Heavy Summoner Arc Witch Guide [ Video Included ]

Thanks for all the updates. I am following this guide and the other suggestions from players is very helpful. With not a lot of time top play this really helps.

So Thanks!

:)

Wow great post, and you now have convinced me to try swapping out my chain for proliferation

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Wow great post, and you now have convinced me to try swapping out my chain for proliferation

On that topic - I'll go into a tiny bit more detail on why I think Proliferation > Chain for this build:

Mana Cost
Chain: 200% Mana
Proliferation: 140% Mana

Gem Level
Chain: Just to use it you need at least 1 item with Dex - to level it up (more damage) you'd need LOTS of dex - even getting passive nodes
Proliferation: No problem here

Gem Quality
Chain: Quality on Chain increases Projectile Speed - that does nothing for Arc (Instant Speed)
Proliferation: Quality on Proliferation Increase Shock duration - YES PLEASE

Arc Damage
Chain: If you buy into arc isn't for doing damage - this doesn't matter. But if you read my last post, perhaps you agree Arc can do good damage. Chain makes 6 hits that all do 50% less damage. Makes the skill's weakness (Single Target) even worse.
Proliferation: Doesn't add damage directly, but it doesn't take 50% either. If your Arc does 100 damage: 100*4 = 400 total damage, where as with chain: 50*6 = 300 total damage.

Spreading Charges
Chain: You hit 2 more targets. Lets say you have a 30ish% Chance to Apply Shock (10% From Static Blows, 10-14% from Conductivity, 5-8% from your Crit. Not sure if thats additive, but your actual chance to shock must be 25ish-35ish. Now, 6 targets with a 30% chance to shock. You'll usually shock 2ish enimies.
Proliferation: You hit 4 targets. You have the same 30ish% chance to shock. So, you'll usually shock 1 enemey - occasionaly 2. But, all you need is 1 because that one spreads to everything with in 25-30 (depending on gem level) yards of the first target.
Note: I'm not sure if Proliferation spreads second and third "stacks" of shock. Or only the first - but I'm not sure why it wouldn't and it feels like it does to me.

Shock Length:
Chain: Your hitting for tiny little 50% hits. Your Shocks won't stay up for much time at all (Especially on Rares/Elites).
Proliferation: Your hitting for more damage - more damage means longer duration. Not to mention Quality on Proliferation makes the shock last longer.

So - the only thing Chain "may" have over proliferation is that proliferation "might" not spread second and third stacks of shock(I'm pretty sure it does though) - where as, of course, chain does for sure.

Every other variable leans in Proliferations favor. At least every one I can think of.

So thanks to Snowhammer's detailed posts, I was finally convinced to take out my lightening penetration+chain gem and put in Increased Casting Speed+Elemental Proliferation, and I focused on using arc as more of a damage spell and not only a debuff. Here's what I found:

He's absolutely right, it's much better.

1. I noticed a HUGE jump in the amount of enemies shocked.
2. I honestly believe that even without proliferation, the increased casting speed almost makes up for hitting half as many enemies anyways. I even took a wand with slightly less Spell Damage but with more casting speed because of this.
3. My Arc's sheet dps just almost tripled. It's nowhere near Snowhammer's (mine's only 650), but my gear's still sorta iffy right now.
4. I can now run three aura's. Meaning I was able to add Purity without chain, which is HUGE. I only have like 180 mana with all three active, but my high regen allows me to spam and res no problem.
5. The no dex requirement from chain doesn't affect me, since I still use GMP and Faster Projectiles with my Spectre+Minion Damage gems, meaning I still need to hit the 52 (minimum, lvl 1) requirement. So I still require a Dex node (my gear is 5 dex short of 52 >.< )


TL;DR- While void's build is awesome, totally viable, strong, and I owe him so much for writing this guide, I gotta eat crow and admit that I prefer Snowhammer's tweaking to the original ( he wasn't the first I know, but he explained the tweaking best imo and went on to add more to the idea), using Elemental Proliferation instead of Chain to spread Shock. Big thanks to both these guys for helping me be stable in this game and have a lot of fun.


edit: think i got them all, but I wrote chain a few times up there when i meant Arc.
edit2: I am 66 for reference and in the middle of act 3, merciless.

nice build void, enjoying it

How in gods name are you guys making it past the 30's? My Freezing Pulse at level 32 is doing an ASTOUNDING 76 DPS. Ice Spear is around the same. My zombies, although close to 500HP, are still getting demolished in Act 3 normal. Just got Spell Totem/Skeletons and its not even much better. My FP takes 5-6 shots before I actually kill things. What am I missing to increase my damage here? Here is my gear. Please throw some advice my way of what I can get to make my damage go up so I can attempt Cruel.





I am also following the build exactly level per level.

Odin, difficult to say what you're doing wrong, but you really should upgrade your chest and helmet, that would add a lot of survivability. You also need minion damage+health on your skeletons in my opinion.

I breezed through normal and so far through act 1 on cruel with my build and items. Maybe you should try use Arc instead of Freezing Pulse. Shocked status adds 40% damage taken and it stacks up to 3 times.. thats A LOT of extra damage when your minions explode in their faces.


Build:


This is what I'm aiming for:


Items:

http://www.reddit.com/r/pathofexile/comments/18ebtl/analysis_of_shocked_in_kripparrians_build/

Anyone have any comment on how shock works reading that post and how it applies to this build? It sounds like you need arc to do a good amount of damage in order for shock to apply.

edit: It's just about impossible to tell if an enemy has been shocked. So you don't really know how effective your arc is really spreading shock and for how long.

This is why i feel like a non-shock oriented summoner build is better. As you do harder and harder maps with mobs with more and more hp it will get harder to stack shock charges.

with 4 spectres u can use 1-2 spectres with lightning damage that is dedicated to shocking for you.

http://www.reddit.com/r/pathofexile/comments/18ebtl/analysis_of_shocked_in_kripparrians_build/

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confessions721 wrote:

edit: It's just about impossible to tell if an enemy has been shocked. So you don't really know how effective your arc is really spreading shock and for how long.

Shocked enemy starts glowing and radiating shock debuff on nearby enemies (in 30 yards? range), can debuff anything this way. If enemy is not glowing it has not been shocked. As long as you can shock the weakest mob - everyone around will be shocked too.