Destroyed by Chaos in Merciless

My main is a witch using fireball behind enough minions to keep the enemies from hitting me. This has worked fine until now. I am at the beginning of Merciless, in Act I, just hitting the Prison. I think I am somewhat over leveled at 58 and can do Ledge and Rising Path easily.

However, the chaos/poison damage from the creatures in the Prison is slaughtering me. I have lost half a level, with a chaos resistance of -36.

I have taken all of the chaos resistance passives I can find. Chaos resistance on equipment seems very rare, and even if I find it, loosing my slotted gems would be catastrophic.

I don't dare go CI because I have only about 800 energy shield.

How do witches survive the chaos damage? Any advise would be welcome.

Link to my build:
http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMAAW8C4welCPQRLRVQGmwdFCqYLJwtHzLRO-E8jj1fRUdG10jnSRtMs1AwUlNVrlcrXcZfKmBta9ttGXNTeQN65nyDfVOCEIKbhEiHZYhAi3qOvo9Gj6aQM5LBmK2boaaspwinK6-3tQS2hriTwFTB88360NDUfNkL217d89-w4vfkIudq6-Tr7vF2-oD9zw==

Level 68 witch in Onslaught with crap gear and -44 chaos resist. Doing absolutely fine.

Don't step in the chaos?

Im with -60% chaos ressistance with 2,5k hp and im doing fine.. But I can cap my other ressists when i need to.. Btw merciless is merciless, it's there to own you..

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DirkAustin wrote:

You do know you can increase and recolor sockets anytime, right? How about the anti chaos potion?

Yes, I know that, but the odds are sufficiently low--especially for linking sockets--that with the amount of currency items I have available it simply is not feasible.

For example, I actually am lucky enough to have a 6 socket armor. I spent every fuse I had to get it to 4 L, 2 L. I don't think it will ever be 6L, because I cannot risk loosing my empowered fireballs, and I don't have whatever that item is that lets you save the state.

I did find a white 6L all red armor which I am hoarding in case I ever do a melee character. :-)

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Fluffhead wrote:

Level 68 witch in Onslaught with crap gear and -44 chaos resist. Doing absolutely fine.

Don't step in the chaos?

You are absolutely elite, and I am not. I acknowledge your superiority.

Now, do you have any information that might actually help?

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ybexdcbl wrote:

Im with -60% chaos ressistance with 2,5k hp and im doing fine.. But I can cap my other ressists when i need to.. Btw merciless is merciless, it's there to own you..

I bow before your amazing hit points. You are obviously a superior player. Since I have only about 800, that makes you in excess of three times better.

Do you have any advise or information that might actually help?

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saj14saj wrote:

Now, do you have any information that might actually help?

I do - get chaos resists. I don't know why there is this chaos in PoE at the first place, but if you are not melee: put everything in ES from begining and go CI

Avoiding chaos damage is not going to work, maps are full of chaos bombers, often in group of 5 and blues. There is no way you can avoid this

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saj14saj wrote:

"

Fluffhead wrote:

Level 68 witch in Onslaught with crap gear and -44 chaos resist. Doing absolutely fine.

Don't step in the chaos?

You are absolutely elite, and I am not. I acknowledge your superiority.

Now, do you have any information that might actually help?

That is information that helps. Almost every mob in the game that deals chaos damage is ranged and their attacks can easily be avoided.

the best defense against chaos is NOT chaos resist, it is a high HP pool. There is no way you should have 800 HP at the beginning of Merc. My most recent character had 1800 starting Merc. This is the answer; take more HP nodes.