[2.0.1][Tempest] Begsplosive's BM Solo-MF EA Duelist of Frugality [Cheap and Beginner-Friendly]

Hi, I've been trying this build out and I'm wondering, is it's worth using The Blood Dance unique shoes?

@WiskyD,
That video and mechanics you posted are very interesting, though a bit beyond me! I don't know if it's possible or easily achievable with my build, I think it is because there are several potentially unused gem links for it. Awesome find, that's the kind of stuff that makes PoE great! Thank you for sharing that!

@Shinare,
Wisky's tips are pretty much spot on. Specifically for the challenges, having done 8/8 this season I felt the Warbands challenges to be more difficult than the Tempest specific ones (probably as it should be based on player base and hardcore league versus softcore), so if you're just about done with Warbands, Tempest should be a relative breeze:
- for clearing tempests, i'd estimate that 85-90% of the tempests can be found in regular zones, so just enter all of the zones even if you don't get waypoints, and look on the map each hour when tempests change. Unlike warbands you don't both need the zone AND the spawn, just the correct tempest.
- the tempest uniques, unidentified, are much cheaper than their warbands counterparts. The only super-expensive one is Yfleban's, which you can skip if you don't have the currency for. I think the cheapest way to complete the item identification challenges, unless you are lucky or have a network of people who can help you out, is to pay for one of the three Warbands Rings and skip Yfleban's. The Steelhead (Jorrhast's) and other uniques in tempest are not nearly as expensive as even the warbands boots.
- offer to pay people for just the id. again this is more easily done in warbands because the items themselves are already pretty good and not niche, so you can negotiate to pay a bit below full price for just the ID. In tempest this is going to be harder to do for the most part, Jorrhast's and Crown of the Pale King are not popular build uniques at the moment afaik.

Generally speaking for hardcore, you just can't skimp on survivability. This makes it often more efficient and safe to level with skills other than your main build, ones which offer solid damage and some survivability without too much investment in skill points or gear while you build a base of good defenses and specialize/respec into your build. Flame totem, for instance. I found the actual Warbands members and leaders to be pretty tough to begin with, so if you could level and face off against them without dying much, you should be fine in Tempest if you can learn the storms and micro against them properly.

Good luck!

Just dropping a note that I am level 42 now. I'm finding it difficult to do much because my intelligence and dexterity are so low. I had to purchase this for 1 vaal orb so I can run skill gems:



I realize that it was probably a waste of one of the only valuble currency items that I've found so far but I just couldn't do anything.

I've switched over to blood magic and find that my 3 link explosive arrow (havent found concentrated effect yet and ran out of currency lol) drains my life very fast and does not regenerate very fast (I would kill myself if it would let me in a few seconds of holding down the fire key). I end up just fireing a few EA salvos and then hold down ice shot which doesn't seem to take any life.

I cant seem to cap my resists even in normal with self-found gear. I think I've just been very unlucky. I have found a total of 2 chaos and 2 alc and 1 vaal. I spent all of that on the two uniques and skill and support gems along with a couple fuse orb. I spent the 10 or so chromes I have found trying to color things.

I half way through Act4 normal, about to start into Kaom's area. Feeling like I will probably need to get someone to kill the big baddies for me. EA does not seem to be working well yet versus the amount of life it is draining. I have 2k life (just a little over).

Here is my gear, purchased the quiver, bow, boots (just for the 4L colors for flame totem), and ammy (bought for the int and dex stats):


This is when it hurts not having any masters, i'm feeling it right now. lol :)

Edit: Added my skill tree below:

Level 41 skill tree

Edit again: Just for giggles here's the currency orbs I have left I've found so far. :)

why dont u use a +3 bow for more dps instead of quillrain?!

Hey all, should have waited another night before posting. Last night some good currency started falling, I got several alcs and fuses. With that I purchased a better belt and gloves with life and was able to get a couple of good nodes on the tree. Now my life regen is a lot better, still not freely able to spam EA but its much much better. I don't need to keep popping life flasks.

I was able to do all bosses including malachi, all were super easy. Never dropped below half life even in final stages of malachi.

Great build, hope I can continue to do it justice and get to a good high level in HC. :) Sooooo spooky tho, fighting the tough bosses knowing this could be it. lol

Level 48 tree

@Xeno I mentioned several times in the build that the ideal endgame weapon is probably a 6L +3...but I never personally got to that point on the character before he ripped. There are also advantages to having the fastest weapon in the game, in terms of maneuverability and speed, and the point is that the quill rain worked just fine on a budget.

@Shinare glad the going is better now, there are rough spots during levelling that get better once you're able to sustain, as you have noticed. Looking forward to more updates!

Woot Woot!!! This just randomly dropped from a white pack:



I think I know the answer to this already (6L chest) but from my current equipment what should I buy with it. Spend it all on a corrupted 6L or sell it for 40c and buy several things?

Here's what I currently have, I'm only level 59 and still in a4c:



PS> any trustworthy soul out there that would master craft some resists to me rings and gloves?

Weekend update!

I'm up to level 66 WootWoot!!! When I hit level 60 I got an achievement for level 60 in HC which was cool!

Really enjoying this build now. I'm in A3M and I have over 5,000 life, and capped res with -11 chaos res!!! First character to ever hit over 5,000 life. And will have more as I go around the scion life wheel.

Once I can afford a couple +life jewels, I will spec out of some of the scion life wheel and into adjacent jewel sockets. I imagine +damage or +Fire Damage would be the other mod on a good jewel? It seems that it takes a while to kill stuff. Perhaps I need higher level EA gem.

Got a 5L this weekend for 2 chaos!! I cant believe how cheep 5 and 6L corrupted armor is in this league! I also paid 5 times that for an amulet which just seems so odd to me hehe.

I'm in A3M and feel like things are starting to actually hit me for some damage now. A couple of times I went under half life in a single hit. OUCH! very scary. I easily killed all A4C bosses (getting all body parts) except Malachi. I didn't even want to try, even though I might have been able to do it, it only cost 1c to pay someone to kill him for me, so I did. Easy decision. lol

I've strayed ever so slightly away from the build when it comes to the gems and links. I may have to steer back in that direction. I've gone with 2 CwDT setups for defense with frost wall, temp chains, arctic breath, and molten shell. Been working OK, I miss the EC/IC/IncDur combo, those were the days. :)

Like I said, I'm starting to feel the hits form mobs now and I'm only in A3M so I'm kind of worried about A4M and mapping but I guess I will see when I get there. I still have several life nodes to go and could probably use some better armor/eva items.

Heres my level 66 gear and tree:



Wish I had the masters I have in standard to craft with lol. Some of these items are just ripe for crafting!!

Level 66 Passive Tree

Seems you have solid armor at this point, though you can get much more on gloves and boots, and hopefully find an affordable belt which also has a +250-300 or above armor roll. Remember that you're not exactly a frontline character just because you have life and armor, you should still be playing the character as a softer evasion character with a bit more leeway when things actually do hit you.

Was trying to get to level 70 last night and might have been pushing a little too hard. Was playing on level through A3M piety and Dominus. Dominus was a cakewalk. I was really suprised and feeling very confident.

Went into A4M Aqueduct and a pack of magic (blue) monsters with "something obelisk" just about one shot me. I didn't notice a very large number of lightning circles forming under me and WHAM!!! took me down from 5,600 life into DOUBLE DIGITS!!! I panic pressed all my flasks and ran the hell away.

WHEW!!! Sooo close to ripping. I spent the rest of the night leveling up to 69 in Aqueduct. I've been following the advice to not be in a hurry and to play 4 levels above the area but I got in a hurry lsat night to get to 70 and almost paid the price. lol

Soooo much stress playing HC but I really like it. I wish I hadn't waited so long to play tempest. really enjoying it and only a week left. So strange to see /trade 1 and the A4M notice board total ghost towns.

Your build is really fun now that I can sustain HP regen and spamming EA. Thanks so much!! :) Still nervous about A4M since Aqueduct almost ripped me.