Self Cast Molten Shell Elementalist

Molten Shell has one of the highest base damages and fastest cast speeds in the game. So if we can find a way to reliably set it off, then we've already got a pretty solid build.

Self Detonating
We use Scold's Bridle to deal physical damage to ourselves, and we use a combination of armour/arctic armour/chaos golem/fortify/soul of steel to mitigate enough damage to set off Molten Shell.
In order to deal enough damage to ourselves, we use a lvl 1 blood magic gem and a fevered mind jewel to boost the amount of "mana" we use.
The amount of armour needed varies greatly with what lvl gem you are using and you can use different lvl blood magic gems, or add extra fevered mind jewels or a pair of voidbringer gloves to adjust the mana used. I suggest using an armour calc site to figure out roughly how much mana you should use and how much armour you will need before each time you lvl your Molten Shell gem. I used this one: armour calculator

Required Items
Scold's Bridle: Needed for self damage
Fevered Mind Jewel: Needed for increasing mana cost

Build Defining, but not Required Items
Eye of Innocence: Lots of damage and leech, and 10% ignite chance (leech is very noticeable on high fire res bosses)
2x Mokou's Embrace: Gives insane attack and cast speed when paired with Eye of Innocence and up to 20% ignite chance
I think these items are pretty much BIS

Optional Items
Doryani's Catalyst: My choice of the 3. Leech and high Ele Damage which double dips. Also has good attack speed for movement skill and cast speed
Divinarius: Good damage and AoE increase, but poor attack speed and no cast speed
Razor of the Seventh Sun: I found the life recovery kinda low and damage only affects burning
Doryani's Invitation: Solid budget choice until you get a good vanguard belt

Ascendancies
Elementalist:
I chose Elementalist for the free prolif, some damage and chance to ignite, and the most importantly: 50% reflect reduction.

Berserker:
This is another option since there's free leech if you deal yourself a big enough hit and a 40% more damage modifier. I didn't go this route since you would essentially be swapping life leech for ele prolif, which has a less damage modifier. Also, you'll be taking extra damage each time you cast, which reduces your effective life. Lastly, there's no way to deal with reflect 1 shotting you.

Any other ascendancy requires too many gem slots, unless you get rid of 1 of these 3: elemental prolif/controlled destruction/increased aoe. There's just not enough benefits from other ascendancies to justify losing 1 of those gems.

Unbuffed Damage


Buffed Damage while ignited, Elemental Overload, and Conc Effect subbed for Inc AoE


Unbuffed Defense


Defense with Granite Flask

Level 90

Bandits:
Oak
Point
Point

Level with flameblast until you can use Scold's, that's pretty much it. Take health when you need it, take damage when you need it. Make sure you have enough armour before you level up your Molten Shell gem. It would be a great idea to keep a 2nd gem at 1 lvl below your primary in case you overlevel it and can't detonate it anymore. Again, here's the armour calculator.

6L (5L is doable if you get rid of CD, but you'll likely need either another fevered mind or voidbringers)
Molten Shell --> Blood Magic, Life Leech, Increased AoE, Fire Pen, Controlled Dest

4L (ONLY USE IF YOU ARE IGNITED, OTHERWISE NO LEECH)
Vaal RF --> Fire Pen, Controlled Dest, Conc Effect

4L
CWDT --> Blade Vortex, Increased Crit, Tempest Shield/Warlord's Mark

3L
Shield Charge --> Faster Attacks, Fortify

3L
Chaos Golem, Flame Golem, Minion Life

Others
Determination, Arctic Armor, Warlord's Mark(if tempest shield in CWDT setup), Conc Effect (for swap)

1. Can do majority of map mods. See Cons for ones you can't.
2. Very high damage. consistent 174k dps (58k per hit at 3 casts per sec), not including shock and ignite damage. Ignite adds another ~100k. Can also use Vaal Righteous Fire for initial burst and ignite.
3. Good physical damage mitigation.

1. This build is not HC viable. Low effective health since you'll lose ~600-900 (depends on gear and flasks) health from casting and damage every time you use Molten Shell.
2. My number 1 cause of death: Volatiles. This build will oneshot most rares, and even if you don't hit the volatile rare, if it steps into the prolif range, it'll die in less than 1s, making it very difficult to avoid.
3. Map mods you can't do: Blood magic and no leech.
4. Map mods that are difficult/annoying:
Vulnerability: Can be done as long as you cast shield charge before each detonation. Or you have to have granite and basalt flasks active.
Shocked Ground: Pretty much same effect as vulnerability, except only in localized spots.
High fire res: You might not be able to kill the boss and some essence monsters due to not being able to 1-2 shotting them and not having enough leech to sustain casting.

I don't use Vaal RF or swap to Conc Effect in any of these so you can see actual damage on bosses and because I'm lazy.
Gorge Map
Atoll Map