[3.11] LL Vortex Occultist (endgame/deep delve optimized)

Hi, I figured out that even though there are plenty of good vortex occultist build guides, you can't find any that specifically describe the low-life high block version, which is the most powerful, though certainly not budget-friendly. The build is capable of outputting significantly more dps than CI/life versions (because of pain attunement+malevolence), but at the same time it is extremely tanky and durable thanks to high ES pool (12-14k), capped block, super fast start of energy shield recharge(100% faster start means 1 second to start recharge, not interrupted for 4 seconds due to wicked ward), and 5%ES recovery on block.

Path of building
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https://pastebin.com/vvh9JdTs


Pros/cons
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Pros:
- over 1 mil shaper dps
- high EHP(about 13k ES)
- high block
- fast energy shield recharge and gain on block
- powerful and safe bosskiller
Cons:
- not a clearspeed build
- requires investment


My gear overview
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General gear overview
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Weapon: 1h with the cold damage over time multiplier and +1 to all cold spell skill gems, mandatory free suffix to craft "trigger a socketed spell when you use a skill". Any additional mods like spell dmg, cold dmg are also welcomed.

Shield: High ES base, importantly it should have gain%es when you block (shaper base)

Body armour: No other choice but shavs, possibly with +gems corruption if you are looking for final minmaxing

Helmet: ilvl 84+ hubris circlet, the best enchant is vortex cooldown recovery speed, but vortex duration or dmg are also fine. Try crafting with dense+frigid, aim for about 300 ES and enemies -cold, but not a big deal if you don't get it, other good stats are int and obviously resists

Gloves: Shaper gloves (preferably ilvl84+ sorcerer/fingerless base), either buy or craft dense+frigid, look for high ES and cold dot multi, then int, resists

Boots: Try to fill your resists there a bit, otherwise 30-35 movement speed, good ES, some good enchant won't hurt as well

Belt: Shaped crystal belt (use defence quality catalysts before rolling if you intend to craft), good mods include es recovery rate, es from body armour, flat es, max%es, resists

Rings: Temple mod flat and %es, int ,resists, save a prefix for faster es recharge craft

Amulet: Presence of chayula with tranquillity annointment

Flasks: One important flask for the build is rumi's, try to get max roll if possible. Otherwise utility flasks are a matter of preference. Personally I use quartz, sulphur, quicksilver and silver flasks, but you might also use granite or basalt (but quartz and quicksilver are highly recommended due to phasing+mobility). Just make sure to get proper suffixes : curse, bleed and ignite removal (since we get freeze immunity from ascendancy and poison immunity from soul of shakari)

Jewels: Watcher's eye with faster start of es recharge. Other good mods are : dot with malevolence, recovery with malevolence, gain mana as ES with clarity, es recovery with discipline.
Third one is energy from within, socket it near Melding.
Lastly other jewels, look for %es, faster start of ES recharge, cold dot multi, dot, spell dmg. Also fill resists and attributes if needed.



Ascendancy
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Void beacon->Frigid wake->Profane bloom->Malediction


Gems
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vortex+ controlled destruction(awakened)+ elemental focus(awakened)+ hypothermia+ swift affliction(awakened)+ efficacy

storm brand+ frost bomb+ orb of storm (in trigger socketed skills weapon)

vaal cold snap+ hypothermia+ bonechill+ efficacy

flame dash+ arcane surge(low level)

vaal discipline+ enlighten3

malevolence+ blood magic(lvl20)

enfeeble+ temporal chains+ blasphemy+ enlighten4

portal/tempest shield/golem/other utility


Leveling:
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Depending on your preferences you can either do your comfortable leveling setup and then respec, otherwise you can level from beginning as cold dot, start with frostbolt until you get cold snap, vortex, level as life based version, here is an exemplary pathing (you will need to spend some regrets once you transition to LL ES)
https://pastebin.com/jrAPmYLM


General tips
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This is a high-end build version with lots of room for upgrades. It takes some currency to get going but is certainly worthwhile as this is extremely good build. You don't need everything to start but linked shavs and presence of chayula are mandatory. ES gear has always room for improvement so you might buy some baseline cheap gear and then slowly upgrade/craft if you are short on currency. The things that take build to another level but are not needed for the start are such as watcher's eye, lethal pride, tranquility annointment, shield with %es on block, enchanted helmet, powerful 1h, shaped crystal belt, awakened support gems.
We have high durability due to fast start of energy shield recharge with high ES pool as well as ES% gain on block. This means that there is hardly anything in this game that can oneshot us and at the same time as long as you can avoid taking damage for a second, we are recharging almost 7k ES per second. This means that the build excels at things like bosskilling or deep delve.
If you are looking for a build that combines maxxing out damage and tankiness, this is the build for you. Few versions of this build are the most preferrable choice for top high-level occultists so this variation has proven to be worthwhile trying out.
If you have any extra questions feel free to ask and I'll be happy to answer to you.
Good luck!
Last edited by Grozaa on Jun 17, 2020, 11:46:18 AM
Last bumped on Nov 6, 2020, 2:33:52 AM
What Delve depth have you taken this to?

Also, what's the rough to get to the point where it starts becoming super effective?

[Edit: typo]
Last edited by Wraeclaster on Jan 12, 2020, 3:49:16 PM
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Wraeclaster wrote:
What Delve depth have you taken this to?

Also, what's the rough to get to the point where it starts becoming super effective?

[Edit: typo]


Personally, I don't have much time atm so I just pushed to 36 but didn't do any sulphite rotas so I just got to delve 300. If you ask about what this build is capable of, I'd say comfortably up to delve 600 and max is about 1200 (later on probably still doable but with later adjustments and probably bruteforcing some hard biomes, so better off running one of those 100ES deadeyes)
Source(Metamorph) :
https://poe.ninja/challenge/builds?class=Occultist&item=Shavronnes-Wrappings,Presence-of-Chayula,Rumis-Concoction,Lethal-Pride,Energy-From-Within,Watchers-Eye&skill=Vortex&keystone=Pain-Attunement,Elemental-Overload,Elemental-Equilibrium,Malediction,Wicked-Ward,Frigid-Wake,Profane-Bloom,Void-Beacon&sort=depth-solo

Asking of the effective point, not sure what are you referring to: delve depth, currency investment, character level? Probably the anwers are : since depth 1, 15-25ex, 80-85 , respectively.
Thank you for the build.

I managed to get everything except the enlighten 4.

Does the build work with enlighten 3 instead or should i wait ?

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Tomawauk wrote:
Thank you for the build.

I managed to get everything except the enlighten 4.

Does the build work with enlighten 3 instead or should i wait ?


If you have enlightens3 both in curses and discipline you are totally fine. It depends on your total mana but the difference between 3 and 4 is basically 3% unreserved mana. So rough approximation is 100-150 unreserved mana with enlighten3 and 200-250 with enlighten4. It's just a matter of QOL so that you have yet more freedom with spamming vortexes, especially if you have vortex cooldown enchant.
How this build works w/o mana to es clarity watcher?
Thanks for this! Will help take my character up a notch or two!
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Tsiganisti wrote:
How this build works w/o mana to es clarity watcher?

I don't even use that watcher. Personally, I use faster recharge start with discipline. I have listed which watcher mods are good but none of them are necessary and it depends on personal preference. For example ES as mana with clarity will grant you more EHP (so better oneshot protection), while faster recharge start means you will proc wicked ward more consistently(so more reliable sustain).
Hey
Thanks for the build, now started maps, really good build, loving it!
my gear atm, not the best, crafted wep myself as couldn't find one.
got a watcher's eye with the recharge and immune to poison while malev, so using ralakesh pantheon atm. any advice you can give me on anything would be appreciated.
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does it matter about the boot enchant with EE etc? should i change it?
Last edited by KingCaracticus on Jan 16, 2020, 3:48:04 PM
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does it matter about the boot enchant with EE etc? should i change it?


@KingCaracticus, I think that would only matter if it was cold damage. I'm quite liking the reduction in mana after being hit recently, but might see if I can get lucky with some lab runs!

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