Is RF actually the fastest build out there for mapping?

Let's put it this way.

You run RF and clear shaped spider forest in 4 min, including looting you do while dealing damage.
KB wander/generic bow build clears it in 2min and spends 1 min looting.

Who's fastest overall?

I think you greatly underestimate the ability to clear more than an entire screen in 1 hit, when RF has to run to and over everything.

Like I said, I have limited experience in this game (even though I have played it off and on since closed beta) and none when it comes to end game ranged builds. I have absolutely no agenda here other than to educate myself.

The mechanic of killing stuff screens away does certainly make a huge difference that I had not factored in. I think it is hard to appreciate this from watching videos of these types of builds.

If I am going for loot and not concerned about exp, Is KB wanderer the way to go (does it allow for mf gear without hurting the build)? I do have a windripper already if the tornado build is more flexible for MF. Also, from the videos I watched of this build, it does look like it has some heavy button pushing on flasks. I failed to mention I do love ez mode builds (another reason RF seems to be a good fit) =).

KB is certainly an easymode build. The flasks come back instantly. And it wins in both, exp and loot. It's the same.

I don't know why you're so fixated on the act of looting.

That's why I added the caveat of have fun. Different strokes for different folks. If you enjoy RF, play it lol. If it starts to get stale, or you hunger for fat loots, try a speed build. IMO this game is all about trying different things.

RF even if was somehow the fastest exp/loot per hour seems like the most dull thing to play. You do not make any action besides walking and clicking on loot. IT's on par with totems with dullness.

Dark pact faster. Takes a few seconds to clear a straightforwardly laid out map. Until they nerf it, that is.

I love loot. There, I said it!

One of the most attractive things about this game, at least for me, is that I can get loot, sell it, and buy other loot for builds I want to try out.

RF is a little dull but its very relaxing to play.

I think I will give KB a whirl.

Something else that popped up in this thread, why do people do SF over racecourse for pure speed? The layout of racecourse seems to be amazingly perfect for fast runs. SF has all those trees and nooks and cranies and you have to go searching around.

I do prefer to stay in t13 though.

Racecourse is popular because it has an easy layout and three bosses, which helped with the 1337 challenge. Spider Forest is all about The Doctor. It's a Div card for the HeadHunter which is one of the big chase items lately. It's really rare, but one card sells for 10+ Exalted.

RF doesn't have the freedom to pile on move speed like builds that get to span into the dex part of the tree, particularly when compared with builds that can stack some evasion with Queen of the Forest. I have an RF and wander to compare with. The wander moves faster, has to stop for very quick attacks, and can clear enemies multiple screens away. RF can shield charge around and kill without stopping.

The problem comes with RF not being able to stack enough aspd to make shield charge nearly as good as it could be, so there is a considerable delay between charges. Shield charge also has pathing issues that tend to get it stuck on things, breaking the flow...although those are avoidable with experience. Overall, shield charge with mediocre attack speed can't come close to keeping up with high raw movement speeds.

The minimal stopping time spent stopping to fire KB as a wander is easily more than made up for by the dramatically larger area of mob annihilation (multiple screens). You still have to go pick up that loot, but a well tuned item filter will give you sound alerts for anything worthwhile.

That being said, I still personally prefer RF, because I can play one handed and extremely distracted. RF is a much safer/tankier build that doesn't require constant attention, even in higher tier maps. POE has great variety, so I'm sure there are plenty of other builds that spank RF for clear speeds, but I do believe RF holds the crown for 'great clear speed with minimal attention'.

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Lemabelle wrote:

but I do believe RF holds the crown for 'great clear speed with minimal attention'.

Don't be so sure. There stuff like this too https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/1757893