RF Scion build plans...thoughts and input please

This is to be my first serious build so I would like to do it right. Any feedback will be appreciated...unless you're a jerk, in which case; piss off.

Mostly, I need to know what gear will make this work. I have two Redbeak swords that I plan to use. Other than that I'm open.

Here is the skill tree I have planned. I am sure it has enough life and fire resistance and am aware that 111 passives is a lot. Many of them can be considered optional...like the witch fire damage.



I plan to use spell damage (fireball and firestorm with proliferation) as primary. Maybe spectral throw with Life on Hit gem to stay alive. Leap slam or lightning warp for escapes. Lightning trap for stun damage bonus. Maybe flame totem instead of lightning trap?

Auras will probably change according to need but I'm pretty sure I'll need Clarity, Vitality, Purity, Determination or a combination of those.

I would really like to use the two Redbeak swords with this build for the added damage and would love to make it work with the added 30% spell damage near CI but don't see how that can happen unless I maybe forgo RF and use Blood Magic gems to keep life low enough for Redbeak to kick in....but I don't think the damage would be as high as going with RF.

So, am I on the right track?

Life based or ES based?

I'm also in the process of making an RF scion as my first serious character, but I've done quite a bit of research by looking at other RF scion guides.

Looking at your passive tree, I noticed you're taking a ton of +resists from nodes. If im not mistaken, you can nearly max out your resists without taking any of these, or at least you could be taking a lot less of them. This lets you put more nodes towards things like +life, which will improve your RF damage.

Elemental Equilibrium is used in most RF builds as an easy -50% fire resist to enemies, and your path is already touching it. Basically, RF itself doesnt proc EE, so you can walk around and hit things with either ice nova or arc (supported by chain or something) to give things -50% fire.

One shield that you will absolutely need to function from what I gather is a unique called Rise of the Phoenix. It gives 8% max fire resist, allowing you to actually use RF. T_T I'm still waiting on mine.

My scion is around level 55 right now, so I'm not even using RF yet, which is kinda lame, but once I get about 10 more levels and get Rise of the Phoenix, I'll be switching over to RF. My personal build is acting very much as a tank for the party I'm playing with right now, and I'm planning to keep it that way if it turns out to be alright. Because of this, I took a lot of extra nodes that you probably don't want for pure RF soloing lategame, but this is my super lategame build that I'm going for, if you wanna compare.



I think there's definitely some more cleaning up you can do in your skill tree, as well as some in mine haha.



As far as the redbeaks go, I think you can snapshot the low life damage bonus from them on RF by using blood magic + a high mana reserve aura, and then switch to another weapon to increase damage even more.

^^ lemme know what you think of my take on the build, cause I'm still learning a lot about the game.

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Pavlarian wrote:

Life based or ES based?

Life. I have very little ES and will rely on armor and Determination.

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Keele0 wrote:

I noticed you're taking a ton of +resists

You are right. I won't be needing those. I am considering Rise of the Phoenix...it may be a requirement regardless of my desires. I will grab only those resist nodes that become necessary and as many Life nodes as I can.

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Keele0 wrote:

Elemental Equilibrium is used in most RF builds

I may take that late game. For now I use the Elemental Weakness curse and combine electric damage with everything for the 40% added damage that shock provides. I basically shock and burn at the same time so EE may not be a plausible node. Time will tell on that one.

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Keele0 wrote:

As far as the Redbeaks go

I am at level 52 and doing 972 dps with fireball (Fireball+Faster Projectiles+Added Lightning Damage+Added Cold Damage) and dual wands. I have been snapshoting and the difference is notable; 1.4k with the Redbeaks.

However, I may have to give one up for Rise of the Phoenix unless I find another way to deal with the fire resist, in which case I will likely stay with a wand since I actually get less DPS with only one Redbeak since I lose the spell damage that a wand provides.

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Keele0 wrote:

I think there's definitely some more cleaning up you can do

Definitely. Here is a more realistic, albeit slightly skeletal, lvl 75 projection.



It will require about 16 respecs from my current build which includes Path of the Savant and the added 12% spell damage to the right of the Scion base (so I can at least play the game until then :) but should allow me, just barely, to engage RF. The tree at this point provides 9.2% life regen and my Vitality gem will be over 1% without the help of Aura boosting skills by that time.

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Keele0 wrote:

lemme know what you think of my take on the build

I love it! I want to grab Mind Over Matter, Unwavering Stance, and Resolute Technique as well but will hold off on those until I have RF engaged.

I did notice you grabbed the extra Endurance Charge nodes. Are you using Warlords Mark to curse? If I make the switch to Redbeak the plan is to employ Spectral Throw with Life on Hit, Curse on Hit, and Warlords Mark as the curse to stay alive in times of trouble and to gain the Endurance charges but I'm not completely sold on this approach yet.

What Auras do you use? I am currently using Clarity with Blood Magic, and both Determination and Vitality. I shouldn't miss the life that Clarity uses once RF is in play since RF will keep my life much lower anyway, and with the 108 Life Per Second I currently have (without Vitality running :) I can already tank fairly well.

I also use 3 Life Flasks and 2 Granite Flasks and will employ one with a fire dousing bonus to turn off RF when needed. No Mana Flask since I have a good set of rings and amulet that provide more than enough Mana with the Clarity gem....at least for now.