How to rock HC Merciless with 50 dps!

Hi Hi,

Few questions:

Is anyone else rolling with this build?

How are "you" travelling with Map content? / What are the pitfalls to this build/skill gem choice late game?
I hear explosive arrow doesn't scale well and the HPoint cost is quite high with Blood Magic as per the OP's post.

Also, how does this fair against Reflect mobs?

Cheers,
Crinos

I rolled this build until i died in act3 cruel(elemental reflect aura mob offscreen :/ ).

Normal was really hard but i teamed up with a friend so it wasn't that bad. if i would roll this build again i would definitely start off as melee as the OP suggests ;)
I was really afraid picking up blood magic, but i hardly even noticed the health cost because of life on hit and around 70hp/sec.

From then on it was a complete faceroll except for rare/unique mobs, especially if they had life regen. It wasn't dangerous to fight them but it took forever ^^ The best thing you can do is tank them at a wall so all 3 of your EA shots would hit them.

As much faceroll as this build is, you have to really look out for elemental reflect in the later stages of the game. It's not hard to kill them if you know they are there, but it's hard to get killed if you don't. Either you only fire 1-2 EA volleys at a time, let them blow up and get healed by firing the next volley or you try to lure the group away from the aura and stomp them.

I have a few questions

why not down the line - pick up tons of the mana reduction/aura reduction nodes
switch back to mana and run auras - my buddy did it and he hits a lot harder now

also why not iron reflex/iron grip (esp since u stack so much str)

This build looks to be tons of fun. I found someone selling the bow in HC for 1 alch, so I went ahead and bought it. Currently level 11. We will see how it goes when I level a bit higher...

Thanks for posting this!

The thing that makes this build so good is the gear req is a quill rain and a few gems. Quite a lot of build on these forum require high gear progression, sure it's better with better gear but to farm at high level it's not needed.

Has anyone thought about using Blood magic gems for EA and PA but using mana for other skills? Might be able to run some auras this way.

Finally got this build going, and while not on HC I am really enjoying it.

Hit 70 on my Templar using the build

Now in the process of getting high itemlevel rings / ammy / quiver so I can roll them into what I need

Still trying to find 5L armor
For people asking about the build the only pitfall is the few levels shortly after switching to bow around 27-32 and Elemental Reflect

Fire Totem + GMP + Adds Chaos + Faster Cast can run over most Reflect mobs that are giving you problems

If you can scoop a Quality Fire Totem it will last a little longer too

How's your life holding up from blood magic? I'm starting to feel it when casting my arrows at 47.

darrellwyatt:

You gain more life than you lose on LMP and single shots aren't enough to really make me worry

Blood Magic is only detrimental when you first get it . . .
The blow to your health becomes less and less as you level and get a higher pool

I'm not even using any reduced mana gems and I'm having no issues