Cheap and tanky Arc build for the beginner witch
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UPDATED 1.2: http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/998791
OUTDATED 1.1:
Spoiler
Great, another arc build. So what's the point of this one? What makes this unique?
Oftentimes, beginners who start witch find themselves stacking DPS on DPS. It's fine and all until they start getting instaRIP'd in maps (if they can get past Dominus) and waste a ton of exp. After experimenting with the tree for a while and scrounging for cheap gear, I scrapped together an effective and beginner-friendly witch. In making this build, I had 3 things in mind: 1. Make a cheap and beginner-friendly build. Beginners don't have $$, and I'm here to respect that. As the build gets closer and closer to the 80-90 zone, I do expect them to have a little more currency; regardless, the build can clear 78 maps without a problem at under 2 exalts worth of gear, and it can run 66-70 or higher with ~10-15 chaos worth of gear. Asides from the Moonsorrow, there is no costly unique (Doryani's, Cloak of Defiance, Rise of the Phoenix, etc.) that's on the requirements list. 2. Get tanky (In non-hardcore leagues - this build was obviously not meant to do invasion/hardcore where we'd be seeing special damage reduction gear like Cloak of Defiance or Lightning Coil). The build sacrifices common DPS boosters like dual wands or spell-damage spirit shields and crit in favor of survivability in the form of a high-armor/hp tower shield and Life leech. Remember: a dead witch deals 0 DPS. It's not just elemental damage tanky, we're also aiming to get physical damage tanky with a minimum of 3k base armor, up to 10k. We're also aiming to be able to sustain damage after the initial burst so that you can facetank a minimum of 10k damage over the course of a fight. 3. Make the build open-ended. Although Arc, Arctic Armor, Clarity, and Enfeeble/Conductivity/Elemental Weakness are set in stone, all other spells and auras are left to the imagination and needs of the user.
Gameplay video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyGg30BadOA Granted, Bazaar is a relatively easy map, and the two rogues I ran into were the easy ones. I tried to record party gameplay in Courtyard, but some CoCer was lagging the game. Note that in this build, I was running Lightning Damage instead of Elemental Prolif, but Ele Prolif is way better for clear time. More will come if I can get my hands on a not-so-laggy party for a 78 map http://youtu.be/yEV_WjOCFbY Brief demo of elemental reflect lvl76 map showing how 85% lightning res + life leech can offset reflect. If you can't afford a Saffell's frame, use a mix of Firestorm + life leech and Arc.
Pros and cons
Pros: Relatively tanky for a caster - this comes with added benefits like not having to kite as much (read: you can actually sustain that DPS), or being able to facetank certain kinds of enemies that would otherwise destroy you. This, of course, does not mean that you should sit under a Vaal smash or skip through Atziri assuming you can facetank everything, as this build forgoes Cloak of Defiance or Lightning Coil in favor of affordability. This also does not mean you should follow this build path in anywhere but ambush/standard league where there is no death penalty. Great team synergy - Elemental Weakness/Enfeeble and shock procs as well as your triple auras help everyone. Strong solo character - I actually designed the witch around solo/duo play, but hey, it works everywhere. Invincible vs most phys/fire projectile enemies - It's kinda funny when you're being sprayed at by 2-extra-projectile voidbearers in a map with 4 extra projectiles and +90% additional fire damage and you're taking a wonderful 0 damage. Can fight elemental reflect - If you have Saffell's and/or purity of lightning, elemental reflect maps are a piece of cake. Even without those things, your chance of nuking yourself on a reflect rare is very low due to the critless build and the life leeching. Open-ended build - leaves user with +8 gem slots for experimenting. Extremely cheap & beginner-friendly - this build doesn't require any advanced knowledge of POE or any special unique that costs multiple exalts. (Downside - no super-end-game play due to lack of costly uniques. This is only meant to be a step-up build to help you get currency and create stronger builds). Cons: Low DPS - by sacrificing dual wands/scepters or wand-spiritshield combo and taking in a ton of health nodes on the tree as well as forgoing essential but costly uniques, you're most likely going to end up with 4-5k DPS by the time you start doing maps, with an upper limit of 7k x6 tooltip DPS without grabbing any uniques, empowers, or 6 links. That's ignoring the benefit of shock stacks, Lightning penetration, or Elemental Weakness/Conductivity. If I were interested in flaunting DPS values, I'd combine all the effects and say I could do 60-100k DPS depending on the enemy resistances but that would make me feel bad, and realistically the build can only do ~15k single target DPS max. No chaos res - cannot fight chaos damage uniques effectively (Unable to fight Jungle Valley's spider boss or Olmec's Sanctum's chaos totem). Weak vs Lightning resist (although 30-35% lightning pen + 45-59% elemental weakness can help with that). If you're concerned about lightning res, you can slot an Added chaos damage instead for some well-rounded DPS. Also, you can grab a Searing Bond totem to combat lightning res and further augment your DPS by making use of your tankiness. Mana-hungry - running Arctic armour and spamming arc requires you to grab all the aura and mana nodes to keep your clarity up to par.
Level 80 base stats
http://poebuilder.com/#character/AAAAAgMAAnEC4wSzB2MHpQj0EZYTnhRNFVAV5xZvFy8ZhRpsHNwelB8CJDwkqiaVJ6ksnC0fLUcvbzGINsU26USrRtdJUUmyUEJVS1WuVcZV1lcrWm1dxmBtZOdnvW0ZcLtzU3OzdhF4unkDfll-r3_GgKSCEIIegziMNo0Zj0aPppMnm6GdgJ2un3uiAKKjpJGnCKdcrD-1BMBUwbTB889l0NDVT9gk2RPa3dsL3FfdjN3z3nffsOAS42rkIuTs7m_wH_Br89360g== At level 80, we have: Life: 2507 (208% multiplier) Mana: 816 (52% multiplier) + EB Res: -48/-48/-33/-48 Str/Dex/Int: 124/74/322 Spell dmg: 123% multiplier Mana regen: +140% Cast speed: +36%
Current Stats
Here's what I have on my level 87 witch with under 2 exalt worth of gear.
Armor setup: 4800 hp 2260 mana 8400 armor 77/77/77/-43 resist 300 mana/s 50 hp/s Inner-force-buffed AA 6.7k x6 tooltip DPS, 40% chance to shock Elemental setup: 4550 hp 2400 mana 1900 armor 86/81/86/-43 resist 50 hp/s 310 mana/s Inner-force-buffed AA 7k x6 tooltip DPS, 40% chance to shock
Skill Tree
Baby steps version
Because there is no exp penalty for dying in the first 35-37 levels (end of Normal difficulty), we don't care all too much about survivability. The first 45 points will go directly into helping DPS, but after that we'll start grabbing some nice health nodes and transition into a relatively tanky witch by level 50.
First 4 points
http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMAB2NXK3NTwFQ=
I don't know, some people spam the spell damage/cast speed nodes immediately and wonder why they're out of mana so quickly.
30 points
http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMAAuMHYwelFVAfAiepLJwtHzbFRKtJslWuVyttGXNTdhF-WX6vf8aCEI-moqOnCMBUwbTB89gk2t3fsOTs
As you can see, I'm targeting the two adjacent +30 dex and strength nodes. By 30 points, you should have 74 dex/strength to help you level green and red gems or wear armor gear. Once again, we're at a stage where it's all right to be squishy.
40 points
http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMAAuMHYwelFVAc3B6UHwIkPCepLJwtHzbFRKtJUUmyVa5XK1ptbRlzU3YRfll-r3_GghCPppMnn3uio6cIp1ysP8BUwbTB89gk2t3cV9-w5Ow=
The tree's been set up to give a nice life boost to help with Act 3. More of a quality-of-life step than anything else.
50 points
http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMAAuMHYwelE54VUBzcHpQfAiQ8JpUnqSycLR8tRzbFRKtJUUmyUEJVS1WuVytabW0Zc1N2EXi6fll-r3_GghCMNo9Gj6aTJ597oqOkkacIp1ysP8BUwbTB89DQ2CTa3dxX37Dk7A==
We finish the mana/hp circle, take the health and lightning damage nodes at Shadow's side, and work our way to Purity of Flesh on the left side. As far as we're concerned, the right side is done. We'll come back to fetch Eldrich Battery, the cast speed/spell damage nodes, and Influence later on. Now is also a great time to try running a low-level arctic armour if you already haven't tried it. Make sure to level AA up only when you're completely sure you can sustain the mana cost. If you're having trouble sustaining Arc with AA active, use Devouring totem. Alternatively, you can get Eldrich battery to sustain AA as long as you have life leech linked to Arc.
60 points
http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMAAuMHYwelE54VUBzcHRQelB8CJDwkqiaVJ6ksnC0fLUc2xTbpRKtJUUmyUEJVS1WuVcZXK1ptZ71tGXNTdhF4un5Zfq9_xoIQjDaPRo-mkyeboZ97oqOkkacIp1ysP8BUwbTB889l0NDYJNrd3FffsONq5Ozub_rS
We'll grab Purity of Flesh, Shock chance, and Holy Strength circle for some nice utility and HP. At this point we're transitioning into a Merciless-ready witch.
70 points
http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMAAuMHYwelE54VUBcvGYUabBzcHRQelB8CJDwkqiaVJ6ksnC0fLUc2xTbpRKtJUUmyUEJVS1WuVcZV1lcrWm1k52e9bRlzU3YReLp5A35Zfq9_xoCkghCCHow2j0aPppMnm6Gfe6KjpJGnCKdcrD_AVMG0wfPPZdDQ2CTa3dsL3FffsONq5Ozub_Pd-tI=
Around now, it's safe to take Eldrich Battery if you haven't already taken it. If you want to, you can take EB around the 60 point mark to run AA more efficiently. We'll also grab the Sovereignty circle and make our way to Influence. At this point you should be able to run an aura asides from Clarity. If you want more DPS, Haste is a good option. If you want some survivability, Purity of elements or Vitality are good options, and Determination is good if you have a high-armor shield. After this we're going to finish the 3 nearby hp nodes and work our way into the Templar tree.
80 points
http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMAAuMHYwelEZYTnhVQFy8ZhRpsHNwdFB6UHwIkPCSqJpUnqSycLR8tRy9vNsU26USrRtdJUUmyUEJVS1WuVcZV1lcrWm1dxmBtZOdnvW0ZcLtzU3YReLp-WX6vf8aApIIQgh6MNo9Gj6aTJ5uhnYCfe6KjpJGnCKdcrD-1BMBUwbTB889l0NDYJNkT2t3bC9xX3fPfsONq5CLk7O5v89360g==
We should be ready to run maps very soon. The final touches to the build are happening - we grab Influence and make our way into the Templar's tree for a few crucial health nodes.
90 points
http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMAAnEC4wSzB2MHpRGWE54UTRVQFy8ZhRpsHNwdFB6UHwIkPCSqJpUnqSycLR8tRy9vMYg2xTbpRKtG10lRSbJQQlVLVa5VxlXWVytabV3GYG1k52e9bRlwu3NTdhF4unkDfll-r3_GgKSCEIIegziMNo0Zj0aPppMnm6GdgJ97ogCio6SRpwinXKw_tQTAVMG0wfPPZdDQ2CTZE9rd2wvcV93z37DjauQi5Ozpc-5v8B_z3frS
You should be level 72 by now, which means you should be running 66-69 maps comfortably. To make map-running easier, we finish the Templar side for the massive HP boost and grab the 3 health nodes at the very start of witch that you were probably wondering about (and please don't ask me why I didn't go for them sooner, I really don't know). Now that we're sufficiently tanky, we'll mop up a few damage nodes to bump up the DPS.
Level 80
http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMAAnEC4wSzB2MHpQj0EZYTnhRNFVAV5xcvGYUabBzcHRQelB8CJDwkqiaVJ6ksnC0fLUcvbzGINsU26USrRtdJUUmyUEJVS1WuVcZV1lcrWm1dxmBtZOdnvW0ZcLtzU3OzdhF4unkDfll-r3_GgKSCEIIegziMNo0Zj0aPppMnm6GdgJ97ogCio6SRpwinXKw_tQTAVMG0wfPPZdDQ1U_YJNkT2t3bC9xX3Yzd895337DgEuNq5CLk7Olz7m_wH_Br89360g==
Hooray, you hit level 80. From here on, there's not much else to do asides from grabbing Inner Force and more damage/hp nodes.
Alternative level 80 #1
http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMAAnEC4wSzB2MHpQj0DH0QfxGWE54UTRVQFecXLxmFGmwc3B6UHwIkPCSqJpUnqSycLR8tRy9vMYg2xTbpRKtG10lRSbJQQlVLVa5VxlXWVytabV3GYG1k52e9bRlwu3NTc7N2EXi6eQN-WX6vf8aApIIQgh6DOIw2j0aPppMnm6GdgJ2un3uiAKKjpJGnCKdcrD-1BLiTwFTBtMHzxp7PZdDQ1U_YJNkT2t3bC9xX3fPed9-w42rkIuTs7m_wH_Br89360g==
This is more tank-focused since now we have an Inner-force-buffed arctic armor at the cost of Lightning weaver. I would strongly recommend this route if you can't get your hands on enough armor and/or you're not running determination but you have the mana regen to sustain AA. Although I won't make a tree for it, alternative number 2 involved retaining Lightning Weaver and getting Inner force at the cost of 4 8% hp nodes. More glass cannon than the other alternatives, but this is a good option if you feel that you have enough hp (at least 4.2-4.5k)
End of build
I kinda know what I should be doing version
Why do we get Eldrich battery so late? In the early version of this build, energy shield is our way of boosting survivability since we don't have life leech yet. Getting eldrich battery is only to help us run Arctic Armor and transition from life/ES hybrid to pure health tank + AA. Why do we get Inner Force so late? Although it boosts the effects of auras significantly, it also hikes the cost of running Arctic Armor by a significant margin. Influence and Sovereignty will ensure that we get the most out of our own auras until the build approaches a safe mana regen to run a decently-leveled AA (which is 200 MP/s minimum). Since the release of Spell Echo, mana regen is not as problematic. Feel free to ignore this and get Nimbleness. Why don't you get Nimbleness? Why are the cast speed nodes by Shadow obtained so late? Let's just say that the last time I ran an early-game arc witch, the mana regen was so problematic that I had to run mana leech even without Faster Casting slotted.
Bandits
Normal: Oak +40hp Cruel: Alira +4% cast speed Merc: Passive +1
Gems
You start off with Spark (killing hillock quest) and Storm Call (Mud flats quest), but it's at a stage where you can't link much. By the time you get to Intruders in Black in Act 2 for Arc, you should be able to get a linked vest or gloves. The order of priority is as follows: Arc Added Lightning Damage or Faster Casting or Spell Echo Lightning Penetration Life Leech (Not a quest reward for witch) OR Mana leech, if mana is problematic By the end of Cruel or midway through Merciless, you should be able to buy a cheap 5link vest (http://poe.xyz.is/search/nogohuhumetamo)For best results, use: Arc Faster Casting/Spell Echo Lightning Penetration Life Leech Added Lightning Damage or Elemental proliferation Because you have the lovely shock nodes to boost your shock chance by a significant amount, using Elemental Proliferation instead of Added Lightning Damage can easily inflict max stacks onto a group within 2-3 arcs and effectively double your DPS. Great waveclearer at the cost of some single-target DPS. Also gives you incredible synergy with teammates by boosting their damage output as well. Auras: Clarity is the only real requirement. You can try the combination that I'm running, which is Determination Clarity Haste Reduced mana You can also try Vitality, or run a Purity or two. Running Vitality-Purity-Clarity is an effective counter to elemental-based bosses. This combo is also amazingly effective against elemental reflect when combo'd with Saffell's. Curses: Enfeeble is a must-have because of the immense defensive value it offers. Being able to cut down an enemy's DPS by at least a third is a huge boon to your survivability. Using Conductivity (for solo maps) or Elemental Weakness (for party play) is also a great way to boost damage output, especially on lightning-resistant enemies. No other curses really work. Totems: Devouring totem is an extremely powerful totem that I always carry around. It gives a hefty health/mana regen (which can be crucial when you don't have Life leech linked yet) and it's very effective at distracting bosses. It's also effective at countering Necromancers, revive/explode-bodies modifier on strongboxes, and gives you a way to deal with Corrupting Blood rares. Spell totem - use your imagination! You can do something simple like linking spell totem to Arc-Faster casting-Lightning penetration to boost your DPS by a significant amount. One hilarious combination I've been using lately is Spell totem-Frost wall-Faster casting-Knockback. It prevents most melee uniques from touching you since the totem keeps throwing up a wall between them and you. Spell totem-Arctic breath-Greater multiple projectiles-Faster casting is also a pretty funny one that creates chilled ground everywhere. And lastly, Spell totem-Arctic armor. Why? I honestly have no idea. Flame totem - if you don't feel like making a spell totem and you want to add a little fire damage to your arsenal, this little guy has your back. With GMP + Faster casting, he can greatly augment your DPS. Searing Bond totem - If you plant one of these guys behind you and enter a room, the totem will essentially give you a burning aura of awesome fire damage to vaporize nearby foes. Great way to augment your DPS. Spells: Asides from Arc and Arctic Armor, you can use any spell you want. You can have the rest of your items dedicated to a Cast when damage taken build with Enduring Cry and Immortal Call plus Increased Duration (which I strongly recommend). You could have CWDT linked to Enfeeble (that's a really nice one), Frost Wall (very, very trolly), or Vaal cold snap. One combo I've been using is Cold snap-Elemental proliferation-Increased AOE. It can freeze entire clusters of enemies. Lightning warp-reduced duration-faster casting is a common one that I would also bring to several occasions. If you are struggling with elemental reflect maps/enemies, Firestorm + burning damage + chance to ignite + life leech is a very effective 4-link skill to have, since Arctic Armor will essentially block all of the reflected damage. Sample set of spells: Helmet: Clarity, Vitality, Determination, Reduced Mana Chest: Arc, Elemental Proliferation, Lightning pen, Life leech, Spell echo Wand: Increased AOE, Enfeeble, Elemental Weakness Shield: CWDT, Immortal Call, Enduring Cry Gloves: Spell Totem, Frost Wall, Faster Casting, Devouring totem Boots: Searing bond, reduced duration, lightning warp, Arctic Armour
Items
If you haven't already found the site yet, http://poe.xyz.is/ is your best friend. You can get some very effective and cheap gear.
Required
Moonsorrow is a must-have simply because it has the stats of an extremely expensive wand but it costs 1-2c. Getting a high-roll Moonsorrow might cost you 3c. Try to get one that's at most 5% from perfect (84-89% total lightning/spell damage)
Recommended
Saffell's Frame
When you get around to running maps, you'll find that some maps tend to be rather elemental-damage heavy. Perhaps you run into a boss that's pure lightning damage, or a rogue that's pure fire damage. Having a Saffell on your offhand gives you the option of whipping out a nice +4% max res for extra elemental survivability as well as a small DPS boost. This shield should cost you no more than 15 chaos. Don't worry too much about the roll on it, since the difference between 70% and 80% spell block chance or 20% and 30% spell damage is actually relatively low; nevertheless don't get yourself a 72/21.
Current Gear
I challenged myself to create a full set under 2 exalts capable of running 77-78 maps easily. That instantly ruled out essentials like the two Doryani's. I think the total cost here is under 70 chaos (excluding gems), most of it due to the vest, shield, and belt. The quality gems are worth a bit themselves, but I'd been running this build with absolutely no quality gems for a while and it works really well without quality gems.
I'll eventually swap out the amulet and Bramble Eye ring in favor of things with actual ER on them. Ideally you'd want a high HP/armor tower shield. Lioneye's works if you already have enough resists. A high life/res vest is essential for running arc, and gloves/boots/helmet should be armor or armor/ES hybrid depending on how badly you need the blue sockets. Every item you wear should have life (which is one of the small challenges of putting together this build). Belt should provide res/life/armor, and rings/amulets should give dex, mana regen, life, and res. If you feel that you are adequately tanky enough, you can ditch the shield in favor of dual-wielding Moonsorrows. That'll give you a lot less armor and a little less hp but a good DPS spike.
Maps/mods
The build can do everything except: Maps: Olmec's Sanctum (not enough chaos res for chaos totem) Jungle Valley map boss (leave that to the cycloning mauraders) Mods: No regen (that's just stupid) Rogues: Somewhere out there, that firestorm rogue that was doing 8k damage per firestorm hit with ~70k ES is smirking at me and my failure to have Purity of Fire + Rise of the Phoenix at hand. Otherwise, the build can do any other rogue just fine. Atziri: I only attempted Atziri once with this build, and I got through two of Atziri's generals at best. Didn't feel like fixing the build for Atziri runs, which would require a Cloak of defiance for extra tankiness. I've pretty much stopped playing on this one in favor of playing RF Arc witch, RF maurader, CI flicker, Ele prolif wander, and now a Block Arcer. [2.2] KuteKitteh's CI EA Regen Tank - Durable w/10k ES, instant clear, EZ-Atziri, affordable!: /1625757 Last edited by KuteKitteh#5381 on Aug 26, 2014, 3:39:49 PM
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:)
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Not tanky at all, believe me, you dont want to know what tanky means, yours is VERY squishy
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tanky is, for me, 10k+ armour and 6k+ life.
that being said, nice build though. too squishy for invasion or any HC league, I'd say, but a solid build nonetheless |
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If this one is too squishy do you guys have advice on a tankier one? I've died twice already doing ambush (got sick of dying in Invasion for a while). I thought this build was doing pretty good IMO. But I'm super new!
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" Build ain't too squishy if your playing ambush. Some seem to be bothered by the use of the TERM "tanky", not by the quality of the build. Very solid build imho. |
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Fantastic guide, just what I was looking for. I had made the rookie mistake of getting too ahead of myself and tried to make my own custom build on my first characters, and needless to say, was hilariously frustratingly unsuccessful. I also really appreciate how this guide was organized and easy to read. I've just gotta say, you hit your three goal bullets quite well and I'm having a lot of fun using this friendly build.
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"Glad to know you're doing well with this! [2.2] KuteKitteh's CI EA Regen Tank - Durable w/10k ES, instant clear, EZ-Atziri, affordable!: /1625757
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Cheap and tanky Arc build
The build can do everything except: http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/768258 |
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Its higher than the desired price range of this build, but Rumi's Concoction seems a great way to make a witch tougher to me. Most witches carry a granite flask anyway so it fits in pretty seemlessly, I'm thinking of combining it with Rathpith myself but it'd work fine with this current build. Thoughts on it?
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