Searing Bond

Still doesn't make it do enough damage to be useful.

Such a shame, because in theory, SB could be a really nice spell.

Looks cool, has a unique fun play mechanic, and does dmg in an unusual style that really separates it from other DT builds.

Unfortunately, it absolutely sucks dmg wise. About halfway through cruel it stops being viable. I can't imagine trying to do maps with it.

Please GGG, don't let this skill go to the wastelands. The mechanics are already in place, give it a buff or two. Puhhleeeease!

I'm actually having a lot of success with this.
my gear is:
Those are the three skill sets that matter.
On searing bond, so far, i have around 240% increased burning damage with nodes and supports and all that.

So 136 DPS base with 240% increased means an extra 327 damage. so one beam deals about 460 dps.
I then have ancestral bond with lets me have another totem.
so within the three rally points i have 3 beams. (four maybe if the bonds between two totems are doubled up.) so that means i deal around 1380 dps with my totems in a small area. 1850 if its four beams.

at level 49 ill have three totems with Soul mantle. So that is 6 beams. again, nine if they double up. at level 49 searing bond will be up to 166 dps. 240% increased per beam is an extra 400 damage. 566 DPS per beam. times 6 is 3400 dps. and if it's nine, 5100 APE dps.

end game stats, im unclear on. but at level 17 without the increase by the searing touch it gets 270 dps base. you can do the math. As an aoe skill, its pretty damn strong.
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In addition to my searing bond, i have a spork totem with static blows and all that. with the full shock stacks, enemies take an extra 120% more damage. 360% of 166 is about 600. meaning 765 dps per beam. 6 beams is 4600 dps. 9 is 6900. Keep in mind that this is level 49 AOE damage. in addition of all of that, it cannot be blocked, evaded or dodged.
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In addition to my searing bond and spork totem, i have a Bear trap with high single enemy damage. I wont do the math on this, but simply put, it does a lot of damage.
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Searing bond isn't going to be your "main" skill, simply an addition to others in group. This is a very safe build because you don't exactly have to be there to kill mobs. It probably isnt the strongest build, but it is VERY fun, and is definitely worth playing.

Searing bond is bad with one totem, but with more, it increases exponentially, making it very very strong.

If i missed anything, or if im wrong about anything, please let me know!

Where did you get 240 burning damage from. I count 70 from searing touch, 70 possible from passives, and let's say 50 from burning damage support. That's 190%.

The problem with all of this is that the ONLY thing scaling damage is searing totem itself leveling up. Once you get the staff, nodes, and support, you're done.

Then there's the spark totem. You have to give up one searing bond totem for sparks, reducing your searing DPS.

And soul mantle has its own downfall. You get cursed with a max level curse every time you recast. You're basically crippled.

With your math, 6 beams is 3400 DPS IF you have 240% increased burning damage. This requires soul mantle. My ice spear totems have 20% crit chance without the 600% increase, and do four times that much damage per totem with my high crit multiplier. If I was going to use ancestral bond and soul mantle I would do it with my ice spear build. Throwing in an expensive unique doesn't make it any more encouraging especially when that unique is far better suited for other, higher damage totem builds.

3400 DPS isn't going to do it in maps, especially when the totems will die in 1 or 2 hits. They need better damage scaling, and to be effected by fire penetration to be useful.

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HexenLord wrote:

Where did you get 240 burning damage from. I count 70 from searing touch, 70 possible from passives, and let's say 50 from burning damage support. That's 190%.

The problem with all of this is that the ONLY thing scaling damage is searing totem itself leveling up. Once you get the staff, nodes, and support, you're done.

Then there's the spark totem. You have to give up one searing bond totem for sparks, reducing your searing DPS.

And soul mantle has its own downfall. You get cursed with a max level curse every time you recast. You're basically crippled.

With your math, 6 beams is 3400 DPS IF you have 240% increased burning damage. This requires soul mantle. My ice spear totems have 20% crit chance without the 600% increase, and do four times that much damage per totem with my high crit multiplier. If I was going to use ancestral bond and soul mantle I would do it with my ice spear build. Throwing in an expensive unique doesn't make it any more encouraging especially when that unique is far better suited for other, higher damage totem builds.

3400 DPS isn't going to do it in maps, especially when the totems will die in 1 or 2 hits. They need better damage scaling, and to be effected by fire penetration to be useful.

This^

The highest possible burn % increase is around 210%. 3400 dps (which you're theoretically getting under absolutely perfect conditions/expensive gear for the build) are still crap for end game. FP, LA, EK builds get 18k+ dps, and 99% of the time you won't be anywhere near that peak of 3400.

This skill needs some love...and lots of it.

After using this skill some more today, I'm probably not going to continue with the build.

The damage is far too low. Another major downside is that it cannot 'aim'. Other totems seek out, very quickly, other targets after they've killed the last. This totem doesn't change targets. The sole decider of its target is your current location. You must move in order to target other enemies. Movement speed becomes a big issue when wanting to quickly change targets.

Its also horrible for some of the smaller bosses. Vaal isn't much of an issue because he's large and doesn't move. Tried fighting any of the bandits with Searing Bond? Goodluck.

My build uses Ancestral Bond with Searing Totem and some complimentary skills. First you curse the enemies with Vulnerability, then lay down a Freeze Mine and detonate, Put up Searing Bond totems, and start throwing Fire Traps. Temporal Chains work pretty well on keeping them within the burn area, but you have to choose between Temporal Chains, Vulnerability, and Flammability. The latter two for damage, the first to keep them in the area. If freeze mines worked like Fire Trap, this build wouldn't be as much of an issue.

The damage is horrible, and running around trying to avoid mobs while also trying to position yourself in key locations to do damage is a hassle. Then the totems end up doing lackluster damage. You throw Fire traps that do amazing damage, and end up doing MORE burn damage than the Searing Bond, and start to question why you are using Searing Bond/Ancestral Bond anyway when you could use a Spork Totem with fire traps and be 5 times as effective.

"

Where did you get 240 burning damage from. I count 70 from searing touch, 70 possible from passives, and let's say 50 from burning damage support. That's 190%.

searing bond = 70%
passives = 80%(not 70)
increased burning damage = about 50%
vulnerability = 40%

that's 240%

I'm not saying that this is the best build in the game, i never said that. but i am saying that this isnt absolute shit like everyone thinks it is. I'm not have any trouble with it, and im not getting screwed over by the most menial mobs, and I'm a few levels ahead of where i should be.

Don't count curses towards your DPS when showing how a build is viable. Otherwise, every single build on every single section would have to increase their DPS posts to show what they had after curses. I would have to change the DPS posted on my Flicker build to show the MASSIVE damage increase from already having 750% crit multiplier and using Critical Weakness curse. Its part of the build, but don't include it in the damage cals. Others might not want to use vulnerability with their build, so it becomes misleading.

So 200% increased burning damage. Redo all of the math to show the 200% instead of the 240%. We understand that you can use vulnerability or flammability to increase damage, but don't include them in the calculations or you'll have people coming in here thinking they are missing out on a "40% increased burning damage" node or item when they aren't.

As a Fire Witch, I desperately want to use this gem. I already use Skeletotem, but in situations where I don't need the tanks, I would kill to use Searing Bond, it's just such a cool idea; it reminds me of Fire Chains from Diablo 3, which was a bullshit cheap ass ability in Inferno, but now we're doing it to enemies, not vice versa, so it's cool! Sadly, the damage sucks, badly.

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Elste wrote:

I'm not saying that this is the best build in the game, i never said that. but i am saying that this isnt absolute shit like everyone thinks it is. I'm not have any trouble with it, and im not getting screwed over by the most menial mobs, and I'm a few levels ahead of where i should be.

Do you honestly think that your experience with taking a character to level 49 (LEVEL FORTY NINE) makes you qualified to make a comment about any build?

I'm not trying to single you out or attack you here, but honestly it's not difficult to get to level 49 with a subpar skill. Get to level 74+ and start doing maps, and then tell us your conclusion about the skill's viability.