Iron Will non-crit arcer (Talisman SC)

Hi, not really a build guide, though maybe I could turn it into one. Just my experience so far and some tips.

I'd decided to try non-crit arc after reading the changes, then someone pointed out that ZiggyD had been championing it too, although I am doing things a little differently.

Arc is fine for leveling right from the start now as you start with a decent number of chains and the damage is ok. I used it alongside a flame totem (Even better, use a flame totem in the unique black maw talisman - but I didn't have one) to help clear and for single target, which is still a bit lacking.

If you can get twinking gear, a lifesprig and then a reverb rod is ideal, although I just used a +1 sceptre until I got a cheap 5-link. Then went wand/shield, before moving into dual wield.

Weapon wise, getting 2 with flat lightning damage to spell rolls boost your damage by a huge amount, more than spell damage or cast speed at early levels.

Links wide I am using Arc - echo - controlled destruction - lightning pen - iron will. Until you get a large amount of strength, added lightning is a better option than iron will (or faster casting but you will struggle to maintain mana). In fact you need a lot of strength to do better than added lightning, but iron will does have the advantage of no mana multiplier.

I am also using a secondary arc set up to curse - arc - curse on hit - warlords mark - conductivity
I like having more control over my cursing than trusting HoT to do it for me. If you prefer one button style though, just swap arc for Herald of Thunder.


Also using vaal storm call - echo - lightning pen - controlled destruction.

Passive tree


Difference between mine and Ziggys build is I go into Marauder for the efficient life nodes and life regen and don't go for the bloodless cluster (I could do later but would be a 90+ thing). I also grab the dark arts cluster for cast speed while I'm dual wielding. If you are going staff/shield then obviously skip this.
Next step is to grab the rest of the scion life wheel and purity of flesh cluster.

My Gear



Doon probably isn't BiS until you get huge amounts of strength, but thought I'd stick with the theme.
That offhand is great though 123% lightning damage plus flat lightning and crafted cast speed. Cost me 10c + 2 for the craft, Bargain!
Amulet needs a life craft, waiting till elreon lvl 6, or I've got a better one but hasn't got the resists or MF

Armour I'm pretty happy with, bought a 6s saintly for 5c, lucky 5l after 3 fuses and got that roll after 3/4 chaos. Got screwed on the crafted roll though!
Rest of gear is ok, need to get better rings next,but I've got most of my big pieces out of the way pretty cheaply.

Ideally I'd use a black sun crest, and really ideally would be 4 blue for vaal storm call. But it's a str/dex base so almost impossible. 3B1R more achievable, and would be ok too. But in reality will probably have to put my CWDT set up in it, which is not ideal as the +1 is wasted.
Might try vaaling 2 blue ones though and hope for lucky white sockets (+2 vaal gems in a 3b would be GG!)

Weapon wise a staff would also work well, Pledge, one of the agnerods or a rare +2/+3 all good options. Would allow for a double vaal storm call to be fully linked too.
I'm probably sticking to dual wield though, If I can get enough flat armour to be worthwhile, a second doon, or maybe a doryani for the leech. But really going to struggle to beat my current off hand.

In general the build is solid, though not got past tier 6 maps yet. Single target can still be an issue, especially as I've only got one vaal storm call. But the trick of getting a boss to pick up a dead hand talisman works well with arc, or if the boss spawns adds, then it's fine.
Mana can be an issue too, especially if you cannot curse the mobs. Still carrying a mana flask. May take the dynamo cluster, and try and get at least one mana reduction jewel to help.


Any thoughts/questions/tips?

Carl

Got a bit more currency and tweaked my gear a little, over 5k life and just under 20k arc dps now, still a few levels to go on arc as well.



Having a bit of a flask crisis at the moment, would really like to run an atziri's promise, but struggling to drop the mana flask at the moment, tend to go OOM on single target and definitely need for curse resist mobs.
The new Vessel of Vinktar would be great too, if I can ever afford one!

hey there i kinda copy most of ziggyD arc build.

i think my dps is bit low 12k with shield but have almost 6k life with 500 ES or i can use double Moonsorrow wands
and have 14k dps with 5.5k life with 500 ES this is my first toon i have manage to get over level 79 im at level 81
im bout start tier 3 maps tonight. the mapping is new thing to me. i think died 34 times now owell.
the second arc gem setup does around 4.5k dps it really helps at killing mobs and tanks bosses a little
heres the link to the tree https://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAwUABAcEswmqDc0OPBBYEQ8UTRRxFm8YahiRGjgczh0UHwIkqicvK1AsnC19MjQ1kjbpOlI6WDrYOuE8LUbXTeNVxlgHWfNmnmjycYVyD3KpdhF2rHgvfEt85X6vggeCm4Nfg8yD24uMjRmPRpBVlnSaO5uhogCmV6yYrKqtja-nsUK1hbc-vJ_AZsCawbTE9sauzLfPftV11abYvdlf2XzZ_Nq53YzgEuFz42rk7OoY7DjtPO9Q8B_yQfJF9zL31_jr-d360vxL_gr-VP6P

heres my gear atm


my armor is bad. its less than 900 lol.

i wonder how can improve this build or improve the gear im useing. i have max res at bout 79% for fire lightning and cold

Shield isn't a bad option if it helps your survivability, although I would still favour duel wielding.

Arc DPS is a bit deceptive too - 12k sounds really low, but it it hits harder than that, especially against packs. What will help you boost it if you haven't already is an Atziri's promise flask, and gives you a bit of leech too.
Moonsorrow is a good solid option, although I would look for a rare with flat lightning damage on top if I were your - as I showed in my post, I got a 123% lightning + flat + cast speed for 10c plus 2c craft.

The arc totem is a good idea, I'd use one if I had the sockets to spare. Put a penetration gem in there though! Totems really help on sustaining dps if you have mana problems too.

Defense wise, what do you mean when you say max res at 79%? Doesn't look like you have a huge amount on gear, what does your character sheet actually say (in a real merciless zone, not your hideout!). You need 135% for each resist to combat the merciless penalty.

Armour is hard to get on the build while still getting socket colours without spending thousands of chromes. You could get an armour shield but without shield nodes it still wouldn't add that much, and would hit your DPS. Armour is also a bit all or nothing, you won't get much difference between 900 and a few thousand. Just get a decent granite flask, and make sure you use it (i'm bad at this bit!)!

That's why I'm not using two doons - off hand doon give armour % but you need a decent amount of flat armour to be worthwhile. Maybe if I could get a really good armour/es hybrid chest, but would probably have to sacrifice the life roll then.


Your life total is good though and more than mine currently - though I have got a bunch of life nodes to take. You have got decent amounts of flat on gear, and have taken all the life nodes early.

Mapping wise, you should be fine on tier 3, though you will want to be moving onto higher tiers fairly soon. I'd read on of the map guides if you aren't used to the various maps though, some are deinitely easier than others. Top tip - don't try and do the boss room on museum maps with your current gear and DPS, the drops are good but you will get destroyed....

If I were you the gear priorities would be

Upgrade the Moonsorrow, and look at duel wielding

Upgrade the armour, or get a tabula to run a 6l (The armour currently doesn't give you that much defence anyway). My usual approach, and what I will do as soon as I find one is try and find a cheap unlinked, but pretty good chest (unlinked rares are pretty cheap after a weeks or so into the league) and try and link yourself as you find jewelers/fusings. If you hit a 5l, then great, and you can use or try and sell. If you hit a 6l then GG.

You didn't link your amulet - it's a pretty important slot for the build. A rare greatwolf with lightning damage/16% increased stats, strength, spell damage and life would be nice.... But in the real world this is where you can get a lot of strength, life and ideally cast speed/spell damage.

Very interesting points...may have to consider running the arc totem as well.

Other than socket colors and additional DPS, any other significance with dual wielding? I'm currently running Doons + high armor/life/str/resists shield, and have no issues with DPS. I'm 83...i think 16.5k dps arc, 6k life, 640ish str, and 4.5k armor (no shield points yet...working there after life). I clear tier 6 maps with no issue other than some bosses.

Main issue I'm having is with single targets. Vaal Storm Call only does so much...thinking of other alternatives.

(Keep in mind, I've only been playing this game for a month lol, so still very new to the concept. Huge background in D2, Everquest and WoW....loving PoE tho!)




(Will be fixing sockets/links tonight)

Main advantages to dual wield is the direct DPS of running 2 lots of spellcaster gear (Although you can run a spell damage shield anyway) and in particular being able to get some flat lightning on one/both weapons (can't do with a shield). Also lets you grab the dual wield cast speed nodes, and this build doesn't really have access to many good ones other than that. And cast spee dis not just good for dps, it makes you a lot more mobile, both running and casting and for ligntning warp.

Shield is definitely tankier though, also allows some situational use of things like saffels frame for more nasty elemental maps. And sounds like you are doing fine. Is that 16.5k dps using the arc in the Doon? Might have to play with that.

I'm guessing I'll top out at about 24-25k dps when gems are levelled and I've finished my gear, maybe a bit more if I can get a lvl21 arc. Which is a bit of the problem with non crit builds, you hit a wall on scaling. But that should be plenty. It's definitely a very quick clearer for low level open maps.
Will have to get better at lightning warp kiting around mobs in higher level maps, can't always assume you will kill them before they get to you. Foxtactics who really popularised arc builds never stays still if you watch his videos.


Single target is definitely an issue, mix of low damage and high mana cost to sustain. I might try putting a single target option in doon, maybe ball lightning. Could use a vaal spark over vaal storm call for bosses you know are in enclosed areas too.

Yeah that's 16.5k with the arc and doon combo...only because I haven't found a 5L (4B, 1R) that I like yet, without losing too much life, armor, and strength. I may have to sacrifice it down the road and be ok with a lower armor/ES chest, so I can do the Arc>lightning pen>controlled destruction>iron will>echo....or 6L and add faster casting.

I'm just trying to see which build would be more viable towards end game. More tanky with a shield, or more dps/mobility with the dual wielding. Probably doon and doryani's? Or 2x Doons since my armor base is pretty decent atm? Not too sure lol

Still not sure what I'll run if/when I get a 6l, faster cast or added lightning. Whichever is more sustainable mana wise might be the deciding factor.

Doryani offhand is good, but you can get better damage with a rare, just miss out on the leech (unless you can get crafting room for it). Doryani's is great if you need flat elemental damage for burn builds/mixed elements and/or you want the crit, but for a straight spell build it isn't necessarily best.
e.g one like mine, and I am sure there are better ones out there


Doryani belt on the other hand is a decent choice if you can cope without the life (And potentially more strength) on a rare.

I was a bit lucky with my chest really. I am going to try and buy a better one and link too though, hope for a lucky 6l.

Yeah, I've been debating on whether I should pick it up tonight when I get out of work.

This is what I'm rocking now...



Do you think dual wielding, with the dw nodes, will be more viable towards end game/atziri vs with a shield?

That's a nice belt, you would be losing a chunk of strength and life. Tough call to be honest.

If you are thinking atziri you will need to level and take something like storm call too to swap for arc - probably better against the vaals, plus you definitely need against atziri split phase to not instagib yourself on the reflect clone.