[1.2.0] Ice Pierce Crit Ranger

How can Death's Harp beat a lv 50 bow?

Maybe if you go full elemental and damage comes from elemental mods on gear+Anger and Wrath.
Not the physical damage on bow which is 90-100 DPS. That won't cut it in Merciless.

Maybe I am missing something here...

It doesn't. Death's Harp is fantastic for leveling, but level 50 is seriously time to upgrade already.

I am currently struggling to make a decision to take physical bow vs elemental bow.
As far as I understand the outcome is very similar.

The goal of Ice Shot is to freeze, in order to do that we need crit AND high cold damage.
To get high cold damage we need high cold per hit (not as DPS).

That's why I am inclined to think that a physical bow might be better for this build (since the cone AoE converts all physical to cold).

For LA there's probably no difference between phys and elemental, but I feel for IS phys is better.

What do you guys think?

I am currently lvl 48 full, just bought The Blood Dance. They will make wonders late-game, but now not really. Only 1k HP. My IS DPS is only 850. That's why I need a better bow, and asking for opinions.

Someone thought of something! I really must try this out. This will be my next project, after leveling up so I can afford to spare the EXP.

To be quite honest? I started mapping with ~850 tooltip DPS. Though I was using a Chin Sol, so I guess it works out. That's got to be the easiest/cheapest way to maximise damage output, since IS makes it safe enough to do so. Though you definitely want more HP.

Yes, I strongly prefer physical bow to elemental. Effect is more or less the same, except for two things: the % increased physical nodes in tree, which is quite a lot more in 0.11.2 than previously, and less cold damage compared to elemental. Which should not be a problem, since you should freezelock/knockback everything anyway.

I'm leveling Ice Shot ranger in Onslaught, now level 34 with Death Harp.

I want to know about reflect if using Ice Shot as main attack, is it physical reflect or elemental reflect that we should be afraid of? as I read IS is 60 phy, 40 cold. If phy reflect I can somehow avoid it with Arrow Dodging, but can we evade elemental reflect with Arrow Dodging?

sorry for my terrible English, hope you understand my questions.

and if you don't mind answering more, I want to ask about the difference between, and what it actually do to our damage/dps.

Arrow Speed
Projectile Speed
Projectile Damage

if I can choose between
12% Increased Physical Damage with Bow
8% Increased Projectile Damage
which is better?

also as I playing with bow and arrow I noticed I dont have any escape skill like Whirling Blade or Shield Charge or Leap Slam. How do Archers get out of tight situation? Sometimes I got cornered and thinking oh no oh no Im gonna die and potting like crazy and trying to slip through the enemies, but sure there is something experienced archers can share :)

btw I have Zombies with Blind. But I think their attack is too slow. Any idea to utilize Blind and Flee with Zombies or Skeleton or Spectres or totem? I prefer fire and forget like Zombie and Spectre, but are they good enough to proc cc?

if I take King of The Hill and crit (with IS), do the target get frozen or knockbacked?, and if the damage high enough will they get stunned?

"

I want to know about reflect if using Ice Shot as main attack, is it physical reflect or elemental reflect that we should be afraid of? as I read IS is 60 phy, 40 cold. If phy reflect I can somehow avoid it with Arrow Dodging, but can we evade elemental reflect with Arrow Dodging?

Arrow dodging works for both types of ref;ected dmg - providing you dont take IR and have enough evasion. The thing with dodging is however still not preventing 1 shot.

"

12% Increased Physical Damage with Bow
8% Increased Projectile Damage
which is better?

Clearly 8% increased projectile dmg. You would need to use conversion tricks like Blackgleam quiver so that 12% increased phys dmg comes into consideration.

"

How do Archers get out of tight situation?

General rule is:
Do not position yourself into such situations. Shoot from distance.

However if you get into such situation:
Run away. If you can't run away, you still need to endure such situation. Therefore you can't be completely glass cannon. This is especially true against flicker strike mobs.

Cast enfeeble or temporal chains. Pop up rejuvenation totem. Use granite flask. And shoot like crazy with skill having some LL and/or LoH gem used.

"

if I take King of The Hill and crit (with IS), do the target get frozen or knockbacked?, and if the damage high enough will they get stunned?

Yes and yes. Thou King of The Hill is probably not worth the passives investment.

http://tinyurl.com/lebpd3p

Saved for you 2 skillpoints, no problem

I appreciate the helpfulness, but would like to point out that bow physical damage is considered projectile damage too.

"

I want to know about reflect if using Ice Shot as main attack, is it physical reflect or elemental reflect that we should be afraid of? as I read IS is 60 phy, 40 cold. If phy reflect I can somehow avoid it with Arrow Dodging, but can we evade elemental reflect with Arrow Dodging?

Initial hit is 40 cold 60 phys, cone AoE is 100% cold. Be afraid of ele reflect. Cold is more than 90% of your total damage if the group is large.

As I mentioned in OP, there are ways to deal with reflect. Just have to be careful to notice when there is a reflect group, and prepare for reflect map properly.

"

12% Increased Physical Damage with Bow
8% Increased Projectile Damage
which is better?

Physical is all your physical bow damage. This build is quite phys focused to deal a lot of physical damage with bow. (Then converted to cold damage.) Projectile damage means all of the above PLUS elemental from other sources such as Wake of Destruction.

Projectile speed increases the distance which your arrows cover. I like it. But it's probably less useful, since already shooting two screens away.

"

How do Archers get out of tight situation?

Granite flask and just shoot them point blank. Raise skeletotem to distract. Just shoot because they die so fast anyway so who cares.

"

btw I have Zombies with Blind. But I think their attack is too slow. Any idea to utilize Blind and Flee with Zombies or Skeleton or Spectres or totem? I prefer fire and forget like Zombie and Spectre, but are they good enough to proc cc?

My skeletons have Blind. I like it. If you want to use zombies it is your choice, same difference, I just prefer skeletotem because it is a free steady supply of disposables.

"

if I take King of The Hill and crit (with IS), do the target get frozen or knockbacked?, and if the damage high enough will they get stunned?

Yes yes and yes.

"

Saved for you 2 skillpoints, no problem

Problem comes because, after the build I listed for level ~65, I go into duelist side of tree. If using that build you linked, then I need extra connecting points, so none saved after all. =(

If going into witch area for AoE or taking extra crit or something, instead of going duelist side, then yes that is points saved.