[3.7] Armageddon Brand + Cremation easy game. Uber Elder/Atziri + co. Super safe HoGM.

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Scabeiathrax wrote:

What about dual wielding singularities? Is that effective if you don't use shield charge? I believe the "+% damage to hindered enemies" stacks?

Do you think you'd be able to tell me how? Is it super expensive?

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1337fun wrote:

For any questions regarding this build, please use this thread.

Index

1. Intro
2. Pros/Cons
3. Videos
4. Gear
5. Passives
6. Leveling/Gearing Tips
7. Possible variants/upgrades.

1. Intro

Combining strength of self casting and totems, while eliminating its weaknesses.

This is a short guide for my take on Armageddon Brand.

The build is amazing. I could do almost all content(chayula is still alive, no stone yet) with ease. Very forgiving to mistakes. Can be easily customised for more tankyness or crit. With crit variant can also use storm brand. Still could get much higher DPS.

I chose to use Cremation as a complementary skill, because i felt i needed to be able to do something else, while brand is active. Firestorm is another great option, but the build loses its great mobility. Fire Trap may also work. If opting for crit, could use any possible skills, since crit variant does not scale any particular element.

This build will work with Armageddon Brand as the only damage skill. If you would like to drop cremation, replace Elemental Focus with Combustion. Or you can find another way to ignite and apply the Combustion debuff.

I encourage you to be creative and adapt the build to your needs. it would be nice of you to post ur variation here, if you do so. May inspire others or give me something to think about.

2. Pros/Cons

Pros:
- tanky
- mobile
- good dps(single target and clear speed)
- super fun to play
- scales well with gear
- there are absolutely no needed/enabling items
- SSF friendly
- HC viable

Cons:
- ele reflect maps (can do it with balefire, if really needed. Done t14 like that, was very tedious, but doable)

3. Videos

Spoiler

HoGM(safe run) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccRCSJxm3Sg
There are like 4 grandmasters, who can kill this build very fast. Minion instability zombies, scorching ray and chaos DoT(CA/Blight due to minus chaos res). Minions are easy to get rid of with pre cast cremation. What is also good to do for every encounter, if safe and not fast run is a priority. SR and blight keep your distance and let brand do the work. CA fast close in and recall un top for insta kill.
I killed this regen proc CI dude on previous runs as it is easy. This run RNG was on his side.

Uber Elder (1 death, my mistake :( could have been deathless) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip4rNlNq6HM

Easy Shaper - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2mixSPQjSw

4. Gear

This part is too important to put it together with the rest of possible variants/upgrades.

Only a helmet with at least lvl 20 Concentrated Effect AND lvl 20 Immolate AND the ability to craft +1 AoE gems is better, then 6L in body armor. Originally i got the helmet as a bridge item till 6L carcass. I got it back at the time for 1.5ex where 1 ex was 90c. 6L good roll carcass was at least 4x that. But later i found the master craft and seen, that it is actually slightly better, then 6L carcass and kept it.

If you gonna use brand in the body armor, optimal 6th link is dependant on your current gear. I would recommend to go with either Faster Casting or Combustion. Immolate is also possible, but other 2 supports will give better consistency for about the same DPS. So the 6L would look like this:

Armageddon Brand - Concentrated Effect - Controlled Destruction - Elemental Focus - Fire Penetration - Combustion/Faster Casting

In this case helmet can be replaced with better options:

I personally would recommend The Tempest's Binding. If it is used, use Hypothermia as the 6th link for Armageddon Brand. Also keep Cremation in the helmet for occasional innervate buff.

So the links would be:

Armageddon Brand - Concentrated Effect - Controlled Destruction - Elemental Focus - Fire Penetration - Hypothermia

Cremation - Combustion - GMP - Concentrated Effect

This is also general 4L cremation for all other gear choices. For a 6L(for example if 6L staff and 6L carcass is used) add Controlled Destruction + Fire Penetration or Hypothermia, if The Tempest's Binding is used.

Other good, but lesser options are, 2 abyss socket Lightpoacher or Hale Negator, Hrimnor's Resolve, Crown of the Tyrant or a rare Scorched Fossil crafted elder helmet with Concentrated Effect and/or flat fire dmg to spells.

Elder kill gear

Current Gear

5. Passives

Spoiler

Char name: Devoblidecannihilator(if interested in my current gear)

PoB:
- Shaper kill - https://pastebin.com/bh8bNCeB
- Uber Elder kill - https://pastebin.com/T9E44zmL

Ascendancy in order of importance:
Sign of Purpose -> Illuminated Devotion -> Arcane Blessing -> Divine Guidance

Bandits: Kill All!

Pantheon:
- Major: Brine King
- Minor: Gruthkul (Shakari, if poison immunity needed)

6. Leveling/Gearing Tips

Spoiler

1:
Suggested tree progression - https://pastebin.com/GehYWwqW

2:
lvl 12 - 28 storm brand.
lvl 28 can start using armageddon brand and cremation.

3:
Great starter weapon is:

Just 3.5% less DPS, as my weapon, if enemy is nearby(basically 1 screen). If not, 12% less dps. And is very cheap.

4:
Until u have the boot enchantment and/or watcher's eye with clarity mods increased mana recovery and/or % of dmg gained as mana, a mana flask is highly recommended.

7. Possible variants/upgrades.

Spoiler

Xoph's Heart/Xoph's Blood
In general Xoph's Blood is better. But if u have a lot of gear with gain % of ele dmg es chaos, then Xoph's Heart might be better.
Attention: Can't use Atziri's Promise with Xoph's Blood! Or any kind of %of ele dmg as extra chaos.

Kaom's Heart
With a 6L helmet could use this body armor for more tankieness in expense of dps. Would also need to replace Elemental Focus with Combustion for Armageddon Brand, if you decide to drop Cremation completely.

Scorching Ray
Could incorporate as a link to spell totem for 15-20% more DPS on single target. Would need extra link or passive for multi totems because of Runebinder.

Helmet
Can have extra stuff in addition to Concentrated Effect and Immolate for more DPS.

1. Craft with Essence of Horror for 30% more ele dmg.

2. Craft with Scorched Fossil for -9% fire resist to nearby enemies.

3. 7th link Less Duration. This one is debatable, if the DPS increase is worth recasting 2x as much.

Corrupted Carcass Jack
It is possible to have it with +4(AoE + duration) double corruption for Armageddon Brand. Only insane helmet with horror craft, open prefix for +1 gem and -9% fire res and/or Less Duration would beat it DPS wise.

Vaal Righteous FIre
Could be used instead of Vaal Lightning Trap.

Elder Ring with Warlord's Mark on hit
Could make farming experience more safe. Very helpful for no regen maps.

Mark of the Shaper
Combined with good elder ring is a DPS increase at expense of mana. Good combination for elder ring with Warlord's Mark on hit.

Flasks
- Cinderswallow Urn - amazing allround flask for this build(i am using it right now)
- Wise Oak: good dps increase.

Malachai's Artifice
Great DPS increase, for which defense pays the price. Since the DPS increase is only for bosses, i opted to stay on the safer side and go with a rare ring.
Compared to a good rare ring, it is about 20% more DPS for ~400 HP and other stats.

Herald of Ash
Extra DPS and a bit clear speed for flat mana.

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Another one of my up-to-date guides Ignite Flameblast Elementalist, if you would like something off meta, but capable.

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Scabeiathrax wrote:

Thanks for answering my questions.

How good is Doedre's Malevolence for this build? The extra mana cost doesn't seem to hurt me too badly, but maybe the -15% cast speed does?

Also, I have heard of people using Command of the Pit, but I am not sure if that's any good. Thoughts?

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tomtom518 wrote:

Im currently trying this build with ssf, would going armor gear be okay instead of evasion gear? I find that I prefer damage reduction over damage evasion

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1337fun wrote:

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tomtom518 wrote:

Im currently trying this build with ssf, would going armor gear be okay instead of evasion gear? I find that I prefer damage reduction over damage evasion

Yes, it would be better. I just used, what i could get. Ideally i would like to have all pure armor.

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tomtom518 wrote:

Thanks for the reply! Im also curious what some alternative 2nd skills I could use in place of cremation? I find its need for a body to slow me down a bit and feels clunky to me. I currently use Armageddon brand for main dmg and scorching ray for support.

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Scabeiathrax wrote:

I realise neither of these jewels are amazing, but I'm curious how much damage you'd say 4% cast speed adds, vs 20% burning damage? How much burning damage does this build actually do?