Abbarnes's Flame Surge-ummoner

This is a new build that I am attempting on my old Explosive arrow scion that I have had lying around since the SotV respec. The general idea is to use exploding zombies (min. instability) and burning miscreations with self-cast flame surge to make a character that has multiple layers of defense and a variety of potent offensive capabilities. The build will require several uniques, some of which are moderately expensive.

Required Uniques:

Doryani's Catalyst
Cloak of Defiance
Saffel's Frame
Stone of Lazhwar
Rainbowstride Boots

Lets go over the defense first. I think this character will turn out to be one tough SOB. I will run a high level Arctic Armor (20+) supported by Eldritch Battery and high mana regen. Cloak of Defiance provides 40% Mind over Matter. Three uniques [Saffel's Frame, Stone of Lazhwar with 4% block, and Rainbowstrides] provide capped (or near) spellblock with minimal investment in block passives (4 points). On the resistance side, between elemental adaptation (+2), saffel's frame (+5), and purity of flame/lightning (+5 fire), resistances will be 87/82/87. Life leech comes from 1% elemental damage leeched on Doryani's Catalyst. All of that on top of 3.2% life regen and zombies for meat shields.


Offensively, you have three main ways that you will do damage. First, you have your minions. They will provide some DPS, but there is minimal investment into minion damage in terms of passives. Also I will not use flesh offering, hatred, or haste. However, I do pick up Minion Instability and a lot of minion HP which turns them into explosive bombs.

The second offensive weapon is detonate dead. This will be 3-linked with chance to ignite and increased AOE, but will also benefit from lvl 20 elemental proliferation to spread ignite.

Finally, I will run flamesurge on a 5 link with echo, faster casting, fire penetration, and conc effect. From passives this is boosted by 28% spell damage, 8% area damage, 42% elemental damage, 205% critical strike chance, and 40% crit multi.


Here's a look at the passive tree:

http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgABAnEEswVbCGcMfRB_EJcUTRVQFm8YPBmFGjIabBzcHpQkPCSqJpUnqSj6KpgtRy2oNuk8BUQERZ1GcUbXSVFNuVBCUWBVS1XGWm1dxl3yYG1mT3BScH1w1Xqqf8aBSYIegseDCYM4iEKLjIw2jmSPRpMnkzqa4JuhnYCdrp97n9-iAKIupwinXKmVrD-xkLI4tAy1BLb6t9a4k70nv5fBxcaeyT3MvM9l0NDZC9rd2wvbWdxX4XPjauQi6-7tIO988B_yHfIe8933pvfX-ej6gPrS

[updated: took mana nodes at scion starting area instead of hp/regen. With without a high HP pool the regen nodes were not very useful]


I'm still putting together the gear for this build [gotta pick up a Doryani's Catalyst and 6 socket/5 link my CoD] and leveling some of the gems up. But I think it's going to be a pretty fun build.

Okay, I put together the set of gear for this character. Been trying it out. It seems really fun. FS is only lvl 15 at the moment, so the DPS isn't superb. Burning Miscreations were dying though, which sucks. But I found a better solution. I changed gems to


Raise Specter--Added fire damage--chance to ignite--elemental proliferation.

Now if my specters die I just re-summon. I can also use evangelists for the bubble, but really any specter will do. I may switch zombies to include added fire but probably not ignite chance or prolif. I'm thinking:

Zombie--Multistrike--Added Fire--faster attacks


Need to improve my health/mana pool. sitting at 2642 HP with about 700 mana free. Probably going to drop some cash on some nice HP/Mana regen jewelry.