Flame Totem vs Shockwave Totem?

Which one is better for faster clear speeds and safety? I feel like everyone is going flame totem when shockwave seems to offer more at least on paper. The knockback provides some safety and shockwave can use physical to lightning to shock enemies while flame totem cannot. Shockwave also gains benefit from hatred and herald of ash. What does flame totem have that shockwave does not?

Honestly this is a pretty good question, you have good points. I've never tried shockwave totem, but have always wanted to. I have however used flame totem, back in 1.2 or so. It seemed very effective. Overall, I really have no useful input, just thought this is a pretty great question and want to see what others have to offer! :P

Seems that the benefits of hatred and physical to lightning would be really awesome...

I think a well built shockwave totem would have better clear speed overall but do worse on single targets, they build kinda differently so it's hard to do a 1:1 compare. SWT does have higher defensive potential and shocks/freezes reliably with phys to lightning and hatred, but flame totem is still more popular because you don't have to mind the positioning as much (nor resummon it as often) so it's easier to use.

Flame Totem has dual stat requirement, so it's easier to have the stats for, whereas Shockwave totem requires 155 at lvl 20.

Mana cost. 42 base for flame totem and 58 for shockwave totem. The difference in mana multiplier on the support gems you'd use for them makes the difference anywhere from 30-70 mana per cast. A shockwave totem fully kitted can easily cost 150'ish mana per cast. That's a LOT of mana regen or potion spam required.

Flame Totem is also a lot easier to work into the passive tree, whereas you'd really want to get the AoE nodes to get maximum potential out of Shockwave totem. Flame totem basically just requires damage and potentially a jewel socket for Rain of Splinters.

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Deadpeng wrote:

Shockwave totem is much stronger now due to the shotgun removal.

I don't think this became a big deal. Flame totems now gain projectiles as it levels so no need lmp/gmp and then just add another gem to it.

I'm assuming flame totems probably have higher DPS while shockwave has more coverage right?

And flame totem builds seem to favor going blood magic so more HP?

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renroval wrote:

And flame totem builds seem to favor going blood magic so more HP?

Personally, I wouldn't give up Anger that lightly.