2.1 Crit EK Shadow using EB/MoM/ZO (HC Viable)

Hello, my name is Initialise and I am a level 87 Shadow playing in the HC Talisman league. The reason why I made this thread is to solely express and furthermore promote this build. This is purely created from the concept and understanding by Hegemony's "Crit EK Witch with EB/MoM/AA/ZO" and ThisIsRealLife's "CRIT ETHEREAL KNIVES with EB/MOM/ZO".

To be clear, the reason why this build does not have much explanation is because I did not want to reiterate what both creator's said in their own guide as it would not be my own words. However, I did put explanations on the choices I made for things such as bandits, gear choice and passive tree. This guide is what I would consider an extension to their builds as I would recommend that you should read and listen to their explanations of the build first.

Link provided to each creator's build:























Unfortunately, I have no video for you to showcase because I have a terrible computer.

Please, if you have any questions, I highly recommend you to contact ThisIsRealLife or Hegemony about the build. They have more knowledge about this build than I can imagine. I am a simple person who really enjoys Crit EK and know some knowledge about this build. If you must, please PM me in-game, forums, or post a reply below and I will try to answer the best as I can.

Why don't you get the Force Shaper passives? Are they worse/less efficient than they seem?

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Why don't you get the Force Shaper passives? Are they worse/less efficient than they seem?

Hello there, when I was going through the passive tree; I was originally following ThisIsRealLife's passive tree where I can understand that while going for the Keystones ZO and MoM, he also picked up life nodes and nodes such as Lights of Divinity and Retribution on the Templar side.

As you can see, neither of us (Hegemony, ThisIsRealLife, and myself) chose any large physical damage nodes such as Force Shaper because this was initially going for HC where life nodes were the main priority. However, if I was to advance to level 100 (which I did not plan for since it felt unrealistic to myself and other people who wanted to try this build), I would have gone for the life nodes I originally took out, extra power charge + power charge damage node (possibly the jewel node as well), then Force Shaper.

To fully answer your question, Force Shaper is a really great node to pick up, but not to pick up until the very end where crit/life/charges gain more value as well as more usefulness to this build in the beginning.

The only physical nodes I did choose were Will of Blades (in the Shadow beginning under Assassination) but that was at the very end using only 2 nodes.

I'm currently doing your build in standard and I'm excited to see how it'll turn out. I believe this is the third EK build I've tried. Both previous builds were a mess with the skill tree in my opinion and I gave up right before getting EB/MoM/ZO. Your tree looks promising and I've got the uniques you have. Just waiting until I can use them. Thank you.

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I'm currently doing your build in standard and I'm excited to see how it'll turn out. I believe this is the third EK build I've tried. Both previous builds were a mess with the skill tree in my opinion and I gave up right before getting EB/MoM/ZO. Your tree looks promising and I've got the uniques you have. Just waiting until I can use them. Thank you.

No credit to me please with the tree; this is merely a mirror of Hege's and ThisIsRealLife's passive tree collaborated together. As I do appreciate your feedback, it is not mine to thank for.

I really do hope your build works out fine, I did die in HC Tali with that build due to a really underestimated thought against ele weak/vuln maps, and died again due to lag spike from beyond mobs on my 2nd try (with bladefall instead). If you ever plan to play in HC, I highly suggest to never play in ele weak/vuln maps because they will crush you.

May I also suggest from other builds that chain gem replacing faster projectiles can be an alternative for faster clear speed but from my experience, faster projectiles is literally off the screen EK, resulting in much safer clears and merely as fast clear speed.

I will start a 3rd try in HC Tali, give me a PM and if you need any upgrades, I'm available to give some away in Standard as I don't like to play in that league anymore.

Seems pretty nice, ek has always been one of my favourite leveling skills, but never did an actual ek build and ill try this one, restless ward + charges idea is pretty dank. I have one question tho, how do you handle mana till you get RW? Mana leech gem? clarity?

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Seems pretty nice, ek has always been one of my favourite leveling skills, but never did an actual ek build and ill try this one, restless ward + charges idea is pretty dank. I have one question tho, how do you handle mana till you get RW? Mana leech gem? clarity?

Hello there. Hmm, if I do get more questions like yours, I may end up putting more information into this guide as to what to use while leveling. Mana leech and clarity is not needed for leveling for this build; a simple bubbling mana flask will work because EK is an extremely strong skill meaning you will likely 1-3 shot most groups and gain all of your flask charges back.

During leveling, I always use EK > Added Fire > Faster Casting as a 3L, at 38 I switch Faster Casting with Spell Echo (use both with 4L) which I can comprehend that it can be very high cost.

I do understand it is a bit extensive on the micro-management side where you constantly have to keep pressing the mana flask whilst using 2 auras (I usually use Hatred and Herald of Ice (while leveling, you should not use Herald of Thunder as it is more of a luxury for higher crits, using Herald of Ice is much more safer and will avoid high crits against phys/ele reflect mobs)). However, I strongly suggest using 2 elreon rings (-8 rings are not essential, but beneficial) and possibly an elreon amulet, but most likely a breakrib talisman like the one I am using is much more valued over -8 cost of skills. This will become immensely helpful to reduce the micro-management.

Just a food for thought, with 2 lifesprigs, and average gear I was doing about 2k at level 30, and 9-10k at 55~. This should give you a ballpark of how much you should do according to the tree. Lifesprigs are not mandatory, but a normal spell damage/crit spell dagger (aim for Kris dagger for the 80% crit implicit) and a normal crit spell + life + some es shield will suffice.

For the TL;DR fellows, I have bolded what was the most important to answer this question. The rest was just my thought process for people who could use more explanation about EK

Gets the power charge from Infused in the shadow area for 3 points but doesn't get the power charge from Instability in the witch area for 2 points.
Okkkaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy....

Seriously you should fix that and save that 1 point.

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Gets the power charge from Infused in the shadow area for 3 points but doesn't get the power charge from Instability in the witch area for 2 points.
Okkkaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy....

Seriously you should fix that and save that 1 point.

Sorry, but I am not sure what you are talking about. I checked the 2nd passive tree and Infused shows 2 points allocated in. Although, I probably should switch it to Instability considering that the 4% spell damage per power charge becomes very great for increasing damage, but that will be in 1 more level.

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Initialise wrote:

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Gets the power charge from Infused in the shadow area for 3 points but doesn't get the power charge from Instability in the witch area for 2 points.
Okkkaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy....

Seriously you should fix that and save that 1 point.

Sorry, but I am not sure what you are talking about. I checked the 2nd passive tree and Infused shows 2 points allocated in. Although, I probably should switch it to Instability considering that the 4% spell damage per power charge becomes very great for increasing damage, but that will be in 1 more level.

He Is talking about the power Charge in shadow area.

It cost 3 points to get, you can move that to the witch power charge that only cost 2 point to get.

The shadow Power Charge has a int point you need to take, the Witch one doesnt.