[LLD][WIP] 1.3 Stilgar - Puncture trap, Tornado shot shadow

Here is my passive tree. I've decided to help Oak for the +40 life.

The build follows a straight path to a few notables - Coordination, Quickness, Blood Siphon, Blood Drinker, Master of Force, Clever Construction, Acrobatics.

I've decided for shadow because how close it is to both Acrobatics and Clever Construction.

I need the +30 int node for some skill gems, If I had that from gear I would finish the Blood Drinker cluster for 6% life.

Here is an alternative skill tree. This one has more bow damage, but less EK damage.

Puncture + Multiple Traps + Point Blank + Added Fire

This combination is socketed in my boots (Deerstalker), which adds an implicit Trap support gem, so with this skill I can place 3 puncture traps that can't be destroyed for 5 seconds

Tornado Shot + Lesser Multiple Projectiles + Added Fire + Faster Projectiles + Block Chance Reduction

This is my main attack, with a DPS oriented setup. When facing non block characters (ranged, 2H) I swap BCR for Additional Accuracy.

Tornado Shot + Lesser Multiple Projectiles + Stun + Faster Projectiles + Block Chance Reduction

This is my main attack, with a Stun oriented setup. I also change my quiver to Craghead when I want to stun my opponents.

Hatred, Herald of ash, Rejuvenation Totem, Molten Shell

I have theese gems socketed in my gloves. Hatred and HOA provide a great dps boost, Molten is for defense and Rejuv can save you flask charges and acts as a decoy for Flicker strike. Put traps under your Rejuv totem to maximize the number of jimmies rustled of people who want to take down your totem from melee range.

Cast When Stunned + Frost Wall + Frost Wall + Ethereal Knives

My defensive setup socketed in my helm. Socketing 2 Frost walls makes it more likely that the skill will be casted, the EK is to damage my opponent with a small chance to stun, both EK and TS will go through the wall.

Rain Of Arrows + Blind, Temporal Chains, Blink Arrow, Smoke mine

Finally I have RoA with blind socketed in my chest for destroying traps and sniping enemies when TS can't hit them; then I have my go-to curse, and 2 great movement/escape skills.

Since I've decided to use both HoA and Hatred, I have little mana left, so I have to use 2 jewellery items with the elreon's prefix.

I'm trying to get life, res, and evasion on my armour pieces, and life, ias and flat physical damage on my jewellery, quiver and gloves

Below is a description of my gear, how optimal it is for my build, possible upgrades/useful corruptions.

Bow

You need a Royal Bow with the 3 phys prefixes and ias, a perfect bow would also have accuracy and crit chance. You want atleast a 5L, a 6L is extra DPS. Here is my baby



The flat physical is Tier 2, but it's still a very solid weapon. It's possible to craft a better bow than this with the masters.

Useful corruption: +1 arrows, which would let me drop LMP, and would be a Huge DPS boost. It's also a very rare corruption, and since it's a 2H item on which you need at least 5L, the chance of obtaining a perfect bow with this corruption is very low.

Rating: 8.5/10

Quiver

You have multiple options here, I switch between 2 quivers - one for DPS, the other for stun.



Useful corruption: +1 arrows, again it's rare, but it can be obtained if you go with a unique quiver

Rating: 8.5/10

Helmet

Again 2 solid options - rare with life, accuracy, resists and evasion or unique with huge ias boost. I prefer the rare, the unique is a budget option. Helm's can also have 25-35% chance to avoid being stunned crafted on them with Leo, which is like 1000 times better than chayula.



Useful corruption: gems supported by cast when stunned - higher proc chance than the support gem, can put in an additional spell.

Rating 7/10

Chest

2 solid options - rare with life, resists and evasion or uniq as a budget option (and dps boost)



I prefer my rare chest, getting a 5/6L unique is easier though.

Useful corruption: Cannot be knocked back

Rating: 9.5/10

Gloves

2 solid options again - rare with life, flat physical, ias, resists or unique budget option



Again rares are much much better and more expensive to obtain obviously.

Useful corruption: Curse on hit Temp chains or Vulnerability - both are really great, easier to get on the unique gloves.

Rating: 9/10

Boots

No options here, this item is 100% required for this build



Useful corruption: Quite a few useful corruptions: 4% chance to dodge, 2-5% movespeed, cannot be knocked back and +1 gems

I am working on obtining a pair with +1 gems, in which I would put

Etheral knives + Multiple Traps + Empower + Added Fire

To use as a swap against opponents with high evasion/block

Rating: 8/10

Rings

You need 1 ring with -7/-8 mana cost of skills and another with ias, life, flat phys



The first 2 rings can be swapped around in case I need freeze immunity, the -mana cost one stays on all the time.

Useful corruption: none of them are worth the opportunity cost

Rating: 9/10, 10/10

Ammulet

Probably the 2nd most expensive item after the bow, key item of the build:



It's a shame it has a dex base, I could save 1 passive point if it had int. You need -7/-8 mana cost to be able to sustain your attacks. The rest of the stats should be flat physical, life, resists

A chayula can be used as a swap against stun builds, but I prefer not to.

Useful corruption: none of them are worth the opportunity cost, the -phys damage taken and 4-8% ias are sexy as hell though

Rating: 10/10

Belt

2 options - great rare and budget unique



Noth much to say, I have a beast of a belt, I would however like one with 2T1 res and reduced flask charges used, I think it's a hell of a mod, one of the most useful ones out there.

Useful corruption: none of them are worth the opportunity cost

Rating: 9/10

DPS Setup - added fire, rare quiver

TS damage
Puncture trap damage
Defense


Stun Setup - stun, craghead

TS damage
Puncture trap damage
Defense

Start of round:

You need to cast 2 auras at the start so you are vulnerable to rushing, keep this in mind, and if the situation is bad you can still do great dps with 1 aura only. Blink arrow is great to gain some time at the start of the round.

I like to put down a rejuv totem, smoke mine and throw some traps under them at the start in a place where I can smoke mine to from almost any place in the map - in other words it's not obstructed by walls. This way I can have a safe base to return to if I get in a bad situation. Smoke mine can also pull flicker strikers with you right on top of your traps.

Mobility:

This is a highly mobile build and if you want to win 1v1's movement is key. Ideally your opponent should not be on the same screen as you. Keep them under pressure with Tornado shot which can deal damage around corners, trap off chokepoints and try to get them in a position where you have the advantage, and the possibbility to nope out with smoke mines.

If you stay in one place on your traps you are doing it wrong. Arc will chain off your traps even if they can't be damaged, and any good player will think twice to go melee on you when you sit on your traps.

Traps:

Use your traps on chokepoints, they are not your main damage dealers, more of a defense and a way for you to control territory. You also need to pay attention to enemy traps and destroy them with RoA. If you get bear trapped you have smoke mine or blink arrow to escape.

Dealing with stunlock:

Stunlock should not be a problem if you can outrange your foe. If it becomes a problem you can switch to chayula, your skills won't be free so you need more careful play. A helmet with stun avoidance and some ES from any piece of gear can save you from stunlocks aswell.

Dealing with flicker:

Put down totem, smoke mine, traps under them, cast molten shell and try to pull your opponent into this "base" and spam tornado shot at your feet.

22/12/2014 - Started guide
23/12/2014 - Added alternative skill tree, added stats