Explosive Arrow Marauder (Updated for Release)

"

Pastromy wrote:

I originally started using split arrow over lightning arrow because my machine struggled with LA spam causing fps drops (this was earlier in OB before they optimized LA's animation a bit). I decided to stick with split arrow over LA because you get one extra gem slot (because you don't need GMP)...

LA is a viable option, if you run the numbers, you get a decent more life gain per attack due to the LA aoe portion... But, like I said, you lose out on using blind in a 4L (and I wouldn't ever put it in more than a 4L).

Lightning arrow is actually really cool. I just tested it out. 50% hp to full in one hit. I think I'l use lightning arrow on no regen maps, half regen maps, and on the crematorium boss. Blind is really nice but staying at full HP on maps with little options for regen is also very important.

And if I understand mana cost multiplier correctly, LA is actually (marginally) cheaper to run then Split arrow, since leveling LA isn't necessary.

LA: 12 mana * 1.5 (LoH) * 2 (Chain) * 1.5 (LMP) = 54 mana cost, but has 70% effectiveness on LoH. And you dont need to run that ugly wrath aura, which is a major plus :)

Split arrow: 19 mana * 1.5 (LoH) * 2 (Chain) = 57 mana cost, and has 80% effectiveness + you can run knockback/chance to flee.



Also can you still get enough Hp without Kaoms in anarchy/onslaught ? And since you dont use Kaoms doesnt this mean you can possibly 5 link a second skill ?

"

Split arrow: 19 mana * 1.5 (LoH) * 2 (Chain) = 57 mana cost, and has 80% effectiveness + you can run knockback/chance to flee.

Or you can run a Q20 Reduced Mana if you're really concerned about mana cost:
19 mana * 1.5 (LoH) * 2 (Chain) * 0.61 (reduced) = 35 mana cost, compared to 54 LA

Much less cost for the same job, and more flexibility, because the extra gem slot.

"

MajorMudfish wrote:

And if I understand mana cost multiplier correctly, LA is actually (marginally) cheaper to run then Split arrow, since leveling LA isn't necessary.

LA: 12 mana * 1.5 (LoH) * 2 (Chain) * 1.5 (LMP) = 54 mana cost, but has 70% effectiveness on LoH. And you dont need to run that ugly wrath aura, which is a major plus :)

Split arrow: 19 mana * 1.5 (LoH) * 2 (Chain) = 57 mana cost, and has 80% effectiveness + you can run knockback/chance to flee.



Also can you still get enough Hp without Kaoms in anarchy/onslaught ? And since you dont use Kaoms doesnt this mean you can possibly 5 link a second skill ?

You don't need to run wrath once you get a small amount of cold/lightning damage on your gear. The easiest way to do it is to just find a nice cold/lightning base quiver (once you are high enough level to not have to worry about dex issues anymore).

Like I said, the biggest reason I like Split Arrow is the ability to run Blind. A blinded enemy has, at most, a 25% chance to hit you... Which is ridiculous. Plus, with good gear, I never really had much of an issue with spamming EA, your hp regen gets rather insane.


I don't think having enough hp should be a problem... My main on the HC ladder doesn't have Kaom's, and I can run any level of map without too much issue. And yes, you absolutely can 5L a second skill. To be honest, I'm kind of glad that there's no Kaoms. It means Carcass Jack is best in slot... Also, it's much easier to roll the required colors on it than on a Quill Rain.

I've recently been running a lot of low quality solo maps (66-69 magic/rare). I have yet to run a ele reflect map but I really want to try this one tonight:



Can this build even run reflect maps? I would imagine I would never shoot more then 1 arrow at a time and slow burn everything.

Any tips?

Without -max resists, you shouldn't have much issue with reflect. I would just advise you to be careful about cursing mobs with flammability.

A potential problem with just using a quivers base ele damage, if the enemies resist reduce the damage to 0 elemental equilibrium won't trigger. Chain/split/quill rain don't exactly help with this either. So you want to be doing (4 maybe 5?) cold/light damage a good portion of the time with the split arrow.

only bothered to test with 1-1 cold dam vs merci fellshrine zombies.

Can also use this thing for armour for a while, not bad if you want to level using EA. and helped me understand how nice ignite duration is.
the occasional burn from enemy physical crits amuses as well.

Also anyone else completely miss the 30 dex node near bloodmagic?

edit: one other thing, devouring totem is nice if you want corpse removal can spam at nothing to trigger it, don't need to have enemies close like a det dead totem.

i use the build and i really like it but the is a problem i have a very low dex and int so i cant change my items.
im level 35 what shuld i do?

"

roysagi3 wrote:

i use the build and i really like it but the is a problem i have a very low dex and int so i cant change my items.
im level 35 what shuld i do?

tbh I have never leveled with EA so far, I guess there are more effective leveling builds around, like ele cleave or ground slam marauder. then at aroung lvl 55 you can switch to EA, best is that you level the gems already while you level your character, so with lvl 55 you'll have a lvl 14 or 15 Explosive Arrow gem and if possible the support gems and curses leveled as well.

As I haven't been posting in this for quiete a while I will give you a little update. I have FINALLY managed to 5L my quill. So happy with it. My damage is insanity as I managed to get quality on Fire Pen as well.



But Im pretty much out of maps.. so annoying. And nobody sells lvl 68 maps for normal prices (1.5 chaos ea) :/

Which leads me to a question: Can I drop maps in public party maps which others opened? Or is "map to maker" already active?

Map to maker is active, as far as I know.