[2.0] Tempada's AAA EK: An Ethereal Knives Guide | 30-60k+ Non-Crit DPS | Affordable | HC Viable

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wolfedok wrote:

what jewels are u using ?? and would be best for lvling. Thks for the build btw :)

I use Survival Secrets for a little mana regen, Conqueror's Potency corrupted with "you are immune to silence" (the corruption is the only reason I use it; I hate being silenced!), and a rare jewel with life, resists, and cold damage.

For unique jewels, Assassin's Haste, Conqueror's Efficiency, and Survival Secrets are ok for mana issues, and Poacher's Aim is excellent for the pierce chance.

For rare jewels, look for life first and foremost, then cast speed or spell damage or projectile damage or mana regeneration rate or reduced mana cost of skills or increased damage.

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Lorgres wrote:

I want to start Shadow in HC, should I go for Armour/evasion gear towards merciless?

I like evasion gear since it isn't negatively affected by Acrobatics, and some ES on top of that is nice (armour in small amounts is pointless), but it doesn't really matter what you choose as long as you use Arctic Armour and have a big enough life pool.

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Also what's your opinion on Cybills paw instead of a dagger?

I think Cybil's Paw is only worth it in a block build, and this is not that.

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Last but not least, is revenge of the Hunted worth it for a HC char? only 1 node off and Evasion+health is really nice and it also provides 12% phys dmg

Yeah, in HC I might take that, but I'd fill out the Scion life wheel first.

quick question why not run lmp

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abhorr wrote:

quick question why not run lmp

EK already has 10 projectiles. How would adding 2 more be beneficial?

What do you think of doryani's scepter ? and of tabula rasa with + 1 level of socketed gems ?

Hey, I'm currently level 52 in this build, I am enjoying it very much and want to thank you for the solid guide. I noticed a few months ago you said how you thought EK was comparatively weak, do you still feel that way now?

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XtremSK wrote:

What do you think of doryani's scepter ? and of tabula rasa with + 1 level of socketed gems ?

Sorry for the delay; haven't checked this thread in a while. Doryani's is a great item, but I wouldn't use it here. Go for it with Tabula!

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Mambazo wrote:

Hey, I'm currently level 52 in this build, I am enjoying it very much and want to thank you for the solid guide. I noticed a few months ago you said how you thought EK was comparatively weak, do you still feel that way now?

Glad to hear that!

No, I don't feel that way now. EK is easily one of the best spells in 2.0, almost on par with Incinerate. Incinerate has the upper hand in part because fire damage can easily be converted to chaos (The Consuming Dark and/or Infernal Mantle), so reflect becomes a non-issue in many cases. Plus Incinerate works better with Cybil's Paw or a Blood Magic setup (Doon Cuebiyari + Iron Will). I would not be surprised if Incinerate is nerfed :/ It's an incredibly flexible skill.

That's good news. I would have stuck with the build either way because I enjoy EK, but its nice to hear it's competitive with other strong skills.

Another quick question, my brother (who plays more path than I do, but who can also be a hater) is trying to convince me that clarity isn't worth it. Apparently I can "just get reasonable mana regen on gear, or use a flask or mana on hit jewel or something". Thoughts on that? Why clarity? I use it right now, I haven't done much testing without using it but right now I rarely have to flask, only if I'm wearing down a tough boss and all his trash is dead.

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Mambazo wrote:

my brother (who plays more path than I do, but who can also be a hater) is trying to convince me that clarity isn't worth it. Apparently I can "just get reasonable mana regen on gear, or use a flask or mana on hit jewel or something". Thoughts on that? Why clarity? I use it right now, I haven't done much testing without using it but right now I rarely have to flask, only if I'm wearing down a tough boss and all his trash is dead.

Clarity is a HUGE help, especially thanks to "increased effect of aura" nodes on the tree. As you level up gems and eventually get a 5L or 6L setup, mana drain becomes a big problem, even with great gear, and Clarity nearly fixes that problem. Saving cast speed nodes on the tree for late game helps if you run into issues, but it sounds like you're doing fine so far. Once you hit mapping, you'll probably have to swap in the Mana Leech gem in order to run lowered regen mods. I avoid no regen maps.

Mana sustain is pretty nasty in 2.0, and the changes to auras didn't help, so I can understand if your brother says that Clarity isn't worth it. In many cases it's better for casters to go Blood Magic (totem builds, certain Incinerate builds) or try to hit zero mana costs with Elreon accessories and "reduced mana cost of skills" on the tree and on jewels. Or there are niche Eldritch Battery builds that allow you to reserve all mana for auras. However, I don't think these are optimal ways to play EK right now. Yes, Clarity takes up a bunch of mana, and to make the best possible build with mana you'll eventually want Enlighten, but if you're enjoying the skill, it's worth working up to that.

As a comparison, the most "successful" (able to reach high levels and safely conquer higher level maps than I can) EK build I've seen is this one by Cantrip, and he uses Clarity as well. We shared ideas and have many tree similarities, but Cantrip really embraced the 2.0 changes and uses a dagger (for Whirling Blades + Fortify) and frenzy charges on his caster. You don't need to use those gimmicks to reach high levels, but you do need tricks to take on the top tier maps (80 and above, or so). Hopefully it will change in future patches, but right now the top non-archer/summoner/totem builds feel forced into Fortify for survival, and that's unfortunate for diversity and unfortunate for a skill that was supposed to give melee characters an edge.

How do you like the new phys dmg nodes right next to the shadow?

Hey I used to play this build waaaay back before awakening...

I've come back for ascendancy and wondering if there's an updated build or some general tips for Awakening?