IRON MAN CHALLENGE FOR IRON MEN ONLY (ALL CAPS GUIDE)

THIS GUIDE USES CAPITAL LETTERS EXCLUSIVELY. IF YOU'RE EASILY INTIMIDATED BY LARGE INSTANCES OF TEXT, DO NOT READ THIS GUIDE.

THIS GUIDE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS AND IS THUS NOT COMPLETE. AS THE GAME IS IN BETA, THIS ARE LIABLE TO CHANGE DEPENDING ON WHETHER OR NOT I CAN BE ARSED UPDATING IT. THE GUIDE IS NOT CURRENTLY VERY LONG BECAUSE AN IRON MAN IS EXPECTED TO FILL IN HIS OWN GAPS.

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WITH THE RELEASE OF THE MOST RECENT PATCH, THERE HAVE BEEN INCREASES IN THE DAMAGE OUTPUT OF CREATURES IN HIGHER DIFFICULTIES. THIS IS PRESUMABLY AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE THE GAME MORE DIFFICULT. WHAT IT ACTUALLY MEANS IS THAT YOU SHOULD PROBABLY NOT BE GETTING HIT IN THE FIRST PLACE. CHRIS' RECOMMENDATION IS TO GET SOME DEFENSIVE STATS.



SHUT UP CHRIS, I'LL PLAY HOW I WANT TO. NOT EVERYBODY IS TERRIBLE AND GETS HIT ALL THE TIME. TO THAT END I HAVE CREATED THIS BUILD TO ENCOURAGE GREATER CARE IN THE PLAYING OF PATH OF EXILE.

YOU MAY THINK THAT IRON MEN ARE INVINCIBLE BECAUSE THEY CAN TAKE THOUSANDS OF HITS AND LAUGH THEM OFF, APPEARING TO BE NIGH-INVINCIBLE THROUGH SHEER AWESOMENESS. THIS IS ONLY HALF-ACCURATE, BECAUSE REAL IRON MEN DON'T GET HIT AT ALL. (THE AWESOMENESS PART IS ACCURATE THOUGH)



HOW DO I IRON MAN?


THIS IS CHAOS INOCULATION. IT REDUCES YOUR HEALTH TO ONE - WHICH IS ESSENTIAL TO ENCOURAGING DAMAGE AVOIDANCE - BUT INCREASES YOUR ENERGY SHIELD. THIS IS SURVIVABILITY AND IS THUS UNACCEPTABLE. FIGURE N+1 SHOWS THE LOGICAL SOLUTION TO THIS ISSUE:



THROUGH THE CONVERSION OF ENERGY SHIELD TO MANA, WE ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR SURVIVAL STATS AND CAN FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON KILLING STUFF FASTER. REAL IRON MEN ARE ALL ABOUT KILLING STUFF FASTER.


AM I DOING IT RIGHT?

AFTER INVESTING IN BOTH OF THESE KEYSTONE PASSIVES YOUR HEALTH GLOBE SHOULD LOOK LIKE THIS:


IF THE NUMBERS ABOVE YOUR HEALTH GLOBE ARE HIGHER THAN 1 AND 0 RESPECTIVELY YOU HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG. YOUR MANA, ON THE OTHER HAND, SHOULD BE NOTABLY HIGHER:



THIS IS NOT THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF MANA IN THE WORLD, NOR IS IT PARTICULARLY HIGH. THIS BUILD IS NOT ABOUT HOW MUCH MANA YOU CAN GET. REAL IRON MAN DON'T GET HUNG UP OVER THIS SHIT.


I AM INCAPABLE OF DEDUCING ANYTHING, TELL ME WHAT FLASKS TO USE


YOU WANT MANA POTIONS BECAUSE YOU ARE GOING TO BE USING A LOT OF MANA. DO NOT USE VIALS BECAUSE THAT IS STUPID, HOWEVER YOU SHOULD USE AT LEAST ONE HEALTH POTION BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT WILL LOOK LIKE YOU'VE BEEN BLOWING A SMURF.

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SECTION


WHAT SKILLS SHOULD I USE?
ANYTHING THAT LETS YOU ATTACK WITHOUT BEING ATTACKED BACK. I USE A WITCH BECAUSE WITCHES ARE ALL ABOUT CASTING SPELLS, AND YOU WILL HAVE A LARGE MANA POOL. SUMMONS ARE A GOOD WAY TO CIRCUMVENT YOUR FRAGILITY.

I KEEP DYING WHEN I TRY TO KILL THINGS
YOU HAVE ONE HIT POINT. STOP GETTING ATTACKED AND THE PROBLEM WILL GO AWAY BY ITSELF.

WHAT PASSIVES SHOULD I GET?
FOCUS ON HEALTH PASSIVES. THEY WON'T HELP, BUT YOU'LL FEEL STRONGER.

HAHA I'M GOING TO GET BLOOD MAGIC, I'M SO COOL AND FUNNY
THIS IS STUPID, DON'T DO THIS.
.

RESULTS

DUE TO A POORLY-TIMED REALM RESTART (AND CHRIS TALKING AND DISTRACTING ME, SERIOUSLY THAT ORANGE HURTS MY EYES) I DID NOT MANAGE TO COMPLETE THE INSTANCE. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE I GOT FAR ENOUGH TO PROVE MY POINT.


THE BEGINNING OF THE INSTANCE. I SUMMON EXPLODING SKELETONS TO CLEAR A PATH, ALWAYS MAKING SURE TO QUICKLY TURN AWAY AFTERWARDS SO AS TO REMAIN A COOL GUY BY NOT LOOKING AT THE EXPLOSION.


THE CHAT LOG SHOWS GORLAK COMPLAINING ABOUT MY FAILURE TO USE CAPITAL LETTERS IN A PREVIOUS COMMUNIQUÉ. THIS WAS AN UNMANLY THING TO DO AND I APOLOGISE (MEN APOLOGISE WHEN THEY ARE WRONG, BUT REAL MEN APOLOGISE EVEN IF IT'S NOT TO A WOMAN, WHICH GORLAK IS NOT).


I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE THE CURSOR IS. I STOPPED PAYING ATTENTION AFTER A WHILE.


THERE WAS SOME INTERESTINGLY-SHAPED WOOD LYING ON THE FLOOR. IT LOOKS LIKE IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A BOAT, BUT I COULD PROBABLY SELL THE WOOD FOR SOME COLOURFUL SHELLS AND ROCKS. ALSO THERE'S LIKE 30 UNDEAD KILLING SOME GUYS, BUT THE WOOD IS PRETTY INTERESTING.


THIS IMAGE DOESN'T SHOW ANYTHING. I DON'T KNOW WHY I'M INCLUDING IT.


SAME AS ABOVE. DEAL WITH IT.


I GUESS THIS IS GETTING PRETTY BORING NOW, HUH. YOU CAN READ THE CHAT, I GUESS. HEY, LOOK AT THAT, I HAVEN'T DIED ONCE SINCE I STARTED.


CHRIS, YOU BASTARD. YOU SABOTAGED MY RUN ON PURPOSE. YOU CAN SEE ME SHOUTING AT HIM BECAUSE IT WAS A MEAN THING TO DO AND ALSO HE WAS RESTARTING THE SERVER SO I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TIME TO FINISH MY RUN ANYWAY.


LEGACY WIPE IS IN ~19 HOURS. THANKS FOR TUNING IN TO THE IRON MAN CHALLENGE.

... I love you.


I love you.


I love you.



I love you.


I have to try this build as soon as I work up my duelist.



But true Iron Men do this on Hardcore mode.

True iron men add blood magic keystone.

What happens with REFLECSHUN monsters then?

"

Kamun wrote:

But true Iron Men do this on Hardcore mode.

I FORGOT TO MENTION THIS PART - MY COMPUTER IS ALUMINIUM AND PLASTIC AND THEREFORE DOES NOT GO FAST ENOUGH TO PREVENT MY FREQUENT DEATHS.

oh god +1 internet


I'm totes gonna try this later

Not the first-ever mentioning of this combination, but definitely the best mentioning of it.

Best build to fight Merveil

Hahaha. I like this.