Mapping questions

Hi

I'm a relative newbie to mapping, and have a couple of questions on strategy... I have read (and is largely following) Lyralei's guide :-)

I'm using a flame totem build with mostly self-found equipment (apart from a Three Dragons helmet).

Q1: Map inventory management

The strategy I'm following goes like this:
1. Pick the map to run. Either L66, or a map I have more than 5 of. If the last, pick the highest level one.
2. If I have 8 or more of any particular map (after removing the picked one from the stash), vendor 3 of them for a higher level one.
3. Enhance the chosen map with whatever extra currency I have.
4. Run the map

This works well for me, and ensures I have a decent map base to work from. At the moment, I'm full (5 each) of L66, and almost full of L67/68. Higher ones should come in time.

However, it is also a fairly slow approach, so I wonder if anyone has any improvement suggestions.

Q2: Chisels from vendor recipe

Are people using the 20q Gavel + Map to get a chisel?
At my current level it doesn't seem sensible, but I guess it will be with higher level maps. For now, it seems like a better use for me is the 3 maps to 1 higher level map recipe.

Q3: How the *beep* do you handle devourers as a non-tank build?

If a map has devourers, I quite often give up on it. A boss-pack appearing below you is often instant death :-(

I am not an expert on mapping...

A good read: http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/339977

You may want to go to something like 8-10 maps of that level before moving "up". It reduces the chance of "dropping down". You can trade 3 of the same map for one map of +1 level, that is one way to get rid of some 66s.

I would not use anything but transmute, alt, augment until maps feel scarce. That should happen some way into the 70s. Finding Zana (twice) and doing her daily gives a map of usually level 70-72 that helps getting maps in that range.

And if you have loads of 66 maps, it would not make a lot of sense to spend many alts to try get the perfect mods.

I think all builds ought to be somewhat tanky to survive in maps. Apart from the odd rare devourer (or orchard boss), I have not found them much of a problem. They usually die before they do much damage. You ought to have a decent life pool (3000++) and max resistances.

Thanks :-)

That thread is Lyralei's one, the one I was referring to.

I'm decently tanked, 3667 life, (well over) max resists, but is still a bit hampered by using a Tabula Rasa. At some point I need to upgrade that to a 6L chest...

Equipment:

(a few of the gems are only there for levelling)

I have not played with totems, maybe devourers are a weakness?

Keep moving, their most damaging projectile travel slowly. Trigger them, turn back, zig zag a bit, and drop totem on them? This league I have mostly played an arc witch, and they drop fast enough. I have not mapped with him but a sub-optimal 2H axe cleaver just kill them...

regarding Gavel recipe:

once you reach maps you would want to start chiseling ~72 you would already need over 700 lvl 66 maps to get 1x lvl 72 map via 3:1 map recipe

also gavel can be chanced to mjolner, so put 20q on gavels and chance them( do not bother with already magic/rare gavels unless they have 10/15q)

Thanks :-)

I have considered the huge amount of L66's you'd need to get for example a L72, but I was more thinking this way... I was not upgrading the 66's to eventually get to 72, but more to make it possible for me to get 69's from the resulting 67...

I hadn't considered the Mjölner option, so I just might start doing that now :-) In any case it won't hurt to have a stash of chisels...

Speed up tips:
- Stop keeping 5 maps of each, just vendor any time you got 3 identical. You would still most likely have 10+ maps of each level, you don't need to keep 5 orchard or whatever... I stop doing that at 74ish though.
- Play the highest maps you got. Scared to fall down? What do you prefer, run 67 maps for 5 days or run go from 67 to 72 back to 67 in 5 days? Most likely you will never fall back below 72ish.
- alch the highest maps you got in your pool above 68. When you have a decent pool alch above ~71, not necessary below that
- if you use alts, go for anything that boost the number of mobs
- use your chisels on the top of your map pool
- pick every map, even very low ones, you'll vendor them anyway

I usually vendor anything low that's not outdoor in straight lines now, and play the 70ish that i can complete in 2-3mn, sometimes better and more relaxing than playing only high level maps.

Just using that i have like 30 74+map (including 77 and 78) and i can play any level of maps i want. I always play solo, never bought maps besides atziri.

Since 1.2 and zana, i really think sustaining maps is not really an issue (unless you wanna run only 78...).

At worst you're a bit low on map, you go run all the strands, gorge, canyon, dry peninsula you got and you're back to a decent map pool in <1h.