[outdated] Caustic Arrow Solo Map MFer (20/300+)

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Statusblue wrote:

im curious as to why the scion tree you built is different from your actual tree. Does this mean ive been following an outdated tree in the guide? it says 2.2 scion tree. looks like regrets down the drain

This is why I don't like posting my tree or gear as I'm progressing. I have a very deliberate way of doing things that's more complex than what I think is appropriate to cover in the guide.

The posted tree in the OP is accurate and the one you should follow.

What I'm going to do with the next six levels is start crafting or buying jewels, and connect from Herbalism up to Blood Drinker.

Once I do that, I'm going to spec out of the pathing between Shadow and Ranger, and move all those points into the remaining jewel slots to cover off the damage difference from removing Method to the Madness. In total, these are 9 points that I'm shifting, and I need to make up 54% damage.

Three of those points go into the jewel slot next to Acrobatics, giving me 8% projectile damage en route to that socket.

Two points go into the jewel socket in Shadow, above Blood Drinker.

Two points go into the jewel socket in Duelist

Two points go into the jewel socket in Ranger. This allocates all the 9 points from that respec.

Meaning, with 9 points I have 8% damage and four jewel sockets to make up 46% damage. Therefore, I need each jewel to have an average of 11.5% total damage to cover off the loss of Method to the Madness. In addition, I can grab life, or resistances, with these jewel sockets.

What this process allows me to do is forgo the necessity of spending currency on jewels early in order to cover 54% damage that I would otherwise be missing. I can instead spend that currency on a +3 bow, Andvarius rings, Goldwyrm, or Drillneck.

I used to explain this process, providing pre- and post-jewel tree options but I kept getting questions about which tree should be followed and people were confused, so I removed it, and it's precisely why I didn't want to post my current PSC tree. But, people kept asking.

So there it is, and there's the explanation.


*****

@ T_Speed: Yes.

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Serleth wrote:

I just did Merciless Izaro after seeing the question, with 4k life, level 73 and 6.5k tooltip dps.

Avoid the charge and it's basically easy with the above tips from mescalito.

I tried merciless run again today at level 83. Izaro is a joke, I defeated him twice. However a wrong move in next area and thank you, come again!
I still suck at this game!

Edit: I have a question that is not directly related to the build if you don't mind. If you have a shot at a unique item (say Zana's find a unique) will you get a rarer unique or a chance for a better role of same/similar unique?

Thanks again.

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Hvakhshathra wrote:

Edit: I have a question that is not directly related to the build if you don't mind. If you have a shot at a unique item (say Zana's find a unique) will you get a rarer unique or a chance for a better role of same/similar unique?

Thanks again.

It's a dice roll.

IIRC, unique items are rolled randomly, first rolling based on rarity (normal, magic, rare, unique) then on base type. Source of that unique drop is irrelevant (Cadiro notwithstandng, I'm not sure how that works). But in your example of the Zana mission, the same rules apply as though you find a unique randomly while mapping. There's no increased chance of achieving any particular unique type or rarity.

What are the 5/6 links for the shadow HC version?

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moraldecayzzz wrote:

What are the 5/6 links for the shadow HC version?

If you're comfortable with having a tiny cloud radius, they're the same.

Otherwise, CA - AoE - Conc - Void Manipulation - Empower 4 (Rapid Decay 20/20 otherwise) - IIR.

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Serleth wrote:

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moraldecayzzz wrote:

What are the 5/6 links for the shadow HC version?

If you're comfortable with having a tiny cloud radius, they're the same.

Otherwise, CA - AoE - Conc - Void Manipulation - Empower 4 (Rapid Decay 20/20 otherwise) - IIR.

Hi, does the Empower level also apply to scion? And does it count +1 from bow?

So i should just stick with my Pierce gem till i get Empower to level 3?

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Moksu wrote:

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Serleth wrote:

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moraldecayzzz wrote:

What are the 5/6 links for the shadow HC version?

If you're comfortable with having a tiny cloud radius, they're the same.

Otherwise, CA - AoE - Conc - Void Manipulation - Empower 4 (Rapid Decay 20/20 otherwise) - IIR.

Hi, does the Empower level also apply to scion? And does it count +1 from bow?

So i should just stick with my Pierce gem till i get Empower to level 3?

No, because we're dropping AoE in favour of Empower. However, if you're running a +2 bow, you only use Empower if it's level 2, because as you alluded to, it benefits from the +1, but provides no benefit at level 1. So in a +1 all gems bow, it becomes Empower 2 and provides the benefit.

If you have a +3 bow, you should run Empower immediately.

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Serleth wrote:

Spoiler

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Moksu wrote:

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Serleth wrote:

If you're comfortable with having a tiny cloud radius, they're the same.

Otherwise, CA - AoE - Conc - Void Manipulation - Empower 4 (Rapid Decay 20/20 otherwise) - IIR.

Hi, does the Empower level also apply to scion? And does it count +1 from bow?

So i should just stick with my Pierce gem till i get Empower to level 3?

No, because we're dropping AoE in favour of Empower. However, if you're running a +2 bow, you only use Empower if it's level 2, because as you alluded to, it benefits from the +1, but provides no benefit at level 1. So in a +1 all gems bow, it becomes Empower 2 and provides the benefit.

If you have a +3 bow, you should run Empower immediately.

Thanks for clarification.

Going to run this weapon like this then.

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Serleth wrote:

Added chaos damage (gem) doesn't scale the cloud. It's a flat damage modifier that requires a hit.

That's why you'll see it increase the "usual" place you look for the dps, because it's adding the flat damage to the min-max physical of the bow itself.

Playing pretty casual this league so far. Five maps a day pretty much, so my equipment's not as robust as it usually is by this point (normally I'm fully geared other than a 6L after a week).

Ah, I missed that thanks. So if you add 'Chaos Damage' nodes from the tree, do those also not scale the cloud? Looks like you picked a few of those up on your current build- I guess that is different chaos damage than the gem?

Also what's best gem to swap out for IIR when doing boss like Izaro? Where I feel I really need more damage or defense...

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saxisa wrote:

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Serleth wrote:

Added chaos damage (gem) doesn't scale the cloud. It's a flat damage modifier that requires a hit.

That's why you'll see it increase the "usual" place you look for the dps, because it's adding the flat damage to the min-max physical of the bow itself.

Playing pretty casual this league so far. Five maps a day pretty much, so my equipment's not as robust as it usually is by this point (normally I'm fully geared other than a 6L after a week).

Ah, I missed that thanks. So if you add 'Chaos Damage' nodes from the tree, do those also not scale the cloud? Looks like you picked a few of those up on your current build- I guess that is different chaos damage than the gem?

Also what's best gem to swap out for IIR when doing boss like Izaro? Where I feel I really need more damage or defense...

It's SPECIFICALLY the gem, because it's flat damage, not increased.

Increased or multiplicative % chaos damage works fine.

AoE's your best bet unless you're willing to rehcrome your bow everytime you do lab runs, or have a spare bow to work with.