[Strongest Solo Variation: Projectile Madness Spectres] LMP/GMP Ice Spear 2x Totem 2x Curse 3x Traps

Making this since yesterday, looking forward to how this build is. EK + fork have been doing really well so far. 2-3 hit everything, no problems in the early game

e: oh and i'm a noob, but why 16% chaos resist node when ci says chaos immune?
e2: ahh, i see, didn't look at final tree yet. I finally tried dual totem at lvl 45, wow it's strong. I basically solo anything while just running around.

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RamenBee wrote:

Making this since yesterday, looking forward to how this build is. EK + fork have been doing really well so far. 2-3 hit everything, no problems in the early game

e: oh and i'm a noob, but why 16% chaos resist node when ci says chaos immune?

u refound it later, since until u are not ready to get ci, it helps a lot vs chaos mobs on cruel.

edit: Yesterday got double spectre! Now I want the third! Too Op thx again for the imba spec!

There are basically two things that ever cause me problems these days with this build. There's:

1) Puncture, which is rough because it is physical damage, and because if you run away from the mans hitting you, it does ~double damage. With 4k ES a puncture on a higher level map can still take most of my ES, which is very potentially fatal since it also forces me not to relocate to a place that's safe from any stray damage.

2) Flicker strike. On their own any one or two or even three flicker strike enemies aren't that bad. I have enough ES to soak a few. But when you walk into agro range of a pack of 10 flicker spiders, and they all chain flicker you, you're completely hosed, with no possible way of saving yourself. The only solution is to be extremely diligent about slowly advancing with your totems in front of you at all times - which is pretty much the opposite of fun.

Nothing else in the game really seems to pose much problem for this build. When I was dual curse I had a few problems with really fast monsters, but since I added projectile weakness they mostly stopped being a problem.

You need to know the enemies in your area first with this build. If you know there are puncture or flicker enemies, throw two skeles up in front of you when you move (they cast faster than totems). They'll take the aggro, you flask and run back, set up the gauntlet and resummon the skeles so it lures the enemies into your killbox.

Honestly, every death with this build has been my own fault. My only issue is extra fast/high damage mobs bee lining for my spectres over everything else, and even that is super rare.

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Terrornoid wrote:

You need to know the enemies in your area first with this build. If you know there are puncture or flicker enemies, throw two skeles up in front of you when you move (they cast faster than totems). They'll take the aggro, you flask and run back, set up the gauntlet and resummon the skeles so it lures the enemies into your killbox.

I just find this level of required caution too tedious. I also don't have room on my bar for skellies, with 3 curses, 3 traps, totem, and force move.

You also often don't have a clue what monsters are on a map until you are suddenly mobbed by 6 flicker spiders. My most recent death was flicker spiders on a wharf map. Up until that point there had been zero dangerous enemies. You can't "know the map" because the map enemies are random. You either have to exercise an absurd level of caution all the time, or accept the fact that you're going to occasionally get bum-fondled by flicker spiders.

while the maps are random you do know what types of mobs to expect on the map.

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ridfrenzy wrote:

while the maps are random you do know what types of mobs to expect on the map.

No you don't. If you'd actually run any number of maps, you'd know that you can do the same map type 10 times in a row, and get 10 completely different sets of monster types. The only monster that won't change between different runs of a map type is the boss. One time you'll do wharf and it might be alchemists, cinder elementals, and bandits. The next time you run wharf it might be skeleton mages, pirate ghosts, and flicker spiders.

The only time you can predict what monster types will be on the map is if it the map type is "inhabited by X."

Is there a Non CI version of these builds?

I don't remember the map, but just died once on the spider flickering boss coz was too confident, so my bad. On normal flickering mobs I have no problem, on 3.4k es I can get 3-4 hit, so if it happens I just pop my quicksilver with double speed and retreat, set up the wall of totem + skelly and gg, but honestly spectre just nuke on sight. This is my point of view up maps lvl 69.

So I'm noticing that a lot of people are saying that this build starts to show its power at around lvl 45. I'm currently lvl 45 now and I'm still struggling to solo through the quests. If it is of any help, this is my first character that has gotten this far in the game.

Here's my build:

One problem I'm noticing is that I cast the totems way too slowly. By the time I cast my totems, the mobs are already in my face and I take a ton of damage. Is there any way to mediate this? I won't be getting "Faster Casting" gem for some time (currently in Act 2), so that option is out.

Second problem is that the damage done by the totems is... mediocre. It still takes awhile for the totems to mow down a mob, I just feel like any other class/build can kill faster at my lvl. (My ice spear is currently at lvl 11), am I missing something here?

And lastly, is there anything wrong with my passive skills? I've been trying to follow the step-by-step guide as best as I could.

Thanks for the help!