[1.3.x] Reaching 456/103 MF (546/79) starting from 0 in a challenge league (Dual Flame Totem)

From lvl 1 to 30 I leveled using groundslam/heavy strike (molten strike would probably have been better tho)
I didn't start this build day 1 so it was easy to find cheap leveling weapon (1 fuse each)








Once you pick up Ancestral Bond it's time to switch for a wand or a scepter.
My 1st weapon was quite simple : white scepter 20% elem dmg + rare chain belt + whetstone at the vendor for the recipe (you get an easy 50% fire spell dmg + cast speed if you're lucky on the augment)

At this point you may lack of intelligence and/or dexterity ==> buy an amulet or spend 1-2 points in the tree
PS : Quecholli gives you a lot of attributes, pay attention when you level up your gems. You could have a nasty surprise when switching your weapon
4L :
5L :

of course, if you have
it's even better

I respec once I reached lvl 85 and got the challenge. For a 330/20 respec, a lvl 70 is enough. If you plan a heavy respec in the future I'd recommand to be 80+ because you will need to spend really a lot of points in elemental resistance.

If you kept your currency during the leveling you should be able to quickly buy


I bought the corrupted aurseize around the level 60 for 15c (I had 2 lucky drops) and the perf shield 8c. I got lucky to drop the goldwyrm (but you can find a 20% for less than 3c). I leveled with those 3 items and a 4L until the level 85.

Once you hit low level maps it is very easy to make currency if you know the chaos recipe (is there anybody who doesn't know it ?). The only rule is DON'T DIE if you're playing in HC.


Since this build is very simple and that you just have to focus on life and resistance, once your resist are capped in merciless you can keep your gear for a very long time and therefore stock your currency. On the way to lvl 85 you should easily make 50-60c (unsifficient but it's a good start).

The real respec starts when you equip 2 andvarius


Now we are getting started ! I bought those ones for 2ex a piece when it was mid-league. Huge IIR but huge drawback too ==> 0 hp and -60% res !

Depending on your current gear, you will have to respec more or less points for resistance in the tree.
At that time my gear was made up of

If you follow the game a bit, you cannot have missed


It's the only chest that provides you IIR or IIQ in the game and that chest provides you both ! (until GGG releases a demigod chest race reward).
But the drawback is huge too. No life ! Negative Res (once again)!

That chest can be very hard to equip because resistance nodes are lacking in the tree and the only way to get more resistance is to have resistance on you weapon, helm and/or amulet. And IIR gears with resistance cost an arm (so you'll probably play one-handed from now, which can be added to the "cons").


Hopefully, if you farmed a bit and didn't die. You should have some currency to buy that gear.
For example :


A 5ex helm



25c (implicit was at 18% I used 7 blessed to get 20%)

With those gear and a last effort in the tree allowed me to be res capped using sadima's touch

If you really have a hard time, there is still one solution



+60% to all res !
I know that it gives -20% IIR but if you add 45/13 from the chest it's still +25/13 in the end. Better this than nothing, right ? (this can also be applied when you equip your andvarius for the 1st time)

Movement :

Walking is for sissies. Anyway, with -23/-18% move speed, you'd better use a leap slam or a lightning warp to move


Defense :

A classical defensive set up (it saved me a OS from Na'em in map !)



A 2nd CWDT for even more defense : decoys, walls, more armour (currently only wearing cwdt + skeletons)


Set up to lose life :



I keep the BM gem lvl 1 for a high multiplier (note : elem weakness is better in party)


Flame totem :



With a 6L I would probably add a BM gem, remove the BM keystone and put some elem auras.


Bonus :



Another decoy that can be helpful, especially in map



I only use it to open strongbox (just press your anti-freeze pot, open the box and vanish immediately ==> boxes become 100% safe)


Other slots can be used to level up gems or to prepare a respec.

http://imgur.com/a/6ebZy#0

There are different techniques : you can lose life or mana.
Since this build uses the Blood Magic keystone you will just have to focus on the life. If you are using mana, a common technique is


and ask to people to turn off their clarity aura.


To lose life there are a few possibilities :


or use skills to lose life at the appropriate time. This is what I do.



I have a 4L on the helm : Flammability - Increased AoE - Increased Duration - Blood Magic lvl 1
The Blood Magic gem gives a 245% multiplier on flammability. In such a configuration each flammability costs 302hp (~ 7% hp).
The purpose of flammability (elem weakness better in party I'm just too lazy to change) is not really to curse ennemies but just to lose life. Just try to curse in the wind in order to let your party members' curses on the ennemies.


Advantages of this technique :

- it doesn't rely on pots
- it allows your party members to run clarity and vitality
- you control exactly how much life you're losing and when

Disadvantage :

- Except the fact that you curse in the wind and sometimes overwrite the curses of your party members, there's no real disadvantage

One of the reason of the dual totem's popularity is that it's a very safe gameplay. Just throw your totems and hide behind your party members !

For Dominus, I usually place a totem near Imperator Stantinus Bitterblade (ice cylcone) and between Draconarius Wilhelm Flamebrand and Compulsor Octavia Sparkfist and use divination distillate 0,5s just before the fight starts. I maintain myself around 80-90% hp with the flammability curse.

The most dangerous part of the fight is when Alal the Terrifying pops out. This guy hurts a bit (can do up to 1k dmg) so if you feel uneasy just hide and wait the dominus pop.

Once you're getting used, you will want to try to cull every trash demons. The drop rate is not negligeable and, except the 1st one, the 2 other demons really don't do a lot of dmg. You'll learn by experience the best place to place your totems.

Dominus P1 : nothing to see, your culling doesn't work

Dominus P2 : Depending on the dps of your party you will have to refresh + or - often your totems. In an average party, you will have to refresh your totems when Dom is mid-life and use divination + remove bleed + granite around 20-25% (around the "Do" of "Dominus Ascendant"). If you miscalculated, it doesn't matter, just refresh divination when 1s is left and keep maintaining your life around 90% with flammability.

Farming is very easy, just the timing to use divination can be a bit tricky in the 1st runs.



Mapping is also very possible in party (as long as the dps is okay). I did a couple of plateau when I was in the 424/65 mode (~4400 hp) and I've never been in danger once. I generally ran pack size maps with no extra damage but I also did a couple of 100+% quantity lvl 74 (with elem weakness/vulnerability/chain/enfeeble/etc. ) without any problem.
Since the gameplay is very simple you can just throw your totems and stay behind everybody and thus take no damage.
However, I never ran other maps than Maelstrom of Chaos since the 1.3.1 is out.

If you're playing in a HC league, be very careful while mapping. You only have 4000-4500hp with no dmg mitigation. Life can go away very fast if you're desynced or disconnected. Personally, Na'em would have OS me if I hadn't the cast when damage combo.

Here's a decent setup that allows you both to farm dominus and map solo.

Shipyard burning ground + double boss

A complete Dominus Run (~10 min)

Lvl 1 gems :


Lvl 4 gems :


Lvl 10 gems :


Lvl 12 gems :


Lvl 19 gems :


Lvl 24 gems :


Lvl 31 gems :

"

Kaktuskiller wrote:

You wrote respec in one Spoiler but what to respec and when?

When : In Bloodlines I respec once I hit 85 because it was for the challenge. If you just want a 330/20 gear, a lvl 70 is enough and you can stop leveling to just focus on Dominus farm.
If you really want to put everything to reach 540/60, I'd recommand to be at least lv 80+.
If you check my current tree

I have 8 dps nodes remaining (lvl 86) and most of them are cast speed for totems.



What : Mostly dps, keeping only life, res and totem dmg mitigation.
I removed 1st elem dmg nodes at the start of the templar, then the "arsonist node" near the marauder, then "Ligh of Divinity" (at the left of the AoE dmg nodes in the templar) then the celestial node,etc.
There are also 2 +30 dex/int that can be removed easily once you equip andvarius/perandus blazon and go in the witch area

"

Kaktuskiller wrote:

you use BM for leveling until 31 only?

I use the BM keystone since level 18. I never had any hp nor resistance problem.

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