thanks in advance!

Hey, the stun recovery belt at the beginning of the guide was really only meant for leveling before you get Soul of the Brine King. Later, you should definitely use anything with a high amount of mana and life - most likely a stygian vise.

I have included the stun avoidance enchant because some people complained about stuns and I was not in high tiers map back then. Now, I do not think it is really worth it. Especially, if you already have the Omeyocan boots, you definitely want to use the mana regen enchant to compensate for the mana degen. It is really a preference though, both have their strengths, but especially for endgame, the mana regen is simply better. Stun avoidance might be nice early when you do not have big mana and life pools, but I don't think it is worth running labs for.

I myself use the mana regen enchant and the only thing I have against stuns is Soul of the Brine King and I have no issues with ultimatums.

I will update the guide and put the stun avoidance as optional, only if you feel like you have big issues with stuns. Thanks for letting me know!