Infinite Flicker Strike Fail - Need Unwavering Stance?

Hey Guys,

Basically I only want feedback from people who have played infinite flicker strike (or some other Melee/tanky build) in Merciless.

Despite what some may think this is one of the harder builds that requires skill as you progress... not even sure if it can be viable endgame. To anyone who thinks this build is easy, OP, cheap, etc. F*%$ Off! You've never played past normal.

Anyone who's played this knows that when you Flicker Strike into the middle of a giant angry mob, if you can't instantly get another flicker strike and you get stuck surrounded by pack of monsters you're almost certainly going to Die. The whole trick here is to make sure you can keep Flickering.

I hit a wall early on until I realized that Resolute Technique is an absolute must for this build (past normal)... because every 2 or 3 strike would miss and I couldn't chain more than 2-3 strikes, because I would run out of life/mana or frenzy charges... usually when surrounded by enemies, which spells death for this build.

I've hit a similar wall now.

Things will be going fine, then all of a sudden I'll be in the middle of a pack of baddies in merciless difficulty and I can't strike! ...controls are unresponsive when surrounded by 4+ enemies... massive delays whilst I just take dirty lickens and usually end up dead...

and I still have blood rage up and frenzy charges when this happens!... then sometimes at the last moment he snaps out of it and resumes flickering again... but usually I die and loose all my xp from the last 15-20 minutes (which sucks ass btw).

I'm guessing this is because I'm getting stunned? Can this still happen if I get unwavering stance?

I don't know if this is a "real" stun or if I'm just getting hit 5 or 6 times with split second "hit animation delays" that aren't stuns but still interrupt my next attack...
but I'm guessing with the BIG hits I take in merciless it's stun because I didn't have these problems earlier on in the game.

So. Question is... will Unwavering Stance fix this? or will I still take multiple split second hits that ultimately spells death in merciless???

Current Build

You can see I didn't go by the Unwavering Stance skill node and I don't want to respec for unwavering stance unless it will actually fix the issue.
Passive skill points are really hard to come by at this point and with the stoopid 15% xp loss in merciless (lame) I can't level anymore.
I don't have many respec points left and don't want to go over there unless this will actually fix the problem.

TIA for help

http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgEAAecCcQSzBS0OrRQgFE0Y2xkuGjgdFCFgJ-0otSmlMgkyiTWGNug26TpSOrM62ECgQT9DnEp9TdhQUFHmVElVqVYEVw1X4lhjWfNbr18_YEtgiGFSZp5noHKpdO108Xbnd-V673zZgziGYId2jHaMz5BVkc6XtJ2qnrmezZ_LogCnMKeEqWisqqy6tC-5zbndu-3AGsbY0iHUj9lh3Q3fv-Nq51LsOO8O707vfPAf8i_z3fZI97760vzF

not using flicker but leap slam instead. works fine. and yeah if you happen to get stunned by even fractions all the time, US is really worth it.

and btw your missing out on another 15% attackspeed on the way there - not to speak of that you dont seem to have even the slightest bit of armor since you did only take 2 nodes in Leather and Steel.

you want more life, more armor, the second Diamond Skin just 3 or 4 points away, Berserking, and Unwavering Stance, especially since youre based on standing in the middle of shit.

melee in this game sucks, i learned it the hard way by leveling one, quit and made a range character that is 100x better.

Besides your Flicker Strike wont work with that build.

Flicker Strike need crit chance and damage, if you dont kill mob in 1 hit you cant build frenzy charges, no frenzy charges your Flicker Strike stops, you get hit, then you die.

whole point of Flicker Strike is to be mobile, if your character stops moving you take hits, you get stunned, you die.

And yes the animation can be broken/pushed back when you get hit.

"

Killia wrote:

melee in this game sucks, i learned it the hard way by leveling one, quit and made a range character.

http://is.gd/WThhX6

just wait another week ;p

"

Yoman wrote:

http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgEAAecCcQSzBS0OrRQgFE0Y2xkuGjgdFCFgJ-0otSmlMgkyiTWGNug26TpSOrM62ECgQT9DnEp9TdhQUFHmVElVqVYEVw1X4lhjWfNbr18_YEtgiGFSZp5noHKpdO108Xbnd-V673zZgziGYId2jHaMz5BVkc6XtJ2qnrmezZ_LogCnMKeEqWisqqy6tC-5zbndu-3AGsbY0iHUj9lh3Q3fv-Nq51LsOO8O707vfPAf8i_z3fZI97760vzF

not using flicker but leap slam instead. works fine. and yeah if you happen to get stunned by even fractions all the time, US is really worth it.

and btw your missing out on another 15% attackspeed on the way there - not to speak of that you dont seem to have even the slightest bit of armor since you did only take 2 nodes in Leather and Steel.

you want more life, more armor, the second Diamond Skin just 3 or 4 points away, Berserking, and Unwavering Stance, especially since youre based on standing in the middle of shit.

Yeah.. I'm working my way to Berserker... then to 2nd diamond skin... I'm respecing all the leather and steel and evasion and mana... using those points to get US... only went over there cuz they got rid of Armour Master.

After reading the mechanics thread I'm convinced this is my problem... look forward to getting US and playing tonight to see the difference.

Since I'm gonna go US I'm gonna have to head towards IR too... maybe eventually get leather and steel again. I love the increase run speed... was pissed they got rid of armour master, that's why I didn't go over that area.

"

Killia wrote:

Flicker Strike need crit chance and damage, if you dont kill mob in 1 hit you cant build frenzy charges, no frenzy charges your Flicker Strike stops, you get hit, then you die.

whole point of Flicker Strike is to be mobile, if your character stops moving you take hits, you get stunned, you die.

And yes the animation can be broken/pushed back when you get hit.

You couldn't be more wrong. Hitting everytime is FAR more important than getting a crit now and again... especially since I 1 shot kill almost everything without crits anyways.

Monsters evade attacks all the time, regularly... You miss once and you loose frenzy charge and don't get any Life back and still end up in the middle of shit.

I one shot everything except elites... and with them I use the 25% more damage curse (vulerability?) and one shot them (maybe two shot).

the only time I stop flickering and die is due to stun... after reading mechanics thread I'm sure that's the issue. thanks to everyone for feedback and I'll report back later to share my findings.

thx

"

Yoman wrote:

"

Killia wrote:

melee in this game sucks, i learned it the hard way by leveling one, quit and made a range character.

http://is.gd/WThhX6

just wait another week ;p

Now this is exciting news.

SHEEZZEEE...

It's MAGIC! that definitely fixed the problem.
I had absolutely hit the wall and couldn't get 3-4 bars of xp, much less a level.

Once I got, US I soloed all the way through act 2 Killed, Vaal Oversoul.. in Act 3 now.
Level from 58-63 lickety split once I respected. US is a must!

I still take damage and have to play much safer in merciless... but this character is definitely viable! and I have been in some DEEP situations taking massive damage but he
take a lickin and keeps on Flickin'



So it's pretty dang clear now with my Infinite Flicker Strike Build:

normal = Faceroll
cruel = hit a wall without Resolute Technique.
merciless = hit a wall without Unwavering Stance.

but with RT and US this build is still 1 Shoting Fools. =D

I've tried many infinite flicker strike builds, all have failed around lvl 60 in A2 merciless

This is somewhat due to my obsession with blood rage + CI....


but yea even with RT and US you'll still get gibbed if you port into a pack of mobs (espeically if you can't oneshot)

this is because when you FS to a mob you usually land at a point on the mob closest to where you started from. Basically what happens is you'll flicker strike from one mob to another and not move out of range of melee attacks so you get hit as if you were standing still.

not saying its impossible but the only way to go is the way you are which is to be TANKY while still being able to 1 shot all mobs especially magic packs...

Vaal pact also helps because it makes your life leech instant (you'll need lots of leech to survive + 100% physical damage for maximum leech)

Yeah... it's a really, really tough build to play at higher levels.

It's just so damn easy to die when you fight by jumping into the middle of a BIG ASS pack of monsters with limited control on where you end up... one little mistake.. and BOOM! dead... that's just not compatible with a 15% exp loss per death.


I find the "panicked" flasks REALLY help BIG Time. 25% less but with instant recovery... that's all I will use. I have 1 dispell freeze, 1 dispell burning, 1 run speed, 1 dispell curses. If I'm about to die I just hit all 4 at once and that's enough for me to break out of shit and Run or Flicker away.

I can't 1 shot magic packs... 2 shots.. but with 4 charges now (thx Kaitryn) that can take
out 4 magic bastards (2 hits each + 1 charge) before charges depleted, so I still smoke them unless its a larger pack in which case I have to kite a bit to spread them out and Flick one on the outside, kite back and repeat to thin them out a some. Once the pack is managible I can dive in and if I run out of charges then I switch to frenzy on an isolated straggler on the outside of the pack to get more charges.

with that 4th charge when I'm buffed (solo) I'm doing about 6300 damage per hit. That 1 shots most regulars especially if I have my totem spitting out vulnerbility curses.

I had no problem in Act 2, killed Oak and Alira 1st try, no problems... I died twice in act 3 before completing 1st area. Not good. Once I get my 5th Frezny charge and some resists I may get a bit farther... but without that crazy ass Unique Maal that does over 500 damage I just don't think this build will get much farther... even with careful play... fun as hell though, no regrets.

Side note, I'd never use Vaal pact as I no longer get life regen. or flasks.. that would be pure suicide with my build
Current build level 63


Blood Rage + CI.... interesting never thought of that.. but Vaal pact would make sense for that build.... but how the hell do you get enough mana without blood magic? and how u getting enough ES to go CI? You must be starting with a shadow or somthing... got a link to the build? I wouldn't mind having a look.