ICE WITCH GUIDE (CI + FREEZING PULSE with LIFE LEECH 0.25 Cast Spd Per Pulse.)

"

Zinja wrote:

I did read your guide , I just couldn't follow some of it. So only blood rage is required for freezing pulse? I do have blood rage gem with me.

Also I am not able to get the concept of critical strikes . I had listed some of the gems i had in accordance to your posted gems requirements.

Also Do increased AOE/ Radius passives do any thing for Freezing pulse?

Forgive me if my questions seem trivial. But The skill Tree choices are a bit difficult to wrap your head around for a new player.

"

Zinja wrote:

I now understand the difference between early/mid game leveling skill vs good end game dps skill.
is there any way to to incorporate more defense in this build at an early stage? trading defense for some crit damage.

"

Zinja wrote:

Thanks :). How is this build faring in merciless ? after the mid game? I am having immense survivability issues on my marauder. Could you give your inputs on the journey through merciless? act 1 to act 3 end and docks farming in merciless?

"

Daarknight wrote:

XMU nice guide. I did want to make a suggestion. I see that you only run the 2 Green Gems in your 6L. You would be better off with 3 Green and using Cold Pen rather than any other dps Gem.

Excluding Frostbite...Mobs with 75% resistance to cold, increases damage by 140% (from 250 to 600 per 1,000 damage done). If mobs exceed 75% resistance (the cap) frostbite will lower their actual total but may not be enough to drop them below the 75% cap. Cold Pen reduces "effective" resistance so it will always drop them 40%. (basically sometimes frostbite does nothing).

Excluding Frostbite...Mobs with 0% resistance to cold, increases damage by 35% (From 1,000 to 1,350 per 1,000 damage done).

Including Frostbite...Mobs with 0% resistance to cold, increases damage by 23.5% (From 1,490 to 1,840 per 1,000 damage done).


So, whatever Blue Gem you are using must increase your dps by an absolute minimum of 23.5% to give you higher dps than a cold pen Gem would. That is a worst case scenario. More likely it increses your dps by 40-50%.

I know it does not look as pretty on the character sheet but the math does not lie.

Ideal set up is FP, LMP, Faster Casting, Cold Pen, Life Leech, Mana Leech GGGBBR.

One other thing is that until gear is awesome, Spell toten with Ice Spear, LMP or GMP and Elemental Proliferation will increase safety by miles. Entire screens get frozen and you can freeze and entire room before you walk in.