Backbeards marauder EK build

Hey guys it's Backbeard from twitch.tv/depimpe and I have got a lot of positive feedback lately on this build so I decided to take some time and explain what I basically did for this character. After grouping with Kerkrom a bit I was really impressed with his build so I decided to do my own spin on it. This build basically ignores getting any type of increased damage for EK (aside from cruel oak) and focusing on pure survivability. The first day I played I went from 1-49, after that I did a 24hr marathon and was able to go from 49-71.

Before we begin, for bandits you:
Help Oak in normal
Help Oak in Cruel
Kill them all in Merci

Early levels (1 - 26):

http://tinyurl.com/earlylevels

Basically early on you are not required to use EK, but I HIGHLY recommend leveling the skill gem ASAP. I personally had a silverbranch that I used into mid 20's with poison arrow, but any build you may be geared for early on (whether it be groundslam or freezing pulse). Basically I just looked for a fast leveling spec until EK's damage from leveling the skill gem outweighed my poison arrow.

*Note* If you do not have the dex to keep leveling up EK be sure to use a jade amulet until you get to the +30 dex node.


EK TIME (26 - 42 with both skillpoints from A1cruel):

http://tinyurl.com/EKtime

Around this time I started to use EK since I had a pretty decent spell damage offhand and wand. After this wand I haven't really been able to get the int required for wands that were around my level. During these levels I only ran one aura on me (Hatred) and I used 3 mana pots to sustain my mana pool and 1 health potion, along with 1 quicksilver.

You need to make sure once you get to this point that you have these gems in your gear:
EK - linked with Added Fire for now
Another Added Fire (Support)
Faster Projectiles (Support)
Iron Will (Support)
2 Blood magic (Support)
Faster Casting(Support)
Life Leech (Support)
Vitality (Aura)
Hatred (Aura)
Determination (Aura)
Tempest Shield (Aura)
Reduced Mana (Support)
Molten Shell (Spell)
Bear Trap (Spell) (Could add more if you can afford sockets but I have 1 for now)


*NOTE* If you want any other aura than vitality you can level that as well, but for my group I plan on running it for them so I decided to stick with it for the game. I may possibly put on purity if I can get a 6L.

Pushing to Act 3 Merci (42-68ish):

http://tinyurl.com/pushingA3merci

At this point I had a 4 link I used that I used:
Faster casting
Faster Projectiles
Blood Magic
EK

This setup I found to be the most damaging 4L I could make until ~70s than Iron Will started to become better than Faster Casting. But basically farm cruel fellshrine until you get an EK leveling around 45-47, than depending on how you feel you can progress to A3 cruel and just power through it. At this point I started to transition to an armor shield for pure survivability. I usually end up completing A3cruel around 50-52, and at that point I rush straight to ledge and farm that area until 57. Once I hit 57 I kill Brutus and Merveil and go straight to fellshrine. Around 67 I went back and killed Deep dweller and fairgraves to get the skillpoints, than progressed through A2 where I finished around 68.

Endgame (68+):

http://tinyurl.com/endgameEK

This is my overall spec for my character. With all the block chance you get (including at least a 36% block chance from your shield) you will be able to get 75% block chance with attacks. Right now I sit at 63% block chance. I have yet to have issues with my hp (77 sitting with ~4.7k hp). For now I am trying to get a 5L at least just so I can get more damage on my EK.

At this point as well I was able to get a 4L and get Hatred, Determination, and Vitality all linked to my reduced mana so I can run all those auras + Tempest shield to basically take away my whole mana pool. Yesterday I was able to get a new chest and tried to make it 5L but got a 4L and now use it for Bear trap and Molten shell to have Added Fire and Blood magic.

For a 5L I am going to ideally want a Full armor piece, with GGRRB or GGRRR. I think faster casting may outweigh added fire still, but I will settle for either of those combinations at this point xD

For 6L I would want
EK
Faster Projectile
Blood Magic
Faster Casting
Iron Will
Added Fire Damage

(IF its a Phys reflect MAP use life leech instead of Added Fire dmg)

If you have any questions that you want answered very quickly feel free to check out my stream at twitch.tv/depimpe and shoot me a question in chat. If not I'll be trying to check this thread as often as possible <3

Edit: With these new items I have over
5k HP
220+ HP/s
66% block chance on Physical attacks
1975dps with EK
80 fire, 80 cold, 60ish lightning >_< (seems like whatever map I run knows my weakness)

Items used ATM:

Great guide and build Zach

highly recommend watching this stream Zach is a great help and plays awesome music :D

very op build, using a different variation of this build! Recommend it to anyone who wants to tank and just have fun!

I've always wanted to make a EK build ever since I got EK on my Shadow. So I'm tagging this thread to read over it when I have time.

Also, aren't you HC guys bored to your deaths? What I mean by that is that you grind the same maps over and over and over until you are 10+ levels ahead of the content, then rinse and repeat. I was lvl 59 when I killed mercy Piety for example, and I feel like I'm having more fun on scrubcore than I would on HC due to such grind as described in the guide.

/rantoff

It is just up to a matter of preference, I personally enjoy giving myself a challenge of trying not to die for as long as possible. When my entire goal is just get to map stage... I lose interest in doing that.

But the reason you grind for a certain zone for a long time is as you level up, you can be in zones for much longer. XP wont taper off in merciless fellshrine until nearly 70.

That looks face-rollish indeed.

But wasn't there some kind of downside to blocking that much? You basically get stunned all the time and I don't see any counter-measure in your build. Just wondering.

Unlike most people, I prefer builds that are strong(ish) all the time (at least a very high performance when reaching merciless)- I don't want late-bloomers, because I tend to get bored of map grinding very very soon anyway.

I might check out your approach here, especially since I noticed myself, that shields can carry you a lot if you get some nodes to pimp them even further (that 40% BC evasion shield carried me multiple times through early game easily).

What I am looking for now, is a build that additionally dishes out crazy dmg. Not sure yet how to get this done, but I think EK has the potential to do so. Basically, most EK characters have to push the breaks on increasing dmg, because they need to care about killing themselves in reflect situations (especially maps).

And that's exactly where I want the opposite ^^ I will gladly be scared of reflect mobs and kill them solely by bear traps, if in return I can insta-gip most of anything ^^ I couldn't care less about the map reflect mod, because I don't really plan to do maps at all.

Sorry for the slight derail, but maybe someone has an idea how I could do what I want to, because I haven't yet found a way (in a nutshell: high EK dps (probably best by critting a lot and hard), decent survivability as in not having to run away from everything, no resource problems (probably BM gem)).

Until I find that holy grail, I will definitely try your build. What do you think about Vitality? I know you chose it for MP purposes, but do you think your regeneration is enough otherwise? I'd love to use Purity or Haste instead. Also thinking about getting another life regen node, instead of going into the ranger section for the shield defenses. Might run into dex problems then, though.

I suggest going shadow if you want to dish out serious damage. They have much more crit around their tree, but the only issue in my eyes is #1 you are generally gonna have evasion gear, which is nice for sockets but won't help you survive a reflect pack. With my spec you don't really need damage talents since EK scales so well.

But for the blocking effect, I have hardly ever noticed it happening. What I notice more is me blocking shield charges or Rhoa charges. Generally I have noticed I actually can interrupt enemies with me just throwing EK, especially when I am critting with it (can usually freeze white mobs briefly).

With this mara build you mainly get your damage from EK alone, Oak cruel, than having support gems linked (the more the better). One thing I learned is all the damage you get from the EK skillgem can support you really well, I am finding I can 2-3 shot most whites in 66-68 maps for now, thats not even cursing with Vulnerability. My EK is only level 17 so it has 3 levels to get much better.

(I think I am going to try and make my scepter blue red link and add another blood magic onto vulnerability just to speed up the leveling process)

As for vitality. I sit around 220ish HP/s and I totally feel that you could change it out, but I feel like you may want to use a life leech gem, just out of pure safety. But I also may start to level up purity, just because the increased all resis cap would be so nice.

Thanks for your input, appreciate it.

Even though I already played a tanky EK spammer (Kripp's Witch EB EK build) I still feel like trying yours. I really believe the shield stuff will make you super strong.

As for HP regen, I really love it. Not sure if I want to have a mediocre amount, so I probably will just go with Vitality myself and see how it goes. Plus I really don't want to lose even more support slots for EK. Having BM is painful enough (dmg wise, the utility is awesome of course - and actually worth it).

I have noticed a huge difference in wearing a shield and not wearing a shield. I have a 83 duelist that I used a 2h groundslam build to level with, and the survivability between these specs is glaring. I think its the fact that the shield nodes in the top left near body and soul are just so powerful. Also block is one of those talents that gets better as you keep getting more and more block (75% is cap for block though hence why I am trying to get 36% block chance shield and get those last nodes near the ranger tree).

The only downside to Block, is the stun mechanic associated with the block animation, but the problem is this whole "mechanic" is confusing to most people.

The only time this "block stun" occurs, is if you block an attack that would have normally stunned you, ie...Rhoa charges. If a Rhoa charge connects, its gonna stun unless you spec into Resolute Technique. If you Block the charge, you still get momentarily stunned, but you take no damage.