ZiggyD's Etheral Knives Mana Shield Scion/Shadow Build Guide - Hardcore (Updated for 1.1)

Hi there,

I am currently trying this build for the second time.

First time I died to some insane double mob pack which to this minute I'm still not even sure what it was.

My problem is that I feel incredibly squishy for some reason. Especially around levels 30-50. Any gear or recommendations as to why this is?

Thanks

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ibeyurvanh wrote:

you don't need to grab every aura node if you plan on using alpha, i mean if you're that far you should be able to customize the build yourself.

also for discipline, you don't even need to run that, it really depends on your mana regen and your mana reserve. depending on what gear I put on. I'm more tankier w.o discipline sometimes.

Ie if i have 350 mana/sec and a 300 mana pool left after all auras are cast with discipline. It's better to have 300mana/sec with a 500 mana pool left after all auras are casts.

IMO, you only want enough "reduce mana reserve" nodes to the point where you can run all 4 auras, at that point it's better to grab inner force and other aura effects.

Remember it's percentage, grabbing extra mana reserve nodes such as "8 percent" may only reserve the total mana reserved used by a spell from 26 to 25 if you already grabbed a lot. In that case it's better to use that spec point somewhere else.

my intention is to run disc/grace/hatred/clarity all the time and still have about 500 mana left
you think inner force would give me more mana left because of the buff to discipline instead of the other nodes i'd be taking? (13% reduced reserved, 24% increased mana)

Hi there i use this build since lvl0. From lvl 0-50 i die many many times but at 50 above i feel i cant die if i don´t sleep. I can make all and every map with badest stats on it and didd´nt die anytime. The really only on Problem is to Kill Piety don´t know why but it is so.

My current Gear is

Hope to find or get a good 6l Chest that i can put in Iron Will / Empower

Hi all

as mentioned by others I have also serious problems while leveling. I am now lvl 43 with 382 mana and 16/s regen, using no ES so far. Running clarity would bring this to 26/s but than I cannot use grace which I currently need to survive. Equipping pure ES armor might give me another 10/s. This would just be enough running a pity lvl 1 AA. But then I have hardly any other defense left. Obviously the build works endgame but I have no idea how I ever can get there.

Thanks for some advice

This builds works very well but I really had difficult time in reflect map. And it wasn't reflect itself but constant out of mana problems due to both taking hit from mobs and reflect damage (kiting didn't work on boss because leap slam). Later on died to stupid desync (well, actually it was kind of time travel since it moved back me to 6 seconds ago).

Thyrr,

I've just leveled a character using this guide as a base and didnt have any mana issues.

Are you using ST still or have you swapped to EK?

I stuck with ST on a big slow weapon until mid 50s as ST uses very little mana. Think i had 2% mana leech which kept me in mana.

Don't worry about AA too much if the mana is an issue. I assume you have taken EB and MOM already. May be worth refunding them until you have some better gear. I took them both fairly late as i play nemesis and needed the protection discipline gives.

I also used a flame totem linked to knockback (and then faster casting and LMP when i had the links). I love this totem. Keeps melee mobs at range that little bit longer so you take less damage yourself. Throw some bear traps on it and when its about to die recast and let the traps give u a min to reposition yourself

I'm now 66, using EK with discipline, clarity and hatred. Enjoying bathing in voidbearer fire on the cold mornings:)

Current build is Passive skill tree build


And gear I'm using now is




Only things I bought were the cloak of defiance and the Karui ward. Personally I like the cloak and the 3 saved passive points.

My resists are capped despite using this and the amulet altho it takes some juggling with rings when i upgrade my gear, and the shield isnt ideal for a caster. Having said that the build works nicely. As soon as I can find a projectile speed wand i can ditch the amulet and then work on a spell damage shield. Thats the plan anyway...

I have 2.4k health and 500-600 unreserved mana. Mana geyser next level should help free some more up and give another boost to mana regen so i can level AA some more

For anyone who is having a hard time leveling up, here is what I ended up with at lvl 70, using this build but I stuck with ST throughout the whole time and I feel like 70 is a break point for this build as I have all the mana reserved nodes, great life and mana too.

Build at 70: http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgAACGcRlhUgFy8YPBjbGjgc3B0UHaoelCj6KaUqTSzpLagxnjWSNuk62D8nQYdDY0ZxSn1KyE3YTeNOKlXGVdZY9VuvZOdmnmegbqpwu3FNdPF6qn_GgKSCHoLHgwmFMod2iPGMdo9GkFWTJ5M6ms-dxKKjplenCKeErD-sWbGQtAy18rcxtz631riTvSfAGsHzz2XQ0NsL21ncV90N4Yjjaudj6-7sOPno-tL8xf4K_o8=

Note that I don't use the 30 dex node because I just don't need it. I think we are like 10 dex away from being able to use everything max lvl without that dex node so I think it's not that hard to get.

Gear I ended up at 70:

Found all these items except weapon, chest and boots. Chest and boots give a nice boost to mana so that I could use 2 auras from 60 on I believe, until then I used Grace only, those gloves are awesome, you won't run out of mana ever and your hp won't get low either. 3 items I bought cost like 3-4 chaos all together.

I could farm merci docks on my own okay-ish, not fast but not that slow either.

Hope this helps.

"

Thyrr wrote:

Hi all

as mentioned by others I have also serious problems while leveling. I am now lvl 43 with 382 mana and 16/s regen, using no ES so far. Running clarity would bring this to 26/s but than I cannot use grace which I currently need to survive. Equipping pure ES armor might give me another 10/s. This would just be enough running a pity lvl 1 AA. But then I have hardly any other defense left. Obviously the build works endgame but I have no idea how I ever can get there.

Thanks for some advice

Try to get some energy shield, it helps ALOT for mana also get as much mana and mana regen on items as possible!
I'm lvl 40 with a 5 link and I can run Clarity and Discipline and still spam my curses and EK.
Clarity is a MUST on this build, I don't run AA yet because, there is no need and my regen is below the running mana cost. But the damage Jumps every time EK lvls and I have enough mana to sustain spamming, I just got EB in the passives So I'm at the end OF the 20-40 tree and I don't have any problems.
I think the most important part is getting ES for EB to work wonders else it's useless of course. And getting more mana and more regen on your items.

Lv 80 atm, this build is way to awesome. How I link me items n such?

I noticed on the Helm that the Decoy totem was not linked to the other 3 reds including the CoDT. Was this a mistake ? Or do you plan on linking it when a Drop comes. I just got a 4 link item and was double checking.