[2.4 Trickster] Grocery's Caustic Arrow Trickster Shadow! HC Viable!

Video guide posted!

2.1 Video Guide!

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Drillneck is not an absolute must and is even stated so in the video guide. Regardless, Drillneck sells for 1ex on standard, I think that is VERY obtainable albeit a tiny bit expensive. If that is not considered obtainable then you will have a hard time ever doing Uber or Tier 15 maps. They simply require more than super budget builds. A rare quiver is fine, 10% pierce chance is not going to be that huge nor will the damage increase be, but if you can get it, it is worth it.

You do not need a level 4 empower either, but of course it helps. Also the cut off is not empower level 3, it should be level 2 because gem level is huge.

The guide is setup in such a way that if you don't have a 6L +3 it is okay to use 5L +2, or a 4L +2. If you do not have empower level 4 you can use a lower version or different gem altogether. Just because I have that gear does not mean it requires it.

I am sure my build would do just the same as yours with a +2 bow and 4L if not better because it doesn't take extra frenzy duration nodes that are not necessary, doesn't have to take aura effectiveness nodes, etc. The pathing in your tree is very inefficient so I would play around with it and you can save some points.

In response to your build though, it seems that you should just make your own thread. Clearly that is what you have done and it is so much different than my build it probably shouldn't even be in the same thread. I think people would want to see a hybrid archer and you put a lot of work into it.

Personally, I do not like ES archers at all, I just don't like the play style because it is squishy and lacks much of the defense of a phase acro build. Further, Hybrid Ci/ES archers have not been that good in general.

I am open to many things and take criticism as well as anyone should seen by many changes that have been made to my guide from some awesome people's help. I understand that no one is perfect and we all get better at this game by communicating our thoughts and mixing them together.

That being said, I just can't get behind a build that I don't believe will perform well in HC and doesn't outperform the build in question with similar gear levels.

I hope this does not come off as dickish, it wasn't meant to be as such.

Oh please don't get me wrong! You min-maxed it perfectly. I just thought I'd throw something in that more people could afford and what would not differ too much from the general idea of your build. I was thinking about making a new thread but since it was based off of your build I did not want to take the full credit.

Dunno why you think my pathing is inefficient, though. The extra duration is not the best choice, true, but it saves me a point since I do not prioritize health.

I did a quick overlay and added Piercing Shots to my build so it's 120vs121 Points in yours.


No Phase Acrobatics but I thought getting a bigger overall HP pool is better than gettin oneshot eventually(that's how Evasion/Dodge worked for me anyway).


The whole thing wasn't meant as criticism! I just felt left out because of not having the good stuff itemwise and thought to myself: "What if more people have the same problem?"

So yeah, sorry for the confusion and keep up. I do follow many other of your builds.

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kornomanus wrote:

Oh please don't get me wrong! You min-maxed it perfectly. I just thought I'd throw something in that more people could afford and what would not differ too much from the general idea of your build. I was thinking about making a new thread but since it was based off of your build I did not want to take the full credit.

Dunno why you think my pathing is inefficient, though. The extra duration is not the best choice, true, but it saves me a point since I do not prioritize health.

I did a quick overlay and added Piercing Shots to my build so it's 120vs121 Points in yours.

Spoiler

No Phase Acrobatics but I thought getting a bigger overall HP pool is better than gettin oneshot eventually(that's how Evasion/Dodge worked for me anyway).


The whole thing wasn't meant as criticism! I just felt left out because of not having the good stuff itemwise and thought to myself: "What if more people have the same problem?"

So yeah, sorry for the confusion and keep up. I do follow many other of your builds.

No worries. You can get gun-shy on here when you see what happens in other people's threads that get derailed. There is one thread on the shadow forums where the creator took down the guide -_-. That won't happen here, I think we understand each other.

I think you would have to take a look at EHP, you know? Like if you have 3k life and 3k es but much less evasion and no phase acro, a build with 4.7k HP and Phase acro could have more EHP overall as it is going to dodge much more damage. Clearly chaos is an issue, which is why you have chaos rings right?

Now big hits would be the advantage Hybrid has, when they get through phase acro. Now we really should not be getting hit by big shots as CA, the safest of all builds or close to it but it can happen and we ALL make mistakes. So there is upsides to a hybrid build.

You have to weigh that choice yourself.

Your tree looks a little better now that you fixed it a bit. Assuming you want to stay with Hybrid, I would still remove the frenzy duration node on the top right (you fixed the other frenzy duration node) and the dex node to the right of it and simply take the dex node above revenge of the hunted. Do you not like evasion?

Just trying to help your tree out a bit if you tree staying hybrid :)

when do you guys switch to arrow ? when you get +1 bow ? what can i link to fire trap to help me through early levels?

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idrgz wrote:

when do you guys switch to arrow ? when you get +1 bow ? what can i link to fire trap to help me through early levels?

You can use searing bond as well.

Firetrap + chance to ignite + elemental proliferation + concentrated effect is a decent option but you probably won't use it long enough to get a 4L.

Switch to arrow when you can. Make sure you are leveling it even if you are not using it yet. Much of the dps is from skill gem level.

I'm following your guide to the t. I've never atempted atziri solo and tried it last night...almost got her. I wasted a lot of portals on the first boss....the 2nd enraged and was nasty. I might use cull instead of slower projectiles.

Anyways, thanks a bunch grocery for the guide. I'm using article armor right now...but no real reason to. Once I get lightning coil, do you think lightning resistance aura will be a good alternative?

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absolutefury wrote:

I'm following your guide to the t. I've never atempted atziri solo and tried it last night...almost got her. I wasted a lot of portals on the first boss....the 2nd enraged and was nasty. I might use cull instead of slower projectiles.

Anyways, thanks a bunch grocery for the guide. I'm using article armor right now...but no real reason to. Once I get lightning coil, do you think lightning resistance aura will be a good alternative?

It can be, but honestly you should have no issue getting res capped on lightning with a bit of work. If you have to, then yes! Use PoL to get lightning capped.

Atziri for the first time is always an interesting prospect. Did you make sure you get one Vaal low and then get the other low, then kill at the same time or close to it? That is the strat for that boss.

That whole instance is all knowledge and practice. The more you do it, the more you know the animations and it becomes second nature :)

Is frenzy really a must have skill?
Maybe it would be better to skip frenzy nodes and get instead more jewel slots and hp nods?
Personally I like more it way with herald of ice+curse on hit so I dont need to worry about cursing enemies

Also what jewels are you using? Inc Damage over time?