CI/Cold/Curse Witch Build (Softcore)
|
Hey guys, I've been experimenting with a witch build that I feel has the ability to be extremely powerful while also having a great deal of utility, and possibly enough tankiness for HC. The build is good for both solo and for grouping, and I have been extremely satisfied with the results.
This build focuses on curses in order to become extremely versatile, able to quickly put out ridiculous amounts of DPS, or to greatly increase the survivability of the team. I chose to go with cold damage because it has the ability to have good utility as well as put out good damage. Freezing pulse with LMP and faster projectiles is an amazing combo, and does extremely good AOE DPS. Curse combos:
Spoiler
Frostbite-Elemental Weakness-Projectile Weakness (optional):
These 2 (or 3) curses in tandem combined increase your DPS considerably, from anywhere between 60 to 110+%. These curses benefit not just yourself, but the entire party, and while being the bread and butter of your solo build, makes your contribution to the party huge. Enfeeble-Temporal Chains (When I get one): These 2 curses make enemy mobs a great deal weaker and easy to handle. Especially with the like of Brutus and Kole, this combo can make them much more manageable, while causing ordinary mobs to hit like a wet noodle. Very good for helping your tank survive while you are slinging freezing pulses in the back. I like to put my curses on different weapon sets, with my offensive curses on my main set, and the defensive ones on the secondary set, using X to switch when necessary. Spell combos:
Spoiler
Freezing Pulse-Faster Projectiles-LMP-Faster Casting(optional)-Added Lighting Damage/Added Cold Damage(optional):
Your bread and butter damage skill, with decent range, AOE, and basically a 2x damage multiplier with LMP with narrow spread freezing pulse. Works very well with Frostbite, Elemental Weakness, and Projectile Weakness. Short casting time makes casting fluid and kiting easier. Requires 3/4/5L, on chest piece. Summon Skeletons-Spell Totem-Minion Life-Faster Casting(optional): Your standard skelly brotem, keeps you alive and makes a few bosses trivial. Requires 3/4L, on head/hands/feet Ice Spear-Spell Totem-Greater Multiple Projectiles-Increased Critical Strikes (optional): Utility spell, high base crit chance means that you will have more chances to freeze enemies, allowing you to get free damage/escapes. As an added bonus, gets benefits from all 3 offensive auras. Requires 3/4Lm on shield or head/hands/feet Auras:
Spoiler
Clarity:
A little bit of extra mana regen is nice, but most of your mana regen will be coming from increased mana regen nodes and a large base mana pool. Keep this low level, as it has low priority. Discipline: As we are going to be picking up almost every ES node, it would be a crime not to run discipline, as it makes us tankier and allows us to go to CI earlier. Level up whenever possible. Haste: Our damage aura, makes us faster for mobility and kiting power, and increases cast speed for more DPS. Level up whenever possible, but be careful to not level up higher than the character base DEX level, as an item change may render it unusable. Purity: Our survivability aura, makes up for the scarcity of elemental resist in the build. Level up whenever possible. 3 gems should be linked to a reduced mana cost gem, allowing you to run 3 auras while having a manageable mana pool. Swap out clarity with purity when needed, but while purity is running, do not run haste (i.e. clarity-discipline-haste or discipline-purity). Auras should use a 4L head/hands/feet gear. Passive Tree: Level 1-20: Level 21-40:
Spoiler
http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMABAcHYwx9EGkQfxFQHwIpTy0fMJcy0TbFOYo62DvhRUdG10yzTdhXK13GYG1tGX1Tfll_xoKbjHaio6cIpyu1BLaGuJO71sHFwfPDbcae2CTa3d3z4vfmgewY7Dg=
Go for Body and Soul first, then pick up Arcane Focus and Unnatural Calm, then finishing up with Inner Force. Level 41-50:
Spoiler
http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMABAcHYwx9EGkQfxFQFkAfAilPLR8wlzLRNsU5ijrYO-FDY0VHRtdMs03YUDBXK1j1XcZgbWaebRlxTX1Tfll_xoKbhX2MdprPncSio6cIpyu1BLaGtzG4k7vWwcXB88Ntxp7YJNrd217d8-L35oHsGOw4
Grab the second Body and Soul, then move up towards Deep Thoughts. By now you should be preparing for Chaos Innoculation, because merciless Acts 2 and 3 will be impossible with such a small health pool. While cruel acts 2 and 3 are manageable, if you have at least 1000 ES, it might be a good idea to pick CI up early in hardcore to prevent pointless death. Level 51-60:
Spoiler
http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMAAP0EBwdjDH0QaRB_EVAUsBZAHwIpTyy_LR8wlzLRNsU5ijowOtg74UNjRUdG10yzTdhQMFcrWPVdxl8qYG1mnm0ZcU10VXzOfVN-WX_GgW-Cm4V9i3qMdprPncSePKKjpwinK7UEtoa3MbiTu9bBxcHzw23Gntgk2t3bXt3z4vfmgevk7BjsOA==
You should definitely have CI by now, and will also want to picking up all the remaining nearby ES nodes. This arrangement is basically a full build, and as you move into endgame you'll want to pick up Whispers of Doom and possibly some damage nodes. I haven't reached this point yet, but here are a few sample builds I am thinking about:
Spoiler
Nullification:
http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMAAP0BbwQHBVsHYwx9DkgQaRB_ES8RUBGWFLAVUBZAHdkfAiepKU8svy0fMJcy0TQKNsU5UjmKOjA62DvhPI5DVENjRUdG10yzTdhObU-_UDBXK1fJWAdY9V3GXypgbWaebRlxTXRVdYp8zn1Tfll_xoFvgpuESIV9iGuLeouMjHaZmprPncSePKKjpwinK7UEtoa297cxuJO71rw3wcXB88Ntxp7UBdgk2t3bXt3z4XPi9-OE5oHpc-tj6-Tr7uwY7DjtIPrS Cold Damage: http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMAAP0BbwQHBVsHYwx9EGkQfxFQFLAVUBZAFvMXVB8CIoEmPCepKU8svy0fL50wlzLRNAo2xTlSOYo6MDrYO-E8jkNjRUdG10yzTdhObU66UDBXK1fJWAdY9V3GXypgbWaebRlxTXRVfM59U35Zf8aBb4KbhEiFfYt6i4yMdo48ms-dxJ48nqGio6cIpyusmK-btQS2hrcxuJO71rw3wcXB88Ntxp7YJNrd217d8-Fz4vfjVuTr5oHpc-vk6-7sGOw47SD60g== Gear: Spell/Cold damage and ES are necessary, while Windscream makes the build much stronger. I currently am doing about 2.5k DPS with 599 HP and 1853 ES with the following items:
Spoiler
I hoped you enjoyed my guide and I would appreciate the feedback! | |
|
I really like this build idea, and I'm definitely going to imitate it!
however, wouldnt it be better to run a 6 slot armor with curse on hit for freeze pulse? Curse on hit was what had me looking for curse witch builds tbh! |
