[3.25] MoM Crit Power Siphon Totem Hierophant

Here are both new 3.23 Power Siphon gems in comparsion. (open image in new tab)



Our build reaches 6000-7000 mana no problem. That is 1200-1400 added Lightning Damage coming from Power Siphon of Archmage. That is an insanely high number.

We loose damage effectiveness. It goes from 159% to 100%.

We have 5 Power charges. The new default gem would give us _MORE_ critical strike chance and 150% increased critical strike multiplier. (150% crit multi is nuts)

I would need both gems in PoB to actually tell which one might come out ahead.

Here is the version we had until 3.22 (Anomalous).



Additional projectiles according to the gem description increase the number of targetable options only. Not the arrows itself. I have no idea how Barrage support would actually look when used with that gem since Barrage fires projectiles in a sequence. Each projectile is its own arrow.

Chain/Fork might be good with Penance Mark but those targets only spawn every 1 second. If we instantly kill them there is nothing to chain from.

Here is my current napkin math PoB with the 2 new gems.

The Archmage gem looked promising by default but the added damage effectiveness is 59% less. That is a big bummer and if I am not mistaken and destroys all its benefits on our crit build. The new "more" critical skrike chance and good crit multi on the new default gem are really good though.

In the PoB there are 2 item sets. I added the Archmage gem on the belt jewel.
https://pobb.in/zY2vzHpAPb8G

The new default gem with Critical Damage instead of Barrage in the main link. PoB still lists Barrage as a damage gain but that has to be a bug since added projectiles just fire to additional targets. Well we are currently not sure how arrows fired in a sequence behave. Maybe maybe?!

With the new default gem and critical damage instead of barrage.

I fiddled around with it a bit. The setup I had last league would get me to 15m damage with Lightning Coil and 50% guaranteed shock on pinnacle bosses.

Late league PoB using Lightning Coil
https://pobb.in/4NbCbizZEtue

No idea how to scale that further without giving up the tank.

Well tinctures and charms of course will help. :)

Here is the early league level 92 version with very cheap gear without Barrage. The new default Power Siphon gem is really strong for a crit build.

Level 92 early league PoB
https://pobb.in/xgBG86l7-2t6

On a last note. The Power Siphon Archmage gem is probably intented to be played with Indigon instead of Council. But to do that we sort of need to go the "one mana left" route and use Ivory Tower. That will heavily collide with the new RF meta this league. But I found one player picking up on that idea.

https://poe.ninja/builds/ancestor?class=Hierophant&skills=Power+Siphon&uniqueitems=The+Ivory+Tower,Indigon

Just to give you an angle what might be an option for the Power Siphon of Archmage gem.

That indigon player most likely got inspired by this guy: https://youtu.be/SC6zLo767ZM PoB: https://pobb.in/f8gRe-TyIs9Y

E: Also saw people mention that the Archmage PS might not even work with totems since they don't have mana, and the wording on Mind of the Council is different.

I'm not an expert when it comes to build planning, but I loved this build here so much, I didn't want to give it up.
I saw the only other skill that is usable in this setup must be attack / projectile. So there are only 3 Options: use the new 1 projectile Power Siphon, Kinetic Blast or Kinetic Bolt. So I took the new version of Kinetic Bolt (of fragmentation) and tried a bit around with Returning Projectiles.




It looks kind of good on screen because the projectiles fork close, almost like a straight path and early mapping it also works on bosses quite well. But as I said, I'm no expert, I feel Kinetic Bolt scales it's damage a bit different, because some rares I can't get down.
Is this something worth to pursue or am I just stupid? Sorry if this is utterly garbage I'm talking here, game mechanics is sometimes a big mystery for me. :)

Check if you can support the new Kinetic Bolt with Barrage. This can help a bunch on single target.

I was trying to follow Nugi's Archmage Penance Brand build. Sadly that does not work because Penance Brand wording.

So I am probably doing this build. Not much time to play though. :)

"

zorker wrote:

Check if you can support the new Kinetic Bolt with Barrage. This can help a bunch on single target.

I was trying to follow Nugi's Archmage Penance Brand build. Sadly that does not work because Penance Brand wording.

So I am probably doing this build. Not much time to play though. :)

I can, but then damage feels bad.

Edit: and projectiles fly completely different with Barrage. With Barrage its a short straight path and then a fork. With Returning Projectiles it's a decent straight path and then a return, at point of return a small fork is created. I don't know mechanics behind that, returning just feels better.

I will test some stuff for the build in the next days and according to that update the guide.

Here is where I am at right now at level 75:
https://pobb.in/5lKIKuhS0S2o

We can get tinctures with all damage can freeze. That is fucking amazing and imo we should use it. As being 75 I am still at super early stages. I have no gems in the helmet to benefit from the 50% all resistance from the warden of the magi.

Makes gearing way easier for now.

I followed the leveling guide with Armageddon Brand until act 10 Kitava and then switched to PS/KB. No problems, just of course some overpowered league monsters :). I did a lot of league mechanic while doing the acts.

An important tip: Starting at level 56 I visited the Rogue Harbour every level and bought every "Demolition" contract to be found. This is run with Tibbs. It gets you a lot of chaos and if you are lucky 1 big ticket drop to start the gearing. The 2 "?" in Demolition drop amazing currency.

Here is what I spent so far:
Mind of the Council: 2c
Piscator: 1c
Shield: 20c (even bad +1 shields are still expensive)
better Foible: 22c
6l Chest: 15c
Ring1: 2c
Ring2: 2c
Belt: 3c
Belt-jewel: 2c
Breathstealer: 10c
Dance the Offered: 9c
~68c

That being said I never rush the acts. I play pretty slowly and do the mechanic.

I am still not doing maps. Once I had the above gear I stopped with Heist and am now doing Merc Lab runs. You can xp/quality your gems quite easily there and I am currently hunting for 2 turn trans gem of not random. To get Power Siphon of Archmage and the Kinetic Bolt one.

So far I am very happy.

If I get a bunch more currency the 2 anoints are next.

I just scrapped the KB 4-link. The new PS is insane for clear. I am leveling both Kinetic Blast gems, both Power Siphon gems and the Kinetic Blast gem. Will see.

Have you tried the new PS of Archmage at all yet? Even if just trying it out for a map or slotting it in to see how the tooltip numbers differ or something.

"

SpreeHD wrote:

Have you tried the new PS of Archmage at all yet? Even if just trying it out for a map or slotting it in to see how the tooltip numbers differ or something.

I just did. Archmage is only 18/20 and the other one is already 20/20. But the default one gives ~320k dps in hideout with buffs without frenzy.

The Archmage one only gives 200k. The gem is for non crit super high mana builds with elemental overload.

Default Kinetic Bolt is 230k at 19/20.
Kinetic Bolt of fragmentation is 135k at 19/20.

Kinetic Blast is 170k at 19/20.

Currently the default Power Siphon is miles ahead. Especially since higher damage per hit gives as way bigger freezes which works amazing this league with the tincture. I am freezing everything left and right atm.

---

I bought both annoints and a Healthy Mind. At 87 I am sitting at around 9.6m map boss dps. Rings and belt are still absolute trash tier.

https://pobb.in/bFlGiPDGs00F

I am thinking about not puttings gems in the helmet this league. That way the helmet gives 50% all resistance, which allows going kinda more offensive on the rings and belt. We do not really need the KB 4link any more so yeah.

Still to early to say but I have started doing the Atlas and so far the freeze pops are just AMAZING! PoB tells me I am crit capped so 100% chance to freeze. The totems are currently one tapping everything leaving no corpses behind.

I cannot even click Frenzy atm. Stuff just dies too fast. Will see once I get to higher tiers.

I have reached T10 and am one-shotting/freezeing/shattering everything left and right. The new Power Siphon kinda feels like Winter Orb on crack.

I actually love it. Man sad we will loose "All Damage can Freeze" next league.

Because of that I will go for the freeze cluster for Glacial Cage. If a mob is frozen he counts as chilled too. Atm I am permafreezing bosses no problem.

The cold damage taken mastery is nutty too.

"

zorker wrote:

I have reached T10 and am one-shotting/freezeing/shattering everything left and right. The new Power Siphon kinda feels like Winter Orb on crack.

I actually love it. Man sad we will loose "All Damage can Freeze" next league.

Because of that I will go for the freeze cluster for Glacial Cage. If a mob is frozen he counts as chilled too. Atm I am permafreezing bosses no problem.

The cold damage taken mastery is nutty too.

Got a couple questions:

1. How is the ST on this build with the nerf to the barrage interaction?

2. Is regular PS > PS of Archmage?

3. How viable is this for a SSF / Private League?