[2.2]10K EHP FIRESTORM BATTLE MAGE[updated Feb 29th]

Hello fellow exiles! This is a beginner friendly build I made for the Awakening 2.0, and turns out spellcasters can still be pretty tanky. This build is strong from level 1 - 75 with no gear investment, and let you enjoy the game without constantly getting random one-shotted and lose hard earned exp lategame. I'm currently lv94 in warbands and playing mostly solo, can do 76+ maps with most mods easily.

I'm playing as scion due to her passive tree being more efficient lategame. If you are a new player or starting from scratch, I recommend playing as templar. You will be more powerful from level 1-40 and have access to all the gems you need. (scion do not have access to clarity, firestorm, increased duration, warlord's mark, and is a bit weaker than templar early game spell damage wise)

updats for 2.2:
passive: poeurl.com/yWl (Inquisitor + Elementalist)

change: take elemental overlord, ascend to elementalist + inquisitor.

Witch option: Elementalist + Mastermind of Discord, Liege of the Primordial (this might be a better option than ascendant, due to easier leveling curve and subclass nodes, but I havn't tested)


updated for 2.1: not much change to passive tree compare to 2.0. Here's a list of changes for 2.1:
1.firestorm got a 20% damage buff
2.new gem "controlled destruction"
3.base mana gain from 4 per level to 6 per level, we don't have to take as much mana nodes
4.lost 10% inc. aoe from the AOE clusters in templar and witch area, but we can get the same aoe from scion starting area

PROS
powerful lv10-70 with no gear investment
avoid death lategame (10K+ effective hp)
insane single target dps (300k+ theoretical dps)
atziri viable


CONS
firestorm spam blocks vision/causes lag, your party member blames you when they die (no longer an issue, firestorm's visual effect is much better now in 2.1!)

elemental reflect - ele reflect maps combined with curse imune/-max/low regen is deadly to this build


*VIDEO*
[2.1]T15 Abyss. temp chain, enfeeble, no regen, extra dmg: https://youtu.be/9SOxSInEpCI

[2.0]Atziri run : http://youtu.be/EHuJIcl9wPI
[2.0]77 volcano map with elemental reflect : http://youtu.be/F1PaP8YCjKU
[2.0]79 Village Ruin Map, -max resist : http://youtu.be/ZOP37Xv71vk
[2.0]76 residence map, temp chains, no regen, extra dmg : https://youtu.be/EM_VJVLU1yE

Looter filter: neversink

updated atziri run vid

pledge and kaoms. very cheap sir

its a nice setup, when you encounter a reflect mob, do you insta-die or do you have the time for potions and ruby flask?

Looks pretty similar to most Whispering Ice builds, without the chill/freeze but also without the pressure to go CI. Looks like a solid build, you should add a section about what map mods are (un)playable.

I'm rather confused. Having played a 77 percent physical mitigation char with crits, freezes and chill effects, and found that to be woefully lacking in the physical damage reduction department despite 6 K hp and a Rumi's... i'm confused as to how you stand on things, cast, then run away and not get stun locked, 1 shot, frozen or even really hit.

I'm not trying to complain here bud, seems like a nice build. It's just i feel like some people have a whole different game client than i do. One where they say things like "capping crit is easy", "i find 30 percent damage reduction more than enough"

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Iboga wrote:

pledge and kaoms. very cheap sir

this is the end game set-up. pledge and kaoms are the BIS item for this build, but a 5link will just do fine. they don't offer you much DPS, but rather survivbility. I had around 1500 average damage,4.5k life and 1.5k mana at lv80ish with a 5 link and rare wands, 5c total cost of all gears. compared to 2300 average damage right now at lv 94.

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Xanin wrote:

its a nice setup, when you encounter a reflect mob, do you insta-die or do you have the time for potions and ruby flask?

I usually avoid doing ele-reflect maps, they are very difficult to manage. Besides that, you will only encounter rare ele-reflect mobs(thanks to the removal of thorn flesh), usually they don't require you to pop flasks at all.

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CorranHorn wrote:

I'm rather confused. Having played a 77 percent physical mitigation char with crits, freezes and chill effects, and found that to be woefully lacking in the physical damage reduction department despite 6 K hp and a Rumi's... i'm confused as to how you stand on things, cast, then run away and not get stun locked, 1 shot, frozen or even really hit.

I'm not trying to complain here bud, seems like a nice build. It's just i feel like some people have a whole different game client than i do. One where they say things like "capping crit is easy", "i find 30 percent damage reduction more than enough"

cwdt set up. when i get hit by ~500 damage, I curse enemies with warlords mark and leech back. when i get hit ~3000, triggers immortal call, and is usually 4sec + with 5 charges.

double diping leech and immortal call keeping me quite safe from phys dmg.

uploaded a new vid, 77 volcano map with elemental reflect