[Beyond lvl 88] Soul Mantle dual EK Shattering Totems (Video added)

Theory Craft
The theory is to create the strongest possible spell caster. This can only be done with soul mantle due to triple dip resulting in 300% efficiency use of criticals and cast speed. Soul Mantle gives you a 7L and saves you from going to the Templar nodes for ancestral bond and instead take critical and spell damage nodes. On top of that, it still allows you to damage through your own spells such as lightning ball to further enhance totem damage with 50% chance to shock.

Herald of ice is used very effectively as it quadruple dips with your 2 ek totems, lightning ball and tempest shield. It devastates small packs with the shatter explosion and further enhances freeze duration. You can freeze lock map bosses like shrine piety in a 3 man party and all exiles. For this build all you need is a 4l soul mantle, it's a very affordable highest spell damage build. As the saying goes, Offense is the best defense. The more damage you stack the more you freeze.

Softcore version: Take less block and life nodes and stack crit and cast speed.

Video lvl 79 Vaal temple map with physical and endurance mods
http://youtu.be/QRUrr-3qvs8

Damage and stats Screenshot outdated
23k Tooltip single totem at 5 Link lvl 19 EK, not counting shock, lightning ball and double curse.



Gear and gems setup Note I am retiring this character and selling gear, I did not die!


Skill Tree

leveling
This build is best started from ranger tree or witch tree, switch to soul mantle as you reach lvl 49 and have warding flasks ready. Level with EK and lightning ball.

Bandits
1. Help Oak
2. Help oak
3. Help Allira

Dealing with curses
Use a slow mana flask like

while you are casting, it lasts over 10 seconds and recharges quite fast due to level.
It's best to to roll: Surgeon's flask of warding to recharge flasks as you crit. However I spent a few hundreds of alteration without luck and gave up. This is my flask setup:


Gameplay
Use frenzy GMP curse on hit to apply a curse while gathering 4 frenzy charges for a free 20% cast speed.

Add curse on hit on lightning ball only if you have a +1 additional curse on an amulet. Otherwise use lightning penetration and blind on the lightning ball.

Myths and Misconceptions
Soul mantle is no where near as suicidal as it sounds, as you can see I've reached lvl 87 on the beyond league with it. Here are the facts:

1. trade off in power and defense is immense, this is easily the strongest spell casting build in the game if I had a 6link which would equate to a 7 link. Add dual void battery and the damage is capped!

2. Dodge and spell block are entropy base defenses which spread damage over time, you will never get bursted down if you allowed yourself to be cursed with a deadly curse while being hit with a deadly spell or attack. Because the damage is spread out between hits you would hav time to use curse remove flask and recover.

3. Freezing with totems is due to the huge crit multiplier, with added cold you have 60% chance to freeze. Offense makes the best defense.

4. Curses have been reduced in duration and effectiveness, and your totems will tank for you while you are casting from distance so you are rather untouchable most of the time.

5. Being cursed and hit doesn't one shot you, ever been cursed by a necromancer? This time you have 4 warding flasks ready.


Comparison with a 6l Shavronne's wrappings dual totems

Shavronne's:
1. 30% more damage on lowlife
2. an extra aura
3. Nodes spent traveling to Ancestral bond
4. Cannot use health potions, cannot leech
5. Energy shield, require high ES Gear
6. Vulnerable to degeneration from chaos and fire

Soul Mantle:
1. 50% More damage from shock
2. 7 Link chest
3. Nodes spent on Critical nodes and spell damage
4. Can use health flasks, leech and have curse immunity from 4 flasks.
5. Acrobatics and spell dodge


I think it's clear who the winner here is! Nominate it for the build of the week!

Build submitted for build of the week

video deleted ?

Hi,

the build sounds not bad, but what I dont get is:
- dont your totems die a lot without any totem defense nodes and/or totem defense support gem?
I played selfcast ek + 1 ek totem and every hard(er) hitting monster onshotted the totem.
especially when your up against high aoe dmg mosters I couldnt really use my totems.
(and with your armor you even only have a lvl 14 spell totem wich should have almost no life)

- why dont you take the templar node for additional totem? 3 strong totems + e.g. bear trap or EK traps should be better (and safer) than 2 totems and selfcast ball lightning?

"

azraelb wrote:

Hi,

the build sounds not bad, but what I dont get is:
- dont your totems die a lot without any totem defense nodes and/or totem defense support gem?
I played selfcast ek + 1 ek totem and every hard(er) hitting monster onshotted the totem.
especially when your up against high aoe dmg mosters I couldnt really use my totems.
(and with your armor you even only have a lvl 14 spell totem wich should have almost no life)

- why dont you take the templar node for additional totem? 3 strong totems + e.g. bear trap or EK traps should be better (and safer) than 2 totems and selfcast ball lightning?

Hi, this build is focused on pure dps. You cannot reach the lvl of dps if I got templar nodes, which means I have to lose dps nodes. Also, my totems freeze lock map bosses in group due to sheer damage from the crit multiplier. Since I have 60% chance to freeze on each totem, nothing hits my totems. Also its lvl 14 totem + %50 increased totem life, which makes it more tankier than a lvl 20 spell totem

New Video added

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRUrr-3qvs8&f

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What would be the ideal 4-link?

"

t223223 wrote:

What would be the ideal 4-link?

Just remove added cold

I think the 1.2 update may have corrupted your skill tree. Note the unspent points.