[1.2.x] ✮The Phoenix Reborn ✮(ES/RF/BM/lowlife/fireball) - no shavs required!

This is first and foremost a Righteous Fire build (RF), it is energy-shield (ES) based, rather than the more traditional life version.
It centers around usage of Blood Magic + Moral Conviction + Solaris Lorica
for safely stacking 6-7 auras, while picking up as many aura passives as possible to maximize their benefits; the most important benefits being those that benefit RF, specifically your: max fire resist (Purity of Fire), ES (Discipline) and life Regeneration (Vitality).

Damage is supplemented with usage of Fireball for shotgunning enemies in close-range, or barraging enemies from afar when you're not confident of getting in their face.

For boss-killing and getting out of trouble, Vaal Discipline is invaluable: for both its ability to make you nigh-invulnerable for the duration (instant ES regen) and directly increasing RF damage (increases ES by 4-5K give or take).

It follows all the other expected tropes of RF builds - stacking as many % regeneration passives as possible coupled with Zealot's Oath, Purity of Fire and Rise of the Phoenix for maintaining RF.

___________________________________________________________________________________
Videos

Current build Videos
Academy map (level 76)


Legacy Videos
Build 1.0


Note: these were recorded prior to picking up ghost reaver - since then I can play much more reckless :)
Dry Peninsula map lvl 73

Residence map lvl 74
Video At time of filming it's worth noting that my fireball is weak - only level 17 (each level DPS goes up by ~500)
According to an email I recieved from youtube this video is blocked in some countries due to copyrighted music - if this applies to you, I apologize! I'll work on getting some more videos up in the coming days.


___________________________________________________________________________________
Gear

Required Items

A +3 fire skill gems weapon is required to get purity of fire up to level 23 for +5% maximum fire resist, it's possible to run on +4%, however maintaining RF easier with +8% max fire resist (5% + 5%*0.6 = 8%) vs +6% max fire resist (4% + 4%*0.6 = 6%), if you haven't got your purity of fire high enough level, Empower can help make the difference.
Rise of the Phonix is used for +8% max fire resist, and solaris lorica for redirecting chaos damage.

For any item slot that is not filled (everything bar weapon/shield/chest) it is imperative to stack as much ES as possible, this means getting 180-200 ES boots and gloves, 300-400 ES helmet, 50-60 ES rings and 50-60 ES belt. The helmet likely being the most expensive component of the build.

Current setup

Carcass Jack can be swapped in when leveling up, ONLY to be used in areas where there are no chaos-damage dealing monsters.

___________________________________________________________________________________
Character Screens
Defence

Note: Fire resist will increase to 92% once purity of fire hits level 20 (+3 from weapon).


Offence

Fireball level 18. Estimated 5K tooltip DPS at level 20.


Stats during Vaal Discipline

___________________________________________________________________________________
Gems

Single Target / AoE 4L/5L

4L:
Fireball + GMP/LMP + Life Leech + Iron Will

Optional:
Spell Echo, Concentrated Effect, Fire Penetration

Righteous Fire 4L

Righteous fire + Increased area of effect + Concentrated effect + increased burning damage


CWDT
Cast when damage taken (level 1) + Enduring cry (level 5) + Immortal call (level 3) + Flammability/Elemental weakness (level 5)

Auras/Utility

Auras
Reduced Mana + Grace + Vitality + Purity of fire + Determination + Haste + Discipline.

Extra survival
Vaal Discipline + (optional) Increased Duration

Movement
(optional) Lightning Warp

___________________________________________________________________________________
Tree/Bandits

Current Tree (level 84)
With plans to pick up the 6 point ES/Armour Body and Soul wheel for the coming levels.

Level 65 tree
This is when you can equip Rise of the Phoenix and start running RF, you should have 90% fire resistance with purity of fire up and roughly ~3600 ES in order to sustain RF without losing life over time.

Bandits:
Normal: Kill all for point
Cruel: Kill all for point
Merciless: Kill all for point
___________________________________________________________________________________
Strengths & Weaknesses

[+]
  • Due to snapshot mechanic nerfs (fixes?), RF is unpopular right now, so RF gear, e.g. Rise of the Phoenix shield, and +3 fire skill weapons are cheaper than ever.
  • Mortal conviction got mega-buffed (40%-60% less mana reserved by auras - wow!)
  • Solaris lorica is very cheap due to it being a relatively underused, common low-level unique
  • Vaal discipline synergises amazingly well, directly increasing both damage and survivability while active
  • Can arguably run any map mods
  • Relatively cheap for a low-life build
  • You'll be a party favourite with your buffed 4x60% auras + 2x40% auras
  • Reflect immune
  • Build can be completed with 4L/5L's
  • Potentially Atziri capable (with some tweaking)
  • Decent clear speed
  • Direct leech with ghost reaver+fireball making for a very tanker caster

[-]
  • Can't run RF on some map mods (minus max resistances / 50%/no regeneration), meaning you're reliant on a significantly reduced damage fireball for your DPS
  • It's a late-game build: it's challenging to level up, high gem level requirements, RF not usable until level 65 etc.
  • Pool for casting spells (health) does not regenerate, meaning frequent health-potting is required to cast fireball
  • Can be somewhat vulnerable to status ailments - low health (i.e. ~2k HP) means that on higher maps shock / freeze can potentially last a long time, meaning potions to remove said effects become necessary


___________________________________________________________________________________

Build Updates
Spoiler

Version 1.1 changes

  • Picked up ghost reaver for extra survivability
  • Dropped purity auras in favour of extra armour from determination aura
  • Reworked gem slots to incorporate immortal call and flammability curse in CWDT setup





Some credit goes to DrRelentless from whom I got the general idea for a BM ES RF type build.
"there is no spoone" - The Matricks
Last edited by Zeekin on Sep 26, 2014, 11:14:42 PM
Added another map to demo the build, hopefully not blocked this time!
"there is no spoone" - The Matricks
Hi,

Interesting build. Can you post a screenshot of your defenses? Also, What are your thoughts and opinion in running this build compared to other RF builds in Beyond league?

Thanks!
"
buckwildg wrote:
Hi,

Interesting build. Can you post a screenshot of your defenses? Also, What are your thoughts and opinion in running this build compared to other RF builds in Beyond league?

Thanks!


I've posted a new section 'character screens' for showing character stats.

Compared to other RF builds? hm haven't given it too much thought, I guess there's some things to like, and some not to like which I kind-of covered in the strengths/weaknesses section, but if I had to compare specifically HP RF builds I'd probably say

The good:
-run 7 beefed up auras
-secondary skill for damage from range
-all the benefits of a low-life build, PA, MF slippers (if you want) etc.
-tonnes more self-cast damage
-not reliant on RF for all damage


The bad:
-harder to gear/gearing options are not very flexible
-very specific passive tree, not much wiggle room for custimization
-harder to level (or more annoying at least)
-more vulnerable to status ailments
-haven't currently figured out a way to abuse elemental equilibrium yet


I'm sure I've missed stuff, that's just off the top of my head.
"there is no spoone" - The Matricks
Have thought about Ice Nova or Shock Nova, manually cast or in the CwDT setup?
Seems an easy way to trigger EE.

Have you tried other spells? Any spell can work with this build.


Haven't such a build before. How to you regen life (for BM) if you get Zealot's Oath?
Last edited by nebunelux on Sep 25, 2014, 4:23:38 AM
Did a major reworking of the build, picked up ghost reaver, added IC for survivability and put curse into CWDT setup for extra damage - see other changes in the build update log in the OP.

Added academy map to videos section showcasing build version 1.1 (~1 hour remaining on upload at time of posting).

"
nebunelux wrote:
Have thought about Ice Nova or Shock Nova, manually cast or in the CwDT setup?
Seems an easy way to trigger EE.

Have you tried other spells? Any spell can work with this build.


Haven't such a build before. How to you regen life (for BM) if you get Zealot's Oath?


I originally tried the build with flame surge, and while the tooltip DPS looked nice, the spell itself I found felt lacklustre - very short range which I didn't like.
I've not really considered any other spells, as it's pretty much mandatory that whatever spell I pick be fire/AoE based so as to get the most benefit from the fire passives / AoE passives I picked up... And that doesn't leave many options!
Welcome to suggestions though.

Not sure it will ever be possible to work EE into the build in the current state it's in. I enjoy self casting too much to want to give it up.

I could of course choose to use flame-blast, but I really have no love for that spell.

Originally life-steal was where my life-regen was coming from, however now that I've taken ghost reaver this is no longer possible. Now my life comes almost entirely from potion, the other part coming from the life-on-kill effect. Generally though, asides from the annoyance of having to drink potion fairly regularly, it's not too bad.
"there is no spoone" - The Matricks
Last edited by Zeekin on Sep 26, 2014, 11:47:12 AM
This is very similar to a build I've been working on, except I skipped blood magic and went incinerate.

This is what I'm currently using: Level 68
And this is what I'm going for: Level 100 (planning on changing it to a CoC cyclone)

Just one question about what you have here: why no Inner Force. The three nodes give you 21% increased buffs (raising your max resist), which results in only a small increase in burning damage while still gaining the benefit on all your other auras.

Here's a RF burn calculator I made that might help with tweaking regen to meet the minimum requirement.
Last edited by bullgaria on Oct 8, 2014, 5:17:33 PM

Report Forum Post

Report Account:

Report Type

Additional Info