[outdated] Caustic Arrow Solo Map MFer (20/300+)

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dMo87 wrote:

Hi Max,

I use this Build i the Darkshrine league, so i might be able to give you some tips.

First of all (depending on your budget) try to either 6L your +3 Bow or buy a 6L and transfer your PA Combo to the bow. The Cloud-DMG significantly profits from the +3 boost. Second I would loose either IIR or IIQ gem in your 6L combo and replace it with inc AOE.

The next step is to optimize your cursing. like written in the guide either use a CwDt + Vulnerability + IC + ID Combo, or try cursing manually. Either way you need a Vulnerability gem which means you gotta lose Enfeeble.

My gem setup looks the following atm:

Spoiler

Note that i am leveling another Poison arrow in case corrupting goes wrong and Empower offslot till i finally get a 6L.

For further infos on gems look into the "Gems & Links" section of the guide which would be a good start to begin with.

Regarding your skill tree I would recommend reading the "Level 89 Tree and Analysis of Why We Go Jewel-Based" section of the guide.

Edit: I forgot to mention that you shouldn't wreck your 5L if you are not sure to get either 5L or 6L - but that should be taken for granted...

Thanks for your reply i have updated my skill tree and gems and 6l my bow.
i find the build is a bit slow on killing and moving quick any chance of upgrading any thing on the build and getting more rarity with more life?

I'm a relatively new player, so I have some questions.

I had this ranger left over from when I played a year or so back, so I decided to spend a couple lucky finds from my Witch and buy some gear for it. I'm not left with much, so I'm hoping I can get this working.

My tree is a bit screwed up because I started following someone else's guide, then switched to this one. But I don't think it's a total loss, I do have 11 orb of regret (and 3 refund points I can pick up from quests I haven't done yet) if I really must use them.

Hopefully my ranger is viewable to the public, comments and suggestions are welcome.

Questions:

1. Since I don't have a 6L (and I doubt I'll be getting one any time soon, on standard the cheapest 6L white bows are still many exalts) I have to run a culling strike+IIR for bosses. I'm trying flame totem right now, but I'm not impressed with its performance: there's too much of a delay between casting it and it firing. Could I run another lower level Poison Arrow linked to the culling+IIR? If I did this, does the "new" poison cloud replace the old one? (ie. am I guaranteed that the new poison cloud will cull the boss, instead of the old one killing it?)

2. At present, with 6 frenzy charges up, my tooltip DPS is only 10k. I would really appreciate some suggestions on what I need to improve.

3. I can't manage to get RGGBB on my bow. So I'm running: PA + fproj + Empower(lvl2) + sproj + conc. Would I be better off running a different skill combo in the bow?

4. Blood Rage vs. Frenzy: you say to run both. I'm trying that. However, my life regen is JUST shy of the Blood Rage degen. I'm not seeing anywhere close that I can pick up even 0.4% life regen. Suggestions?

5. I should NOT pick up piercing nodes until I can afford a Drillneck, correct? And a 6L should be a priority over Drillneck, yes?

Thanks!

@Max

You need to put your PA setup IN the bow, buddy. You're missing out on like... 7-10k dps probably? Because neither your PA nor your Empower are taking advantage of the +gem levels.

Drop Sadima's for rare gloves with life / IIR.

Amulet needs replacing with something similar, with life.

Switch to a leather belt instead of rustic.

Pretty basic stuff.

Tree looks fine though you can spec out of the ranger 10% proj nodes for scion life if you find you're lacking in survivability.

Also if you pick up Soul Siphon you won't need a mana flask at all. That will let you get a second Quicksilver in that slot which will improve you movement around maps.

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SpidaFly wrote:

1. Since I don't have a 6L (and I doubt I'll be getting one any time soon, on standard the cheapest 6L white bows are still many exalts) I have to run a culling strike+IIR for bosses. I'm trying flame totem right now, but I'm not impressed with its performance: there's too much of a delay between casting it and it firing. Could I run another lower level Poison Arrow linked to the culling+IIR? If I did this, does the "new" poison cloud replace the old one? (ie. am I guaranteed that the new poison cloud will cull the boss, instead of the old one killing it?)

2. At present, with 6 frenzy charges up, my tooltip DPS is only 10k. I would really appreciate some suggestions on what I need to improve.

3. I can't manage to get RGGBB on my bow. So I'm running: PA + fproj + Empower(lvl2) + sproj + conc. Would I be better off running a different skill combo in the bow?

4. Blood Rage vs. Frenzy: you say to run both. I'm trying that. However, my life regen is JUST shy of the Blood Rage degen. I'm not seeing anywhere close that I can pick up even 0.4% life regen. Suggestions?

5. I should NOT pick up piercing nodes until I can afford a Drillneck, correct? And a 6L should be a priority over Drillneck, yes?

1. No, degenerative skills can't cull. That's the reason why we go with Flame Totem. Culling requires a "hit", and degen effects don't hit. Attacks and most spells do.

2. The central damage increases for the build are gem level (hence the +3 bow and Empower), and Drillneck. So until you can get a +3 bow pretty much you just gotta keep leveling that Empower. And of course the usual node stuff on the tree. Like you say your tree's not that bad off, if you switch your pathing through the Scion Eva wheel down to duelist, spec out of Charisma and the eva/life nodes adjacent to it, you'll end up with around a net +4 extra points to use which can carry you to the more efficient scion life and get you another jewel socket for damage affixes.

3. No.

4. None. That's how the build functions. You use seething two hallowed life flasks for your proper healing during battles and an eternal catalyzed flask for situations where you have more time and can afford a more prolonged recovery and to combat the BR degen.

The frenzy gem setup is largely to curse bosses and keep your charges up during prolonged fights. Otherwise blood rage is what sustains your charges precisely so you don't have to stop and use Frenzy. It improves the clear speed. The sacrifice is the slight degen.

5. Correct on both counts.

Man, the thread has grown long ^^

Just a heads-up for us Caustic Arrowers: Various feedbacks indicate trouble with tougher enemies for single-target damage. Talisman might have just the medicine we need for that. For tougher fights and / or very mobile mobs, there's perhaps means to simplify the fights:

The new skill "Wither" is said to apply a stacking debuff on enemies in an area, slowing their movement speed and increasing the chaos damage taken. The level one stats of Wither are: -30% movement speed +10% damage taken on affected monsters, that is one stack.
I have not yet figured out the primary and secondary durations, anyone with an idea? The quality bonus is yet to be discovered, too.

IIRC, that 10% chaos damage taken is equal to a 10% more modifier, similar to the one we use from Slower Projectiles and Concentrated Effect.

My plan will be to test the following setup asap:
Spell totem - Wither - Increased Duration - Faster Casting in a neat 4Link. This will hopefully be helpful for either a more fluid levelling (gems not maxed, lower links in bow, not +3 bow with empower) or for faster bosskills in high maps.

Yet we don't know:
- the quality
- how many stacks are applicable with one totem / selfcast
- the scaling with levels

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Various feedbacks indicate trouble with tougher enemies for single-target damage.

Source?

Enduring cry - when do you use it for defense?

Do you spam it every so often in case of a burst? Only when you see a boss/big pack coming?

Thanks.

Someone else is better suited to answer that question.

I don't use it at all.

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Serleth wrote:

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Various feedbacks indicate trouble with tougher enemies for single-target damage.

Source?

Can't find it.. argh. Gonna edit for more clearliness.

I find it really hard to map out the leveling tree.

Did someone made a stepping stone like skill tree ?

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I find it really hard to map out the leveling tree.

Did someone made a stepping stone like skill tree ?

Going based off the EK/Flame Totem Leveling Spoiler, which switches to PA later on (around 60-65).

Level 10

Level 20

Level 30

Level 40

Level 50

Level 60

Here you make the switch to PA. You should be finished the Bandits and Way Forward in Merciless. You can either switch early if you get the +2 bow at this point, moving some nodes around as you see fit, or level into Method to the Madness and Entropy while dropping Primal Spirit and Quickness. You'll be able to cover it in the next five levels, which will get you an extra 3 points from Act 3.

Level 65

It's pretty straight forward from there.



If you wanted to spec into PA as early as possible (roughly level 35), it goes like this instead.

Level 40

Note, Quickness is dropped here instead for the early switch, and you sacrifice life in order to get it done.

Level 50

Level 60


Note that in both cases, the progression prioritizes life over damage. Adjust as you see fit.