[2.2] King's "Jupiter Ascendant" - 4 curse hybrid/CI non-crit Occultist Witch [HC&Beginner friendly]

Thanks for the advice before, but I have another question. The guide suggests getting Stone Golem -- where are we supposed to get the STR to use it?

Another question sorry, is this build viable in SC? For the hybrid version would you recommend any changes in passives? More damage nodes? Or keep it all the same?

I have very much enjoyed this build while leveling, but ended up going off on my own path for SC because I ended up using Spark.

The biggest change is that I spend about 5-7 points going down to the Shadow tree to get a total of 50% pierce to projectiles so that Spark can pierce 100% of the time. This REALLY enhances your damage, although not on tooltip. I also have gotten more damage nodes than you, but my build is by no means perfect (I'm still trying to optimize it). Finally, I started using a wand with crit chance for spells (not as good as daggers, but still plenty good enough to keep overload going 60-70% of the time at least in small fights an 100% in larger fights), but more importantly, 40% projectile speed.

I am significantly squishier than you (only about 5k energy shield and 2k life, but I have a shav's), but have maxed resists and really fast spark projectiles! I have more than enough DPS to down T12 maps, and can likely go higher...although I am at the point where I will die if I'm not careful. The reason I have so much less Energy Shield is because I decided to get a more offensive shield (only 150 ES on it), to use Doedre's Helm (because the damage increase is INSANE), and I'm using Winds of Change Ancient Gauntlets, which literally have no ES at all but increase projectile damage by 50% (a separate multipler for spark damage).

I think your trees are very good for general purpose, but that Spark, specifically, requires a few changes compared to Arc.

https://www.pathofexile.com/fullscreen-passive-skill-tree/AAAABAMBAQSzBx4NfBBYEQ8RLRFQEZYVfhhqGmwbJRvxHNwdTx2DIvQo-ilPKlssnDBbNbk6WDsNQnpDNkSrRtdHBklRS65R-1LsVa5VxlZIVylXyVgHXGtfamZUaPJsC20ZcYVyD3YReC959npwfIN85Xzwfq9-x3_GghCCm4LHhEiFe4x2jRmPGo9Gj6aP-pEHkyeUb5UulYeaO5uhna6ePKIApwinK6yXrJixQrTFuJO7_MBmwuzDbcy30NDVddWm2CTZW9lf2rnb592M34rfsOAS4XPkIuWL6QLr7uw47-vwH_DV98H31_no

Here is what I have so far. In a few levels I'm going up to get another Jewel socket towards the top of the tree, because Jewels are amazingly efficient slot, though I am not sure it's worth it. If you notice any inefficiencies, please let me know, and thanks again for writing such a great guide!

I feel like I'm having some pretty serious issues with this build. I've just hit level 80 (tree is here). I'll put my gear below. I'm sitting at about 4k life and about 4.5 ES.

And yet, pretty much the story of playing this build the whole time (I'm playing SC) has been lackluster DPS and me dying a lot. Things are decent now, but I'll still meet groups of Perandus mobs sometimes that just melt me. I'm not sure if it's the build, me being a bad player, or what. It could also be my gear, which I know isn't the best (some of it is pretty bad), but I feel like it's not complete trash, at least. Resists are capped, life+ES feels... not terrible.



I'm trying to stick to a budget, but if anyone sees a particular target that upgrading would help a lot on, I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks!

Can u please guys post which ascendancy passives to take cause im a bit confused as i read your comments.Ty

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Lashiel wrote:

I feel like I'm having some pretty serious issues with this build. I've just hit level 80 (tree is here). I'll put my gear below. I'm sitting at about 4k life and about 4.5 ES.

You need 4+ cast speed for Arc to be used efficiently. That's why i find daggers not good for Arc. Get a wand with 70+ lightning damage (combined spell+lightning) and 15+ cast speed at least (more the better). Cast speed is even more important cos you have a lot of spell damage and its usefulness diminishes while we don't have much cast speed. That is why i prefer taking three 3% cast speed nodes at the start of witch tree. That would give you more DPS. Take Vile Bastion as ascendancy . It greatly helps against large mobs of monsters. Put Orb of Storm with your right mouse button often under your feet then stand within it and cast.

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Garfunkel wrote:

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Lashiel wrote:

I feel like I'm having some pretty serious issues with this build. I've just hit level 80 (tree is here). I'll put my gear below. I'm sitting at about 4k life and about 4.5 ES.

You need 4+ cast speed for Arc to be used efficiently. That's why i find daggers not good for Arc. Get a wand with 70+ lightning damage (combined spell+lightning) and 15+ cast speed at least (more the better). Cast speed is even more important cos you have a lot of spell damage and its usefulness diminishes while we don't have much cast speed. That is why i prefer taking three 3% cast speed nodes at the start of witch tree. That would give you more DPS. Take Vile Bastion as ascendancy . It greatly helps against large mobs of monsters. Put Orb of Storm with your right mouse button often under your feet then stand within it and cast.

I have considered swapping to a wand for the cast speed, but that would mean I lose whirling blades :(

May still be worth trying.

Any comments on survivability in general?

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Lashiel wrote:

I have considered swapping to a wand for the cast speed, but that would mean I lose whirling blades :(

May still be worth trying.

Any comments on survivability in general?

I can't comment since you are hybrid (life/es) build. I'm using CI. I took ES route from level 1 and didn't take any life nodes at all. And I didn't have any survivability problems. My advice is - as you took ZO you should stack ES. Take Foresight and Unnatural Calm. Get more ES on gear. What exactly do you die to? Also, why are you using blood dance boots when you didn't even take +1 Frenzy charge nodes. Besides they don't give anything useful - reduced cast speed? 0% life regen per frenzy charge? seriously? :) Better sell them and get a pair of good ES boots with resistances and 25%+ mov. speed.

Mostly large groups, especially Perandus groups. Also large single hits. i.e. Kaom/Daresso. So... kinda everything I guess? Ha.

Grabbed Blood Dance because they were recommended by OP. You still do actually get cast speed from frenzy charges, just 1% as opposed 3%. They are a DPS boost, although maybe I could get better. Not sure.

Grabbing those two notables is a good idea. I may spec out of some stuff to grab those now.

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Lashiel wrote:

Mostly large groups, especially Perandus groups. Also large single hits. i.e. Kaom/Daresso. So... kinda everything I guess? Ha.

Grabbed Blood Dance because they were recommended by OP. You still do actually get cast speed from frenzy charges, just 1% as opposed 3%. They are a DPS boost, although maybe I could get better. Not sure.

Grabbing those two notables is a good idea. I may spec out of some stuff to grab those now.

I can only say for my version of this build based on CI. Against large groups >> Vile Bastion. Against heavy single hist >> more ES / ES regen. I have 13k+ ES and 600+ regen/ almost 4k ES recharge and can facetank Piety/Kaom/Daresso/Malachai and all the mini-bosses before Malachai @Merciless.
I can also suggest using Vaal Discipline + Inc.Duration in tough situations.