ZiggyD's Etheral Knives Mana Shield Scion/Shadow Build Guide - Hardcore (Updated for 1.1)

"

Exiled_Wanderer wrote:

My EK is at 7k damage atm, but if I want to increase the DPS of it, should I aim for more spell damage or more cast speed from items?

Both of them will result in higher DPS so i would try out what gives the best results.
Upgrade depending on what gear you have available.
If you are going to invest in new gear you can try out what gives best results with magic items who doesn´t have the necessary other stats to find out the best upgrade.
Projectile speed is a nice extra stat who makes the EK travel longer on screen.
Then go shopping...

Just wanted to say thank you for posting this build. I've hit level 69 and it's kind of amazing how durable my character is. I'm really enjoying it. :)

Am having a small trouble with dps, being around 3.7k, but I'm hoping with some better gear and more levels that'll improve. (Well, 'trouble' as in it just seems slow compared to others. Not because it's really a problem.)

Hey
thanks a lot for this build... its awesome!
It is well explained, all the time during leveling a strong build, realy nice playing :)

Im now lvl 60, merci act 2. Had a look to the Weaver and well, this chaos damage nearly riped me, just made it back to town. Any hints how to do kill it except getting chaos resist up? Or shouldnt i bother with Chaos resist and just let somebody kill the weaver because later on i dont need that much chaos res anyway?

If using Amethyst flasks isn't enough the easy way is as you said to get help to killing her.
I usually have some minions or a totem to keep her occupied while i try finish her off.
I always try get some chaos resist and usually have no problem with this boss but i haven't got to merciless act2 yet with this build.
I don´t push it and advance quickly in HC even if i can, this way i get very few of these close calls.

RIP'ed at lvl 58 :-(

I really liked this build and i never thought i would die, at least not at this level.
I just had made some changes with items and my lightning resist was temporary down to 61 or 65 or something like that.
Then at Cruel act3 i go down the catacombs to get some XP, as i have done many times before.
Then i encounter 2 rares at once with one of them having this "Storm Herald" mod.
The lightning strikes must have shock stacked me or something because i tried to drink all flasks i had and run but i was almost unable to move and my life went away very fast.

Well lesson learned, never go below 75/75/75 in Nemesis/HC.

Nemesis ends in February, right?
Is there some new HC leagues starting when Nemesis ends?
It feels like it´s no use start new in Nemesis now.
Maybe i will play on with this char in Normal to see how the build preforms at higher levels.

And i just told i advance very carefully and now i go kill myself...
Well, shit happens...

Lvl 66 by now,
and all i can say is that this build funny from beginning. :)

Good Job man

Hello! what Skill gems u recomend to use on Rime Gaze ? can't understant the effect on this on auras "Supported by level 15 Concentrated Effect with a Mana Cost Multiplier of 160%. "


PS: kinda like this helmet cause give me 500 mana and almost double my mana regen

"

jasonblack85 wrote:

Hello! what Skill gems u recomend to use on Rime Gaze ? can't understant the effect on this on auras "Supported by level 15 Concentrated Effect with a Mana Cost Multiplier of 160%. "


PS: kinda like this helmet cause give me 500 mana and almost double my mana regen

It makes auras have a smaller Area of Effect, so less allies are effected, and it also makes them cost more. Very useful if you wanna be a dick. Otherwise, dump it into a trash-can.

You can get a 200+ ES head with better stats for a few Chaos.

So I can use Enfeeble and Artic Armor Faster Casting Empowered on it and keep Auras in other item! tnx

The Concentrated Effect on Rime Gaze isn't so bad if played singleplayer.
It gives 64% more area damage(lvl 15) and that is quite a lot of extra damage or/and mana depending on what auras you use.
If you haven't got any better, use it until you find/buy a better ES or AR/ES, EV/ES headpiece.

It haven't got any resists or other useful stats except mana, ES and the Concentrated effect.
CantripN is absolutely correct that you can get much better ES headgear quite cheap (with resists,life,mana, magicfind even +to skills).
If you play multiplayer your auras/curses don't spread and benefit others as much and this is not so good.
But there are some skills who work good with Conc.Effect as for example Rain of Arrows.
It makes the area where the arrows land smaller but also much more damage.
For this build i think you should try find a better headpiece.