(3.16) NERFED DO NOT PLAY THIS Raider Archmage BF/BB [CHEAP, Tanky, HCSSF viable, (100m+ dps)

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sirdond wrote:

Thanks for writing a guide for this, I guess a lot of us watched Cestarix's videos from the gauntlet and wanted to play this.

How clunky is Lightning Trap for leveling through acts? (I haven't played traps since 3.3)
Wouldn't it be better and faster to stay with CA (and/or TR) until you can respec to Archmage?

My fastest run with lightning trap was 4:26:08 100% a10, it's very fast imo. I would recommend running LT over CA/TR especially after nerfs to TR. You can certainly level it with TR mines or CA/TR though if you so desire, but I would suggest giving lighting trap a try before league start to see if you like it or not.

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ChemistHCSSF wrote:

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sirdond wrote:

Thanks for writing a guide for this, I guess a lot of us watched Cestarix's videos from the gauntlet and wanted to play this.

How clunky is Lightning Trap for leveling through acts? (I haven't played traps since 3.3)
Wouldn't it be better and faster to stay with CA (and/or TR) until you can respec to Archmage?

My fastest run with lightning trap was 4:26:08 100% a10, it's very fast imo. I would recommend running LT over CA/TR especially after nerfs to TR. You can certainly level it with TR mines or CA/TR though if you so desire, but I would suggest giving lighting trap a try before league start to see if you like it or not.

Thanks for the reassuring, I certainly don't mind LT, it was really good back then. Just haven't touched it since and there were a bunch of mine/trap related changes iirc.

The TR changes doesn't really mean much in the early game imo (though it's hard to tell for sure without seeing the actual numbers or trying out the new version), still a decent skill for campaign + early mapping.

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sirdond wrote:

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ChemistHCSSF wrote:

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sirdond wrote:

Thanks for writing a guide for this, I guess a lot of us watched Cestarix's videos from the gauntlet and wanted to play this.

How clunky is Lightning Trap for leveling through acts? (I haven't played traps since 3.3)
Wouldn't it be better and faster to stay with CA (and/or TR) until you can respec to Archmage?

My fastest run with lightning trap was 4:26:08 100% a10, it's very fast imo. I would recommend running LT over CA/TR especially after nerfs to TR. You can certainly level it with TR mines or CA/TR though if you so desire, but I would suggest giving lighting trap a try before league start to see if you like it or not.

Thanks for the reassuring, I certainly don't mind LT, it was really good back then. Just haven't touched it since and there were a bunch of mine/trap related changes iirc.

The TR changes doesn't really mean much in the early game imo (though it's hard to tell for sure without seeing the actual numbers or trying out the new version), still a decent skill for campaign + early mapping.

Yeah for sure nothing wrong with TR early on, I'm not sure when the AoE nerfs really even start to effect it tbh. Was so excited about the incredibly minor nerfs to BB I haven't looked in depth at the rest of the skills on the patch notes haha.

Hi Chemist - Great write up. I'm looking forward to trying this as my league-starter on SSF-SC / playing around with it and maybe adapting a little more DPS a slightly less tanky variation (although it doesn't really seem like it even needs the DPS boost)

Question :

1) It looks like the respec around level 68 requires a lot of respec points. During your testing, how did this feel for you? I was reading your notes - if I stayed in BA as suggested and did the respec quest's - do you think I would come close to being able to respec without issues?

2) How did the transition feel from Lightning Trap? Should I do this as soon as I acquire the Tabula from BA? I played Chieftain BF / BB last league so thankfully I already know I enjoy BF BB gameplay - happy that it will be at a faster pace with Raider.

I did a quick run to A3 yesterday just to get the feel of early leveling, Lightning Trap seemed more than fine. And I stopped just before I would have started hitting those trap nodes.

I plan on doing a full test run to see how it feels to transition into the respec today / tomorrow myself, appreciate any other tips you could think of!

Looking forward to playing this.

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Cakeツ wrote:

Hi Chemist - Great write up. I'm looking forward to trying this as my league-starter on SSF-SC.

Question :

1) It looks like the respec around level 68 requires a lot of respec points. During your testing, how did this feel for you? I was reading your notes - if I stayed in BA as suggested and did the respect quest's - do you think I would come close to being able to respec without issues?

2) How did the transition feel from Lightning Trap? Should I do this as soon as I acquire the Tabula from BA?

I plan on doing a test run today / tomorrow myself, appreciate any other tips you could think of!

Looking forward to playing this.

Hi! Thank you for your feedback, it's appreciated.

for 1. It feels fine, I personally will be taking taking lightning traps into maps and go for the invasion exotic goods 6L but I wouldn't recommend this to someone who hasn't practiced it a lot. I think BA is the safe play and yes it's very easy to do the respec with the quests but make sure you do them after BA as it speeds them up dramatically. You may need a couple of regrets to wrap up the respec but just make sure you respec the projectile nodes at the start of the ranger tree LAST (these are respecd into the eva life nodes) and you won't have any issues :)

2. Yes the second you get either a 5L or a 6L you can respec to archmage

Hope you enjoy the build!

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ChemistHCSSF wrote:

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Cakeツ wrote:

Hi Chemist - Great write up. I'm looking forward to trying this as my league-starter on SSF-SC.

Question :

1) It looks like the respec around level 68 requires a lot of respec points. During your testing, how did this feel for you? I was reading your notes - if I stayed in BA as suggested and did the respect quest's - do you think I would come close to being able to respec without issues?

2) How did the transition feel from Lightning Trap? Should I do this as soon as I acquire the Tabula from BA?

I plan on doing a test run today / tomorrow myself, appreciate any other tips you could think of!

Looking forward to playing this.

Hi! Thank you for your feedback, it's appreciated.

for 1. It feels fine, I personally will be taking taking lightning traps into maps and go for the invasion exotic goods 6L but I wouldn't recommend this to someone who hasn't practiced it a lot. I think BA is the safe play and yes it's very easy to do the respec with the quests but make sure you do them after BA as it speeds them up dramatically. You may need a couple of regrets to wrap up the respec but just make sure you respec the projectile nodes at the start of the ranger tree LAST (these are respecd into the eva life nodes) and you won't have any issues :)

2. Yes the second you get either a 5L or a 6L you can respec to archmage

Hope you enjoy the build!

Thank you! I may try this as-well. Hopefully I'll get to test it before Friday that does not sound like a bad idea at all. Just might be a little harsh for me like you said without much practice with the traps until I get the 6L. I know about the invasion exotic goods, was listening to ZiZ hype it up for getting easy early 6L's haha.

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Cakeツ wrote:

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ChemistHCSSF wrote:

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Cakeツ wrote:

Hi Chemist - Great write up. I'm looking forward to trying this as my league-starter on SSF-SC.

Question :

1) It looks like the respec around level 68 requires a lot of respec points. During your testing, how did this feel for you? I was reading your notes - if I stayed in BA as suggested and did the respect quest's - do you think I would come close to being able to respec without issues?

2) How did the transition feel from Lightning Trap? Should I do this as soon as I acquire the Tabula from BA?

I plan on doing a test run today / tomorrow myself, appreciate any other tips you could think of!

Looking forward to playing this.

Hi! Thank you for your feedback, it's appreciated.

for 1. It feels fine, I personally will be taking taking lightning traps into maps and go for the invasion exotic goods 6L but I wouldn't recommend this to someone who hasn't practiced it a lot. I think BA is the safe play and yes it's very easy to do the respec with the quests but make sure you do them after BA as it speeds them up dramatically. You may need a couple of regrets to wrap up the respec but just make sure you respec the projectile nodes at the start of the ranger tree LAST (these are respecd into the eva life nodes) and you won't have any issues :)

2. Yes the second you get either a 5L or a 6L you can respec to archmage

Hope you enjoy the build!

Thank you! I may try this as-well. Hopefully I'll get to test it before Friday that does not sound like a bad idea at all. Just might be a little harsh for me like you said without much practice with the traps until I get the 6L. I know about the invasion exotic goods, was listening to ZiZ hype it up for getting easy early 6L's haha.

Yeah it's very strong at the moment, can't believe it was buffed lol.

Thanks for this guide.
Planning to do this but had no idea how I was supposed to get anything done before I could use archmage. The leveling advice here saved the day for me.

I assume the comment about switching to archmage as soon as one has a 6-link should be taken with a grain of salt. One could be lucky and get an early drop in the very early acts and I suppose a switch that early is not possible (I mean I could have a tabula even before I get BF/BB).

Is it possible to switch as soon as one has access to all the support gems to fill the 6-link? Seems very early to me so I guess not.

I will be playing this on SSF so earliest I can expect tabula would be if I farm it in act 9 but I have had it drop early before so why not....

Another question. Never used archmage before but how is mana management handled?

Is this build affected by anything in the new xpac Ultimatum ?

Planning to play it as a started, I saw the clear speed somehow on a different video but can you post a video with a map / boss T16 ?

Still think it's worth using The Vigil if you find one? The duration was nerfed

edit: nvm I just read the pob notes