† - † Help me to improve my arc witch - detailed post †-†

Ice freezes a lot, fire does high damage, lightning shocks so others can do double damage (not you because arc dps is low). So why roll a lightning witch for solo play?
I have 5.8k life @ 79% resists and 40% armor. Chaos damage is a joke for me, but elemental/physical damage sometimes kills.
Try linking arc-wind_penetration-proliferation-remote_mine-iron_will, and get static blows + as many increased shock duration as possible - this can debuff mobs nicely, so your team will do more damage.
Try sceptre of god on merciless - it will show flaws of your build.
Faster casting on arc does not make shocking easier - shock still depends on damage done, if mob hp is too high it won't be shocked at all.

@KaTet
Well thought build, but i have a question about your Gear: How does Soul Mantle's "Gems in this item are Supported by level 14 Spell Totem" work? Everytime you cast Arc a totem is summoned?

BTW, whats a good single-target lighting-based spell/skill? Power Siphon with +lightning damage?

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ixthUA wrote:

So why roll a lightning witch for solo play?

Maybe to pay homage to the D2 chain-lighting MF Sorc? :)

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ixthUA wrote:

Faster casting on arc does not make shocking easier - shock still depends on damage done, if mob hp is too high it won't be shocked at all.

Not true -->

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Shock is typically inflicted by critical strikes of lightning damage. There are other ways for shock to be applied as well. Targets cursed with Conductivity have a chance to be shocked when hit with any lightning damage. The Arc skill has a built-in chance to shock targets.

Source: http://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Shock

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Fleischtorte wrote:

Maybe to pay homage to the D2 chain-lighting MF Sorc? :)

Not true -->

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Shock is typically inflicted by critical strikes of lightning damage. There are other ways for shock to be applied as well. Targets cursed with Conductivity have a chance to be shocked when hit with any lightning damage. The Arc skill has a built-in chance to shock targets.

Source: http://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Shock

I think thread author asks for a practical build, not D2 homage.
You seem not to know that shock duration is based on the damage dealt relatively to mob max life. If shock is applied for 0.5s - it will have no effect and cannot be stacked. Faster casting will not increase arc damage per hit, so while fighting rares, bosses, unique bosses and certain mobs (high hp or high resistance) shock effect will not apply at all (due to very short duration), which will reduce your dps by a half.
But if you are fighting critters (low level map / normal mobs) - shock will still apply and faster casting will be more useful than remote mine (faster casting != mine laying speed).
So two ways to make a lightning witch:
-faster casting, farming low level areas alone;
-remote mine, farming high level area with team/minions.

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ixthUA wrote:

You seem not to know that shock duration is based on the damage dealt relatively to mob max life. If shock is applied for 0.5s - it will have no effect and cannot be stacked. Faster casting will not increase arc damage per hit, so while fighting rares, bosses, unique bosses and certain mobs (high hp or high resistance) shock effect will not apply at all (due to very short duration), which will reduce your dps by a half.

I knew that already, but i was hoping that you can boost up Arc dmg from passives and supp gems.

So basically there is a need for a Cast On Status Ailment supp gem.

Ty guys, for all this answer, that helped me alot :)

so yeah i see , they are not that much possibility with "arc " game play its sad because i think this people is pretty nice

I'll try to add Remote mine on my build and see if this is better !

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Fleischtorte wrote:

I knew that already, but i was hoping that you can boost up Arc dmg from passives and supp gems.

I have +52% elemental/spell damage from nodes, 70% from strength, 158% from dual wands, which makes a sum of 280% increased elemental/spell damage, used on a lv18 arc (4-linked). I could take more spell damage nodex, but they will add very little. Even without remote mine shock works on most of mobs, but not always on rares/bosses (RM version works fine though).

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Ocatt wrote:

Ty guys, for all this answer, that helped me alot :)

so yeah i see , they are not that much possibility with "arc " game play its sad because i think this people is pretty nice

I'll try to add Remote mine on my build and see if this is better !

Both faster casting and remote mine are blue socket gems, so is easy to experiment. Also arc mines can be set up to 5 and are detonated at the same time, so even 0.5s duration shock will work.

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ixthUA wrote:

I have +52% elemental/spell damage from nodes, 70% from strength, 158% from dual wands, which makes a sum of 280% increased elemental/spell damage, used on a lv18 arc (4-linked). I could take more spell damage nodex, but they will add very little. Even without remote mine shock works on most of mobs, but not always on rares/bosses (RM version works fine though).

It really bothers me, to give up on a main Arc char.

...do you think a Whispers of Doom build with Elemental Weakness + Conductivity, could be viable?

Edit: Double Curse Build

I could clear docs with 3-linked lv17 arc. I think lv20 5-linked arc solves all issues, +double curses would be excellent for toughest mobs.
After looking at your tree, in my opinion steady hands and body and soul are not worth, same as 6% nodes.
I would make something like this:

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ixthUA wrote:

I could clear docs with 3-linked lv17 arc. I think lv20 5-linked arc solves all issues, +double curses would be excellent for toughest mobs.
After looking at your tree, in my opinion steady hands and body and soul are not worth, same as 6% nodes.
I would make something like this:

Spoiler

http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMB37CCEAelAuNJsiycVa5Eq4-mLR-NGeAS3YynCI9G0NCboWe97m_06ffXrJgUsDowOVK8N05tWAdXK89lVcYWb20ZwfOio3_GJ6labSQ8p1xJUYIe2wsvnRbzJjyQVaeEGjjsOClPgpvd813GRtftIOFzi4xgbTrYTdiMdp48gW8EsxRNogDwHwJxNukkqhmF42qDOJ2AtQTkIhpsna61hS5wuJPr7ij6gsf56AVbeqqa4EWdzfp8gxEtjr7VgRzckyfcVx6UrD-0DIVtIxiNHA==

ty

...i see, instead of +Spell Dmg with Steady Hands, you go for +Cast Speed (to make better use of the 10% built-in shock chance, i suppose)

I like your build, though you took to much mana regen nodes for my taste...but because they are on the 'end' of each branch i can add them one after another and stop if my gear provides enough regen.

I only tried to improve your previously posted build.
Arc is a sniper spell, i do not see a reason to take -% spell interrupt.
Example on lv18 arc:
23-441 base damage = 232 average damage;
232 + 280% increased damage = 882 damage;
232 + 286% increased damage (added single node) = 896 damage;
(896-882)/882*100=1.6%
Conclusion: at 280% increased spell damage a single +6% damage node will add 1.6% more damage.
I do not think that 6% damage nodes are better than life and cast speed ones (in your build).