[outdated] Caustic Arrow Solo Map MFer (20/300+)

The bosses are definitely the hardest part of EK/firetrap leveling, I'm feeling it too now. The rest feels really efficient though. I'm gonna try and buy a flame totem from someone today to see if it helps. Keep in mind though that it seems like it will be getting nerfed. In that case, our best option might well be to suffer through the boss fights (maybe searing totem is good enough too).

Leveling uniques to look out for to increase your damage:
Lifesprig
Blackheart
Reverberation Rod

I almost feel as though that remark from Rory with Ziggy re: Flame Totem was a troll. But I wasn't watching to get a feel for the context.

Not sure if its a pertinent question or not, but why start Ranger and not Scion, since Scion has those 3 AoE nodes withing one point reach, easy early access to life nodes and some damage nodes, keep in mind that I come into this with a HC mind frame.

Granted you're not taking them early on (AoE nodes) but they are a plus imo since its likely the HC variant will probably go for Lightning Coil chest for more defenses, a little less IIR but I guess that all depends on the individual skill level, dexterity and reaction meaning a more skilled player can afford to be greedier.

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x2martir wrote:

Not sure if its a pertinent question or not, but why start Ranger and not Scion, since Scion has those 3 AoE nodes withing one point reach, easy early access to life nodes and some damage nodes, keep in mind that I come into this with a HC mind frame.

Granted you're not taking them early on (AoE nodes) but they are a plus imo since its likely the HC variant will probably go for Lightning Coil chest for more defenses, a little less IIR but I guess that all depends on the individual skill level, dexterity and reaction meaning a more skilled player can afford to be greedier.

For SC, Scion takes an extra point to get the same effectiveness (since we aren't grabbing the full Scion life wheel until 90+), and we run Carcass in SC for sure.

For HC, I'll probably do a Scion tree though.

He replied in an earlier pages that going Scion is fine except the tree ends up costing you one extra skillpoint. When you hit 90+ that matters.

Also FYI Serleth, I swapped to PA from split arrow at lev 32 and started rocking before the wipe. 3-link worked just fine without Increased AOE. Started with something like 80 dps poison cloud.

Builds lookin sweet. I'm going to enjoy maxing it out once 2.0 goes live.

I don't have a lot of experience this league with poison arrow. I have done it several several times in the past tho. Honestly as a bow character don't even try to pain yourself leveling with poison arrow. I love poison arrow. I've tried to make it great in about 6 different leagues. But it's really best to just stick with something simple.

Hatred+Split Arrow. Grab a good bow. Use Herald of Ice if you have the mana. For bosses use barrage or something if your split isn't hitting hard enough. There's not a whole lot of reason to pain yourself trying to scrap together something that really only unfolds at the later levels.

I'm a little bit behind leveling on this last wipe, but I just hit 33 and got a 3L +1 Bow with Conc Effect and Slower Proj.

Only have Method to the Madness.

Tooltip cloud (which doesn't account for CE) is just over 200, and doing fine. Imho, we can honestly start going full PA from there, and it's only going to get better once I can 4L it and grab Entropy.

Buuuuuuuuuuuuut: getting there sucks.

I might take Lumps idea and recommend EK/FT until then. We'll see. I want to finish out the "I'm going to insist on leveling with bow skills"-leveling guide first, then reroll and test it all out so I can put the official Serleth stamp on things.

Serleth I saw you on reddit. I've been doing build research since yesterday based on the information we talked about and in comparing our skill trees. So new increased AoE is 39% and with 20% quality its 10-20% increased AoE damage. I realized this is exactly what I have in my skill tree already and you have far more damage. 66% more damage. So I've taken out increased AoE from my gem choices.

I saw you say on reddit that you think hypothermia works with poison arrow. Everyone else said they couldn't get it to work. I will be using arctic armor and I was thinking of choosing ice shot for my culling skill. Do you have any further insight? Were you able to actually get it to work? If so that could potentially put me far and above what 66% projectile damage would of given me. And help normalize out my damage closer to what your getting.

Sadly if hypothermia doesn't work than culling strike will be subbed in. I know it won't cull but its 59% increased damage which is close to the 66% your build has over mine.

Yeah I may just flat out be wrong on that. I'll go test Hypothermia later once I'm done refining the guide. But it *should* work. /shrug

For now, trust what they say because I haven't had a chance to explore it.

Well thanks. If it doesn't end up working or if they don't change it to work. I think my final choice is going to end up being pierce. I decided on pierce over culling because than I can just use the drillneck and make up the damage I lost. It's 69% increase proj dmg with drillneck on. Than my build will prob end up pretty similar to yours with a pretty different defensive setup.

Not sure what your putting into all those jewel slots and how that will stack up or compare to what I have.

My two jewel slots will be 40-45% chaos damage and prob poachers aim.