[Atom Bomb] Infernal Blow and Molten Shell template.

This is a template I am currently working on. I would love some constructive criticism.

The idea: Blow things up, light them on fire =) and watch them burn...I have an Explosive Arrow template I like very much and this was sort of a melee version of it. Burn damage is the key focal point not direct fire damage.

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Ignite

Ignite causes targets to burn, dealing damage over time as fire based on the initial amount of fire damage dealt. Humanoids, Monkeys and Sea Witches will flee while burning.
Basic Ignite effects last 4 seconds, and the amount of damage over time is 1/3 of the initial fire damage dealt, per second. So a total of 4/3 of the original damage, over 4 seconds. The total damage of the Ignite Status Ailment can be increased with skill gem bonuses, passive skills, and item mods that increase burning damage. In addition, the Vulnerability curse can increase burning damage, and the Temporal Chains curse can increase the duration of the burning effect without reducing the damage done per second.
Separate applications of Ignite do not strictly stack. All Ignite effects applied will be present on an enemy, but only the Ignite effect with the highest health degeneration value will take place at any given time. For example, if you apply an effect that damages an enemy for 10 health a second, and then 1 second later apply another that does 7 health each second, the enemy will burn for 10 health per second for the first 10 seconds. Then that effect will end and the 7 damage per second effect will apply for one second before expiring.

End Game Stats

219% HP
51% resist
104% ES and Armor increase
52% AOE radius increase (not including support gem)

Skill gems:

Molten Shell and Infernal Blow

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Infernal Blow

Deals damage to an enemy, with some physical damage converted to fire damage. If the enemy dies soon after being hit, they will explode, dealing fire damage to nearby enemies. As the skill levels up, damage increases. Higher quality Infernal Blow gems deal increased damage. Requires an axe, mace, sword, two-handed axe, two-handed mace, two-handed sword, staff, or unarmed.

Skill Functions and Interactions

Converted Damage: Like all converted damage, the fire portion of Infernal Blow's damage will be modified by both fire damage increases and physical damage increases.
Duration: If the debuff caused by Infernal Blow is still active when the monster dies, it will explode even if Infernal Blow was not the killing blow.
Explosion Damage: The damage of the explosion will be 20% of the corpses' former life, modified by elemental and fire damage passives and item mods. Spell damage will not modify either the attack or explosion damage.
Monster Types: Magic (blue named) and rare (yellow named) monsters can be exploded, but unique monsters cannot be.
Weapon Elemental Damage: The explosion will not be affected by increased elemental weapon damage or weapon fire damage, but the fire portion of the initial attack will be.

Infernal Blow Supports:

Increased AOE, Chance to Ignite, Weapon Elemental Damage, Elemental Proliferation, Melee Damage Increase

Molten Shell:

Version 1: Iron Will + Fire Penetration + Increased AOE + Chance to Ignite

Addition possibilities for Molten Shell: Elemental Proliferation and Concentrated Effect.

Version 2: Elemental Proliferation + Concentrated Effect + Increased AOE + Chance to Ignite

Version 3: Elemental Proliferation + Fire Penetration + Increased AOE + Chance to Ignite

Now both of these can change with a 6 link chest piece, but mana costs must be considered since Infernal Blow is mana intensive. I plan on running a 2-hand 5 node and a 6 link chest.

Aura:


End Game 1: Determination and Anger

End Game 2: Evasion Aura and Determination (the armor one) (Note: This template does not have adequate resists and will need to be revised to make room for that if it is to be tried)

Curses:

Main: Flammability

Secondaries: Warlords Mark and Enduring Cry

Equipment would consist of high hp and resist gear. Armor composition would be Armor and Energy Shield.

Changes I have considered to the passive tree:

1. I could switch out some damage nodes for Endurance Charges.

2. I could drop the ES and Armor nodes and pick up Iron Reflexes and the +15% resist and run the evasion aura, but that would make all the int I have pointless as well as energy shield being null and void.


I will add more earlier steps when I get time.

End Game Build Option 1:

http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgEAA8YEBwSzBS0GDg48EmkUIBRNFHEWbxccGS4ZhRo4GmwfAiSqJ-0otSlPMgk2xTbYNuk6UjrYPAU9X0CgQ2NG103YUEdQUFJTVElVqVXGVgRXDVhjWPVZ818_YEtgiGFSZp5xTXF5cql07Xbneu982YFvgpuDOIZgiBuLjIx2jM-PRpBVl5WXtJf0ms-drp3EnjyezZ_Ln9-iAKcIpzCnhKyqrLq3MbndwBrG2M9l0NDSIdSP2CTZYd-_4XPjauQi51LsOOxV7SDvDu9O73zvhfAf8WzyL_ZI9779Cw==


End Game Build Option 2 (Note: This template does not have adequate resists and will need to be revised to make room for that if it is to be tried):

http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgEAA8YEBwSzBS0GDg48Dq0SaRQgFE0UcRZvFxwY2xkuGYUaOBpsHwIhYCSqJ-0otSlPKaU2xTbYNuk6UjrYPAU9X0CgQ5xEnkbXTdhQR1BQUlNTu1RJVcZWBFcNWGNZ818_YEtgiGFScXlyqXTtdPF673zZgW-Cm4M4hmCIG4uMjHaMz49GkFWXlZf0na6ePJ7Nn8uf36IApwinMKeErKqwc7ndv9XAGsbYz2XQ0NIh1I_YJNlh37_hc-Nq5CLnUuw47FXstu0g7w7vTu9874XwH_Fs8fTyL_ZI9779Cw==

Molten Shell counts as SPELL.

you might want to try Molten Shell + Iron Will (STR damage bonus applies to spells) + Fire Penetration + X

X could be Culling Strike, Concentrated Effect (massive more aoe damage but even closer range of the shell explosion) , or Increased Area of Effect.

Molten Shell + Iron Wlll = the "deals Fire Damage" part is increased by the damage modifier of your STR value. Fire Penetration results in more actual Damage than listed in the sheet because ON explosion the enemies will also have lowered resistances against ... Fire.

Culling Strike would insta-gib anything that was brought down to <=10% HP by the explosion,
while Concentrated Effect increases the Damage dealt by the explosion because MS is also "AOE" but it will cost you radius (but youre speccing a lot of +radius so it might even out for >30% inc. radius and you deal like +60% more aoe dmg )
Increased Area of Effect simply further increases the radius of the explosion (and stacks with your aoe radius increases)

Weapon elemental Damage and Melee Damage Increase will not change anything on Molten Shell. Its not elemental damage dealt with weapons (bc its a spell) and its not melee physical damage (its a spell). These would only be making sense with Infernal Blow.

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Yoman wrote:

Molten Shell counts as SPELL.

you might want to try Molten Shell + Iron Will (STR damage bonus applies to spells) + Fire Penetration + X

X could be Culling Strike, Concentrated Effect (massive more aoe damage but even closer range of the shell explosion) , or Increased Area of Effect.

Molten Shell + Iron Wlll = the "deals Fire Damage" part is increased by the damage modifier of your STR value. Fire Penetration results in more actual Damage than listed in the sheet because ON explosion the enemies will also have lowered resistances against ... Fire.

Culling Strike would insta-gib anything that was brought down to <=10% HP by the explosion,
while Concentrated Effect increases the Damage dealt by the explosion because MS is also "AOE" but it will cost you radius (but youre speccing a lot of +radius so it might even out for >30% inc. radius and you deal like +60% more aoe dmg )
Increased Area of Effect simply further increases the radius of the explosion (and stacks with your aoe radius increases)

Weapon elemental Damage and Melee Damage Increase will not change anything on Molten Shell. Its not elemental damage dealt with weapons (bc its a spell) and its not melee physical damage (its a spell). These would only be making sense with Infernal Blow.

You know I wasn't sure what to do with Molten Shell supports yet but I really like your idea of Iron Will. Sorry I did not post separate supports I know it is a spell and just did not know what to do with it yet.

I really like Iron Will + Fire Penetration + Increased AOE. However, since I am running this template to be a burn template and I have also chosen to take Resolute Technique, I will be adding into that list Chance to Ignite 100% that was the only gem aside from Increased AOE I knew was definitely going to Molten Shell.

So my official molten shell formula currently stands @:

Iron Will + Fire Penetration + Increased AOE + Chance to Ignite

We will have to see how much Iron Will effects cast speed vs. the damage benefit and how much mana this will be costing me late game which hopefully will be fine with Blood Magic. I may add in faster casting or maybe reduced mana we will see.

Thanks a lot for input the Iron Will was completely off my radar.

Alright hit 42 in two days will do a detailed report when I get time. So far I am loving it, but we all know merciless is what counts.

This is where I am currently:

http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgEABLMSaRRNFxwZLhmFGjgabCSqJ-0pTzbpOtg8BU3YUFBUSVcNWGNZ818_cXlyqXzZgW-DOIx2jM-QVZ2unjyf36IAp4SsqrndwBrG2NIh1I_ZYeNq5CLnUuw47w7vfPAf8i_2SA==

I am headed for the two 12% hp nodes and then blood magic most likely, if not that more armor and hp we will see how mana goes when more supports are added.

your Infernal Blow is: Type Fire, Attack, AoE, Melee

so what in all hell is keeping you from the Lava Lash 30% Fire Damage with Weapons, and the 10+10+30 Weapon Elemental Damage you already reached at the templar?

for a whole lot of whopping +80% Fire (and +50% whateverelse element your weapon may have) damage with weapons. for just 4 skill points.

i mean you would be using "added fire damage" support which ADDS fire damage to the physical damage youre dealing anyways?

i mean the burn dot is pretty nice but you will want a high base fire damage to begin with to be able to apply it in the first place ? especially since you want to use the weapon elemental damage gem.


( e.g. my heavy strike does ~2400 physical + 2k fire +200 lightning , 2 atk/sec , i have those nodes ) - youre more or less missing out on a lot of that fire part atm with your infernal blow.

Templars in the marauder section!? What has this world come to!?

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Yoman wrote:

your Infernal Blow is: Type Fire, Attack, AoE, Melee

so what in all hell is keeping you from the Lava Lash 30% Fire Damage with Weapons, and the 10+10+30 Weapon Elemental Damage you already reached at the templar?

for a whole lot of whopping +80% Fire (and +50% whateverelse element your weapon may have) damage with weapons. for just 4 skill points.

i mean you would be using "added fire damage" support which ADDS fire damage to the physical damage youre dealing anyways?

i mean the burn dot is pretty nice but you will want a high base fire damage to begin with to be able to apply it in the first place ? especially since you want to use the weapon elemental damage gem.


( e.g. my heavy strike does ~2400 physical + 2k fire +200 lightning , 2 atk/sec , i have those nodes ) - youre more or less missing out on a lot of that fire part atm with your infernal blow.

Good questions. What is keeping me from getting them now instead of after Blood Magic?

In short I am just getting what is required as I go. If I need damage I get that and if I need HP I get that.

In-depth:

1. My damage is currently fine. I do 780 with Infernal Blow not including the crazy burn damage or initial burst from molten shell (which kills all white mobs instantly or 1-2 seconds after exploding). I only use molten shell 80% of the time it one hits everything until the golems in cruel at the beginning of cruel.I only use infernal on yellow and bosses.

2. If I had DD right now over hp nodes I would be getting two-3 hit by bosses in cruel. I had 0 livability problems until level 40 in cruel post forest encampment intro and now I have issues mainly because my gear is AWFUL. Hell, I was still using a level 27 maul and level 21 BP @level 40 (I switched it out for higher armor one after dying a few times).



My gear is a minor problem for me now. All my gear for upgrade is at level 43. Level 41 and 42 have been a little slower in terms of leveling speed. I just don't have the armor and physical damage hurts a bit. Magic is no problem since I have max resist in everything. It is the ranged guys that do phys damage that can be bothersome in groups of 20+.

I have 1000 hp right now, 745 armor, and something like 310 energy shield with only 20% phys damage reduction. I can't stand in groups and fall asleep anymore like everything pre-level 40 (forest encampments surrounding areas). I currently have to run into high phys mobs 20+ of the blue ones, light molten shell and run away while they die if there is archers. Blue mobs I must do this to 2 times without a curse. I am like a running atomic bomb right now, heh.

3. On Lava Lash I looked it up and it does not work like Elemental Weapon Damage. It only affects the damage directly on the weapon. Now unless the thread I read on here was bunk info and all 3-4 pages of people were misunderstanding the mechanics then I have no interest in picking it up vs. other node possibilities currently. Elemental Weapon Damage/Added fire damage effects the skills you use through the weapon as well and this was the difference in the thread I read. I would be thrilled if it was wrong...

When I get time I will look for more info on Lava Lash or if you have a good link shoot it my way.

I have 8 refunds I could use 4 and try out more damage to see how this works out. If the template does end up working out and doesn't fail in merci or a long the way, I will do an in-depth advice section on what to take and when.

4. The main point of focusing on burn damage is for late-game reflect mobs. Burn damage is not reflected =) This is one of the functions that makes explosive arrow templates like my EA Duelist and the Explosive Arrow Marauder in this section so solid. Burn does massive damage. This is also why I do not pick up other DD nodes and instead go for AOE, HP, and Armor nodes. I will pick up DD nodes as I need them.

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Azshareth wrote:

Templars in the marauder section!? What has this world come to!?

EDIT: my bad I posted the wrong skill tree I should have told my self to look again :P

Look again it makes 0 sense for me to start as a templar vs. marauder when you look at livability and the fact that the 40% mana regen node I'd pick up starting as a Templar is worthless when I get blood magic....

Hell, the whole template may be a failure this is a live experiment so we will see. So far so good just some equipment issues at from level 40-43. This was an obvious mistake by me. Another mistake is that I am poor and don't have the fusings to fuse the armor I transition into. If I was geared up I would be hell =) If all my gems were linked instead of only 3 links I'd be doing crazy damage and surviving better.

i was referring to the link of your end game build - if you simply didnt update it, my bad. but it showed that you havent taken these nodes even at around level94, so i was like "wtf? why doesnt he use it?" :D

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Yoman wrote:

i was referring to the link of your end game build - if you simply didnt update it, my bad. but it showed that you havent taken these nodes even at around level94, so i was like "wtf? why doesnt he use it?" :D

Yeah man very sorry I posted the wrong damn build they were in the same favorite folder I reorganized the folder and am posting the right one now. Sorry, very stupid I was wondering what both of you were talking about, lol...

Ok, NOW it should be right very sorry.

End Game 1 = what I plan on doing.

End Game 2 = a change to getting Iron Reflexes and switching out the Templar ES/Armor nodes for Evasion/Armor nodes next to Unwavering Stance.

These are what should have been posted.

Also I went and read several threads on Lava and they all seem to say the opposite of what I initially read and that Lava Lash will improve Infernal Blow because Lava Lash does improve fire damage dealt through weapons. I will pick it up now most likely.