[3.5] Alpha and Omega, Molten Strike Raider. League Starter and End Game Finisher

Thanks.

I really am clueless for some reason when it comes to this game...

after looking at your character a bit i notice a few things.

#1 you have no accuracy anywhere. i suggest you go back to your old swords with flat accuracy, and pick up the 3 accuracy nodes by ranger start. maybe even try to get a ring or amulet with accuracy as well. you can unspec out of hp to get it, if necessary.

#2 you have avatar of fire spec'd into the passive tree. this isn't a bad decision, but you're also using atziri's promise which gives you chaos damage. these don't mix, so right now atziri's promise isn't doing anything.

#3 flasks. i suggest dropping the 2nd life flask - and again drop atziri's promise. pick up quicksilver just because it helps with clear speed, but if you don't necessarily like to run really fast and stuff you can use basalt flask for more phys dmg reduction.
a sulphur flask is great too. gives damage, and loads of regen when standing on the spot, and make it so it takes off curses. you don't need a freeze flask because you can't be frozen anyway if you have onslaught (which should be basically always).

#4 boot enchant. i suggest running uber lab a few times to help out with currency flow and try to get a new enchant on your boots. something that actually helps you out. either ele pen for single target, or fire damage if you've killed recently to help in general damage, or regen if you've been hit recently if you need a bit of defense.


next i'd say in ways you should be looking to upgrade. right now i'd focus on getting a better amulet, rings, and gloves. try to get them so that you're not dependent on resistances from your queen of the forest. that way you can save up and buy a kaom's heart for the huuuuuge life boost.
bonus points for getting 1 ring with 16-20 life gain on hit. it makes a big difference in delves.

then you could probably comfortably farm up for xoph's blood


i know exalt prices are going nuts right now, but its still very obtainable. chaos recipe is your friend to save pennies, but the big ways to get currency is to run the highest content you can. if you can be chaining t16s you'll be drowning in money. stuff like abyss cracks are gold mines. they'll drop jewels ilvl 83 which are easily crafted with 100 or so alterations in order to get 50 chaos or upwards of a couple exalts.

crafting desired items with fossils is big too. i bought an ilvl 85 shaped claw and crafted it with scorched, prismatic and jagged fossils and ended up getting a 392 pdps claw after a few tries. sold it for 13 ex. yes there is luck involved, but it applies.

don't be afraid to invest. the more money you put into things the more you'll get out. this is especially true with this game. i've put a bunch of time and effort into this build and another this league. i've fully invested in my maps and im not even MF and im swimming in money.

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xMustard wrote:

#1 you have no accuracy anywhere. i suggest you go back to your old swords with flat accuracy, and pick up the 3 accuracy nodes by ranger start. maybe even try to get a ring or amulet with accuracy as well. you can unspec out of hp to get it, if necessary.

Done.

"

xMustard wrote:

#2 you have avatar of fire spec'd into the passive tree. this isn't a bad decision, but you're also using atziri's promise which gives you chaos damage. these don't mix, so right now atziri's promise isn't doing anything.

I was using it for Chaos resist, but done.

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xMustard wrote:

#3 flasks. i suggest dropping the 2nd life flask - and again drop atziri's promise. pick up quicksilver just because it helps with clear speed, but if you don't necessarily like to run really fast and stuff you can use basalt flask for more phys dmg reduction.
a sulphur flask is great too. gives damage, and loads of regen when standing on the spot, and make it so it takes off curses. you don't need a freeze flask because you can't be frozen anyway if you have onslaught (which should be basically always).

I use the second flask against bosses, because I get hit a lot against anything over T14. Also delves. Which would you drop? The instant or the other? I did not know Onslaught kept you from being frozen.

"

xMustard wrote:

#4 boot enchant. i suggest running uber lab a few times to help out with currency flow and try to get a new enchant on your boots. something that actually helps you out. either ele pen for single target, or fire damage if you've killed recently to help in general damage, or regen if you've been hit recently if you need a bit of defense.

Working on it, need to get more of the Offerings.

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xMustard wrote:

they'll drop jewels ilvl 83 which are easily crafted with 100 or so alterations in order to get 50 chaos or upwards of a couple exalts.

Really? What stats? I can't tell you how many of those I've vendored.

chaos resist is a dumb stat. very unnecessary

you get hit a lot? hmm. could be arrow dancing. maybe take that off and see if it feels better without it. i have recently taken it off to test and i feel like i get hit less often in delves, as most of the encounters are melee based.
i'll probably end up keeping it off permanently and anytime there is a big group of ranged things i'll just focus on getting over and killing them.

i would take out the freeze flask, though i probably wouldn't keep the other as an instant flask - personally. it all depends. only getting 1000 life back sounds kinda bad, but i guess in panic you could just spam it. so ya you may feel more comfortable keeping it as it is.

onslaught doesn't make you freeze immune, but due to our ascendancys we have phasing when we have onslaught and while we have phasing we're immune to elemental status ailments. freeze, shock, ignite.
so in effect while we have onslaught we are freeze immune. heh. just have to kill 1 mob at the start of the map to get it rolling.



so essentially you need ilvl 83 jewels. murderous are decent but eh, i've basically stopped rolling those. searching eye jewels are where its at.
i just alteration them until i get a t2 or higher damage, life, etc roll. some things suck, like extra damage to abyss mobs nobody cares, but 20% increased damage if killed recently is good.

to get really really good jewels, double damage plus life. double lightning damage plus life is enormous.

i just roll until i get something i can throw an aug on, if it is no good keep rolling. if its decent and has a chance to be really good i'll throw a regal orb on it. if it doesn't turn out well i'll scour and start again. if it turns out ok i'll price check it.

im swimming in money so i am being way more picky with my required stats before selling. i won't try to sell anything under 50c right now. but this is a super easy way to get things worth 10-25c over and over and over.


so again, i look to get t2 mods or better. there are some exceptions, like if you get 37 life (t3) and t3 lightning damage/lightning damage to bows, that will still sell quite well for a good price. getting all t1s will result in a jewel worth like 3 exalts but t3 stats will still merit probably 100c or so.

this could get dicey.

going to add videos to the first post. they're uploading now. most will be complete today.

PS the delves from the picture above, those mods, no issue. got knocked down to like i think about 2k life on an instance or two, but overall no biggie.

this build is badass.


should be able to upload shaper video tomorrow

I can't believe it, but I managed to get a Xoph's Heart to drop on my first time kill of him after accidentally farming up 100 shards just by playing.

thats enormous. congrats! i see you're already taking the steps to incorporate it into your build. thats awesome.

i got some videos up, and im going to make a couple videos of mapping with super budget gear. those should be up today.

Great guide! Always wanted a league starter to farm Uber lab that is not a juggernaut!

Could you do this with pathfinder ascendancy instead of raider?
Also what do you think about using grelwood as most other molten strike builds use that?

you could go pathfinder but i personally don't see a NEED to do so, let me explain. this will also tie in about grelwood

so the main reason behind me picking raider, which is amplified by this league, is the evasion you gain from avatar of the chase. it is just extreme and is what inherently makes you tanky.
avatar of the veil, aka having permanent phasing just plays out so well with delve.

now you absolutely can do pathfinder. you would be lacking on evasion in comparison, so you'd probably have to make that up by 100% running grace at all times. this would most likely be an adequate counter.
im not sure you'd be any faster, either attack or running speed wise, so i don't specifically see the benefit. so this decision would be more of a personal preference.
pathfinder would have flask effect, which is always great, but as raider for gained charges you could easily run poacher's mark blasphemy instead of enfeeble blasphemy for 100% flask charges gained (as well as life/mana on hit...if you don't have elder ring).
you would also feel obligated to slightly respec the tree and pick up the almost mandatory PF flask nodes in the tree, using a bunch of passives.

grelwood however would straight up be bad in comparison. at most you would only save 2 passive points not directly spec'ing into point blank, and the iron reflexes would directly hinder you overall.
also the added projectiles only occur when you've been hit, when the name of the game is to get hit as least as possible.