Kenzorz's Balls Deep Ball Lightning! [Patch 1.2.4.]

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MatrixFactor wrote:

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Kenzorz wrote:

Swapping between a power charge generator skill and your actual main skill is a really clunky playstyle and doesn't necessarily mean you're dealing as much DPS as your tooltip says since:
1. you can't always generate charges
2. the charges do not generate quickly unlike with Voll's that gives 1 charge per hit instead of per cast.
3. every time you lose your charges, you have to spend time generating it again and that really hurts you clear speed.

Double curses is fine if you have a equipment slot free for Windscream or Doedre's Damning.

I agree, my idea is more to combine a power charge generator with double curse on hit. So with one spell cast you're achieving three things: power charge, double curse. I was thinking something like Spell - PCoC - GMP - CoH - Assn mark - Ele Weak/Warlords.

What make this reasonable is that even though pcoc won't be that great on its own, with assassin's mark you get 30-40% chance to get charges on kill. I was able to maintain 6 charges using ice spear and no ele weakness. The problem with ice spear is that it's not reliable for delivering curse to all targets. Other spells are better at that but don't pcoc as well.

How about using warlord's mark curse in reflect maps?

If you really did want to use that setup it would be necessary to have 2 6Ls, one for the main skill (Ball Lightning) and one for your power charge/curse setup.

Oh and I forgot to answer your question about staves, yeah a +3 staves with Serpent Stance would be good but caster staves are incredibly hard to craft.

Warlord's Mark life leech isn't enough to defend completely against reflect damage I don't think, the only way to play a reflect map is to take it really slowly and probably unequipping Increased Crit Damage.

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Kenzorz wrote:

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Polarization wrote:

Why don't you get the power charge bandit reward? Even if you don't want to get 8 power charges, you could get that instead of the power charge in the Templar area and save a skill point.

or maybe you could read properly and see that I did take the power charge reward and the Templar power charge since it's right next to a big part of my tree?

and max power charges without certain uniques is 7.

Whoops, yeah, you're right.

I've gotten this up to mid-A1M and it's pretty good. Makes some very satisyfing sounds when you cast a crit ball lightning into a huge pack :)

Tried out this build/gear (Volls Protecter) today on my witch and I just had to wonder, how viable is this going into high level maps? While I understand this is a standard/rampage build, there is absolutely no defensive mitigation whatsoever aside from life and arctic armour (which only helps against small hits). Clearing white, blue, and non-reflect yellows were a breeze, but whenever I got to certain 72+ map bosses, I'd almost get one shot with 4k hp. No amount of life leech or block chance will mitigate that, and as a witch we have almost no evasion/armor due to running Eldritch Battery and having primarily ES gear.

Now, I do normally run a MoM Ball Lightning build, so the difference between both builds in terms of defense is like night and day. I really enjoy the high dps of your build, however I can't see myself pushing past lv 85 without either playing extremely safely (especially against reflect), or skipping some content entirely.

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sabermetrics wrote:

Tried out this build/gear (Volls Protecter) today on my witch and I just had to wonder, how viable is this going into high level maps? While I understand this is a standard/rampage build, there is absolutely no defensive mitigation whatsoever aside from life and arctic armour (which only helps against small hits).

Now, I do normally run a MoM Ball Lightning build, so the difference between both builds in terms of defense is like night and day. I really enjoy the high dps of your build, however I can't see myself pushing past lv 85 without either playing extremely safely (especially against reflect), or skipping some content entirely.

Certain 72+ map bosses, I assume you mean the Torture Chamber boss? You're supposed to walk behind the pillar when it uses it's laser. Most other bosses 72+ deal less damage than Torture Chamber's boss that I can think of at the top of my head. Any examples of bosses you're having trouble with? I can handle high level maps just fine

Also check the flask section, my build uses Witch's flask nodes and I can easily bump myself up to 10k armor simply on flasks alone and I can refill them really quickly as I'm using the Surgeon's mod on almost all my flasks meaning my flasks have almost permanent up time.

Resistances I can get up to 92% for lightning (cause I'm using Purity of Lightning) and 88% for the other two elements.

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Kenzorz wrote:

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sabermetrics wrote:

Tried out this build/gear (Volls Protecter) today on my witch and I just had to wonder, how viable is this going into high level maps? While I understand this is a standard/rampage build, there is absolutely no defensive mitigation whatsoever aside from life and arctic armour (which only helps against small hits).

Now, I do normally run a MoM Ball Lightning build, so the difference between both builds in terms of defense is like night and day. I really enjoy the high dps of your build, however I can't see myself pushing past lv 85 without either playing extremely safely (especially against reflect), or skipping some content entirely.

Certain 72+ map bosses, I assume you mean the Torture Chamber boss? You're supposed to walk behind the pillar when it uses it's laser. Most other bosses 72+ deal less damage than Torture Chamber's boss that I can think of at the top of my head. Any examples of bosses you're having trouble with? I can handle high level maps just fine

Also check the flask section, my build uses Witch's flask nodes and I can easily bump myself up to 10k armor simply on flasks alone and I can refill them really quickly as I'm using the Surgeon's mod on almost all my flasks meaning my flasks have almost permanent up time.

Resistances I can get up to 92% for lightning (cause I'm using Purity of Lightning) and 88% for the other two elements.

Flasks definitely help with survival in general, but I'm more worried about those hits which you'll never be able to react to fast enough. The Torture Chamber boss can be an example, it should be ok as long as you're already in position and you have flasks at the ready. But you're bound to get hit by one, and when they take out more than 70% of your hp within a second, it's a bit worrying. Maps such as the Dark Forest boss (leap slam), Maze Vaal lasers, or even lower level maps like Temple Piety storm call and Graveyard merveil (freeze) will sometimes hit you.

I think it's probably more down to playstyle, i'm a bit more used to being able to tank a hit or two, so I guess I just need to get used to it.

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sabermetrics wrote:

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Kenzorz wrote:

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sabermetrics wrote:

Tried out this build/gear (Volls Protecter) today on my witch and I just had to wonder, how viable is this going into high level maps? While I understand this is a standard/rampage build, there is absolutely no defensive mitigation whatsoever aside from life and arctic armour (which only helps against small hits).

Now, I do normally run a MoM Ball Lightning build, so the difference between both builds in terms of defense is like night and day. I really enjoy the high dps of your build, however I can't see myself pushing past lv 85 without either playing extremely safely (especially against reflect), or skipping some content entirely.

Certain 72+ map bosses, I assume you mean the Torture Chamber boss? You're supposed to walk behind the pillar when it uses it's laser. Most other bosses 72+ deal less damage than Torture Chamber's boss that I can think of at the top of my head. Any examples of bosses you're having trouble with? I can handle high level maps just fine

Also check the flask section, my build uses Witch's flask nodes and I can easily bump myself up to 10k armor simply on flasks alone and I can refill them really quickly as I'm using the Surgeon's mod on almost all my flasks meaning my flasks have almost permanent up time.

Resistances I can get up to 92% for lightning (cause I'm using Purity of Lightning) and 88% for the other two elements.

Flasks definitely help with survival in general, but I'm more worried about those hits which you'll never be able to react to fast enough. The Torture Chamber boss can be an example, it should be ok as long as you're already in position and you have flasks at the ready. But you're bound to get hit by one, and when they take out more than 70% of your hp within a second, it's a bit worrying. Maps such as the Dark Forest boss (leap slam), Maze Vaal lasers, or even lower level maps like Temple Piety storm call and Graveyard merveil (freeze) will sometimes hit you.

I think it's probably more down to playstyle, i'm a bit more used to being able to tank a hit or two, so I guess I just need to get used to it.

Those bosses do not deal as much damage as you suggest unless you're cursed/shocked combined with dangerous map mods. Pretty sure it would take 3 Vaal lasers to kill someone with 4k health.

Piety is a cakewalk with Purity of Lightning and a Topaz Flask, even 77 map Piety can be tanked with that much lightning res.

If you're having trouble with physical damage, you could always use a CwDT + Enduring Cry + Immortal Call setup.

Also yes, playstyle is important. It's important to move as much as possible as a ranged build with 0 armor and low block chance by default.

Bought a new weapon, shuffled around some new gems, slight changes in my passive tree. Updated with this stuff.

how safe is this build? also, why vaal storm call vs vaal spark?

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alkoxide wrote:

how safe is this build? also, why vaal storm call vs vaal spark?

It can handle all non-Atziri content and only struggles slightly with reflect if you're really not paying attention to it.

Vaal Spark costs like 4x more souls than Vaal Storm Call and I like Vaal Storm Call because it can be used for multiple situations, whereas Vaal Spark is only a rare/boss killer.

ill probably only be able to get a 5L/6S voll's. Im thinking of putting a curse (warlords or conductivity or assassin;s mark) in the extra socket

what do you think is the best curse? i suppose that depends on what the average light. res is in mobs, what your crit chance is, and whether or not you have issues surviving or maintaining mana.