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

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freshaloe wrote:

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:

Spoiler

http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMAAP0C_gdjEVAUsBbzF1AXVBzcHRQigSY8LKctRy-dOjA74ULDTC1QQlcrWfNaK2aebRl-WX_GghCCHohCjDaOPI9Gm6Gj8qcrrJi71sAawFTBxcHz0NDfhN-w4vfmgfF28h331_rS

Let me start by saying that as a first character, any chaos innoculation build is a poor choice. Health builds are not nearly as gear sensitive as CI builds. The good news is you aren't really committed to CI yet, and there's a bunch of health nodes you have very easy access too already.

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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.

Well obviously you can pick up more cast speed nodes. You have easy access to 18% cast speed, but I don't think that should be your first priority. Cast speed from gear is always good, but of course this being your first character you're somewhat reliant on whatever you get to drop.

More to the point, you should be casting totems as you go. If you agro a pack that looks troublesome, the solution isn't to try to cast totems, it is to quicksilver flask and go back to your last set of totems. Once you're behind those totems you can relocate them as needed.

Obviously if it is a smaller pack that's not needed, but anything that looks troublesome you run for your last totems, you don't try to get new totems up right away.

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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?

You're not missing anything. This build does not have good damage. I'm level 76 and I get far more damage from my 3x fire traps than from my totems. The totems are epic crowd control. That's what they're for. That's what makes you an awesome character to group with. As a solo character, however, it makes you very slow. You can solo pretty much anything with a little patience, but you are never going to be a killing machine.

Damage really just isn't the point of this build. I would never select this build if my intent was to play solo. There are so many other builds for that. This is an amazing party build. You freeze everything and double curse everything, making things much safer for the other members of your party, and increasing their damage substantially.

The spectre variation is maybe a bit better on the soloing front, but still not even in the same league as a freezing pulsar, or eth knives spammer, or lightning arrow spammer, or many, many other builds.

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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.

Like I said, I think you should be doing the health variant, this being your first character. I would set to work picking up a bunch of health nodes soon. If you start merciless without doing that, I fear for you.

You're also going to need more dex nodes, assuming you don't have a bunch of dex from gear, in order to level your fire traps.

Good luck to you. I definitely would not recommend this build as a first character to people, but as you're already level 45, you may as well see if you can make it work. Just don't expect to feel like a killing machine... ever. (And do the spectre variant to help your damage out)

Hi, first thanks for the build, really strong for go solo.
Which wand you recommend?

One cast speed and int, the other critical mult.
Thanks

cast speed wand, for sure.

yes

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hypershatter wrote:

yes

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magicrectangle wrote:

cast speed wand, for sure.

Thanks, i killed oak now in merci alone at lvl 56. With my marauder that was imposible

Thank you for taking the time to give the awesome feedback, magicrectangle! And yes I totally see what you're saying now. I just did a couple of runs in fellshrine ruins and I must say, it was so fun because of all the cc that this build brings to the table. Thanks again!

what gem links for fireball one? can't summon the ghost things

edit: ahh i get it, suppose to get flame sents from solaris

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RamenBee wrote:

what gem links for fireball one? can't summon the ghost things

hyperbeam

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magicrectangle wrote:

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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.

any build that runs into mobs blindly will get u killed. thats just poor skill and lack of care, nothing to do with the deficiencies of this build. flickers are very easy.

now if you complain about fire golems rolling over u, maybe then its a legit complaint...

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hypershatter wrote:

any build that runs into mobs blindly will get u killed. Thats just poor skill and lack of care, nothing to do with the deficiencies of this build. flickers are very easy.

This has nothing to do with skill, just with patience. With other monster types you can spread your totems out much farther apart, and just quicksilver back to your last set of totems if you hit something nasty. Flickers you can't.

And no, running "blindly" into mobs doesn't get other builds killed. Not a problem at all for my summoner, since my zombies will soak whatever nastiness awaits me for long enough to drop a skelly totem and get going. Also not at all a problem for a LS/GS marauder or sweep templar, or really any other tankish melee - obviously, what else would they do?

Having to constantly cast totems (or skeletons) in front of you as you move is tedious and boring. It has nothing to do with skill. I'll grant that a decent amount of other ranged builds have the same issue, but certainly not "any build."

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now if you complain about fire golems rolling over u, maybe then its a legit complaint...

Cinder elementals are trivially easy. They take a long time to kill, since your fire traps don't do much damage, but unless your fire resist is terrible you just need to stay on the move and you're fine. I don't think I've ever died to cinder elementals. If they're killing your totems too quick, just convert one of them.

Also worth noting is knockbacks from projectile weakness will abort their roll, they end up rolling in place and then standing back up. I curse projectile weakness + frostbite + temporal chains and they end up pretty much laughably easy.

Dying to cinder elementals is "just poor skill and lack of care." :p