Flame Totem: Wand vs Scepter vs... Staff?

I would go for searing or +3 staff with kaom as life build.

But duel wielding wand/scepter or 1h + shield (mentioned above) is also good.

There are some advantages and disadvantages so it´s up to you.

Update: I switched to Apep's Rage(x2) from The Searing Touch, and everything dies pretty much twice as fast. But I get the impression my burning build isn't relying on burning damage per say with Apep's Rage(x2): should I just drop burning and use Elemental Focus?

Or try to get that beatiful scepter, listed above. Also, I'm linking my Flame Totem with Faster Proj, which would technically be the lowest dps boost, so I'm not sure anymore how to 5L Flame Totem atm.

halp still?

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DiGG wrote:

But I get the impression my burning build isn't relying on burning damage per say with Apep's Rage(x2): should I just drop burning and use Elemental Focus?

Yes. I don't know if anybody straight out said it earlier, but they referenced it: Ignite Damage is based on Damage per Hit and by default does not stack. Flame Totem may have good DPS, but a lot of it takes the form of base cast speed, meaning Damage per Hit is very low for it. These factors combined means that trying to rely on Ignite damage (the only Burning Damage that Flame Totem can do) for Flame Totems is not a good idea unless you are using Emberwake, which allows Ignites to stack, but gives them a heavy damage penalty. Usually combined with The Taming to capitalize on the multiple Ignites.

I am using Emberwake... but not The Taming, which can't be used with Flame Totem, isn't it?

hmmm!

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DiGG wrote:

I am using Emberwake... but not The Taming, which can't be used with Flame Totem, isn't it?

hmmm!

The Taming's 15% WED won't work with Totems (Well, Spell based Totems... Ancestral Totems are fair game), but the 15% Ele Damage and 10% Damage per Elemental Ailment will.

Since Totems do get all your offensive stats (So popping a Sulphur Flask also affects them too)

Aahhh. Problem is I'm Blood Magic and using an Essence Worm... so I can't use The Taming + Emberwake combo. Guess I will change my build and go Elemental Focus instead (I'm sadden to lose Faster Proj btw, my clear speed gonna suffer).

Hello,
I have a flame totem build but I went the crit route instead of burn.
I have to say I'm pretty satisfied with this build and I've been able to complete ALL game content solo (Atziri, Ûber-Atziri, guardians, shaper, council, all Atlas maps in rare corrupted version including Vaal temple, etc...)
I have a doubt if the burning version of this build will be as efficient as the crit one.
Just my two-cents to think about this alternative before you sink too much currency in your build.
Also remember that dual-wielding will prevent you to use Tukohama's Fortress, probably the best shield for this build.

I know about that shield, but it costs just way too much, and it never dropped for me. Currently using FT + contr dest + FA + elemt focus + fire pen and its giving me about 20K dps (on the tooltip anyway), which is "ok" at best, I'm not blown away. I ready many comments about FT being easy to use and do all content, but with my current gear, and at the level I am, it certainly doesn't feel like it.

Not sure which route to go from here. A bit sad actually. (the lost of faster proj slows the clear speed so much)

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DiGG wrote:

I know about that shield, but it costs just way too much, and it never dropped for me. Currently using FT + contr dest + FA + elemt focus + fire pen and its giving me about 20K dps (on the tooltip anyway), which is "ok" at best, I'm not blown away. I ready many comments about FT being easy to use and do all content, but with my current gear, and at the level I am, it certainly doesn't feel like it.

Not sure which route to go from here. A bit sad actually. (the lost of faster proj slows the clear speed so much)

Yeah 20k is a bit low for endgame content, I currently have 102k per totem at level 95 (now 96 but damage unchanged) and I can cast 3 totems at a time. Also, I'm talking about 102k DPS display but the 6th link is a fire penetration, so the real damage is much higher.
Remember that crit is probably (unfortunately) the only option to make the DPS skyrocket for endgame content. Even with 50k and 2 totems (i.e. budget crit FT) this build would be very efficient.

I'm level 76, spent alot into Fire damage nodes. I don't know if it's a bit late to start going crit. I could be using a generic (non-tabula) 6L chest...