[outdated] Caustic Arrow Solo Map MFer (20/300+)

As much as I love this build, there's not a single build in this game that I hate leveling as much as this one. It makes me feel like a total casual chipping away at mobs health while BV users just run past me and kill everything. This is my third CA character in a new league. Spark damage with orb of storms is terrible and lightning tendrils has like 0 range so I switched to flameblast, which isn't all that great either considering it doesn't benefit from projectile damage. The other skills aren't really available as I just started a new league. And it's only going to get worse from now, speccing to CA in the 50's and having no other option than a crappy unique bow with +1 gems on it. The build really only comes to life after getting at least a 5l with +2 gems.. which seems so far away :( Anyone got some tips to make the leveling process less tedious? Because after 3 times, it gets really frustrating and I don't feel like continuing.

Gear:



Tree:

https://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAABAAAAADuBS0IZxUgGbQhwyP2Kk0s6S2DNZI_J0MxR35KyFfhWlJbr2VNbmluqnTtdct9dY1-kAqQ1ptdo4qomrXyt7a9Nr6n037V-Ni92sHdDepi7g7vevKX9qP5Zf66?accountName=DarkKaine&characterName=SunakoKirishiki

Hey DarkKaine, this is my first CA Build from the start. I tryed the recommend leveling Option A and B and both are bad in my opinion. I switched realy fast to shrapnel shot as my first skill and bought a Lightning Arrow Gem for 1 alt at lvl 13. I linked this to lmp and lightning damage and im doing fine atm. Packs going down very fast.
But you need a better single target setup, fire arrow isnt that bad at the beginning (im lvl 22). I think bow skills are a good choice because we skill so much projectile damage.

Edit: switched to roth reach bow and a 4 link chest. With free chain i almost one shot packs.
(LA - LMP - WED - FA)

Edit: singel target problems are gone after the quest "Sever the Right Hand". Put Blast Rain in a 4 link (BR - WED - FA - CE).

Thats my experience so far.

I don't find either option bad tbh, but it could probably stand for a slight re-work.

I still make it to A4M in about 10 hours, not really pushing that hard. Not the best time, but definitely not the worst.

I'm definitely up for listening to people's recommendations and adjusting it. This league I started out by actually pushing hard for Ancestral Bond with Firestorm totems and swapping to Bladefall totems. Boss kill speed is fairly slow but packs are going down pretty fast.


One of the reasons I recommend going the spell route though is that I find it's far less currency-heavy than having to constantly upgrade bows / buy uniques / or re-link things for single-target setups. You get one 4L and that's it, you're clear thru to Dried Lake merciless.

But yeah, I hate levelling too, so if anybody has some things they might recommend that beat a 10h travel time to Dried Lake merc, I'm all ears.

leveling this build has been incredibly frustrating. I found it best to get a +1 4/5 link bow and level with blast rain.
I'm currently lvl 52 and have a 5l +2 bow crafted with a lvl 1 empower im leveling up.

I just transitioned into using ca but I'm having a hard time, my caustic cloud only does like 1.2k dmg per second and I find it takes forever to kill things. Also very spongy. Overcapped resistances and like 48% evasion 2k life but still getting rekt by everything.

Any help or tips appreciated

hey guys, with those new essences idea, dont u think that people will be looking for less of regular items and aim for essence enchanting?, which will make owr MF "abilities" less needed :(?,

currently lvl 59, love the build and cant wait for mapping!, if someone needs ive got two spare 5L bows i dont mind sharing with anyone using this build!,

thanks for the guide serleth <3, really enjoyed reading it and its well organized.

edit:
@ElJesse
hey!,
try using the CoH combo adviced on the guide, it will boost your dmg,
try focus on completing the quests, and getting foward on chapters instead of killing every single monster, i usually skip every yellow i see, and just running and aiming for groups, early lvls are hard, but u passed the hard point, from now on it will get better n better,

if u feel squishy, try use decoy/flame totem, blink arrow, anything that will make mobs aim not only you, im not even with capped resists on merciless and i dont die(unless to 1hko/ hard bosses like koam).
another edit: if u can post ur skill tree / equipment i dont mind looking and trying to help you

"

erani wrote:

hey guys, with those new essences idea, dont u think that people will be looking for less of regular items and aim for essence enchanting?, which will make owr MF "abilities" less needed :(?,

currently lvl 59, love the build and cant wait for mapping!, if someone needs ive got two spare 5L bows i dont mind sharing with anyone using this build!,

thanks for the guide serleth <3, really enjoyed reading it and its well organized.

edit:
@ElJesse
hey!,
try using the CoH combo adviced on the guide, it will boost your dmg,
try focus on completing the quests, and getting foward on chapters instead of killing every single monster, i usually skip every yellow i see, and just running and aiming for groups, early lvls are hard, but u passed the hard point, from now on it will get better n better,

if u feel squishy, try use decoy/flame totem, blink arrow, anything that will make mobs aim not only you, im not even with capped resists on merciless and i dont die(unless to 1hko/ hard bosses like koam).
another edit: if u can post ur skill tree / equipment i dont mind looking and trying to help you

https://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAABAAAAABeAO4B0QW1FHUVIBjbGY4ZtCP2Kk0qWyzpLYMuIzB8NZI_J0M2R35KyE2SUUdaUluvZU1uaW6qdct59n11hNmNfY1-jb-TmZtdoSKiQKOKqJqv67Xyt7a7nrvjvTa-p8LsxKLTftX42L3dDepi7g7vevKX9Pj2o_66?accountName=ElJesse&characterName=ShittyMf

Any help is appreciated !

ok
so for minor invesment(no more then 1c) u should def change some of ur items, helmet, gloves, bramble twirl ring - (again, me personaly im fine without good equips, i guess the problem isnt with ur defenses its about ur play style, do u hit n run?, cause u shouldnt be having problems with ur current gear, but u better upg the places ive named since theyre really low, u can also try find, not neccesarly buy),

about skill tree-

u can respect the 3 nodes u took for pierce, and 2 more nodes near fury bolts, and take more HP (blood drinker wheel), ull lose some dmg, but surviving more important then dmg at ur current stage,

plus - on the start of scion wheel instead of taking the proj dmg, u could instead take +18% resistance to all, which in ur case i think suits better,
u can either wait 3lvls and respec, OR, u can just respec the things ive listed before, take the resistance nodes and then respec the dmg, which will allow u to do it instantly instead of waiting 3levels,
i hope that what i wrote was understandable cause of my bad english, if u have any questions ask here or ingame, im on for 3more hours atleast, much love<3

"

erani wrote:

hey guys, with those new essences idea, dont u think that people will be looking for less of regular items and aim for essence enchanting?, which will make owr MF "abilities" less needed :(?

A lot of Essences are just ways to get normal affixes guaranteed on a roll. While there are definitely some things that are exclusive to essence-crafting (melee range, as an example), that also doesn't mean there aren't a plethora of builds that will have slots that need filling where essences won't impact them.

"

ElJesse wrote:

leveling this build has been incredibly frustrating. I found it best to get a +1 4/5 link bow and level with blast rain.
I'm currently lvl 52 and have a 5l +2 bow crafted with a lvl 1 empower im leveling up.

I just transitioned into using ca but I'm having a hard time, my caustic cloud only does like 1.2k dmg per second and I find it takes forever to kill things. Also very spongy. Overcapped resistances and like 48% evasion 2k life but still getting rekt by everything.

Any help or tips appreciated

Slower proj instead of Increased Duration. That'll help your dps.

The build does kinda move slowly until ~level 68/69 or so, when you get level 17 CA. Then it starts to pick up.

As for squishiness, at the time of your post you were rather lacking in life on gear (4+ slots that could use a serious upgrade) and while you didn't post your flasks, the #1 thing that you probably are missing is a hallowed+ life flask with the "Seething" prefix. Instant life recovery is so clutch for this build.

I always run with two.



Not the suffix I want on the poison one, but whatever. It's the prefix that's so clutch for surviving.

it may be a bit slow, but I found lvling quite fun, using a silverbranch 4L and CA from the start. No worries all the way through.