Build of the Week: Avatar of Fire Shockwave Totem Witch

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Yazariael wrote:

Is this a low life build, or is loosing health part of the build? :/

I filmed the gameplay stuff in the video, and though there were runs where I stayed back and let the totems do the work, I thought it would be more entertaining to use this.

Usually my goal in making/recommending footage like this is not to show off how great I am and more to put the build through a wide variety of scenarios in a very short time. Like I'll usually have about a minute to fill, during which I want to show varied gameplay, lots of different skills (especially if they weren't mentioned in the script) and as many different situations as I can.

That tends to result in runs where I play safely, runs where I rush ahead recklessly, runs where I'm deliberately trying to use every support and movement skill regardless of whether they're strictly necessary, and all sorts of combinations of the above.

It's more true to the actual experience to just use an optimal playstyle, but I like to think if it can survive me putting it through a gauntlet of mostly unnecessary damage, it'll be fine for anyone wanting to play it sensibly.

I get that it may be worth toning down the recklessness a bit though.

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Azdrubel wrote:

We have an interesting BoTW with pretty smart usage of items that are, on this very forums, often times labeled as vendor-trash-tier, total garbage and absolutely in need of a rework (note that I DO share these notions sometimes, but that doesn´t matter here), but instead of keeping your mouths shut and thinking about sth creative for yourself you come here and talk about how rippy that build is and that it looses life in a Mountain Ledge or Plateau or whatever the map was that was shown. So what?

It was a Plateau and the other was a Bazaar map. I don't remember the mods on either, but I always try for rare or unique maps.

I also try to go with the highest level versions of a given tileset (or thereabouts), because I think people trust a build's performance more if they see it clearing tough, higher level maps. This is definitely where the balancing act comes in as far as the reckless, but interesting playstyle.

Also if I do low level maps I tend to see comments suggesting the entire video is an elaborate ruse to trick people into playing a bad build.

That part's kind of a shame because I practised this one on a Coward's Trial, and it was really satisfying watching the floors go from relatively clean to littered with bones and items. You don't get the full effect of it when drop labels are turned on.