[1.3] Kaleav's Crit Ice Spear - Life/MoM/EB : 6mins 78 courtyard

Hello everyone.

I would like to share my builds/idea. I think this is the best optimization I can push for cold spell witch. I hope to see feedbacks from community for more improvements.


First of all, I would like to demonstrate the build in action. Sorry about the low fps. My potato cant handle multitasking of recording and running poe ;( .


75 Plateau run - 4:30 / boss fight 1:45
http://youtu.be/RuzSLR4mQrc


78 courtyard run - 6 mins / boss fight 2:00
http://youtu.be/kjPG7m5CNlY


Added for comparison - 78 courtyard up to boss : more dps using curse instead of pcoc
http://youtu.be/63kI-olqAVI




1. Intro & Mechanic

The build is pretty much same as all other cold crit spell caster. My aims in my build are i) dps ii) survivality. This build can be low budget cost efficient spell caster with modifications but it's not a point here. There are already many other well writen guides so I don't want to repeat them again. I am trying cold witch for the first time and I want to know what potential dps/suvivality a cold spell caster could have.

Spell dps is very dependent on the gem level and the links in my understanding. Therefore I go for 6L Pledge of Hands which adds level 30 spell echo - so it's 7 link skill. I think enough life leech is a must-have for survivality. But it is a pain to spend 1 precious link for life leech. I've decided to use Berek's Grip ring instead of life leech gem.


To utilize this ring, I go crit build to freeze the monsters and choose the best crit cold spell - ice spear. Hence, it provides large amount of life leech most of times but it's not 100% same as life leech gem. It turned out well - smooth progression in leveling from 97->98 so far. The idea of using Berek's grip instead of life leech gem can be used for any crit cold spell casters but I am kinda afraid to switch setting in the middle of leveling progression. I might update with other skills if I got a level.



2. Skill Gem links

Spoiler


Main skill
Ice spear - faster casting (+ spell echo from pledge of hands) - cold penetration - gmp or lmp - Added chaos damage (or power charge on critical in curse immune maps)- increased crit damage

I was bit doubtful sustaining 7 power charges only by curses. But it is not. See the 2nd 78 courtyard video for the difference between supply by pcoc/curse- assassin's mark.


Aura & Curse for power charges - Thanks to RaPlD for suggestions.

Reduced mana - Herald of Ice - curse on hit - Assassin's mark

This setup is mainly for supplying power charges and life/mana gain on kill.

When killing a pack of monsters, they are killed not at the very same time but bit succesively depending on position, damage difference or heralds effects. So the monster killed the first will proc herald of ice and the other monsters will be killed as cursed as assassin's mark, granting power charges.

This works fine as long as one is killing many monsters being close to each other (not a single monster left alone in the middle of space). It will overwrite prev damage curse with assassin's mark just before killing the monsters. But the weakness of this setup is hard to sustain charges against boss fight so this is not as consistent as pcoc setup(see the below prev skill links). Furthermore, it would be more inconsistent supply when playing party (where you are not only killing mobs) in particular, with mf culler. Therefore, it would be better to switch added chaos damage with pcoc for more stable dps output.


Aura % buffs

Reduced mana - Herald of Thunder - clarity - purity of ice

Arctic armour - empower - enhance or frostbite

Triggers

CWDT - EC - IC - ID

Movements

Lightning warp - faster casting - reduced duration

Curse : Frostbite on unset ring or in the place of enhance.


For another setup for double auto curses

Reduced mana - HoT - CoH - frostbite

Reduced mana - clarity - purity of ice

LW - FC - RD

+ AA on unset ring.



Previous setup (using pcoc for power charge supply)
Spoiler


Main skill
Ice spear - faster casting - cold penetration - gmp or lmp - power charge on critical - increased crit damage (+ spell echo from pledge of hands)

Aura & Curse

Reduced mana - Herald of thunder - curse on hit - frostbite

Aura % buffs

Reduced mana - Herald of Ice - clarity - purity of ice

Arctic armour - empower - enhance

Triggers

CWDT - EC - IC - ID

Movements

Lightning warp - faster casting - reduced duration


Enhance can be dropped and replaced by any utility gems such as portal, vaal gems, smoke mine. But I am using enhance for constant movement boosts.








3. Gears

Spoiler


Weapon : Pledge of hands - for free spell echo support

5L is okay too. 27k gmp with 7 power charges or 22k gmp in pcoc setup (excluded increased crit dmg).

Chest : Cloak of Defiance - for Mind over Matter

Do not need 5L, legacy. But 6S is recommended for 3L movements and 3L buffs & utility.

Gloves : Maligaro's virtuosity - for crit chance and multipliers

1 Ring : Berek's Grip mostly for life leech. life leech and cold dmg is sweet too.

Yes it is legacy but it is not extremely expensive such as legacy voll's, shav, headhunters. Its price is kinda affordable range considering that it frees up life leech gem(6,7ex in std which is lower than price diff btw 5L and 6L pledge). As you guys can see from my profile it was available even before I started poe. I was lucky to drop one Berek's grip when I was doing pack+domi rotations and waiting for torment open up.

Other gears are rares with life/resists/mana regen/ crit chance and multi / movement speed and missing stats (dex will be needed).


Budgets for this build would be :

5L pledge 8ex or 6L pledge 35ex
6S CoD - 1ex or 2ex(legacy)
Maligaro's gloves - 1ex
Berek's grip - 6-7ex
+ 5 other rare gears (I am using stash gears so not sure market values but I guess half ex or at most 1ex per slot)

So minimum budget can be 20 ex in total if using 5L pledge or 45ex if using 6L in std.





Example of gears (my setup)
Spoiler











4. Passives



5. Stats
Spoiler


Def


Off : solo dps setup - 33k gmp with 7 power charges


The followings are pcoc setup.
Off - 27k gmp with full power charges


Off - 18k gmp no power charge




Again, thank you all in this forum who shares many build ideas. What I've done for my build is just taking bites from here and there and adding one piece on top of it. All credits are going for all previous crit cold spell caster builds.

Feel free to leave any comment. Feedbacks would be appreciated.




Edit notes

Finished first writeup : 2015-3-7

Added solo dps setup : 2015-3-8

Thanks to RaPlD for suggestions of HoI + Assassin's mark setup.
Last edited by kaleav on Mar 7, 2015, 10:38:10 PM
Hey,

first things first, nice Build imo:) For a couple of reasons I'm working on a similar build for quite some time now. Compared to yours its a suicidal, maniac version but i'd post the tree and gear if you like:)

kind regards
"
KiranaTi wrote:
Hey,

first things first, nice Build imo:) For a couple of reasons I'm working on a similar build for quite some time now. Compared to yours its a suicidal, maniac version but i'd post the tree and gear if you like:)

kind regards


Thanks, man. Sure I hope to see your builds/setup if you don't mind. We could get nice idea/setups by sharing one's setup even if we have bit different favors.
So here it is, the low life low ES freezing shock-spear of fire, "Herald of Elements"

- general description
Spoiler

This build is purely based on my feelings, speaking in terms of "how it seems to work well".
I'm working on this build for quite some time now. In fact, I don't use other builds because this one is still unfinished and it doesn't feel right to put it aside.
- Except for Doryani's (purchased), Pyre and Three Dragons (both gifts by mates) every item dropped via normal gameplay
- Most of the items were altered with crafting
- Don't have any resources for buying equipment
There are some possible improvements I can imagine like 6l Shavronne's and a few other hilarious expensive items. I could write them down if required but in my mind its a topic of its own^^


- current thoughts
Spoiler

I'm playing around with the amulets a little bit right now. Especially the anti-stun of the chayula one is very convenient. But the non-exisent mana regeneration isn't. They all need a little dex though.
Not really sure about the AA. Due to lightning warp it doesn't drain that much but its effect is flattening the higher the maps are. And it occupies the increased duration slot of the Cwdt EC/IC "4"l setup.
Need more fire resistance
Need better equip
Need more crit multiplier
With some more passive points you could grab Shaper and Foresight. And/Or the stun avoidance at the witch starting area.


- rules of engagement
Spoiler

this build utilizes an ancient, mongol strategy (some kind of intended rearguard action): keep your enemies behind you by all means
cast or die (for the shield-heal)
(try to) know the enemy you're engaging
pay attention to your environment
be quick


- pros
Spoiler

close to perfect crit chance for ice spears second form
slaughtering mobs at insane speed in solo, especially with enough elemental status effects on them
high repositioning speed due to a 3l lightning warp with full 20/20 gems
decent to good single target damage


- cons
Spoiler

can't deal with...
- reflect map mod (in theory its possible to do them though it'll take a long time)
- rare reflecter with "more/additional damage" are close to impossible, too
- no life/mana reg mods (if you cant cast you wont be healed)
- reduced life/mana regeneration unless your mana-regeneration is way better than mine
- stuns that good.
- remember, casting is live so if your cast is disrupted so is your life
squishy as hell if you get hit by to much (chaos) damage in a very short timeframe
heavily depending on positioning
you'll die in agony if the rules of engagement are ignored


- comments about important build related mechanics
Spoiler

Ghost Reaver/Vaal Pact
- The amount leeched is close to 12/11% with/without the corrupted Atziri's Foible. That's enough to regenerate roughly 1/5 of a close to 2,3k ES per average, single-spear hit against a resist capped target without elemental status effects. providing its a crit.
Cwdt Frost Wall
- Utilized to push melee attackers away to prevent damage
- Used with increased instead of decreased duration you can literally auto-build your own bunker around your position or "bulldoze" through close-ranged targets
Ice Spear
- Used for generating Power Charges, healing, dps. The keystone of this build.
- Utilizing increased damage against targets with elemental status effects as much as possible
Lightning Warp
- Basically you're warping in front of or into your target(s), warping back 1/2x lightning warps minimal distance, cast one or two times and change your position again. You always want to stay one or two meters away from your closest target.
- Can be used to freeze groups by warping into them and immediately warping back out, doesn't work that well against single targets though


- Items
Spoiler



- and the amulets I'm currently playing around with:


flasks
Spoiler

If well played this build will only need them occasionally




- Stats
Spoiler

- default configuration with Atziri's Foible, without Power Charges and HoT, HoI, Clarity, Discipline

general
Spoiler




offence
Spoiler



defence
Spoiler



misc
Spoiler



charges
Spoiler





- passive tree

If you (or anybody) like to know more just ask. Regarding your build I don't know what to to be honest because it seems to work pretty well;)
But anyway I'm curious about any coments^^

edit: passive tree added :D
Last edited by KiranaTi on Mar 10, 2015, 10:19:03 AM
6L CoD end 2 Doryni's Catalyst?

4R boots+TheVertex?

P.S.
me us vaal pact for life leech(in another bild). Have you tried to use it?

Passive skill tree build

Spoiler
Last edited by Serpent_R on Apr 19, 2015, 11:48:42 AM
What are the bandits? Kinda important...
Bandits??

Report Forum Post

Report Account:

Report Type

Additional Info