[2.0] Yordle's CI Bow Witch

The goal with this build was to make a bow-wielding, chaos inoculation Witch that was functional and well-rounded (with a focus on defense).

Many attempts at using bows with CI become too "gimmicky" and would be better off just not going CI. I wanted to make sure my build had a reason to be CI.

So...what is the reason for CI then?

To make sure I take full advantage of what ES has to offer, I decided to use the natural synergy between a set of three uniques:





The first two have obvious synergy with CI. Because I am immune to chaos damage, when converting 25% of physical and 25% of elemental damage taken into chaos, it completely removes a quarter of all incoming damage. This is similar to how a Lightning coil works - just way, way better.

The third unique is a very interesting quiver. With the 2.0 changes to when ES starts to regen, this item got quite a big psuedo-buff. With 150% faster start of regen + the ES changes, it only takes 0.8 seconds of not being hit to start getting ES back. As a bow character often on the move and in the distance, this means you will be regaining ES like crazy! Plus, a lot of hard-hitting bosses don't attack more than once a second, giving you a leg up on some tricky fights.

Apart from those items, there are quite a few other positives to being CI. These are some of note:

• Map mods like Poison on Hit and Desecrated Ground are just free quantity.
• It is much easier to get a high ES pool than a high life pool.
• Starter ES gear can be super cheap as you don't need any life rolls.
• Extra room for more utility flasks.
• The new Chaos Warbands become a walk in the park.
• Forces you to deal with Stun/Freeze - even if doing so can be a pain.

Overall, although there are certainly negatives, it's still a solid choice with some good benefits.

So...how do you deal with the CI negatives?

Well, The "big two" that every CI build needs to worry about are Stun and Freeze.

For Stun, I simply use an Eye of Chayula.



You have to sacrifice a slot that can give you a nice damage boost just to gain stun immunity (plus some rarity and some all stats for the base) but it's the easy solution. It isn't the most elegant one, but it works.

For Freeze, I simply use a "Surgeon's" utility flask "of Heat".



As a crit build, you can keep something like a Surgeon's Quicksilver up an absurd amount of the time. With fast enough reaction time, you can un-freeze yourself on demand as needed, or keep it up preemptively. It works and it works really well!

The only other "big" downside to CI is the lack of on-demand life regen. Life builds can chug back their life flasks if they run into a dangerous situation, but CI builds don't have a similar option.

One big thing that helps is running Vaal Discipline (especially when tied to Increased Duration). This isn't up as much as a life flask, but if you save it for emergency situations, it will provide you with a great "oh shit" button. Not only does it activate your ES regen for its entire duration, but it increases your total effective life by a lot for the duration, letting you soak some rather nasty hits.

The other great thing about this build is - again - the 0.8 second ES recharge timer. All you have to do if you start taking too much damage is start running back and forth to dodge any projectiles or blink arrow away and your ES will start going up almost instantly. It suits the bow play-style perfectly.

So...what about the build's offense?

This build can be run using a wide variety of bow skills. The passive tree and gear I go over in this thread is tailored to generic physical + crit bow damage.

Note: Because the build does get some "Physical Damage Leech" there is a slight advantage to using either Tornado Shot, Split Arrow or Rain of Arrows. These skills do not convert any damage, meaning you have more physical-type damage to leech off.

The skills I would recommend trying are:

• Tornado Shot
• Split Arrow
• Rain of Arrows
• Lightning Arrow
• Ice Shot
• Vaal Burning Arrow

Note: If you use Rain of Arrows, the passive tree will be slightly different; you will want to pick up the AoE nodes at Witch.

You also have choice in Single Target skills if you choose to run one. Frenzy, Puncture, Barrage, and Burning Arrow all work with the build.

It is important to note that the build is somewhat limited on how much tooltip DPS it can squeeze out due to the use of a unique bow. The bow itself can roll around 260 PDPS if rolled near max and has a base crit of 6.5%. This is respectable enough and can certainly clear maps effectively. But because so much defense is tied up in this slot, it is hard to imagine switching it out for a higher DPS rare (though you are certainly welcome to).

That said, you can still do some nice damage. The build also picks up six Frenzy charges to help out. One other thing to note is that the bow converts 25% of your phys damage to chaos to help you penetrate through armor.

So...what about the build's defense?

This is one of the places the build shines.

First off, Elemental:

The "TL;DR" version here is that the build effectively has 81% of all elemental resistances. For a better explanation and a handy chart, check out the wiki page for Incandescent Heart. Basically, elemental damage is easily soaked up. Map mods with extra elemental damage are a lot less scary this way. Even minus max resist maps are not as bad with how the conversion works.

Then, Physical:

Although the build isn't nearly as strong on the phys damage front, it still has a few ways to make things easier. Apart from the 25% phys > chaos conversion, it also has about 1200 base armor, giving it 10~12% flat physical reduction. When paired with three endurance charges for another 12%, you've got a decent baseline of defense. Throw on a medium-level CWDT Molten Shell and a well-rolled Surgeon's Granite of Iron Skin and you should be able to handle those hits without too much pain.

The final layer of defense comes in the form of Vaal Pact + Ghost Reaver. Since Vaal Pact no longer reduces the amount you leech and the build has no life regen to speak of, it's a no brainier to pick up - even if you only have a small amount of leech.

Thankfully, this build has access to quite a bit:

• 0.8~1% physical leech w/ Incandescent Heart chest
• 2% chaos leech w/ Atziri's Promise flask up
• 2% leech w/ Warlord's Mark curse up
• 2% leech w/ Life Leech gem in

With all of these up at once, it is very noticeable - even on single targets.

…

And that's the basics of the build! :)

109 Point Tree:

https://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAwMA34rpAkuuGyXZW20ZIvQRUGwLNbmTJ6crHU--in_G74jK06EvwcX5N7QM7BjXz0Zx6rosv4_6SbGDCQ18Fdfw1dDQb55gQ4auSVFfapykykpuPVZjhxNfsL6AdwebtcM6hMUi6io46NaxMAW153S1CI2_2xptbHGhUUcQe7VIVYWPT5UF51QwfDfUvjoGI5ma8-qly9nGCIkk_X8r7T8fQetjKgsylJrx_9451JXMAx4RL3BSfwJdaHb3-WMWv6bgyqkx-hn-VP6gnxsBveb-yKfU4dvcFaGkxKI=

Note: This tree is generic enough to work for any non-AoE bow skill, but if you are using AoE the only major change would be picking up the AoE nodes near Witch and dropping points elsewhere to compensate.

(If you want to skip explanations and just see the gear I'm using currently, check the "My Gear" section at the bottom of the post - it's not in here)

The uniques...

Darkscorn



* 25% physical damage taken goes *poof*. Apart from that, you also convert 25% of your own damage to chaos (it helps bypass armor and softens reflect damage taken). The actual damage and crit isn't too bad for the 1c~ price tag, either.

Incandescent Heart



* 25% elemental damage taken goes *poof*. It gives you a very respectable amount of armor/ES and up to 1% phys leech (with leech changes, this is quite a lot). The life and light mods are basically pointless, but oh well.

Soul Strike



* The 150% faster recharge = a 0.8 second recharge rate. The 40% less charge rate seems bad, but is a small price to pay (plus countered by the charge rate on the passive tree). The flat ES is a stat you can't find on any other quiver. Attack speed and some extra chaos damage also mean you get some dps from the slot, too. You don't need +1 arrows; I just had some currency to burn ;)

Eye of Chayula



* Stun Immunity is a must. This is an easy way to get it. Stats and rarity are not too bad, either.

The rares...

Helmet / Gloves / Boots

• #1 goal with all three slots is always going to be HIGH AMOUNT OF ENERGY SHIELD! You are looking for a high level (60+) pure ES base (AR/ES with amazing GG rolls is also good, though rare/expensive) with both a % increased ES and flat amount of added ES.
• You do NOT need a life roll! In face, it is a nearly dead stat for you and should be avoided.
• Apart from resists, each slot has a couple "luxury" stats that you will want to be looking for. These are optional, but super helpful.
• Helmet: Accuracy (the only "damage" boost on the slot; hard to fit in on other slots) Intellect (always nice for the small boost to % ES)
• Gloves: Added Phys (one of the best stats for DPS) Attack Speed (a great DPS boost, rolls quite high on this slot) Accuracy (uses up an important suffix slot, but good if you find it) Intellect (always nice for the small boost to % ES)
• Boots: Move Speed (nearly mandatory; aim for 20%+) Intellect (always nice for the small boost to % ES)

Belt

• Look for one of three bases: Heavy (if you need the str for gems; you probably will) Rustic (for the best offensive boost) Chain (for the best defensive boost)
• This is a great slot to obtain tri-res, since there are not too many other good suffixes on belts. Strength and flask duration can be good instead of a resist if needed.
• There are really only three prefixes to look out for: Energy Shield, Armor and Weapon Elemental Damage. The WeD can also be crafted up to 22% if it is missing.

Rings

• There are a lot of choices as far as bases. Diamond is great for damage & Moonstone for defence, but a resist base is always an option if you are having trouble capping.
• Rings can have a lot of damage. Added phys, attack speed, WeD and accuracy are all nice. If you need more resists, prioritize just the added phys.
• If you have the currency for it, try and leave a prefix open so you can craft on % ES from Elreon. It can make quite a difference!

The jewels...

I use four jewels in my passive tree.

One is a Clear Mind unique jewel:



This is placed just under the Melding cluster to gain a nice boost in ES.

As for the rare jewels:

• If you are running the build exactly like I am, having +2 mana on hit on all three rare jewels is a must. This is most of my mana sustain and allows for zero regen maps to be run easily.
• For damage stats, the best ones are Phys damage with bows / Attack speed with bows. These roll higher than generic damage rolls. Other stats such as generic phys/attack speed, projectile damage, crit and accuracy are all good as well.
• For defensive stats, energy shield, energy shield on hit, and resists (if absolutely needed) are all fine - because the build has easier access to ES than damage, I would not prioritize these.

The flasks...

• An anti-freeze flask is mandatory! CI builds are easily perma-frozen, so make sure you don't fall victim to it. Any utility flask will work for this.
• A well-rolled granite (Surgeon's Granite of Iron Skin for example) is basically also mandatory.
• I like to use at least one Atziri's Promise. Even though the chaos resist base is useless for CI, the extra damage and leech are great to have - especially since you deal some base chaos damage already, giving you more to leech with.
• For your other slots, you have a lot of choice. A mana flask is great for when mana on hit isn't cutting it. A quicksilver is great quality of life. Resist flasks are great for situational encounters. Diamond is great for a short DPS burst. You can also double-up on your flask of choice.

5/6L
Tornado Shot + GMP + Faster Attacks + Phys Proj Att Dmg + Added Fire [+ Life Leech] (Aura)

Split Arrow + Chain + Faster Attacks + Phys Proj Att Dmg + Added Fire [+ Life Leech] (Aura)

* These are my two main attack set-ups. Since they use the same colors, I swap between them depending on the map or whatever I feel like running. Life Leech is wonderful, but can probably be left out if you don't have a 6L; in that case, try swapping it in for Added Fire on super tough content, though.

* Side-note: If you have a 6S 5L, try fitting an aura into your spare socket.

5/6L
Frenzy + Power Charge on Crit + Add Acc + Inc Crit + Mana Leech [+ ???] (Aura)

* This is my charge generation. It can also do some decent single target in a pinch. All the supports apart from Mana Leech give extra crit through gem % quality, making sure that you get more reliable power charge generation. I'm not sure I'd bother getting a 6L for this, but if I did I'd probably just add in a DPS gem of some kind.

* Side-note: If you have a 6S 5L, try fitting an aura into your spare socket.

4L
CWDT (lvl 1) + Warlord's Mark (lvl 5) + Arctic Breath (lvl 4) + GMP

* My low level CWDT. This goes off often to curse everything possible, giving endurance charges and free leech, and chilling whatever it can with AB.

4L
CWDT (lvl 8) + Molten Shell (lvl 14) + Summon Ice Golem (lvl 10) + Blind

* My medium level CWDT. This procs Molten Shell quite often and makes sure my golem is constantly up. The blind is a nice defensive bonus that affects both gems.

4L
Blink Arrow + Vaal Discipline + Inc Duration/Aura + Aura

* This is my “spare”. My mobility and vaal skill go here, both supported by duration - leaving one socket left. Depending on your 5/6L items, you may need one, two, or no sockets for auras here. You can drop duration if you need both, or add in something else if you don't need either.

• Normal: Point
• Cruel: Point / Attack Speed / Physical Damage
• Merciless: Frenzy Charge

Cruel is the only time you need to make an actual choice. All three options are good. I went with the point for flexibility.

I won't lie, I hated leveling this character and I don't have a lot of tips or advice for doing so. CI has a rough leveling curve as you don't have access to high ES items until very late game (high ES requires high level bases). This isn't the case with life gear, making the curve much easier.

The easy way to get there is to either re-spec a previous character, level up using a different tree and re-spec at end-game, or have a friend power you through content. I did the latter.

Obviously, this is not viable for everyone. If you want to level normally, I would suggest the following:

• Level with a spell that scales well off level, such as Flame Totem, and run it in a +level to gems weapon.
• Pick up life nodes early on and use your free re-spec points to spec out of them later.
• Search out and buy some good mid-level ES gear early on and plan out your switch to CI ahead of time.
• Join public leveling parties to make things faster and to have help with those trickier bosses.

For other tips, try checking out popular CI guides and search for sections on leveling.

If you have other advice for leveling a CI build, please let me know in a comment!

This build can be extremely cheap, but it can also get expensive if you let it. Personally, I've spend quite a few exalts on my own gear. If you are on a budget, you don't need to do so to still get results.

Here are a few tips:

• Run a 4L chest. You don't need both the bow and chest to be 5L - just the one holding your main attack skill.
• Get a rare amulet instead of Chayula. Stun Immunity is nice, but isn't essential in early mapping.
• Keep an eye out for cheap ES gear at all times. It is often notoriously under-priced since most people don't know how to price non-life items.
• Don't bother with luxury corruptions like +1 arrow quivers or 20% gems. These can come later if you really want them.

Current level: 81

Offense

• Tornado Shot (w/ charges): 12,968
• Split Arrow (w/ charges): 12,297
• Chance to Hit: 88%

Defense

• ES: 6,798
• ES (w/ Vaal Disc): 10,220
• Phys Reduction (w/ armor, endur charges): 23%
• Phys Reduction (w/ armor, endur charges, granite): 45%
• Move Speed: 44%

Coming Soon!

Current (2.0)



Out-dated (Pre 2.0)