Questions of a Newb

Hey, I just recently picked up playing this game, and so far it's been great. But screw my story, I have questions for the learned.

1. Why don't I see fireball or ice spear builds? It seems to me like those are good skills (at least what I've done with them), but they get no time in the sun for a build.

2. Along the same lines, Why are there no builds that cast a spell (fireball for instance) and set it up like so? Fireball + Greater Multiple + Chain + Critical Chance + w/e else and then have another setup like this.. Cast on Critical + Firestorm + Flammability + w/e else. Would firestorm and flammability not be cast on the zombies when a fireball crits them (and chains/splits into eternity)?

3. Why do I hate Immortal Call so much? I have seen many recommendations to use it in builds, but it seems to me like blowing out all my endurance charges just tears my damage reduction to the ground and does nothing to help keep me alive.

I might think of more later. Thanks in advance.

If u played a lot.. new skills are shiney!... they aren't bad skills. To your second point... if u go crit.. things go bye bye...no need to get cute. U need to use other slots for defense, movement auras, curse... cast on crit is typically done off the weapon cause u can get a higher crit chance... base of 7 max for ice spear vs a 10...11...on a wand/ dagger. Makes a big diff. U can leach as well that way. Not saying u can'take and could be fun to use spell to cast on crit but u would have to focus power charges probably.
Personally I like using just charges on my armor chars... but for evasion u are trying to ensure u don't get 1 shotted on high physical attack... if u don't like it don't use it. Arctic armour... end charges work well...

As far as Cast On Crit, you actually need to put it in the same link as the spell you want to use to trigger it; for example, if you wanted to cast Fireball which would then trigger Firestorm whenever it crit, you would have to set it up as Fireball--Cast on Crit--Firestorm.

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Loreweaver wrote:

As far as Cast On Crit, you actually need to put it in the same link as the spell you want to use to trigger it; for example, if you wanted to cast Fireball which would then trigger Firestorm whenever it crit, you would have to set it up as Fireball--Cast on Crit--Firestorm.

If you did something like fireball + coc + firestorm + more, would all the rest of the gems in the link support both of the skills, and would fireball recast?

Different question: If I get a critical hit with my sword, would a CoC gem on my armor proc, or would it need to be on the sword that scored the hit?

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quicksixteen wrote:

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Loreweaver wrote:

As far as Cast On Crit, you actually need to put it in the same link as the spell you want to use to trigger it; for example, if you wanted to cast Fireball which would then trigger Firestorm whenever it crit, you would have to set it up as Fireball--Cast on Crit--Firestorm.

If you did something like fireball + coc + firestorm + more, would all the rest of the gems in the link support both of the skills, and would fireball recast?

CoC only triggers off attacks, and only causes spells to cast when triggered. There's no looping possible. You need attack - CoC - spell all linked to get anything to happen. A standard setup would be something like Barrage - GMP - CoC - Fireball - Arctic Breath - Life Leech (although of course there are many varieties of CoC builds - this is just an illustrative example).

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Different question: If I get a critical hit with my sword, would a CoC gem on my armor proc, or would it need to be on the sword that scored the hit?

No gem cares about where it is socketed (although some items provide bonuses to or use socketed gems, of course). Basically every CoC build has its CoC setup in chest armour because it's their only 5/6L possible.

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Loreweaver wrote:

As far as Cast On Crit, you actually need to put it in the same link as the spell you want to use to trigger it; for example, if you wanted to cast Fireball which would then trigger Firestorm whenever it crit, you would have to set it up as Fireball--Cast on Crit--Firestorm.

Doesn't work with Fireball because it's a Spell.

The critting skill has to be an Attack (i.e. physical, like cyclone, spectral throw, barrage, etc...)

Immortal call does work well especialy with a little investment from extra endurance charges and/or duration from tree. That being said, for most content with a life/armour char I would rather just have the endurance charges.

Direct cast spells work great. The only one off the top of my head that I would not reccomend is spark. You won't see a lot of builds for them because they are pretty straight forward (by poe standards) at this point.