Build idea - Vortex but go only for initial hit, not for the DOT

Hello everyone,
just like the topic said, is it even worth going for it like that? Basically treat Vortex as stronger version of Ice Nova and focus on initial hit rather that DOT, maybe even go as far as crit build with it and DOT would be just a nice additional bonus effect. I know that crit does not apply to DOT, but spell and cold dmg is, so the DOT part won't be completely useless after all. I didn't came up with anything specific, just tempering with the idea, it depends on feedback from You all will i try to build anything.

Uh yeah, spell, cold and ele damage is skilled anyway at some point, shocking works, frenzy works ... sooo, just don't skill over time damage or duration if you don't need to and don't go out of your way to add rapid decay.

If you'd go for pyre, hrimburn or three dragons burn build though ... well that's another story. Works fantastic with RF as well.

No mate, no DOTs just pure burst from initial hit, DOT effect is just a nice bonus, like i said treat it like an Ice Nova but stronger, tbh. i was thinking with crit and CI to make it even more expensive and painful when i die on HC :P

Other than applying on-hit stuff and leech, there's no reason to focus on the initial hit than the DoT. DoT does three times the damage, if the enemy stays in there, and can be more easily scaled.

eh.... and that's the sound of my dreams fading away, if you say that DOT it three times the dmg of an initial hit, than going for is just making the game harder for no reason. Still gonna build something with it, just because i like how the skill looks, but damn it's a shame, i was really hopefull for a crit Vortex. Anyway, thank you for help, you may consider this thread as finished.

You can get very high crit damage with the initial hit. There are some build guides in either the witch of the shadow forums for it, can't remember exactly which.

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Satokh wrote:

eh.... and that's the sound of my dreams fading away, if you say that DOT it three times the dmg of an initial hit, than going for is just making the game harder for no reason. Still gonna build something with it, just because i like how the skill looks, but damn it's a shame, i was really hopefull for a crit Vortex. Anyway, thank you for help, you may consider this thread as finished.

As I said, all you'd go for the initial hit for is things that apply for that hit. The DoT cannot crit, hence the increased damage potential. However, the initial hit is the only part that can crit, and crits have their own benefit.

You're looking at just the skill. Look at other things; maybe you're going Harvest with crit Vortex. It won't generate many flask charges, but the combo might work.

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Vipermagi wrote:

Not accounting for any bonuses, the Damage over Time deals only 7.5% more Damage per second - saying the Damage over Time is "three times stronger" is extremely deceptive.

The more Cast Speed you have, the stronger the Hit becomes relatively: Vortex' Damage over Time does not stack, but you can Hit multiple times per second. What this boils down to is, you don't need to go out of your way to make a Hit-damage Vortex caster work. Cast speed, Crit, bit of Damage passives here and there, and Radius would do you good. Could run a strong Herald of Ice, if you feel like it.

I was talking about a single use.

But let's get technical.

The difference in damage may be some 6-7%, but you're considering only one second. The base duration of the DOT is three seconds. While you can easily recast it over and over, the initial hit only does damage once, and the average damage is lower than the DOT's average damage. The dot is roughly three times stronger.

Most of the supports that will apply to one will apply to both. Controlled Destruction, Elemental Focus, Concentrated Effect, Increased Area of Effect, and so on. Basically only critical strike related supports and Hypothermia will apply to the initial hit and not the DOT. The only real difference is the initial hit can make use of Cold Penetration, but the DOT can compensate by making use of Vulnerability.