2.4 Inquisitor Ele Quad Siege Ballista - Insane DPS on a budget - HC Viable - Video(s) inside

This is a work in progress and I will be updating this asap.

What's up everyone. This thread is going to be dedicated to explaining the Inquisitor Siege Ballista build using Iron Commander. The original build thread, which still works, is here in the duelist forums

For the tooltip warriors



(there is a video guide for passive progression if you click the picture above!)

I will start off by saying that this build is easily Hardcore viable due to the sheer amount of damage you have and the safety that four, long range totems, provide.

The primary idea behind this build is to scale the damage off of flat elemental the same way you would a traditional crit elemental build. Except that you are also getting 600 dex so you can have 4x Siege Ballista.





Level 32
Level 62
Level 85
Level 98 (if you fancy)



So which Ascendancy do you choose? Honestly, you can go with a lot of different Ascendancies because the build is just a crit ele build. But as of patch 2.4 I would consider these 3 if I were to play this build again (which I plan to)

Inquisitor - Highest elemental damage potential due to Inevitable Judgement and some very nice synergies with Instruments of Virtue.

Champion Build thread here - The strongest defensively of the three suggested due to permanent fortify. Inspirational and First to Strike, Last to Fall are also both great in general.

Assassin - This one is more of a concept that I plan on doing very soon. Having four, fast attacking Siege Ballistae that can apply poison, could make for the strongest single target version of this build. Toxic Delivery and Deadly Infusion together will work very well. Eventually another thread will be made about this.


Iron Commander
Drillneck
Rain of Splinters
Starkonja's Helm
Devoto's Devotion
Static Electricity




If you enjoyed this guide and would like to see the other builds I have done or the videos I have made on youtube you can check me out there! I also stream from time to time and sometimes I say things on twitter.

reserved

Hi, I just RIP'd and want to run this build since it looks fun and budget-friendly.

Can you post your inquisitor skill tree? I'm only lvl 23 so far and making my way to the duelist tree.

Is there any notable nodes I should get in the Templar area? How about that Ancestral Bond nodes? I'm more worried about which nodes/path I should take in the Ranger tree since its so far away.

Thanks!

"

Vagrant108 wrote:

Hi, I just RIP'd and want to run this build since it looks fun and budget-friendly.

Can you post your inquisitor skill tree? I'm only lvl 23 so far and making my way to the duelist tree.

Is there any notable nodes I should get in the Templar area? How about that Ancestral Bond nodes? I'm more worried about which nodes/path I should take in the Ranger tree since its so far away.

Thanks!

You should not get Ancestral Bond, and here is the video I made about leveling/pathing for Inquisitor Siege Ballista. Bam

I'm playing this build on HC already, lvl 81 atm and more or less endgame equipped.

4,8k hp (abit low i know..work in progress)
Capped res
34,1k tooltip HO dps

Clearing maps increddibly well.

I checked your video guide, seems we've been running more or less same build, you gave some good clarifications and also gave me some new ideas as well (point blank being one of them, maybe totemic mastery altho its alot of points...).

Getting all the dex/int along with life and resists might be a bit difficult.

I've added elementalist (left of discipline and training), those 3 nodes gave some ele dmg and also well needed resists.
Also I've almost completed the scion life wheel.
Currently at 564 dex, another 4 levels and ill hit 604 dex as i got both fangs of the viper and depth perception waiting next.

Thinking of maybe getting Coldhearted Calculation after that for the 20int, mana regen and dps. It would make gearing quite a bit more flexible.


I also opted out of static electricity and instead im using a jewel with tripple dmg mods which gave me 900 more dps:
14% increased Totem Damage (obvious reasons)
15% increased Lightning Damage (this is where we get most our elemental dmg from)
12% increased Projectile Damage (and yeah...ballistas, i assume we scale projectile dmg or am i wrong?)

I'm not running a CoH setup for ele weakness, using a 4L with Frenzy, GMP, PCoC and Mana leech. Question on CoH+Ele Weakness below.


I need input on the following:

I'm thinking of trying to get a 4B Maligaros gloves (i know...mission fuking impossible...), it would solve alot of the mana problems of the build once i get 4 ballistas as i could then use Wrath, HoT, Discipline and Enlighten. Is this a very stupid idea? Or i could run empower to boost the DPS of Wrath and HoT if the less reserved mana is not needed.


And last but not least:
Do we need ele weakness curse with CoH? As we are almost crit capped at high lvl we ignore enemy elemental resists through Inevitable Judgement dont we? I think mobs cannot get negative res right?

Feel free to check my profile for info of my char, char: DOHerino

Cheers!

"

I'm playing this build on HC already, lvl 81 atm and more or less endgame equipped.

4,8k hp (abit low i know..work in progress)
Capped res
34,1k tooltip HO dps

Clearing maps increddibly well.

I checked your video guide, seems we've been running more or less same build, you gave some good clarifications and also gave me some new ideas as well (point blank being one of them, maybe totemic mastery altho its alot of points...).

Getting all the dex/int along with life and resists might be a bit difficult.

A few things here. From what I have experienced, getting roughly 440-450 dex on the passive tree should be the primary goal while making up the last 150 dex on gear/jewels. 3 pieces with 40-50 dex and a jewel or two with dex on it makes this pretty easy.

As for your HP levels I would not worry about it. It is slightly difficult and one of the weaknesses of the build but Siege Ballista keeps you pretty safe in general.

"

I've added elementalist (left of discipline and training), those 3 nodes gave some ele dmg and also well needed resists.
Also I've almost completed the scion life wheel.

Those 3 nodes, I find to be pretty inefficient. You could easily replace this with the Projectile Damage nodes and jewel socket above Sentinel and get a Jewel that is better. Of course this would cost currency but it is something to think about.

"

Currently at 564 dex, another 4 levels and ill hit 604 dex as i got both fangs of the viper and depth perception waiting next.

If you are enjoying this build now, it is just going to get better haha.

"

Thinking of maybe getting Coldhearted Calculation after that for the 20int, mana regen and dps. It would make gearing quite a bit more flexible.

CC is definitely a very attractive passive but I think there are better options early on.

"

I also opted out of static electricity and instead im using a jewel with tripple dmg mods which gave me 900 more dps:
14% increased Totem Damage (obvious reasons)
15% increased Lightning Damage (this is where we get most our elemental dmg from)
12% increased Projectile Damage (and yeah...ballistas, i assume we scale projectile dmg or am i wrong?)

I eventually did this as well and that is a pretty amazing jewel. You are right about projectile damage (hence why you get so much damage from Drillneck)

"

I'm not running a CoH setup for ele weakness, using a 4L with Frenzy, GMP, PCoC and Mana leech. Question on CoH+Ele Weakness below.

As an Inquisitor you would not need to do that, would probably use Assassin's Mark or Projectile Weakness.

"

I need input on the following:

I'm thinking of trying to get a 4B Maligaros gloves (i know...mission fuking impossible...), it would solve alot of the mana problems of the build once i get 4 ballistas as i could then use Wrath, HoT, Discipline and Enlighten. Is this a very stupid idea? Or i could run empower to boost the DPS of Wrath and HoT if the less reserved mana is not needed.

I am assuming you mean Clarity and not Discipline. On my build I did not have any mana issues at all. The nice thing about clarity is that you can increase it as you have the mana. All I needed for my build was the ability to drop 4 totems at once without interruption and I was able to achieve that with Wrath/HoT/Clarity.

Earlier you had mentioned going Coldhearted Calculation. Instead of doing that you should get Primal Spirit and Druidic Right. These will increase the effectiveness of your flasks, give you str/int AND give you more maximum mana for Clarity/sustain.

As for Maligaro's... I would prefer gloves with life resists and some damage modifiers (flat ele, attack speed)

"

And last but not least:
Do we need ele weakness curse with CoH? As we are almost crit capped at high lvl we ignore enemy elemental resists through Inevitable Judgement dont we? I think mobs cannot get negative res right?

You are correct, look at my response above about what curses to use.

"

wabachaw wrote:

"

I'm playing this build on HC already, lvl 81 atm and more or less endgame equipped.

4,8k hp (abit low i know..work in progress)
Capped res
34,1k tooltip HO dps

Clearing maps increddibly well.

I checked your video guide, seems we've been running more or less same build, you gave some good clarifications and also gave me some new ideas as well (point blank being one of them, maybe totemic mastery altho its alot of points...).

Getting all the dex/int along with life and resists might be a bit difficult.

A few things here. From what I have experienced, getting roughly 440-450 dex on the passive tree should be the primary goal while making up the last 150 dex on gear/jewels. 3 pieces with 40-50 dex and a jewel or two with dex on it makes this pretty easy.

As for your HP levels I would not worry about it. It is slightly difficult and one of the weaknesses of the build but Siege Ballista keeps you pretty safe in general.

I fully agree, i could have tweaked my gear to get 600 dex sooner but decided to be patient as my kill speed was so good anyways.

"

"

I've added elementalist (left of discipline and training), those 3 nodes gave some ele dmg and also well needed resists.
Also I've almost completed the scion life wheel.

Those 3 nodes, I find to be pretty inefficient. You could easily replace this with the Projectile Damage nodes and jewel socket above Sentinel and get a Jewel that is better. Of course this would cost currency but it is something to think about.

Just tried this out, found a jewel with meeting my needs to stay capped:
5% increased maximum Life
+12% to Fire Resistance
12% increased Projectile Damage

Gained 101 dps (not a big deal but yeah always something), remained capped but more importantly i got 5% more HP which resulted in 88 more and thats always wanted on HC! ;) Thanks for good advice. Might even find an even better jewel later on, this was what i found quick to test this idea!
However, the 5% chance to shock, freeze and ignite on Elementalist seems attractive too, what's your take on those 3 mods? Or it doesn't matter? Do we already shock/freeze?

"

"

Currently at 564 dex, another 4 levels and ill hit 604 dex as i got both fangs of the viper and depth perception waiting next.

If you are enjoying this build now, it is just going to get better haha.

It´s a perfect match for how i like to play the game. Not 1 button click but not 1000 buttons either. Takes a bit of management to keep ballistas up, vaal haste, flasks and utility. And i know i got some big things coming in these 4 lvls!

"

"

Thinking of maybe getting Coldhearted Calculation after that for the 20int, mana regen and dps. It would make gearing quite a bit more flexible.

CC is definitely a very attractive passive but I think there are better options early on.

Will try your advice on other mana sustain nodes i guess. Primal spirit would free up the crafted mod (22 int) on my amulet which could give me another strong boost. And druidic right is downright perfect for the build.

"

"

I also opted out of static electricity and instead im using a jewel with tripple dmg mods which gave me 900 more dps:
14% increased Totem Damage (obvious reasons)
15% increased Lightning Damage (this is where we get most our elemental dmg from)
12% increased Projectile Damage (and yeah...ballistas, i assume we scale projectile dmg or am i wrong?)

I eventually did this as well and that is a pretty amazing jewel. You are right about projectile damage (hence why you get so much damage from Drillneck)

Thanks for confirming this.

"

I'm not running a CoH setup for ele weakness, using a 4L with Frenzy, GMP, PCoC and Mana leech. Question on CoH+Ele Weakness below.

As an Inquisitor you would not need to do that, would probably use Assassin's Mark or Projectile Weakness.

Hmm, would u say going Frenzy, GMP, PCoC, CoH and Assasin´s Mark? (or is that overkill for PC generation?). Or would Frenzy, GMP, CoH and Assasin´s Mark be enough for PC sustain and continue running mana leech? Ill try your below advice on mana management and maybe i can drop the mana leech and run PCoC and a CoH Assasin´s Mark or Projectile Weakness.... Will come back with feedback.

"

"

I need input on the following:

I'm thinking of trying to get a 4B Maligaros gloves (i know...mission fuking impossible...), it would solve alot of the mana problems of the build once i get 4 ballistas as i could then use Wrath, HoT, Discipline and Enlighten. Is this a very stupid idea? Or i could run empower to boost the DPS of Wrath and HoT if the less reserved mana is not needed.

I am assuming you mean Clarity and not Discipline. On my build I did not have any mana issues at all. The nice thing about clarity is that you can increase it as you have the mana. All I needed for my build was the ability to drop 4 totems at once without interruption and I was able to achieve that with Wrath/HoT/Clarity.

Earlier you had mentioned going Coldhearted Calculation. Instead of doing that you should get Primal Spirit and Druidic Right. These will increase the effectiveness of your flasks, give you str/int AND give you more maximum mana for Clarity/sustain.

As for Maligaro's... I would prefer gloves with life resists and some damage modifiers (flat ele, attack speed)

First off, yes i meant clarity lol.
I might try out rare gloves if i can find a good pair, could be a good way to get more HP. Will see what it would do to my crit chance. I might wait until I've gotten the full depth perception circle.
Getting a good pair of rares might make me opt out of fangs of the viper as i wont need the dex there anymore, but the MS is tempting too lol...will give it some thought and experimenting. The HP boost from rare gloves is not to be neglected i guess.
About druidic right and primal spirit, those are some solid ideas, again, ill do some trial and error here, still need some more levels.

"

"

And last but not least:
Do we need ele weakness curse with CoH? As we are almost crit capped at high lvl we ignore enemy elemental resists through Inevitable Judgement dont we? I think mobs cannot get negative res right?

You are correct, look at my response above about what curses to use.

Thanks. By the looks of it i'll be more or less completed with the build in 10 levels, which would be lvl 92 which is good, then i have alot to fight for still! :)

I'll probably start looking for a new ring next, the topaz ring might be a little bit too offensive for HC. But getting a good replacement with life will be hard. But i think that is my next objective.

What flasks would you recommend?
My offensive flasks are silver and diamond. My defensive flasks are granite and basalt.
Keep swapping between those but mostly i run the two defensive flasks along with a quicksilver and 2 life flasks. I could see how a flat light dmg vinktar could play a good role here with:
Adds (25–35) to (105–130) Lightning Damage to Attack during Flask effect.
Whats your take on flasks? Would of course have to mitigate the shock on me with an anti-shock flask myself lol.


Thanks for all input, ill check back in here and discuss in a few more levels and/or item upgrades.

Guys I've been thinking about the "support" frenzy gem setup and because of the inquisitor I didn't like ele weakness so one thing I tested was: Frenzy - gmp - coc - curse of choice(temp chain/proj weakness)- arctic breath - another spell of choice maybe vortex

The reason for this was because when you use curse on hit, then you're left with one slot, assuming you have 6link, and there was really nothing that strong that would make you want to get the 6link(unless you somehow get 2curses)

Using the lucky crits flask I was proccing it heavily because of the sheer amount of crit we're getting in this awesome build. Thought I might share this with you, you can test it with tabula and put ballista setup in the Thunderfist Murder Mitts

What do you guys think ?

"

Dzil wrote:

Guys I've been thinking about the "support" frenzy gem setup and because of the inquisitor I didn't like ele weakness so one thing I tested was: Frenzy - gmp - coc - curse of choice(temp chain/proj weakness)- arctic breath - another spell of choice maybe vortex

The reason for this was because when you use curse on hit, then you're left with one slot, assuming you have 6link, and there was really nothing that strong that would make you want to get the 6link(unless you somehow get 2curses)

Using the lucky crits flask I was proccing it heavily because of the sheer amount of crit we're getting in this awesome build. Thought I might share this with you, you can test it with tabula and put ballista setup in the Thunderfist Murder Mitts

What do you guys think ?

Now I'm far from being an expert, i'll just share what I've learned so far.

As inquisitor you should NOT run ele weakness in your CoH setup, it wont benefit you.
Running projectile weakness tho would be a quite nice option and provide shitloads of additional DPS (not tooltip ofc).

The COC setup you are suggesting sounds kind of interesting tho...i might 5L my bow and give it a try :)
I would then end up with: Frenzy, GMP, PCoC, CoC, Projectile weakness, Arctic breat. Oh fuk....nvm that is 6L....wouldnt wanna opt out of PCoC. And i dont feel like investing 1500 fuse + w/e jwler it would take to 6S my iron commander which is gg rolled.

How do you generate power charges without PCoC?



A little bit of an update of my own progress:
lvl 86 now.
6,4k evasion
38,2k HO dps with wrath, golem and HoT up.
608 dex so now quad totem
capped res
5k life
92% chance to hit
46% crit chance (HO)

All my SB+support gems are 19/20 apart from added lightning which is 21/20 and wrath 21/0. Will be a significant dps improvement hitting 20/20 on all i assume.
Also looking to find a good rare upgrade from my current maligaros. Trying to craft a good pair of Gripped Gloves for the projectile dmg implicit....so far no luck.

My next 5 levels are pure crit nodes, 10+10+20 (depth perception), 20 from the node after assasination and 20 from the last one at Lethality.
After that its another 2 levels to complete the scion life wheel.

For gear, i cant really replace that much easilly, 608 dex (600 for quad ballista), 159 int (159 needed for 21 wrath), 135, 141, 136 res (selfexplanatory).
At this point its all about min maxing...and adding more HP so eventually ill try to tweak my two rings and boots for more perfection as well.

But on the other hand, ill prolly rip before all the above happens as ill prolly feel too op, feel ballsy and wreck myself at some boss i dont know the mechanics of, like atm thinking of trying temple map and i got no clue whats waiting lol...

Making some progress. Hit 60 and in A1 Merciless. Damage is great but need to work on resistances and defenses also. Feeling a bit squishy. Still need more mana to support Clarity in.

Mind posting a Skill Tree link in the first post? Annoying to navigate through your video each time I need to reference the tree. Thanks.

For 5L Frenzy Support, I tried:
* GMP + PCoC + CoC + Vortex -> Just OK. Procs at your location, not the monsters.
* GMP + PCoC + CoC + Artic Breath -> Good but no Curses
* GMP + PCoC + CoH + Proj Weakness -> Feels like the best fit so far. Good Synergy.

Also possibility, Not tried yet:
* GMP + CoH + Assassin's Mark + CoC + Artic Breath -> Curse, Power Charges(on kill), and Artic Breath...

Also another possibility, Romira's Banquet Ring. Will give you Power Charges to drop PCoC in your support links. I will try this later. A lot to play around with.