Just trying to level this thing and I'm wondering where I can adjust/tune efficiently...

So I've taken a long break and a lot has changed since I played last... LOTS of new mechanics and synergies in the character building. I've played on and off over the years but never sat down with a goal to try to get a build near L100.

I'm not looking for "rebuild" suggestions exactly... unless this style of build just isn't viable to take to character level 96 or so to begin with. I just mean Smite/something like coldsnap/some frenzy and endurance charges... just a similar basic feel or playstyle to this build. It just feels pretty basic and natural to me for now but if it's just not possible to get something like this somewhere near L100 then let me know.

https://pobb.in/pbG1kFsyJs0u

I'm sure I'm missing some fundamentals :)...

I just learned I could anoint my amulets to grab a notable passive so there may be some skill point optimizations based on that.

I'm sure there's more :)

Anyhow... thanks in advance.

The main thing I can see is your ascendancies. Need to sort that out, i'm not sure what you are trying to do. Getting to a point where you have all four and the right ones should be a big help. Proccing adrenaline reliably should be a big help, first to strike is one of the best ascendancy nodes in the game, so im not sure why you would take the two small nodes. I'm not actually sure you are even ascended to the right class for you build. I have no idea how build works, so temper any advice, but it doesn't look you are getting much benefit from the ascendancy set up, and im wondering if it would work better with slayer, or at least modifying the current set up on your champ (This is not hard to fix, you just need 5 regret points per node). Almost always 3 ascendancies are better than the minor nodes, if not you are likely in the wrong class. Getting 4th will also help. Another thing is fortitude doesn't typically pair with fortify nodes on the tree, it's usually one or the other. So either improve that, or consider the other options. Either way, you will likely save some points and improve damage at the same time by improving this.

The tree itself looks pretty okay to me. I think you can save a few point though beyond what is mentioned above. For example, if you remove one mana/mana regen node, and one life regen node, you can get something more effective, like example 2 points to a another jewel socket, which will be more valuable. Not always, but very often, if you have these loops in your tree, the points can be spent better elsewhere. Overall the tree looks decent though, not familiar if it is good for skills you are using, but it looks generally fine.

The skills you are using seem ok, make sure your resistance is capped, and probably over capped if it is not already. It looks like you are doing this with your bismuth flask, I know a lot of people do this, I don't particularly like to cap the res that way, but it is probably fine if your flask is always up. If you are looking for actual build advise, I would check out what some other people playing smite are doing, you should be able to get some good ideas.

Your items can be improved a lot. You've done well to get as far as you have with your current set up. I don't know how far you build can go, but it certainly still has a lot of room for improvement, so you probably can get it to mid 90's if you are able to improve it. There's not one particular thing in that regard, as a whole the items are fine, but they can all be improved a lot. Also looks like you have some extra sockets you can use for skills.

I would say the biggest thing is what I have mentioned in the first paragraph, and should be pretty easy to improve. There are other things that all incrementally add up, qualling gems, anoints etc., but the things I mentioned in the first paragraph is probably the most important.



A few additional things I thought of checking out your POB. Accuracy and crit set up. There are a few options here. I'm not sure how important having good accuracy is for smite, but think more would improve your build. You are near both resolute techniques and precise techniques, so you have some ways you could go there. You have about 1500 accuracy, shouldn't be too hard to get it above life pool if you did want to go that way. Or, alternatively getting accuracy and perhaps have crit on build, since you are using a sword, something like blade master/ titanic impacts.

Rage is also pretty good since the last patch, you are near some rage nodes, so that might be worth looking at. If you are looking for a good cheap anoint, quickstep is usually good until you get an amulet that you want to put something better on. Amber amber verdant.

Thank you.

The current ascendancy choices are an effort the get Fortify bonuses as well as get as much "Increased effect of non-curse auras" as I can for the Smite damage. That said... I'll go through it with an eye towards making sure buying that effect in that way is the most efficient way.

Thank you for the reminder to finish the labs too though. I forgot... I was having trouble with the last area there so I started trying to fix that, but got side tracked. I'm pretty sure I've fixed it though so I'll go get those last points and grab first strike and I'll take a look at the fortification choice. I may not need that any more.

Again you're spot on with the efficiency of the passive mana nodes but currently the build is a bit mana thirsty and I don't have enough regen. I just re-rolled the amulet and got 3.7 regen instead of 2.2. With my scaling on other gear that will feel a good bit better. If it's good I'll look into moving the passives around a little. This is the whole reason I'm running that Mana flask... which I really shouldn't need. I really need a solid "+Max mana" stat to better scale my mana regen though, then I'll surely spec those passives differently.

I'll take a look at Quick Step on the amulet. I was considering working on chaos resist a bit, then getting the one that doubles chaos resist. On the resists subject though... I'm running Purity AND the bismuth LOL. That prob seems ridiculous but I've got it set to go off when I hit a boss/rare etc and it kicks off the Sulphur next to it, which pairs with the diamond ring. I'm 1000% sure there's something I can replace that bismuth with though. I'll look into that too. Thanks for mentioning it.

Anyway... Thanks for some solid advise :). Can you think of any whole assed mechanics I'm missing? I see most people running gear that glows in various ways. How do I do that? Is it a map affix that makes those drop or something?

I think you are talking about influenced items. Not certain, but if you mean on the item picture itself, that is probably it. Or eldritch mods, which is a good point, you don't have any eldritch mods, which is like 2 extra implicit mods you can add to your armor slots. You might want to upgrade your armour first, but you could also try getting lucky with some of the cheaper ones. They are applied with eldritch currency, which drops mainly while doing t14+ eldritch maps.

Yes champion is probably fine with the aura effect suiting your build. Proccing adrenaline every 20 seconds can be a bit clunky, but it is a big boost for the inconvenience. It will give you about 50% more total damage on you current build. Even if you don't want to proc it, the healing is probably still better as a defensive layer than the small node. Obviously you are already elemental ailment immune, but could help with poison since you are talking about chaos res being a bit low. Not sure what your fourth would be, that is sometime less useful on champion for some builds, I guess it would be Conqueror?

The only thing I would say as a mechanic is missing is probably rage. Your chaos res is not terrible, but that can also help. Since smite is a strike skill, you might be able to get some strike skill tech, like targets an additional enemy. I haven't played it much, so don't really know, maybe it is not necessary with AOE. If you are struggling defensively at all, flesh and stone might be helpful, just on sand stance. Might not work currently, but since your build benefit from auras, it might be worth trying to invest more in those, you are not far from mana efficiency nodes on the tree, both sovereignty and leader of the pack, so might be able to squeeze in another aura, even though that is probably not an option right now. I don't think you have intimidate, but first to strike will provide that. Lightning exposure might be helpful. Eldritch mod on gloves I think can get it. Wave of conviction would also get it, although it might be a bit clunky to cast. Like I said you have free gem sockets, so you can probably rig something up for that. Hydrosphere might do something like that as well, don't know what smite builds usually use, but anything that helps with lowering or penetrating lightning res will probably be good.