101% Reduced Mana Cost of Skills

In the Templar-Marauder area, you can get 51% reduced mana cost of skills. After two ascensions, a Heirophant can get another 50% (with a further 50% on full energy shield). Here's a build stub.


I've got two main questions. First, how does this interact with the mana multipliers on support gems? I get the impression those function more like "more" and "less" than "increased" and "reduced", but I haven't tested it.

Second, assuming I'm right and 100% reduced mana cost means free skills, what's the best use for it? As indicated in my build stub, I suspect Mind over Matter is a good start, to supplement our HP pool with mana. However, I'm not sure what would be the best strategy for actually hurting enemies.

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CrimsonDeath wrote:

First, how does this interact with the mana multipliers on support gems? I get the impression those function more like "more" and "less" than "increased" and "reduced", but I haven't tested it.

reduced mana cost from all sources will stack normally. with 100% you get free skills. 0 * more/less * whatever = 0

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Second, assuming I'm right and 100% reduced mana cost means free skills, what's the best use for it? As indicated in my build stub, I suspect Mind over Matter is a good start.

yes. MoM can be done well with EB because using skills would not interrupt ES recharge. (edit: you can try it with "new" legacy Cloak of Defiance for total 50%)

Id would like to pick up something that has high mana costs, so that I would get the maximum from investment

Sustaining skill mana costs has been made easier and easier. Skill cost reductions for melee, buffs to mana flasks, CwC, etc. This looks like way too high investment for little gain.

Traps and mines have notoriously high mana costs but Hierophant is not a useful ascendancy and you're not in the right area in the passive tree.

Incinerate was another one that used to be played with 0 cost sometimes but it's not exactly in a good place right now.

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Zed_ wrote:

Traps and mines have notoriously high mana costs but Hierophant is not a useful ascendancy and you're not in the right area in the passive tree.

Eh, I think it can work. Here's a tree I just threw together in like 5 mins, it has the 101% reduced mana, Clever Construction, High Explosives, all the mine laying speed you can get, instant detonation, +240% AoE mine damage, and a halfway decent hybrid Life/ES pool. I'm sure it could be improved upon with a little more time.

Plop down a Detonate Mines totem behind you and start spamming. :D