[0.10.4] ChillFire Trix (the fun dual totem build featuring fire traps)!

Greetings Fellow Exiles,

I'm relatively new to the forums, but i have played Path of Exile quite obsessively for a few months now. I have studied the game mechanics, items and builds as much as i could in the final stages of closed beta and since the start of open beta.

I did play a dual spork totem Templar in a one week race, but since then i have been planning to do something a little more creative with the dual totem build. I'm not trying to re-invent the weel here, but i felt like the typical dual totem builds need a little more flavour, don't you think?

I'm here to provide you fellow exiles a fun build i came up with, that utilizes dual totems with Arctic Breath and GMP, but on top of that i throw in beefed up Fire Traps and a Conversion Trap spell.




Note: This build requires The Searing Touch unique staff (wich is relatively cheap to come by nowadays because of it's low level). I also recommend getting the Dream Fragments ring for massive mana regen / mana early on. You will be using both of these for the rest of the game (unless you happen to find a godly rare staff with +2 to fire/all gems and even more spell damage).




Lets Take a Closer Look at the Skill Tree:



This is the maximum level build (kill all bandits for skillpoints). I will be adding more early leveling focused versions of the same build when i have a little more time, but for now there it is in all it's glory. I might even try to make a youtube video featuring some map gameplay in the near future.


Wording Explanation of (ChillFire Trix or CFT)

Chill = Slowing Enemies down with massive barrages of Arctic Breath thanks to dual Spell Totem powered with Greater Multiple Projectiles.

Fire = Laying down Fire Traps that melt through even the toughest enemies thanks to The Searing Touch unique staff & Concentrated Effect support gem.

Trix = Additional shenanigans and the cherry on top of this build comes with Conversion Trap. Just because it's fun to see enemies kill eachother and, well, because we can!




Overview of the CFT Build

This is an extremely gear dependant and mana hungry build. I suggest you try to find or create a 5 link Searing Touch early on as it will help with the damage output around level 35+. After level 60+ you will start doing very high amounts of damage from both the totem and the traps anyway, so don't feel too disheartened if you can't get a 5 or 6 link Searing Touch.

Also try to get as much 1)mana, 2)energy shield, 3)resists and 4)cast speed in your gear (in order of importance). You will cap your resists fairly easily with the Body and Soul, Celestial Walker and Nullification passives and the Purity aura. I also suggest to try to get some quantity/rarity in your gear as it helps to get even better drops when farming and doing maps.

The typical dual totem build is there, but with added flavour of the increased area passives, Fire Traps and the Conversion Trap. This is a highly entertaining build to play from level 1 and all the way to 67+ maps where i currently play with this build. I had some trouble with damage output around level 30-50 (that might have been my lack of some of the support gems i had at this point), but once you get past level 50 in the game, you will breeze through it fairly quickly.

Cruel and Merciless farming is very easy thanks to Searing Touch and the +2 levels to fire gems it gives. Once you get the dual totem passive with atleast LMP & Arctic Breath linked to a Spell totem, the mobs will stay at arms length long enough for you to blast them away with traps.

A word of warning though.. The dual totem GMP+Arctic Breath makes your game lag like hell in group situations (unless you have a godly PC i guess). For this i have not been able to make any other workaround than using Ice Spear instead of Arctic Breath in groups.




CI From the Start? Wh-Whaat!?

Yes, i did this pretty much at level 30 and i avoided taking any life nodes at the beginning. I did have really good ES/+life gear stashed up wich allowed me to go CI so early. Also the recent buff (the tumor next to CI) helped alot to transition into CI early. I would not recommend going CI before Cruel though since the chaos immunity does not help you as much in normal as it does in Cruel.

Cruel was pretty much as easy as normal once i went full CI. I could farm ledge with little to no problems though my fire traps were a little underwhelming against fire resistant mobs, but as soon as i got dual totem running (around level 40 or so) mobs started blowing up faster again.

Merciless was an even bigger joke after my traps started hitting levels 13, 14 and 15 (+2 from the unique staff). I could farm fellshrine pretty quickly and that gave me enough levels to eventually farm docks at around level 62.

I started doing maps as early as level 64 and i successfully overcame pretty much every map mod that i rolled (except the obvious blood magic) and i also decided to pass on no regen maps for now.

I will add more map experiences into this guide as i progress deeper into the higher map levels.


How to Play

Coming soon.




The Gem Aresenal

Here is the full list of gems and links you will need for this build to work:

4-6 link Searing Touch

6 link: Fire Trap - Fire Trap - Fire Trap - Fire Trap - Increased Area - Concentrated Effect

for 4 link: Fire Trap - Fire Trap - Fire Trap - Increased Area
for 5 link: Fire Trap - Fire Trap - Fire Trap - Fire Trap - Increased Area

4-6 link Chest

6 link: Spell Totem - Arctic Breath - Faster Casting - GMP** - Culling Strike - Reduced Mana

for 4 link: Spell Totem - Arctic Breath - Faster Casting - GMP**
for 5 link: Spell Totem - Arctic Breath - Faster Casting - GMP** - Culling Strike*

4 link helm/boots/gloves

4 link: Discipline - Clarity - Purity - Reduced Mana
4 link: Conversion Trap - Increased Duration - Faster Casting - Portal***
4 link: Enfeeble - Elemental Weakness - Faster Casting - Reduced Mana

* Try to acquire atleast a 15% quality Culling Strike as it gives more cast speed. Also instead of Culling Strike you may use any of the following: Concentrated Effect, Cold Penetration, Faster Projectiles, Increased Crit Strikes. Have not tested them all yet so the best gem in this slot TBD.
** Also try to get your hands on a 10% quality or better GMP for additional cast speed.
*** Similarly as Culling Strike and GMP for cast speed, but obviously this whole gem is just fluff and not really necessary.




The Verdict

+ Pros

1) Extremely fun to play! There is no greater satisfaction than to blow up an entire champion pack with one or two Fire Traps.
2) Easy to learn. Once you get the trap aiming/timing right you are golden.
3) Viable for almost any map with any mod (excluding blood magic maps) thanks to high resists, mobility & high damage.
4) Every damage skill is an AoE. Makes for a far more pleasurable clearing speed.
5) Don't need to worry about elemental reflect.

- Cons

1) Extremely gear dependant. You will need mana and mana regen on almost every piece of your gear. On top of the already important stats like: cast speed, ES, resists etc.
2) Early and mid levels can be rough due to required links and support gems.
3) Performance drop caused by GMP+Arctic Breath makes partying with it pretty much impossible
atleast on a lower end PC.

So what's the verdict? You decide. :)


Enjoy the build & let me know any comments, suggestions or feedback below.

Good luck getting a perfectly rolled Searing Touch 6 linked. You will need it.


ps. no Kiwis were harmed and/or abused during the creation of this build. I also apologize for any typos there might be since my first language is not English.

edit: Note to GGG! Please please please create a fiery weapon effect that will be purchaseable via the microtransactions store. It would only make sense to have such a basic element as a weapon effect. :)

Looks like a fun build and I am going to try it. Any alterations made lately?

And I am surprised no one has made any comments yet.

Looks like a fun build.

I have seen the fire trap before. What's new is the chose of Arctice Breath for your totem.

I have been wondering about this one myself. Been thinking that with engho faster casting it mite be good. In much the same way you have it built here.

2 things have stoped be from trying it so far.

1.) Work not egho time to play.

2.) Currently working on a Hybird Witch build that do's every dmg type but chaos and is backed up by Summons/cures/1 totem. A generlist witch. Or if this was D2 one mite call it Tri-Elemental. Just trying to bring every facit of what I see a Witch as in one single build that works. Elements all 3+Summons/cures/and 1 totem.

I tryed once but got stuck do to building it wrong and had to start over but she's rolling along smothly so far this time :)