[3.0]PewPewPews Official Cheap Firestorm Build - Perfect for Newcomers/SSF

Hello,
First thanks for the build I used it back during Prophecy League and planning to use the Necro version as my starter for 3.0.

I ran the build through Path of Building and so far as I can tell nothing has changed between 2.6 and 3.0 for this build except we get to save one skill point due to pathing changes in the 3.0 skill tree. Damage, Life & Mana costs all seem the same.

Now this is as of right now. Of course it could be changed with the further iterations that GGG is going be doing during Beta but so far so good.

Not sure if anyone in the comments prior to this has asked but is it possible to transition into CI with this build? Or at least have an ES version? Im having a blast with it, but i heard that int buffs ES and since we're a witch, i'd like to see how it is playing an ES build

Possible interesting addition to the build for 3.0? Dark Pact Skill Preview

It seems like it could fit well for a variety of reasons: this being a life build, and the use of skeletons as body block.

We don't scale any chaos damage so, Dark Pact won't do.

Done some testing in the beta...
- With the addition of Arcane Surge, we won't need warlords mark anymore(we get enough regen from the bonus + Clarity + MoM)(this also means we don't need to get so much strength anymore, which is nice)
- Ascendancy points will be a little different as well, we'll pick up Mastermind of Discord instead of Shaper of Desolation(Which we trigger with Orb of Storms>which we also can link to a Curse on Hit + enfeeble/flammability)
- Also, better pathing in the witch area, which frees up points to pick up MoM(Around lvl 70, we'll have a 1K free mana pool)
- We'll drop Anger and Herald of Thunder(so save up mana for MoM)
- We are dropping Increased AoE due to the 2.6 nerfs(I wasn't sure about it then, but I am now), we're running with Conc effect.
- We are dropping Spell Echo as well, even though it's a big damage increase - it will lock us in place, and in 3.0 mobility is going to be super important(Yes, even with minions covering us!)(And as we droip Spell echo, faster casting/innervate won't be as important(faster casting is still a good option however)
- Main setup, thinking about Firestorm/Fire Penetration/Elemental Focus/Arcane Surge/Concentrated Effect/6l whatever you want.

In the end, we'll have so much more damage, and our survivability is slightly buffed. Bosses aren't too bad to deal with, even with the huge health increase. I wonder how far we'll get her this time :)

Due to a lack of time, and lack of people playing, I haven't had the chance to test the necromancer asc. There will be changes coming to those as well(especially Kitava's thirst has been buffed significantly)

I'll probably rewrite the guide in the coming days. Give me a kick if I don't :D

Definitely loving this build, thanks man, need a 3.0 viable one now. :D

My two cents on your 3.0 suggestions, having played this build until t15 maps and lvl 92.

I've already dropped Herald of Thunder, Orb of Storms works much better for cursing, especially on bosses.

Keeping WM wouldn't be a bad choice though, that life leech is amazing and enables running elereflect maps and even some facetanking (currently i have 5.7k life and 2500 ES with what I'd consider good gear, also took Profane Chemistry because why not), not to mention additive phys reduction from the pantheon scaling REALLY nicely with it (and basalts rip basalts)

Getting strength wasn't even that hard to begin with, since we path so hard into left side. Dex is what's currently killing me.

I'd like to see some Essence Worm numbers tho if we're to go MoM.

I've been seriously considering dropping Innervate and Conflux for a long while now (due to already using Orb of Storms for possible fire pen), but if the 3.0 shock changes go live I think that will be a nobrainer and our only option against bosses.

Total savings on witch pathing is 2 points (1 off Heart and Soul and 1 off Lord of the Dead). Total savings on AoE nodes is 5 points. AoE nodes are garbage already (10% dmg each point, sod off), nobody will miss them, and the closest mana clusters (behind MoM, Deep Thoughts, Righteous Decree) cost 8 points.

I'd drop Fire Walker for a jewel if you have a good enough one. Fire Walker is basically 26% damage plus a single resist for two points, and 2 damage+better resist jewels cost a couple chaos each, not to mention stronger jewels. Potential sockets are witch PC (requires slightly altered pathing for the same number of points), scion mana, ele damage top left, and hell, even duelist highway jewels if you're dex/str starved (lightning golem dex requirement is extreme)

Also... Esh's shields will become REALLY attractive options. Like seriously good. Nice life, okay ES, a good chunk of resists, and on the big shield, SHAVS EFFECT and shock reflection (btw how would it interact with new Vinktar?). And even some chaos resist as if the shield wasn't already good enough. But that shield will kick some serious butt against certain bosses or Storm Heralds or a lot of things.

Well, with the new changes to Blasphemy, I see getting WM as a curse again. That does mean we'll reserve ~40 - 50% of our mana, but if it's WM, I only see it as a good thing. Especially with MoM, I was already looking for a reliable way to curse.

Though, double curse is... probably not ideal. We can reserve 35% extra, but not another. We can still have OoS linked with CoH, but we only have so much space for our gems. I don't want to sacrifice any of the minion set ups as they are now. And with the changes to Arcane Surge, I'm also thinking about having it linked to flame dash instead(a lower level AS, so level 7/12, so it procs every use/every two uses).

- So a 4link for Flame Dash(/Faster Casting/Arcane/Inc Duration)
- 4 link zombies
- 3 Link CwDT + Clarity
- 2 Link Skelly totem + unlinked Golem 1
- 2 link Blasphemy + golem 2
... and a ring slot for Orb of Storms

There is no way we can fit in a second curse. Perhaps if you remove the skelly totem, but I really don't think OoS has enough targeting to be justified over the totem.

So that means, we can even skip on quite a few more points on the top area.

Anyways, thanks for the suggestions. I really hope not too much will be changed from this point on, because it looks actually really good for this build as things are going now :)


Well, major sleep shortage here, might revise stuff I said here tomorrow.

I'm currently running fd+faster casting+golems in insanity crafted gloves (probably the only piece of GG gear I have, but IT'S AMAZING), OoS+CoH+dual curse in my boots, zombies in my helmet, and either SR or skelly totem depending on map (for tougher boss arenas, SR>>>skellys any time). I don't think that setup is any bad, and with all the duration we're getting, OoS is pretty damn reliable for curses.

Arcane Surge honestly doesn't seem that impressive to me. At least not impressive enough to warrant wasting two sockets on a low level version of it. If you have 2500 mana, it regenerates... a whopping 12.5 a second. Ugh. And the damage increases on it are also kind of meh. Seems to be scaling up to 17% more damage and 17% inc cast speed at lvl 20, which isn't quite on par with a 45% more multiplier I believe. There might be a serious case of overhype happening here. It will probably be 6th link material over controlled destruction for EO uptime.

Blasphemy would still be quite bad, as I find myself running offscreen a lot of the time and then neither WM nor Flammability (if someone chooses to run that) would affect your targets, whereas getting them next to an orb curses for ages (offscreen leeching kind of carried my uber Izaro run). So I'll probably be running with the same 4-link setups as I am now (or maybe drop anger for clarity in my unlinked socket and maaaaybe find an Essence Worm for Anger if I really need the damage) and just change the links for my firestorm to something more useful than innervate.

I'm copying and pasting what my inexpert eye saw in the patch notes about which parts of the Necromancer build skill tree are affected. I may have missed some things.

The patch notes do not mention Kitava's Thirst, The Scourge or Cybil's Paw. You mentioned above that Kitava's Thirst is getting significantly buffed which would be great, but I can't seem to find any information about that anywhere.

I also did not see any mention of Firestorm.

- All minions other than Raging Spirits deal more damage at lower levels. This damage bonus levels out to no change at minion level 70 for minions other than Raised Zombies and Summoned Skeletons. (Minion level is based on the level requirement of their gem).
- Summon Skeletons has been renamed Summon Skeleton, and has been reworked. Many of the passives and items that interact with it have been rebalanced. Summon Skeleton now has a base cast time of 0.5 seconds, and the cost has been reduced by approximately 60% at all levels. It now summons a single skeleton per cast and has a base limit of 5 summoned skeletons.
- The Summoned Skeleton Warrior minion's attack time has been reduced to 0.8 seconds, and its base damage has been increased by approximately 66%. Summoned Skeleton Mage minion's cast time has been reduced to 1.2 seconds.
- Summoned Skeleton Mages now deal 50% more damage at gem level 20, and significantly more damage at earlier gem levels. Their behaviour has been tweaked and they will no longer flee.
- Labyrinth helmet enchantments for Summon Skeleton now grant a 20/40% chance to summon an additional Skeleton minion. This applies to existing Labyrinth enchantments.

(Lots of buffing up for Skeletons, in trade for:)

- Lord of the Dead now +1 skeleton, down from +2.
- Herd the Flock no longer grants +1 skeleton.

(Used to have 12 Skeletons, now reduced to 10 Skeletons. That's still a lot of Skeletons.)

- Summoned totems have 45% less life and take 45% less damage. This will impact life leeched from attacking enemy totems and the damage dealt by Righteous Fire totems.

(I have not noticed any problems with the Summon Skeletons totem dying too fast before now, and it's not hard to put up another one if it does die.)

- Raised Zombies have had their damage increased, up to 45% more damage at level 20 than previously.

(Wow!)

- Auras and Curses now gain base radius as they level up, as opposed to increased area of effect.

(I guess this is the 2.6.0 AoE nerf to spells now applied to Auras and Curses as well. I suppose it makes it smaller the same way?) (Edit: PewPewPew responded "the changes to curses is a huge buff, as they were nerfed in 2.6 already and barely had any range. With the new changes, they have respectable ranges again.")

- Breath of Flames near the Witch now grants 10% increased Ignite duration on Enemies, 30% increased Burning Damage, and 5% chance to Ignite. The passive skills preceding it now grant 20% increased Burning damage rather than 10% increased Fire damage.

(The Necromancer build doesn't use Breath of Flames but does use Heart of Flame which branches off it; this note implies the node that branch starts from might change from 10% Increased Fire Damage but I don't know if it does.)

- The location of the Heart and Soul cluster near the Witch has moved to above Practical Application and grants 5% increased Maximum Life and 8% increased Maximum Mana per passive on the smaller passives, and 8% increased Maximum Life and 12% increaed Maximum Mana on the notable.

(This is a buff from 4% Increased Max Life and 6% Increased Max Mana on the three smaller ones, and 8% Increased Maximum Life and 10% Increased Maximum Mana on the notable, and also brings it in closer, so this looks like a nice buff.)

- The Annihilation Spell Critical Strike Chance cluster, and the Blast Radius Area of Effect cluster, both near the witch, are now closed loops.

(The Necromancer build uses most of the Blast Radius cluster. I don't know if this will change anything for this build.)

- Moved the Exceptional Performance cluster (near the Scion) slightly away from the projectile damage and resistances wheel next to it.

(Will we be able to still get there? That is already the one furthest down and to the right.)

- The Necromancer's Commander of Darkness skill now grants 3% increased Attack and Cast Speed to you and Allies per aura (down from 5%), and 30% increased Damage for you and Allies affected by your Auras (instead of 10% increased Damage for you and Allies per aura).

(They took away some speed but gave some increased damage, I don't know enough to know if this works out to be good or bad.) (Edit: PewPewPew responded that it's a big damage buff for a small decrease in speed, so it's good.)

I did not copy and paste all the stuff about ignite, which the Necromancer build wasn't using before due to the Elemental Focus Support skill gem.

This patch is great. Mostly minor buffs, but still very nice.

- More zombie damage is always nice. The huge increase will most likely noticeable for bosses
- The new support gems are great, very strong for us
- The new MoM is definitely a worthy pickup
- Better pathing in the tree as well

The only "downside" is the less skeletons summoned, but even that isn't too much of a trouble. Spell Totem + Summon Skeleton is still useful for bossfights.

I'm satisfied with these patch notes, Will start updating everything before the patch hits!

Also Evilsofa, the changes to curses is a huge buff, as they were nerfed in 2.6 already and barely had any range. With the new changes, they have respectable ranges again.
- Most of the passive tree changes do not influence the old build. It does open up new thing however :)
- And the necromancer change is a big buff for us. Before, we only had 10% damage and 5% cast speed. not it's 30% damage with 3% cast speed. I take two reduced Cast Speed over 20% increased damage every day ;P