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

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Grocery wrote:

For leveling it is great, I don't disagree. I'll do the same if I need the damage. CA can be a bit slow, so I see where you are coming from. End game I would drop it personally.

CA will be slower than EK. EK is not as safe due to reflect, distance of projectiles, having to remain close to mobs, and not doing DoT so you have to keep recasting. EK should do more damage given it is riskier.

Also, probably best to save Phase Acro for last, at least I would. We don't and should not take too much damage with CA, especially from spells! Shoot and move!

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Socksdryer wrote:

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Grocery wrote:

For leveling it is great, I don't disagree. I'll do the same if I need the damage. CA can be a bit slow, so I see where you are coming from. End game I would drop it personally.

CA will be slower than EK. EK is not as safe due to reflect, distance of projectiles, having to remain close to mobs, and not doing DoT so you have to keep recasting. EK should do more damage given it is riskier.

Also, probably best to save Phase Acro for last, at least I would. We don't and should not take too much damage with CA, especially from spells! Shoot and move!

At low levels EK actually does alot more damage. The gear is also very cheap, go for a wand or a dagger and some armor and you are golden.

I also thought EK is dangerous, especially with double cast from the spell echo - but i was wrong. If you stack proj. speed you shoot easily everything on the screen, refelect is no problem since it is not an aura anymore and the physical damage you get with the "new" skilltree is insane. Also the Brotem helps - some bosses will be simply drowned in puny skeletons.

Leveling with EK is really a breeze, maybe not the very best leveling method there is, but in my mind the best leveling method with a skilltree that with only minor respec effort can be transformed into CA.

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Grocery wrote:

I am not arguing that it is't faster. It should do more dps, there is just a pro and con to everything. You really shouldn't be using EK too long anyways since it is purely for leveling.

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Socksdryer wrote:

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Grocery wrote:

I am not arguing that it is't faster. It should do more dps, there is just a pro and con to everything. You really shouldn't be using EK too long anyways since it is purely for leveling.

I agree. I just wrote the thing about EK because i often read the question in your thread "how to level up" - and that is just a good way. :)

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Widow wrote:

Grocery, first off thanks for the guides.

How do you think CA plays in a group setting, it is too slow to keep up with the full screen bow builds like LA/TS etc. ?

Additionally, which version of CA (Duelist/Scion/Shadow) do you plan to play first come 2.2? Want to know where to check for updates first :)

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Grocery wrote:

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Widow wrote:

Grocery, first off thanks for the guides.

How do you think CA plays in a group setting, it is too slow to keep up with the full screen bow builds like LA/TS etc. ?

Additionally, which version of CA (Duelist/Scion/Shadow) do you plan to play first come 2.2? Want to know where to check for updates first :)

CA can be very decent for parties, but your offscreen LA builds will be better. I'd probably go with a Voltaxic LA build on HC for partying if you want to go bow build.

I'll be leveling as a Duelist on HC Perandus. I will be updating Shadow on my standard character though so as not to hold up the updating of that. Scion last.

So basically Duelist and Shadow at the same time and Scion last.

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Widow wrote:

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Grocery wrote:

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Widow wrote:

Grocery, first off thanks for the guides.

How do you think CA plays in a group setting, it is too slow to keep up with the full screen bow builds like LA/TS etc. ?

Additionally, which version of CA (Duelist/Scion/Shadow) do you plan to play first come 2.2? Want to know where to check for updates first :)

CA can be very decent for parties, but your offscreen LA builds will be better. I'd probably go with a Voltaxic LA build on HC for partying if you want to go bow build.

I'll be leveling as a Duelist on HC Perandus. I will be updating Shadow on my standard character though so as not to hold up the updating of that. Scion last.

So basically Duelist and Shadow at the same time and Scion last.

Played TS in 2.0 and BR in 2.1, fancy something a bit different. Wont be only partying, just wanted to make sure CA is decent and doesn't get completely left behind.

Duelist does look interesting, i mean it was already not a problem to get dps before 2.2 so maybe the best way to use the ascendancy classes it for defense.

Not to de-rail the thread but i had considered a Shrapnel Shot archer with the new deadeye tree but i think it would turn out underwhelming. Any thoughts?