Arc Templar - thoughts?

http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgUABAcEswVCCPQJqhBYEQ8RLRZvFy8aOCSqJLAnLyj6LJwtHy19MtE1kjbpOlg64UGHQZZCo0PIRUdFnUbXTLNN408EU1JVxlXWXypk52aeaPJqQ2sXcYV2EXyDfq-ApIGvgh6Cm4LHg9uLjI0ZkFWVIJo7muCiAKZXrJius7EFsUK1hbc-uJO40LzqwBrAVMBmwJrBtMHzzfrQ9dWm2L3ZX9n82jraudsL3YzgEuFz42rr5Ovu7DjtPO9Q8B_zEfnd-ej60v4K_o8=


I just tried out a Flameblaster that ripped at level 50 to a 1hko instagib of a Ele Resist mob and thought I would try running Arc.

Not really sure about what to run Arc on in the lower levels, maybe faster casting, chain and life leech?

Would this build be hardcore viable? I want to run purity of lightning since ele resist now really scares me.

In terms of auras I'd like to run Clarity, Arctic armor, purity of lightning, herald and thunder and maybe discipline to help with AA.

Could I get some advise please? Its been a year since I played and I'm quite unfamiliar.

Chain doesn't work too well with Arc. The standard 5L damage setup for non-crit Arc would be:
Arc + Lightning Pen. + Faster Casting + Spell Echo + Life Leech.

Lightning Penetration is arguably the most important damage support there since it makes every mob take the same damage as if they had x% (~35% at higher levels) less lightning resistance - even below 0! - so while it doesn't increase your tooltip DpS, it massively increases the damage mobs take from your Arc.

Your build looks not bad and it will probably work like this but you are way short on dex if you want to run a high level Arctic Armour. If you drop the crit cluster in the Witch area you could change your pathing as bit to get another 40 dex for the same amount of skillpoints. You can get a lot of dex from equipment but relieing entirely on gear usually isn't a good idea since that makes you very unflexible with gear choices.

Two more things to mention regarding your passive skilltree:
For just one skillpoint more, you could go through the 2x 12% lightning damage nodes instead of the single 6% elemental one in the Celestial cluster on the left. +18% increased damage for just one more skilpoint is a very good value and you deal exclusively lightning damage.
Similar for the Ash, Frost and Storm elemental damage cluster in the middle. It offers great value if you have mixed elemental damage but for a lightning or cold based build, the Storm Weaver cluster offers a bit more damage and an additional +20% mana regen for the same amount of skillpoints.
Working in these changes, your skilltree could then look like this or this for example.

Arc certainly is hardcore viable and especially the Cloak of Defiance + Arctic Armour + Leech combo is pretty tanky while still being able to deal decent damage.

If you plan to solo a lot, I recommend to have at least one gem setup that keeps mobs in a distance. Imho the best basic setup is a spell totem + frost wall + faster casting one. The wall has far more advantages compaired to minions, because it's invulnerable and it hits instantly without the need to "walk" to the mobs first, so it'll be very often the totem, that gets the initial attention instead of you.

If you fear elemental reflect (and for bosses with high hp pool), also level a Searing Bond gem, because its burning damage doesn't count as hit but works like a dmg-aura and hence won't be affected by reflect.

In party though replace the frost wall with another spell or swap the entire setup, because the wall blocks friendly minions, melees and projectiles from archers/wanders too.

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Salumba wrote:

If you plan to solo a lot, I recommend to have at least one gem setup that keeps mobs in a distance. Imho the best basic setup is a spell totem + frost wall + faster casting one. The wall has far more advantages compaired to minions, because it's invulnerable and it hits instantly without the need to "walk" to the mobs first, so it'll be very often the totem, that gets the initial attention instead of you.

If you fear elemental reflect (and for bosses with high hp pool), also level a Searing Bond gem, because its burning damage doesn't count as hit but works like a dmg-aura and hence won't be affected by reflect.

In party though replace the frost wall with another spell or swap the entire setup, because the wall blocks friendly minions, melees and projectiles from archers/wanders too.

A little fix here .. In a party you shouldn't take out the Frost wall, you should amplify it with double totems, spell echo, increased duration, make frost wall mines and cast frost wall yourself to see how long it takes to get you kicked

(ignore this post)

I wouldn't personally take Ash, Frost and Storm. Four points for 40% increased elemental damage isn't terribly efficient even though you're right there. Be sure to take Inner Force; it makes all of your "auras" (Heralds and Arctic Armour included) better. Storm Weaver is pretty great too. Also, if you want a tree like this, I'd start as a Witch instead for a little extra damage (and the option of cast speed).

Maybe something more like this: