[2.2] I Cast Magic Missile! - Cantrip's guide to Ethereal Knives / Bladefall. 7K Life, 100K+ DPS!

Same here, need to pick up some jewels, there were no jewels the last time I played.

Hi Cantrip,

I came to warband league not long ago after returning from months long break without following up with any info on changes to awakening 2.0. Therefore im kind of regret picking up shadow for my EK build. Scion is undeniable better for EK at the moment. However, i dont really feel like rerolling into a new character to 85+.

I built my EK shadow without looking up any guides and i am kind of surprised my build is very similar to yours with exception to a few nodes on the templar side (elemental nodes) and ranger (life flask nodes). After running countless of 73+ maps, i realized physical damage is probably better than elemental damage. And for this reason i feel probably your build is more superior in end game map.I want to make the switch but require certain assurance that this will work from someone experience with EK such as your good self. Below is my passive tree;

https://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAwYAAv4DHgSzBbUGIw18D6sV5xZvFr8XLxmKGjgajxzcHaofQSLqJIsmlScvKPoqUzBxMZ4y0TpCOtg64UGHQsNFR0V8RZ1GcUbXS3hTUlVLVdZXKVfJWfNd8l-wYeJiWmTnZlRmnmjyb55xhXIPc7N8S4CkgpuCx4MJhMWFe4w2jb-PGpBVlnSXBpeXmjua4Ju1ogCmV7DYsUKycLQMtUi3PriTu-PAZsM6xKLKStQj1abYvdq53ajfhN-Y4XPhiONq6Nbquuvu7DjtPPAf8GvyRfba-ej60vsJ_gr-ug==?accountName=mlvnk83&characterName=Ciel_Wintermere


Below is my gear;


most of the stuff are self found with exception to alpha howls. If possible i would love to stick to my 6L pledge of hand as it is my first good drop with a lucky 6L before a 5L appear while attempt linking.

Below is my tooltips;
tooltip DPS 35880 (hatred, herald of ash, herald of ice)
mana regen 234.2 (clarity)
HP 4173

Feel free to critique my gears,skill choice, golem set up choice and CWDT. I seek to improve my character to next level as i feel currently my character growth kind of plateau'd with some frustration on deaths in 73+ map.

Hi there.

I'm leveling with this build since last death on tempest, and I really enjoy this!

Atm i have just one question about frenzy and the use of dagger. I'm in love with the whirling blades, already used it on other char, but i don't understand how you manage to stack and keep frenzy charge? Do you really go in to hit some monster and then go backto cast the EK, or i'm simply missing something here :).

Anyway, thanks for this guide, really nice :)

PS : sry for my english :D

"

Eltharion02 wrote:

Hi there.

I'm leveling with this build since last death on tempest, and I really enjoy this!

Atm i have just one question about frenzy and the use of dagger. I'm in love with the whirling blades, already used it on other char, but i don't understand how you manage to stack and keep frenzy charge? Do you really go in to hit some monster and then go backto cast the EK, or i'm simply missing something here :).

Anyway, thanks for this guide, really nice :)

PS : sry for my english :D

No, I get Charges from Blood Dance 99% of the time. But if I see it's about to run out, yes, I go in melee and I stab something.

Hope you make it far on Tempest (highest I know with this build was 91, beat that) :)

@mlvnk83:
Try this tree as a base to modify, see what works for you:


The Staff is holding you back compared to a 6L +1 Tabula which costs FAR less, you seem to not be using Frenzy Charges (and that's a BIG DEAL), and Arctic Armor is more or less a must for higher maps as you've seen (so drop HoA for that, I'll pretend you didn't even use HoI since it's shit).

I'd ditch the staff ASAP for a real wand+shield+tabula+1 combo, but...

If you insist on the Staff, I'd at least drop the Alpha and get a Rare with Life/Mana/Res, and get Blood Dance instead. That, plus the tree changes and some Jewels will go a LONG way.

-

DROP HoI + HoA NOW.
Add Arctic Armor.
Get a Blind Flame Totem + Flame Golem, they help a lot (don't need supports other than Blind, GMP is a luxury).
Frost Wall is a terrbile CwDT for EK since you can't shoot through, so get War Mark instead and maybe Immortal Call if you manually cast Enduring Cry.
There's no need for Life Leech gem on EK most of the time, as Warlord's Mark gives you that without a Gem.
You really need some way to get Frenzy Charges... Frenzy (the skill) doesn't hurt to have.
-

"

CantripN wrote:

No, I get Charges from Blood Dance 99% of the time. But if I see it's about to run out, yes, I go in melee and I stab something.

Hope you make it far on Tempest (highest I know with this build was 91, beat that) :)

Oh yeah ofc, well, other question then, Blood dance is absolutly mandatory for this build? and would you make any small change to adapt to HC?

Ty for that fast answer :)

"

Eltharion02 wrote:

"

CantripN wrote:

No, I get Charges from Blood Dance 99% of the time. But if I see it's about to run out, yes, I go in melee and I stab something.

Hope you make it far on Tempest (highest I know with this build was 91, beat that) :)

Oh yeah ofc, well, other question then, Blood dance is absolutly mandatory for this build? and would you make any small change to adapt to HC?

Ty for that fast answer :)

Yes, Blood Dance is mandatory.

The only change I *might* make for HC is get a 6L Lightning Coil for 78+ maps, or roll safer map mods. People have made it to 91 on Tempest with a +1 Tabula, so it works as-is for all other content.

I'd perhaps consider adding a CwDT + Immortal Call combo, and am testing it now to see if I like it.

"

CantripN wrote:

I'd perhaps consider adding a CwDT + Immortal Call combo, and am testing it now to see if I like it.

I was thinking about this one too, what about put immortal call on the cwdt with warlord mark, puting it on a 4L and put whirling blade on a 3L without frenzy, since you nearly never use it?


Other question, don't u think for HC it's a good option to go for a evasion shield since it can roll a lot of evasion and we use acrobatics?

"

Eltharion02 wrote:

"

CantripN wrote:

I'd perhaps consider adding a CwDT + Immortal Call combo, and am testing it now to see if I like it.

I was thinking about this one too, what about put immortal call on the cwdt with warlord mark, puting it on a 4L and put whirling blade on a 3L without frenzy, since you nearly never use it?


Other question, don't u think for HC it's a good option to go for a evasion shield since it can roll a lot of evasion and we use acrobatics?

Immortal Call, if used, will be with War Mark on the same CwDT (just level 19-20, probably, where I use Increased AoE atm), not on a 4L. Frenzy needs the links to work well and not get you killed.

As for Evasion shield, I'll shoot the next person who suggests a caster uses an off-hand with no DPS. That's like cutting off an arm so you can evade hits better. When Evasion shields get Spell Damage, Cast Speed, Mana Regen or anything of value other than Evasion, let me know. As it is, it's barely better to use a Spell Shield over a Sceptre (because Life).

--

Update:
level 93
Life - 7341 Life (279-793 Regeneration) + 144 ES
98/1304 Mana (191.2 Regeneration)
54632 DPS without Charges
72236 DPS with 7 Frenzy Charges
100501 DPS with 7 Frenzy Charges + Flasks
(these are all numbers before Rallying Cry / Enduring Cry)

Resists = 165/180/172/20 (enough to do Ele Weakness)
1736 Evasion (18%) => 7676 Evasion (41%)
Acrobatics, of course.
2 Uses of Vaal Grace. Because I can.

Gear:

Hi,

coming here to give some news using this build :).

I just get my level 83 on tempest today and wanted to share my experience and ask some things too.

This is my best level on tempest league so far and i'm pretty happy with it, I climb level pretty fast on every stage of the game with a nice clear feed and without invest that much on stuff. I just try to keep a decent stuff all game long with just few currency. This is why i'm righting righting now. I don't know what to do with my stuff. All the stuff i got doesn't worth more than 5chaos, or at least is what i payed for.





I am really surprise that build can work that well with just a 4L on geofri's crest, but this is also why I feel a bit stuck atm. I think i can't get better gear without paying it A LOT.
I am abble to do level 72 map, idk for higher level since I didn't loot any.

stats are :
HP : 5274 (116 ES)
evasion rating : 3507 (I really love this 1600 evade chest)
res : 173 / 166 / 171 / 41
life regen : 200.4
mana regen : 103.8
Empower leveling on off-hand, same XP as enlighten

This build / guide is very easy to understand, and can be very very cheap as you can see with my gear, with that incredible geofri's crest 4L combo.

Well now I would like to ask you what would you change to be more effective or what absolutly need to be changed to be able to do higher level map. Keeping in mind that I'm playing on tempest league and I don't want to loose any survivability potential.

Thanks a lot again for this guide, I'm really enjoying it!!!