[3.1] The Laserbeam! Crit Ball Lightning build - Clearspeed & Bosskills!

Quotes:
Spoiler

"
Vulajin wrote:
This build looks like a blast!

"
KalidhoS wrote:
Great guide and huge damage ;D

"
TheIvanikus wrote:
thanks for the excellent build!

"
tantrika wrote:
Cheers for ball lightning love!

"
CrankySmurf wrote:
I've had some challenges with it but over all its a brutal build.

"
Galadedrid wrote:
thanks for the build, it was fun!




Videos:
Spoiler




2.6
Clearspeed
Spoiler


Tier 15's
Spoiler
Dark Forest deleted (twinned + temp chains + onslaught): https://youtu.be/_C_6DtyUrvo

Abyss boss in ~5 seconds: https://youtu.be/W2_eECQbtr0

Core bossfight: https://youtu.be/ju4uqCV_Lx8

Tier 15 Daresso: https://youtu.be/1QJcLPVkroE


Guardians
Spoiler
Guardian of the Hydra, full battle: https://youtu.be/1kNpwkqfvbY

Guardian of the Minotaur, full battle: https://youtu.be/Xg5EZIPSWNA

All Guardians in a montage (old): https://youtu.be/sSFrRUuVOLw


Shaper
Spoiler
Shaper, kindly supported by my Auramancer: https://youtu.be/hYljqqJw2-Y

Solo Shaper: https://youtu.be/9OTsZ6xaPV4



Contents:

1) Introduction
2) Ball Lightning Mechanics
3) Mandatory Items
4) Gearing
5) Gems
6) Skilltree/Ascendany/Bandits/Pantheon
7) FAQ

1) Introduction
Hi, im onlyJB and presenting my 3.0 crit ball lightning build!

I designed that build to easy farm endgame bosses, like the guardians and Shaper, it got some serious clearspeed aswell tho. It is ES based and reaches 6k+ ES with ordinary gear. The concept is to crit enemys as often as possible, with extremely slow Ball Lightning projectiles and Orb of Storms. In combination with the Choir of the Storms amulet, this results in huge DPS. Who needs double-dip?

Pros:
Spoiler

-high clearspeed
-terrific bosskiller
-can do any content in the game


Cons:
Spoiler

-slow movement until full ascended and weak mid game in general
-less powerful against quick, agile bosses
-requires awareness




2) Ball Lightning Mechanics
ZiggyD made a great video about the Ball Lit mechanics, check it out here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2KxtC3Ks04, or read the short version:

Every single BL ball can hit every 200ms, this occurs per cast, wich basically means that 2 balls casted with LMP/GMP cant hit the same target more than once!

To increase BL's damage, Slower Projectiles is a great choice, as it increases the amount of time a single enemy gets hit by the same ball. Same counts for Increased AOE.

Ball Lightning wont apply shock to enemys with big lifepools as easy, because the single hits are rather low. A Vaal Lighning Trap is recomended against guardians. As the skill wont shock against endbosses, we can use Elemental Focus for additional 49% more dmg.


3) Mandatory Items

As your slow traveling BL's hit very often, the LV20 Lightning Bolt from Choir of the Storms is a great way to enhance your DPS. Lightning resistance will be used as critical strike chance up to 75%!



4) Gearing


My current gear (lv89)


General:
We use almost only high ES rare items, to get some eHP.

Cap your resistance first, then watch out for as much ES as possible!

Recomended enchantments:
Gloves: "of Blades"
Boots: "0.X% life/mana leech if killed recently"
Helmet: "XX% reduced Ball Lightning speed"

Weapon:


Use a dagger, for the crit and to use Whirling Blades. Divinarius is cheap and works fine till you get a better, rare one. Look out for spellcrit/crit multi/#-# lit dmg to spells/attack speed.

A Heartbreaker is a nice and cheap option for the phase between lv50 and maps.



Dual Voidbattery means a huge improvement for damage! You loose your Whirling Blades on the other hand. Only use it against bosses, that can't kill you onehit.

Shield:
Any high ES shield should do, if possible try to get spell dmg/spell crit aswell.

Belt:

Doryani's lit leech & dmg are nice little adds, alternativly use a rare belt with ES & flask modifiers of your choice.

Armour:
We want ES here, as much as possible!

Helmet:
Buy a Hubris Circlet with ilv 84+ and the 45% Reduced Ball Lightning Projectile Speed enchantment and roll some ES on it. Or run some Laby's yourself ;)

Boots:
Get high res boots with ES. Movespeed is luxus, as we travel 95% with Whirling Blades.



Brineroth's are a cheap and powerful option until you get better rare ones.

For mapping the best enchant is "0.6% of damage leeched as life/mana when you've killed recently" - for Shaper/Guardian farming it is "adds 1-160 Lit damage".

Gloves
The same as for boots. Attackspeed is recomended if u can get it (again, Whirling Blades).



For content till tier 13 maps maybe, Voidbringer's gloves are a nice option aswell.

Recomended enchantment is "Commandment of Blades", because it got some scaling with our build. If you are using gloves with spell damage implicit, do not enchant them.

Amulette:

Is mandatory! Read the introduction!

Rings:

First use Diamond or Topaz Rings for the crit, watch out for % lit dmg, cast speed, and ES as always.

Later on Opal Rings will beat Diamond.
An essence crafted Opal Ring can yield insane power!


CotB can improve your clearspeed with Herald of Ice.

Flasks:

Thoose are offensive Flask options, Dying Sun is great for clearspeed, Atziri's Promise slightly better in single target situations.


This flask helps on Hexproof/no leech maps!


Anti bleed/freeze on utility flasks of your choice is mandatory! A Diamond Flask might be a good idea!

Jewels:

Good jewel mods:
-ES
-crit multi (with lightning/elemental skills/spells)
-cast speed (while holding a shield/with lightning skills/cast & attack speed)
-elemental damage
-spell damage
-crit chance (with lightning/elemental skills/spells)


5) Gems

Ball Lightning Setup (map clear):

BL - Spell Echo - Inc Crit Strikes - Inc Crit Damage - Arcane Surge - Faster Proj.

Faster Proj is only recomended when you already have the "45% reduced BL speed" enchantment. Use Faster Casting or Culling Strike till that point.

Ball Lightning Setup (bosskill beam):

BL - Spell Echo - Inc Crit Strikes - Slower Proj. - Elemental Focus - Arcane Surge

Movement (3L):

Whirling Blades - Faster Attacks - Fortify

Aura (3L):

Enlighten - Wrath - Herald of Ice

Discipline instead of Herald can grant additional defense stats.

Defense (4L):

Cast when stunned - Shock Nova - Tempest Shield - Increased Critical Strikes

Inc Critical Strikes can be swapped with Immortal Call.

Curse & Powercharges (4L):

Orb of Storms - Power Charge on Critical - Curse on Hit - Warlord's Mark

Some people prefer to run Warlord's Mark with Blasphemy. This got a slightly lower damage potential but enables smoother map clear. The 0.6% mana/life leech enchantment on boots provide almost the same effect without satisfying damage.

Utility (4L)

Lightning Golem - Increased Duration - Vaal Haste - Vaal Lightning Trap

Untill you have 75%+ crit on full Power Charges you can use an Ice Golem aswell.


6) Skilltree/Ascendany/Bandits/Pantheon
Skilltree:

Skilltree


My current tree (Abyss, lv89)

Thoose trees are very similar to my actual one, but not identical. I will update some nodes over the whole season. A skilltree in PoE is a living thing :P

Level 25

Level 45

Level 65

Level 85

Level 100


Ascendany:
Has to be the Inquisitor, as his critical hits ignore elemental resistance!
Get Righteous Providence first, followed by Inevitable Judgement. Instruments of Virtue gives some attack speed for movement, and a lot cast speed. Finaly spec into Augury of Penitence.

Pantheon
Early on you can use Soul of the Brine King to avoid getting stun locked. With enough block and stun recovery you can swap that to either Soul of Solaris (high level bosses / labyrinth) or Soul of Lunaris (mapping).

Lesser soul should be Tukohama or Gruthkul, find your personal favourite.

When it comes to guardian fights, make sure to always use a pantheon power that reduces the damage type of the guardian.

Bandits:
Kill all, you may also help Alira if you like.


7) FAQ

How to sustain mana?
Use Warlord's Mark!

Can i use item x/y/z?
Feel free to try any items that may fit, if it isnt working, follow the original sugestions again.

How to survive physical damage?
Make sure you are using Fortify.

How to generate powercharges?
Orb of Storms + Powercharge on Critical.

Why are your ball's so slow?
Slower Projectiles support + 45% reduced Ball Lightning speed enchantment.

How to get enough ES?
High ES rolls and ES jewels. To optimize that, watch out for int aswell.

How do you cast so many balls at once?
Dying Sun + Spell Echo


Thanks for your attention, and have a lot of fun with my BL Bosskiller! :)
https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/1880210
Last edited by onlyjb on Jan 19, 2018, 9:23:47 PM
Last bumped on Jul 4, 2018, 4:30:54 AM
You melted the Rigwald map boss, thanks for the help :)
Nice build, it perform very well for its budget! Would you suggest taking the "Lightning Walker" node with choir?
Std Shop: /1113885
Torment: /1134336
Thanks for your reply!

The Lightning Walker node can be picked, 18% lit damage + 15% lit res (crit) is hard to get elsewhere with only 2 points. I will get that node too, if i decide to make 2 more level :)
https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/1880210
Great guide and huge damage ;D
"
onlyjb wrote:

The Lightning Walker node can be picked, 18% lit damage + 15% lit res (crit) [...]


Your tree looks pretty similar to the build i'm playing, tho i struggle on bosses... So yesternight i was fiddling with the skill tree.

What do you think of using such a passive tree: www.poeurl.com/bfDJ ?
It sacrifices faster ES regen and 50% crit multi, but gains flasks power, and 40ish all res and 2 jewels.
Altho it needs "intuitive leap" jewel (20c?) in the templar jewel socket. You also could slot "Blue dream/nightmare" (1.5ex) in the witch jewel slot for 5% chaos funsies :)

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Edit: http://poeurl.com/bfD5
Std Shop: /1113885
Torment: /1134336
Last edited by Khaaaan on Apr 7, 2017, 5:07:07 AM
Hello Khaaaan.

You tree look well rounded and contained some suggestion i definitly will try!

Intuitive Leap is in use now already, a great idea to safe some points. Blue Drem/Nightmare is something i thought about already, too. I will share test results with it soon.

As my build is designed to farm guardians and Shaper as main purpose, i cant loose the fast energy recharge. I definitely recomend thoose perks! While you fight Hydra ie, there is a lot of lead in the air. ES recharge after a few seconds of dodge, makes it easier.

Tanks for your reply, i updated my own tree after i studied yours, and will update the build guide aswell soon.

Right now i think about smth like this + Overcharge & Faith and Steel for lv 99:
https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/1880210
Is this build HC viable?
"

As your slow traveling BL's hit very often, the LV20 Lightning Bolt from Choir of the Storms is a great way to enhance your DPS. Once you reached max lightning res, additional lit res will be used 1:1 as critical strike chance!


uncapped lightres actually means ur total lightres. so lets say u have in merc 150% lightres in brackets u u get 150% critchance.
same goes for just 50% lightres, u get 50% crit.
"
4seven wrote:
Is this build HC viable?


I can't recomend this build for HC, as you kill yourself on some high life pool reflect mobs, while Vinktar is not up. If u are aware, you can try it with a few more ES nodes.

"

uncapped lightres actually means ur total lightres. so lets say u have in merc 150% lightres in brackets u u get 150% critchance.


Absolutely! My mistake!
Confirmed by Bex: http://imgur.com/a/Qx7C9
https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/1880210
Last edited by onlyjb on Apr 10, 2017, 6:04:13 AM
My first character in POE, thanks for the excellent build!

I will follow the updates, good job.
Last edited by TheIvanikus on Apr 13, 2017, 11:34:47 PM

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