[2.2] Detailed very cheap CI storm call (updated the tree)

Final shadow tree

Mainly focusing on cast speed, as that is the most important thing for us at the moment.
In some cases taking +30 str can be important, since less duration requires a lot of str.

Leveled until 90 on std in 2.1 with this build, was fairly decent, but now it just got way better.

The differences to change to templar or witch are minimal (mainly with the start, the pathing changes, so I would not post a tree for those, also it is always important to have an own idea with the trees, so differences are important, makes your build unique.


Note that, the original plan was made for a shadow, leveling should be the easiest with a shadow as well and the leveling tree investmets are also the smallest for a shadow.

But as for the real outcome of the build:
Ascendancy gives us the option to specialise further into different roles, with different purpose.

Let's compare them:
Shadow:
Optimal ascendancy: Trickser
https://www.pathofexile.com/ascendancy/classes/Trickster
The small nodes give us a lot of cast speed, as well as some energy shield.
Ghost dance:
10% movement speed while on full energy shield
20% faster start of ES recharge
5% dodge and spell dodge, which is not amazing for us, but free defense is free defense.
Shade form:
250 flat ES (comparable to a level 17 discipline, really sweet for us)
500 evasion, well whatever.
20% cast speed bonus for 4 sec if ES started to recharge in the past 4 sec ( really op)
20% more chance to evade attacks while ES is not full, not sure how does this works, but if it works like the endurance charge %phys reduction, then can be pretty awesome
Swift killer:
+1 frenzy charge and also on kill frenzy charge generation, CI lacks the frenzy charge generating methods, but with this, the problem is solved.

Witch:
Optimal ascendancy: Occultist
https://www.pathofexile.com/ascendancy/classes/Occultist
Small nodes have massive ammount of %ES, the other stats are not too important for us.
Profane bloom:
Cursed enemies explode on kill and deal 10% of their life as chaos. Since the build uses at least 2 curse, this can be really good.
Malediction:
+1 curse, and some sort of chaos dmg buff, which again is really good to clear generic packs.
Wicked ward:
100 flat ES
ES recharge can't be interrupted if it started in the past 4 sec.

Templar:
Optimal ascendancy: Hierophant
https://www.pathofexile.com/ascendancy/classes/Hierophant
Small nodes gives us mana, which we don't really need, but is really useful for this guy alone.
Divine guidance:
100 flat mana
10% mom, which does not work, because we are CI
Sanctuary of thought:
15% of max mana given as energy shield.
If you say you have 2000 flat mana, 15% of that is 300 ES, if this is calculated as a flat ammount, then scaling mana further from the tree is a great idea and also is very easy since we passed by a lot of them.
Illuminated devotion:
Personally my favourite ascendancy node up to this point (maybe scion gets something better)

Gives you a free level 1 support gem to your 4 link clothings without the mana multiplier, but with the option to use those support gems again.
Don't want to talk too much about this, but I will.
-chance to have 3 5link setup
-in some cases an elemental setup in the helmet paired with a penetration gem could give you more benefit, than others would have in a 5link chest
-less problem with coloring
-early acces to + links
-it is just insane utility to build around, you can have multiple spell setups single/area


Overall result of the comparison:
The cheapest option is to play a templar, budget inside the budget, budgetception.

The best clearspeed belongs to the witch, she will just make everything explode after 1 or 2 cast, no leftover monsters who escaped the storm somehow.

As for single target shadow will have the upper hand because of the cast speed bonuses.

Best all rounder is the shadow or the templar, can't say it for sure without testing some of their features, but one of them is a smelly old man who does not wear any pants, so I'll probably play as a shadow.

Core:





(please ignore the corruptions, corrupted gear is non-required for the build)

Storm call interacts really well with added dmg, base effectiveness is 80%, base cast speed is 0.5 sec, which means we get 160% damage effectiveness per second, which is the 2nd best among the lightning spells (first is lightning tendrils, with 175%, but it is clunky to aim with it and hard to scale the range).

First we have the gloves, the main aspect is the price, even in a fresh league you should be able to get one for less than 5 chaos, since no1 uses it.

Soul strike serves defensive purposes as well as dexterity, which we will need for a few skill gems. With this quiver, energy shield starts to recharge after 0.8 sec instead of 2 sec, which should keep you alive, unles you get oneshoted.

2 amulets, which are really good for the build, pretty much self explanatory.

As for those who don't know, eye of chayula is the standard amulet for a CI build just because of the stun immunity (CI is really prone to stuns) and we get STR which we won't have much from the tree.

Warped timepiece gives us a lot of useful stats, cast speed, move speed, reduced skill effect duration, mana leech rate.

Optional:

If you have no problem with the resistances, an extra curse can help a lot.


It is hard to find a better boots for any CI build, so it is a good option, but has no special trait other than having decent stats.

Very generic rare items with high flat ES and resistance.
The quiver can be changed to any ES based shield, but only after getting some form of leech and vaal pact.

Storm call:
4link: LightningPen+SpellEcho+LessDuration
5link: +controlled destruction
6link: + IncreasedArea for packs /ConcentratedEffect for bosses

Orb of storm:
Item rarity+culling strike

Auras/reservations:
Must to have for solo play:
Warlord's mark with blasphemy, otherwise you will run out of mana
Herald of thunder, 120% dmg effectiveness, the added light dmg from our "weapon" does apply to this too, and break pots and barrels. You could link an added lightning dmg to this one maybe curse on hit and a curse too, it is up to you

The dilemma:
Discipline survival
Wrath: MOAR dmg

It's all up to you,but you can use only one of theese.
If you pick discipline, then you can even respec from a few reservation nodes.

CWDT setup:
ImmortalCal+ IncreasedDuration+ defensive curse (enfeeble or temp chains, whatever you want)

You can selfcast curses as well, Elemental weakness or Conductivity are best when you selfcast them.

This means 3 curses would be ideal, but for example the offensive curse is mostly needed vs bosses, while the defensive one while clearing packs, so nothing is a problem.

Since area nodes were nerfed on the tree, this jewel gives us quite a big boost, it goes from 10 to 15%.



As you can see I got some hybrid life/es nodes on the tree (Melding) place this next to it in the jewel socked to convert the life to ES, with this trick you get the most efficient ES nodes on the tree.

Rare jewels, anything with cast speed, elemental dmg, spell dmg, str, allresist is nice.

Twinned gorge with no regen and beyound