Celewiel's fire witch build

Updated Ghost Reaver build, September 2014

The build will be completed around lvl 85 and will use around 3-5 more passives (most for crit chance and crit multiplier). Also aiming to use a hybrid (Armour / ES) helmet. The build is used as a tanking & leech high DPS, fast killing and high ES regen build.
In practice, it is an all-purpose build, very good in both PvE (for cleaning maps fast), survivalist build for hard cases or hard maps and a very good PvP build (and with the addition of godly equipment it could be a Tier 1 PvP build as well). The build is ultra-effective at virtually any content and game type, PvE and PvP but it cannot easily complete with the top PvP player (lvl90+) using out DPS (it needs strategy against mega-op PVPers).
The build requires good equipment, throughout the game, but not overly-expensive or godly equipment. Equipment can scale from low to godly, as you expand the passive tree, from center to the left and the right. Using this build, you should first get to the left hand side of the tree, colose to the armour / ES nodes, then to the center-right (ES/cast speed / crits) and conclude with Ghost Reaver.




Play-styles / mechanics:

PvE:
1) Buff yourself with Discipline and Clarity. When you reach the Ghost Reaver build and can use a mana regen also on your storm, you will not need Clarity, as the mana lech will me more than enough (may occasionally need to use a mana flask). With the Ghost Reaver build, fast killing and high DPS with 40%+ crits, will mean that flasks and ES will regen more than enough, so you can spare using the VoidBringer gloves.
2) Double-curse mobs (Flammability only for easy to medium difficulty mobs, Flammability + EW for hader packs, Flammability +Chains/Enfeeble for very hard or for elemental reflect, and Chains + Enfeeble for ultra hard / fast bosses). in 90% of the cases, you will find that you don't even need to use any curses, as the high DPS kills fast enough and the leech or the Molten Shell adds good survivability.
3) Without Ghost Reaver:
- Use totem Detonate Dead for mob packs, or use Flame Totem for single rares or hard bosses, at least 3L with cast speed and an added damage support gem (usually cold).
- Use the freezing pulse 3-4 times on the mob pack. This will be enough to freeze AND burn (cold to fire support gem) the entire pack.
- Optionally, use the Molten Shell with the 2 armour flasks, for 60-67% physical damage reduction, if attacking from too close or if the mobs do very high physical damage.
- Use the firestorm: The available mana pool and regen will make sure we can cast 9-11 consecutive firestorms, with x3 to x4 coverage (one upon another), to multiply the critical hit chance. While the mobs are dead in less than one second, the Detonate Dead totem makes explosions and enormously enhances the AoE damage. Also, because, previously, the mobs are frozen and burned, the firestorm procs critical hits at a much higher % chance.
Using Ghost Reaver:
4) The high crit chance and multiplier (35% chance for the storm, about 42% for the pulse and about 410% multiplier) added the power charges and the unique ring, ensure VERY frequent crits especially on the storm.
- Usually you will not need to use the Molten nor the pulse, just stand close to the pack, but in a distance where you can escape, and spam the storm. Using the recent updates, the high mana regen means you can use the firestrom continuously and uninterrupted. ES leech will more than cover for not using the molten, with such high DPS.

In reality, the DPS will be so high you will not have to rely on the freezing pulse or the Molten shell at all, but only to finish out 2-3 mobs which may remain from the pack and run around. Which makes the play-style even faster. A typical pack decimation time, for around 20 mobs pack is less than 2 seconds. The build is based on slow boots, so you will have to use the increased running speed flask, to clear areas fast.



PvP:
Playing in PvP is rather versatile with this build. We sure depend on a few number of skills, but their combination means we come come up with at least 5-6 different play-styles and tactics, depending on the opponent. Following are a few examples.
- Buff yourself with Discipline and Clarity. Using VoidBringer gloves in PvP is not advisable, because, yes, the crits are higher, but you will need to be able to use the storm and other skills continuously and uninterrupted, without being dependent on mana leech or mana flasks. So, you need a good pair of 2nd gloves.
Depending on the opponent, a few examples:
- For high DPS and medium to high HP marauders: I usually use the 2 offensive curses (Flammability and EW), since we will mostly depend on the Molten Shell to 1-2 hit the marauder. If and when he comes close, the Shell will blast with 13-19K flat fire damage, 4-8K chaos damage and about 135% fire penetration, also having a 75% chance to burn (!!), with 400+ crit multiplier. In the mealtime, we make sure we have used both a firestorm attack on the marauder, until he comes very close and then we stop and wait for the shell to blast (we don't want the crit of the storm to override the crit and burn of the shell). Also, we use the Flame Totem, exactly BEHIND our position. If the marauder is not 1-shot, we cast a few pulses to freeze him, step back and repeat the process, making sure we regenerate the Molten Shell fast.
If the marauder does not come close (can happen after we blast him 1-2 times), we attack remotely with Flammability + Chains, the Firestorm and a Frost Wall totem (Frost wall, faster casting and an added damage support gem).
- For high DPS and ridiculously high HP marauders: Same as before, but we pray a little too. In some cases, it is more useful to use the previous tactics, but purely with Chains+Enfeeble (100% total defensive curses) plus the offensive, Flame Totem (Frost Wall is just useless for these builds). It will then take some good evasion tactics, to run back, repeat the process fast enough so the marauder does not get his HP regenerated and kill him. The 2 armour flasks are a must in this case. It is also possible that the Shell will bring him close to 10% or so of his HP, in which case, we don't step back, but try to finish him off with a combination of the pulse and the storm.
- Rangers: Most will die fast enough with this build, so you don't have to worry about anything. For rangers with very high physical and very high run/attack speed, we use: Flammability and Chains to slow them down, the Shell and the armour flasks to reduce ranged physical damage, the Frost Wall totem to reduce the arrow piercing chance and the Firestorm.
- Shadows: Depending on whether they do physical or elemental damage, we adjust the play-style. For physical damage, we treat them as a marauder. For high attack speed and high elemental damage, we may need to use the Frost Wall totem, Flammability + Chains or Enfeeble + Chains and use the Firestorm, mostly remotely. When close, we use the pulse. In some cases, we may need to wear the anti-freeze boots.
- Spell block builds: Some may simply not get killed. For those which can be killed: Flammability + Enfeeble. From long range, we use the storm: despite any high spell block chance, given the crit chance and power charges, it will reach target often. From close range, we use the pulse. Also use the offensive Flame Totem OR the minions setup (see below). Against spell block builds with huge physical damage (eg ethereal knives), the Shell and the armour flasks are also a must. Also, evasion tactics (which means using minions, run speed increase flask or the Frost Wall totem).
- Fire witches: nothing to worry about, pure out-DPS. We have the best raw power fire setup on the game. Special care needed on multiple projectiles, since the knock-back / stun chance is high.
- Summoner builds: We use the Detonate Dead totem, the freezing pulse (replacing the added lightning damage gem with the elemental proliferation gem), freeze their pack, kill/detonate their pack and watch them die form the explosions. Alternatively, freeze their pack, run close and finish them with dual offensive curse and the pulse. If they are fast, dual offensive curse, use the Shell and don't even mind about their pack and spawn firestorm on their position, remotely.
- Cold witches /dual spear totems / dual spark totems: We use the boots with the conversion gem to convert the totems and dual curse with firestorm, remotely. We don't get close. If their DPS is very high, we use Chains+Enfeeble, the bear trap and immediately after, firestorm, after we have converted their totems. Also we can use the Frost Wall totem.
- Shadows or Templars with a combination of high physical and elemental (especially cold attacks): We use a combination of the above, with good evasion tactics and at least one defensive curse. These are the hardest build to kill, with this setup.
- Lightning / arc witches: Totem conversion, dual defensive curses and remotely fight with firestorm. The first time we try to come close enough to see whether they can be killed fast, using dual offensive curse (or one offensive and one defensive) and the pulse. If not, we fight remotely.
- For elemental penetration curses, we worry little, since we are over-capped. for other curses, we use the flask. It is a mana flask, but supposed to give curse immunity for around 7 seconds.
- RF builds: You die. Unless you can out-dps fast enough, from distance.



Map bosses
Same tactics as in PvP, exceptions being:
- When the boss areas includes many mobs, we use the Detonate Totem, with the PvE play-style orientation.
- For single, physical damage bosses, we use the Shell. Most will be 1-2 shot.



Other notes
The Freezing Pulse can use lightning damage for single target or proliferation for packs or against dual totems.
Totems are Detonate Dead (with increased AoE gem and faster casting), Frost Wall (with added cold damage and faster casting) and Flame Totem (with faster casting and added cold damage).


Updated passive skill tree:
http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMAAuMHpQ18DY0OSBBYEVARlhXXFkAbJRzcIvQnqSj6KU8snCymLL8y0TQKNbk3ZjeDQ2NEq0VHRtdHBkmyS65UrlWuVmNXK1fJWPVdxl3yX2pgbWNDZJ1mnmwLbRlwUnDVcU190n_Gga-CEIKbhX2GrodlidOMNo5kj6aP-pDWkyeXl5rPnWOdgJ3EpLGm66crsQW0DLQ4tQS2-rcxuJO40MHF2VvaOtvn3fPfit-w5CLlGeWO6QLquuvu6_XsGPId8uH3pvv1_rM=
This is the skill tree aimed for near end-game. Depending on your equipped items, you may need to sacrifice 1-3 passives for extra strength, dexterity or mana regen nodes.
Obtaining the skills depends on the level: You start from the middle of the tree. moving to the nodes on the left, for lower levels. Once the nodes on the left are fully or almost fully obtained, you move to the nodes on the right, starting with the increased ES nodes and CI. The skill setup is mostly linear, so the skill progression will most possibly fit your DPS and defensive needs, throughout the entire character progression, well enough, to hardly make any refunds, as long as you use very good equipment. Therefore, this may not be a good option for starting your first character, but use it as a second, as long as you have a higher-leveled character, using which you can farm for equipment, for this one.



Equipment / skill setup used:




Needed (anybody out there)
- Atziri's Promise Flask: Will increase DPS and ES leech / regen.
- A much better ES circlet with same stats + fire resits.



Stats are (roughly):
- Resistances 56% / 75%(116%) / 75%(80%).
- Armour around 350, reaches to about 40% physical reduction, with the use of the 2 armour flasks and the Shell.
- Freezing pulse around 14K DPs with the Added Lightning Gem, around 11K with the Proliferation gem. About 35% crit chance with normal gloves and 43% with Voidbringer and about 400% crit multiplier.
- Firestorm about 1930 average damage, with around 33% native fire penetration and another 90% from curses, 5% chance to burn, 29% crit chance (normal gloves) / 36% crit chance (VoidBringer), 400% crit multiplier.
- ES around 5800, buffed.
- Molten Shell around 40DPS (DPS has no meaning in this skill), about 12K to 18K flat fire damage added 4-6K chaos damage, with about 33% fire penetration and another 90% penetration with dual curse, 76% chance to burn, 35.5% crit chance and 400% crit multiplier.
- Available mana pool of arund 150 (after the buffs) and mana regen of around 110/second. Seems low, but does support all skills, uninterrupted. Using VoidBringer for the extra crits, we get around 45 mana regen / second, but we are covered by the mana leech of the Firestorm.
- Running speed a mere 4%.



You can watch the OLD video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yvy6BDzL3B4&feature=youtu.be
Note that the video is old and that using the current equipment and setup, the damage is much higher (about x3, but the actual effectiveness much higher due to crits and power charges), thus the play-style is changed, as described in the updated post.
The video will be updated soon, to match the current play-style.

i'm gonna try this build, this is my first character in POE so i don't know how it will work but iv seen vid and look pretty cool. I hope the thread will be updated.

Up ?

Been out of the game for quite some time, thread is updated.
More info will be posted soon.

Thx at you ;)

Thread updated. Updated video will follow soon.

Build updated, September 13 2014 (see 1st post).