Barrage Wonder Wanderer – how to DEMOLISH maps (1.3.X)

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Bars wrote:
About reflect packs: if you tell me you don't take damage from them, not using even grace, I won't believe you. With a granite flask of iron skin, however, it's an entirely different story. Also, your life leech gem leveled and became stronger.

As for what you can upgrade, IMHO your build is complete. It's a low-budget build after all (besides the 6-link), doesn't need some kind of insane weapon to deal damage, which is a plus when you're leveling in a new league, but it's also a limitation - you can't reach the DPS numbers of some "normal" attack builds. I've always wondered who really needs such numbers anyway.


Few levels ago, probably around level 72-73, I was nearly 1 hitting myself. It was like one chain on a reflect pack was getting me to 25% hp and I was escaping like crazy spamming my instant flasks. I had to check every rare if they are reflect or not before attaking.

However, right now (I'm currently 82), I never look at rare bonusses. I just hold right click no matter what. (including "allies reflect phy damage" bonus on a monster group that is spawned by strongbox) Is there a reflect damage calculation based on your level and monster level or something? It is strange, 2 days ago I was struggling so hard but now I can clear even physical reflect maps.

I use a granite flask with %70 more armor bonus, but I don't use it too much.

As for my build, it became much better with this wand:



Right now I am at the capped crit chance. I will probably try to get perfect crit chance rings/amulets/uniques and refund 2-3 crit chance nodes and get more life. Hope I can make it to 5k hp.

I need to say, this build is awesome. I used to play a cleave blender build, shadow CI reave build and made them all to level 80. This one, hands down the cheapest to play and quickest to clear maps.

The only downside is, when you're desynced, your barrage seems to be hitting the monster but you're not actually hitting it so you can't get proc, therefore no lifesteal. This is a bit annoying when you're playing in a map with loads of doors, cause they seem to be desyncing this build alot.

IGN: Aristona
when we started playing, me and a guildmate had a theory that there's a hidden damage bonus for mobs higher leveled than you, after noticing an amazing increase in survivability with just a few levels and no survivability nodes allocated...mostly noticed in luna 3 runs, where even though my armor was still just 6k, I went from constantly almost dying to being able to afk in smaller groups and outregen the damage taken...just by going from level 62 to 66 and getting stat nodes or something with no gear changes...and maybe a gem level up or 2


we never tested it, devs never said anything about it, and the general consensus is there's no such thing. so I don't know. my playstyle has changed drastically since then, where I'd just no farm and just go, and end up fighting hell piety at like 58, and dom at 60ish. so it's become irrelevant data to me
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BoswerLK wrote:
when we started playing, me and a guildmate had a theory that there's a hidden damage bonus for mobs higher leveled than you, after noticing an amazing increase in survivability with just a few levels and no survivability nodes allocated...mostly noticed in luna 3 runs, where even though my armor was still just 6k, I went from constantly almost dying to being able to afk in smaller groups and outregen the damage taken...just by going from level 62 to 66 and getting stat nodes or something with no gear changes...and maybe a gem level up or 2


we never tested it, devs never said anything about it, and the general consensus is there's no such thing. so I don't know. my playstyle has changed drastically since then, where I'd just no farm and just go, and end up fighting hell piety at like 58, and dom at 60ish. so it's become irrelevant data to me


I somehow felt the same thing. When I was 2 levels below merciless docks I was having such a hard time, but then when I went 2-3 levels above it was easy as fuck.
I just rolled my first Invasion character.... and was thining about using this build. Viable for Invasion? Looks pretty neat.
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Shewieh wrote:
I just rolled my first Invasion character.... and was thining about using this build. Viable for Invasion? Looks pretty neat.


Wouldn't recommend it at all, especially as 1st character in the league. It needs some level and gear to "click", before that it will be way too vulnerable. And even later on, it would be possible to play without dying at all, but I wouldn't be too optimistic.
You have to be realistic about these things.
Logen Ninefingers
Last edited by Bars#2689 on Mar 15, 2014, 7:34:07 AM
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Bars wrote:
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Shewieh wrote:
I just rolled my first Invasion character.... and was thining about using this build. Viable for Invasion? Looks pretty neat.


Wouldn't recommend it at all, especially as 1st character in the league. It needs some level and gear to "click", before that it will be way too vulnerable. And even later on, it would be possible to play without dying at all, but I wouldn't be too optimistic.


Thanks.... I just dinged 31 and been only using ST from this point... I will try to see how long I can make it... any obvious changes to the tree that can be made to make it more Invasion-compliant?
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Shewieh wrote:
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Bars wrote:
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Shewieh wrote:
I just rolled my first Invasion character.... and was thining about using this build. Viable for Invasion? Looks pretty neat.


Wouldn't recommend it at all, especially as 1st character in the league. It needs some level and gear to "click", before that it will be way too vulnerable. And even later on, it would be possible to play without dying at all, but I wouldn't be too optimistic.


Thanks.... I just dinged 31 and been only using ST from this point... I will try to see how long I can make it... any obvious changes to the tree that can be made to make it more Invasion-compliant?


I don't know man, I don't have enough information exactly how well-tuned are some of the more ridiculous Invasion bosses. To be honest, until 2 days ago, nothing was invasion-compatible if you define compatible as "can't die with careful, methodical playing and no stupid mistakes".

The main problems are:
- no +max resists, no resist in passive tree
- the final build has decent life, but you will actually be at relatively low hp until you get there and find solid +life/resist gear
- it does have IR + Grace, but there is no block or evasion or endurance charges, so physical mitigation will be low until you get a surgeon's granite flask of iron skin and a surgeon's jade flask of reflexes, which can have 100% uptime when you boost your crit chance enough... again, the problem is getting there without dying
- without block/evasion and with low hp (initially), chaos damage is a bitch - there are fast, flicker-striking, leapslamming invasion bosses which will hit you like a speed train in merciless

If I had to modify it, I guess I would get the 2 +aura effect nodes and run with grace and purity of fire/lightning/ice to ensure more resistances and overcap them, that would mean about 40% less dps in endgame cause of no Hatred(buffed lvl 20 hatred is an enormous boost for EK damage). If you get an Alfa's Howl, you should be able to pull off Grace + Hatred + Purity of Lightning / Fire, which should make you reasonably well-protected (no overcapped cold resist, but compensated by freeze immunity).

Also, I would take the +chaos resist node, it's just one skill point away.

Gear-wise - besides Alfa's Howl, I'd aim for Lightning Coil.

Transition to CoC - in late merciless after lots of safe grinding.

When/if you hit Merciless, skip all invasion bosses - period, they are NOT worth it. They are either enormously tanky and fightning them just takes too long, or they hit like Tyson on steroids, or both. They also tend to drop shit. I'd skip them in Cruel too. Also, even if you've fought a boss in an earlier difficulty, that doesn't mean he's safe, because they get new skills. There's a "slight" difference between fighting something that fireballs and something that fireballs with GMP and substantially more damage. Also, I recommend always keeping a full quicksilver flask because of the chaos damage leapslam/flickerstrike bosses.

p.s. and, of course, I'd use CoC skeletons as much as possible. If you're unaware what I'm talking about, check my posts in the previous 3-4 pages of the discussion and Bize79's post in the previous page

You have to be realistic about these things.
Logen Ninefingers
Last edited by Bars#2689 on Mar 15, 2014, 9:13:50 AM
Thanks a bunch for the information - much appreciated!

Just entered Cruel now, at lvl 40.
But its getting tough, especially since its my first char and my items is crap! Ill keep you updated of the progress!
Invasion_offtopic


If you don't have capped resistances, hit poe.xyz.is for life/resist gear, or you're risking almost insta-death if you run in Rima or Metalsmith or something like that. Play very carefully in each area until you've located the unique boss and know what type it is, search in the forum for threads like "list of deadly invasion bosses to avoid" and if you see one of the one-shotters, run away and don't look back. Besides the full quicksilver flask, decoy totem helps a lot (not to try fighting them, but to decoy + quicksilver + GTFO).

I'd also recommend crafting at least one cautious / bubbling / seething life flask and a warding mod on an amethyst/granite/quicksilver flask - you can't afford to run around with ele weakness or vulnerability and bump in some of the one-shotters.

- Rima looks like a big bright-colored version of Merveil
- Metalsmith is a big totem-summoning vaal fallen
- there's a goat with lots of fireballs, not sure of the name, also very dangerous
- a leapslamming frog with a degen aura
- a big black flickerstriking spider (Cintiq the Inescapable), the white flicker spider is not so deadly
- Ossecatti Boneshaper - a big skeleton with allies can't die aura (there's another one, Garth, who is more manageable)
- Ch'aska, a tentacle miscreation unique boss
- Bladeback guardian (like one of the mobs from Imperial Gardens who shoot spikes when dead) - if you go in melee range, he changes his attacks to knockout mode
- Judgement Apparatus, a vaal construct, tons of lightning damage + ele weakness curse, not sure at what stage it uses the curse, but best to avoid him
- Devourer boss (lots of physical / fire damage + lightning balls)

these are the ones I can think of
You have to be realistic about these things.
Logen Ninefingers
Last edited by Bars#2689 on Mar 15, 2014, 1:55:50 PM
At around what level can you swith to barrage-coc-EK? Getting tired of leveling with spectral throw ;P

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