1.3 - The Portable Firing Squad | Blink/Mirror Arrow Trap Summoner

The Portable Firing Squad
1.3 - Blink/Mirror Arrow Trap Summoner

Hi, this is the trapper/summoner that I am playing in the Torment league. The purpose of the build is to weaponize the clones that are summoned with Blink/Mirror Arrow.

The build is a work in progress, and I would appreciate any feedback or advice. Thanks!

Videos


Tree & Bandit Rewards
Spoiler
Since the clones are temporary minions, similar to raging spirits or skeletons, the passive tree (Lv.75) is set up as a summoner that builds for increased duration, auras, and elemental equilibrium.

Normal: +40 base HP (help Oak)
Cruel: passive point
Merciless: passive point


Gems
Spoiler
We support Blink/Mirror Arrow with Trap to bypass the cooldown with the charge mechanic, so we can summon several clones in succession. Both Blink and Mirror Arrow are set up as traps to increase our stock of charges.

4L: Blink Arrow + Trap + Multiple Traps + Lesser Multiple Projectiles
4L: Mirror Arrow + Trap + Multiple Traps + Lesser Multiple Projectiles
3L: Reduced Mana + Generosity + Hatred
3L: Increased Duration + Flesh Offering + Vaal Haste
3L: Cast when Damage Taken (Lv.1) + Enduring Cry (Lv.5) + Immortal Call (Lv.3)

The remaining sockets can be used for curses (Enfeeble) and movement (Smoke Mine or non-Trap Blink Arrow). If you don’t mind mixed minions, zombies, skeletons, and spectres can be used as distractions.

For a 5-Link, add Physical Projectile Attack Damage to Blink/Mirror Arrow. For a 6-Link, combine Blink and Mirror Arrow to free up a set of sockets. I would set up Split Arrow in the free set of sockets to proc curse on hit and elemental equilibrium.


Gear
Spoiler
Our clones’ damage is based on our bow and quiver, so we gear ourselves as an archer would - keep an eye out for added and increased physical damage. Otherwise, some nice uniques would be:

Chin Sol: when summoned, our clones start in point blank range and benefit from the ‘100% more bow damage’ mod. The small amount of fire damage lets the initial hit from the trap proc elemental equilibrium for our clones.

Infractem: the ‘arrows always pierce’ mod improves our area damage, and ‘cannot leech’ drawback is downplayed, since our clones are temporary minions and we cannot leech with our traps anyway.

Voltaxic Rift: for an elemental variant, replace Hatred with Wrath and Physical Projectile Attack Damage with Weapon Elemental Damage.

Asphyxia’s Wrath: our clones can get critical hits to proc freeze, but the ‘chance to freeze’ modifier is more reliable.

Maloney’s Nightfall: our clones can proc the smoke cloud in our place, so we can blind monsters without having to be hit ourselves.

My Gear
Spoiler



Strengths & Weaknesses
Spoiler
+ More safe than most trap builds, since our clones can draw aggro for us, once they have been summoned.
+ Since our minions are ranged, they can continue to shoot enemies who move away from us; in some cases, they can shoot enemies who are off-screen.
+ Like most summoners, relatively inexpensive. Our clones’ damage scales well with both gem levels and equipment.
+ Reflect is a non-issue.

- Not as safe as conventional summoner builds, since we cannot prepare clones beforehand or send them ahead of us; aggro starts on us.
- Trap charges limit our summoning rate, reliable summoning requires good trap placement or kiting over traps.
- Due to the trap placement issue, unreliable single-target damage, especially against mobile enemies with small hitboxes, such as rogue exiles.
- Proximity shield is an issue.
Last edited by Errabundus on Jan 15, 2015, 4:34:18 AM
gratz dude u used this gem beautifully .even ggg may not be created this gem in this style of play-style i think.u killed dom at lvl 68 thats awesome.if u can create this build in bloodlines u will surely will be in next build of the season video.cool build dude.
I agree, this is a very cool build idea and made me pretty excited to try those gems out (though I am having fun with Lightning Tendrils atm).
Since the Mirror/Blink gems are bow gems, I wonder if a +1/+2 bow would be a BiS type weapon over the uniques listed (aside from Voltaxic, which is just a dream for many of us :P). Of course you would want some mighty fine damage on it to boot.

Edit: I would so like to have Clever Construction in this build (Poison Trapper here) because AoE and Leap Slam mobs (Goatmen, Croaking Chimeral, Maw, etc) are such a pain for trap destruction, but it is so far out of the way and it feels like a bunch of points would be wasted getting there :(
Last edited by GoatEatingToilet on Dec 19, 2014, 4:43:59 PM
@gokulnath:
Thanks for the kind words! I think building an army of clones was most everyone's first reaction when Blink and Mirror Arrow were first showcased, so I hope that the guide proves helpful for those who were interested in the concept!

@GoatEatingToilet:
I also totally overlooked that Blink and Mirror Arrow were tagged as bow skills! I've been looking for +1/+2 minion gem level items, but +1/+2 to bow gem levels would definitely be much better, since the bow would come with more sockets a helmet! Although, at this point, I'm still not sure whether more gem levels or more base damage would be stronger.

I really miss Clever Construction, but as you said, it seems so far away. :( To that end, I was wondering whether or not it would be worthwhile to substitute the minion nodes with the trap nodes - the tooltip says that the minions are affected by the trap damage boosts and penalties, but I'm not sure if that's working as intended?
"
Errabundus wrote:

I really miss Clever Construction, but as you said, it seems so far away. :( To that end, I was wondering whether or not it would be worthwhile to substitute the minion nodes with the trap nodes - the tooltip says that the minions are affected by the trap damage boosts and penalties, but I'm not sure if that's working as intended?


Sadly I think it is a tooltip error. In 1.2.0 traps and mines were changed in how they function with minions (In addition, Trap and Mine damage bonuses now do not benefit minions cast through traps or mines), so you made the right choice in going for minion nodes (this is also why the path to CC would feel like a waste).
If traps damage bonuses did apply to minions again I would definitely suggest the Sunblast belt over going to clever construction. You could just cast your traps all day and wait for them to auto-trigger in 6 seconds and (since your clones are minions) they will teleport to you when you go too far out of range (I wonder if convocation works with them, too?). The drawback is pretty big, though. You don't get the trap damage bonus, you only get one resist (fire) and no life.
It is something to consider still, if you just want to test it out. I believe the belts are on the cheap side (1-2 chaos).
Last edited by GoatEatingToilet on Dec 20, 2014, 5:46:54 AM
That's actually quite innovative, I doubt I ever would have thought of this. Can't wait to see some gameplay uploaded.

Edit: Oh wait there is a video, pretty cool.
Last edited by Everwitch on Dec 21, 2014, 7:26:46 PM
whoa, a summoner that requires active play rather than just following your minion pack?

I theorycrafted a scion tree to go with Mirror Arrow when it was announced but I haven't actually tested the build, glad to see someone pulled it off.
http://www.youtube.com/user/P0W3RH4U5
"
I would definitely suggest the Sunblast belt over going to clever construction. You could just cast your traps all day and wait for them to auto-trigger in 6 seconds and (since your clones are minions) they will teleport to you when you go too far out of range (I wonder if convocation works with them, too?).


My initial concern was that Sunblast would also reduce the life span of the clones, but after reading the item description more closely, it seems that only the traps' trigger duration should be reduced? If so, that would help a lot with the 'unable to prepare minions beforehand' weakness - I'll give it a shot!

Convocation does work with the clones, and it's helpful for concentrating the clones' fire. I have been having some socket-resourcing woes, however, so I've dropped it from my set-up for the time being.
"
Errabundus wrote:
I have been having some socket-resourcing woes, however, so I've dropped it from my set-up for the time being.


That is a problem for many summoner builds :/

And, yes, it is only the trap duration, not the skill the trap springs, so you would be getting your clones much quicker! :)

Edit: Finding an unset ring with the stats you seek would help with the socket problem by one or two :P
Last edited by GoatEatingToilet on Dec 29, 2014, 5:11:30 PM
"
Errabundus wrote:
My initial concern was that Sunblast would also reduce the life span of the clones, but ...


i think the skill duration passive would also affect trap duration, increasing the 6 sec trigger time to 11.4 seconds. That's even longer than the minion duration...

Another "problem" with this build is that... ppl will find SRS more appealing with similar tree. Not really our fault to try on the new bow minion skills, but srs is currently too powerful compared to the rest of the minion skills.
Last edited by g2g on Jan 1, 2015, 7:00:57 PM

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