Help Save This Build - 2H AoF Molten Strike Templar

https://www.poebuilder.com/character/AAAAAgUA-d2LjEqYzGaUXMBmPAXvfJ_fmjvhc6IAgpvsOIV7ZlSUb3IPcYV65mP9RtfaubFC8B9o8lnzGjiQVWae-tIdFK-NGGUSaXF5FxysmPfXm6GPRlXGOlhfKnRVLpSXhTT3IbDxbONqFm-Mdrcx6hj3MnKprKpqAZe0Vak=

Hi all,

I'm not what you'd call an experienced PoE player. Indeed, this 52 is the highest I've leveled a character. I don't have the time to re-roll a whole new character and I am rather enjoying this one. My over-selection of attack nodes seems to be catching up with me now though. I first had multiple deaths fighting Malachi in normal mode, so a re-geared and I'm still viable in Act 3 Cruel. Sampling some of the level 57-60 content from master quests makes me worried for the future though. I now die to level 57 Vagan more often than not, and my last level 60 Haku quest resulted in about 20 deaths. Massive burst damage just overwhelms my 1.5k health and poor armor. Damage is still good. I know I need unwavering stance ASAP as stuns are starting to cripple me, especially by stopping my life gain on hit which can easily heal 500+ hp/sec in groups.

I'd like any opinions on what my priorities should be for passives and re-gearing. Keeping in mind:

*I play mostly solo. In a group I have no trouble staying alive.

*I have 12 refund points

*I was planning on life/armor stacking and am currently heading for the nice Marauder starter nodes before I fill out with the life nodes I skipped around the Templar start.

*I want to stick with Avatar of Fire. It's the whole theme of my build.

*I would like to stick to 2H if at all possible. I know this makes it a lot harder to be tanky, but I'm alright with dying every once in a while.

Current Gear, best I could get without spending a large amount of currency:



Any constructive comments would be greatly appreciated.

Is that gear selffound?

As "usual" when someone asks why his build don't work:
Get a better weapon, get flat life on your gear.

Try to get at least 40+ life in every gear slot.

If you want to selffound, then start identifying blue items with nice level appropriate bases.
You can also craft life+resist with alteration and augmentation orbs quite cheap (roll or just use the haku/elreon bench).

If not selffound, browse www.poe.trade:
*Buy a 5L chest for 1-3 chaos.
Put in Blood Magic as your 4th support for Molten Strike. Remove the mana nodes.
*Buy a weapon with double the damage for 1-2 chaos.
*Buy a couple armor items with life and resists on them.
*Buy rings/amulet/belt with 25%+ Weapon elemental damage.

Remove "Melee Physical damage" gem, add "Weapon Elemental Damage". It's a higher damage multiplier, and it also applies to your projectiles!

Your tree:
For the moment, remove the 3 points from Unyielding (Armor). These are lategame nodes.
Take Resolute Technique, you will not crit too much.
Take some life nodes.

In general, when it comes to "little nodes" in the tree:
Life nodes are meant to be taken, even if it's only 4-5% and you already have the notable.
Damage nodes are not meant to be taken when it's not >10%.
Stop at the Notables, do not invest more points.

As an example, connect the Retribution and Sanctity Notables in Templar start via the life node, not via the 8% elemental damage.

Thanks so much for your input, Peterlerock.

Couple quick gem swaps, one level (two points due to quest), and three refunds, and a lucky +53 life ring drop, and I've gone from 2048 to 2669 dps (2942 with Herald, but leaves me pretty mana starved). Best of all a nearly 25% health increase to 1881.

https://www.poebuilder.com/character/AAAAAgUA-d2LjEqYzGaUXMBmPAXvfJ_fmjuiAIKb7DiFe3IPcYV65mP9RtfaubFC8B9o8lnzGjiQVWae-tIdFK-NGGUSaXF5FxysmPfXm6GPRlXGOlgulJeFNPchsPFs42oWb4x2tzHqGPcycqmsqmoBl7RVqQSzJy-Ub2ZUdqzPfnzZ

Yes, my gear is self-found so far, but I'm not really opposed to trading except for my poorness. 4 Chaos and 1 Vaal in all my time in Warbands (90-100 hours now). I think, given that my build was still functioning _acceptably_ and should be a lot better now, that I'll hold off on buying anything for a while yet.

I assume Blood Magic support is so that I can ignore all mana-related things, concentrate on life stacking, and use 75-85% of my mana for auras? Sounds good... just wondering how much it will hurt if I'm ever (pipe-dream) using a 5L or 6L with say, multi-strike and faster attacks. :P

If you've got any more time to spare on this poor soul, I'd like some thoughts on my future passive nodes. This is what I was thinking for my next 20. I really feel like I need to get unwavering ASAP. Stuns rock my clock like nothing else. Iron Grip is so close to unwavering through a good life node that it seems a shame not to use it for Molten's projectiles.

https://www.poebuilder.com/character/AAAAAgUA-d2LjEqYzGaUXMBmPAXvfJ_fmjuiAIKb7DiFe3IPcYV65mP9RtfaubFC8B9o8lnzGjiQVWae-tIdFK-NGGUSaXF5FxysmPfXm6GPRlXGOlgulJeFNPchsPFs42oWb4x2tzHqGPcycqmsqmoBl7RVqQSzJy-

End-game (assuming I haven't died of old age) would be something like this:

https://www.poebuilder.com/character/AAAAAgUA-d2LjEqYzGaUXMBmPAXvfJ_fmjuiAIKb7DiFe3IPcYV65mP9RtfaubFC8B9o8lnzGjiQVWae-tIdFK-NGGUSaXF5FxysmPfXm6GPRlXGOlgulJeFNPchsPFs42oWb4x2tzHqGPcycqmsqmoBl7RVqQSzJy9mVHasz3582YPbJKo26a2N2WFXDZ_LpzCezdIhGJG8n_xLFE0B5zJ-OlLyQYIH2XzvDhQgXz_kUVBH7FUqjUkbNtgJlpd56wk5DoVSd-UyiTrYKS7xrA==

That's a pipe dream really, I'm sure we'll have another skill tree change and reset by the time I get there. :P

Your "next 20" tree is a wrong link, it shows some 58 point tree.

Your "endgame build" looks fine for what you are intending to do.
A bit low on life, and I cannot really promise that going allout fire melee is such a great idea, but that's what you want to do, so let's try to make it work.

I'm wondering a bit about the "increased burning damage" nodes you took.
Wouldn't "increased fire damage" just work better?
You are skipping two very potent fire clusters, one between Marauder and Templar, and "Explosive Impact" right below Avatar of Fire.

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About Bloodmagic:
With a decent life pool and some life regen, you will barely notice the damage dealt to yourself.
It's like "free mana".

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http://poe.trade/search/zurihokinasako
You can get a weapon twice as good as yours for about 1 chaos.

http://poe.trade/search/tatumimimadeto
You can buy a 5L body armor for about 1 chaos.

Just do it. Unless you want to stick to selffound, which is fine, it will only take a lot longer and can be frustrating. ;)