[3.4] Tanky Totem SRS + Skelly Mage Occultist

Hi! Same poster here again. I finally either figured out how to see what gems go where in PoB. It required importing your file several times. I don't know if something corrupts the file or if I'm simply doing something wrong in the process.

In any event, I got it sorted and dusted off my level-40 witch who has been in mothballs since since the days when PoE only had three acts that were repeated three times. She is not high-level enough for the recommended chest, nor can she yet equip the Atziri's Mirror shield, which is of course not as wonderful as Atziri's Reflection, but is in the same spirit and has some of the same function.

After some hours of finding gear, making a few key purchases (jewels) and getting gem slots, links and colors right and resists up, I took her out for a spin last night.

I had way too much fun! Around two in the morning, I had to make myself quit playing. It will be interesting to see how this build holds up when I get to mapping and Uber Lab. For now, the build is super functional and a kick to play, so a tip of the hat and many thanks to Grimlock!

Oh, hi! I guess I ought to have refreshed the page before I wrote my most recent reply about having started up a witch who'd been languishing untouched and unloved for a couple of years.

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply and for addressing the problem with PoB!

Your point is taken. I don't have any totems going yet, and after what you said, I may not. The Drunken Moonwalker builds looks cool to me, and the name of it is just golden. I'd like to see the effect on mobs, monsters and bosses.

As for being an old fart playing PoE, I sort of can't help myself. My wife and I started playing I'm not sure how many years ago now, but she is a bit oversensitive to dying, so she gets fed up and won't play with me anymore. :-( Poor me.

I used to play Diablo III as well, but I can't stand it or Blizzard anymore. The whole family used to be dedicated WoW players, and I was a guild master for a good many years, but I wouldn't necessarily call all those years good.

Following your comment about totems being slow, I might not bother trying to incorporate them into the build. I'm curious how far I can go with these exploding skeletons and maybe the phantasms. I am attracted by the idea of double-cursing stuff, so I might try to move in that direction.

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Following your comment about totems being slow, I might not bother trying to incorporate them into the build. I'm curious how far I can go with these exploding skeletons and maybe the phantasms. I am attracted by the idea of double-cursing stuff, so I might try to move in that direction.

I spent all of the delve league playing with curses, and found that with enfeeble, temp chains and blasphemy going, you are practically immortal until a boss appears, or a trap gets you.

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Your point is taken. I don't have any totems going yet, and after what you said, I may not.

If you do go self cast SRS, then check out this version. It should inexpensively get cast speed up to an acceptable level. https://pastebin.com/ujzFA14T

If you do go totems, remember that Soul mantle without atziri's reflection would need a flask with the suffix "of warding" up to remove curses, or a thiefs torment or kikazaru ring in there somethere.

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As for being an old fart playing PoE, I sort of can't help myself. My wife and I started playing I'm not sure how many years ago now,

Ha! I got my wife to level 10 ... I'm hoping gaming still keeps us having fun when we hit retirement (many years from now unfortunately).

Hello again, Mr. Grimlock!

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Ha! I got my wife to level 10 ... I'm hoping gaming still keeps us having fun when we hit retirement (many years from now unfortunately).

There you have something to look forward to! I find retirement to be quite wonderful. Somehow, though, I'm busier than I was when I was teaching. I think there's a tendency for one's interests to expand to fill one's time to overflowing. I want to move to a planet that has 48-hour days.

I hope your wife will learn the joys of killing stuff!

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I spent all of the delve league playing with curses, and found that with enfeeble, temp chains and blasphemy going, you are practically immortal until a boss appears, or a trap gets you.

Oh, right, bosses are mostly curse immune, aren't they? Darn!

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If you do go self cast SRS, then check out this version. It should inexpensively get cast speed up to an acceptable level. https://pastebin.com/ujzFA14T

Oh, thanks for the tip! I'll go have a look.

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If you do go self cast SRS, then check out this version. It should inexpensively get cast speed up to an acceptable level. https://pastebin.com/ujzFA14T

Oof! That Soulwrest Ezomyte staff costs six or seven exalts with only three or four gem slots in it. I'm sure it's a groovy build, but the cost of the gear needed closes it off for me.

It's worth keeping it in mind, though, for the eventuality that prices might come down to a more humane level. Do they ever do that?

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Oof! That Soulwrest Ezomyte staff costs six or seven exalts with only three or four gem slots in it. I'm sure it's a groovy build, but the cost of the gear needed closes it off for me.

It's worth keeping it in mind, though, for the eventuality that prices might come down to a more humane level. Do they ever do that?

The soulwrest costs 2 chaos

The soulwrest with 6 sockets cost 40 chaos, or if you have enough jewellers orbs you can 6 socket it yourself

The soulwrest with 6 links cost 3 exalts, but we do not need the sockets to be linked!

6 linked soul mantle or covenant are 3 Ex each

5 linked of either is 40 chaos

Command of the pit is 45 chaos

So the cost of the build 5 linked is not 6 Ex, but still pretty high at 125 chaos, and it's definitely not a top tier build anyhow, so I'd only try to use it if you have spare currency.

If you have about 80 chaos spare, this necro build is a cheap one button pusher that has some good synergies: https://pastebin.com/Wga3v8Td

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Somehow, though, I'm busier than I was when I was teaching.

I knew you were a good person :) (I'm also a teacher)

Thanks again for taking the time to reply yet again!

A teacher too, you say! That might explain your willingness to share and explain all these lovely witch builds in the forum. Hail and well met, fellow teacher!

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The soulwrest with 6 sockets cost 40 chaos, or if you have enough jewellers orbs you can 6 socket it yourself

I suspect those reasonable prices apply to trade in the Delve league. I'm playing in Standard league. Yep! I just had a look on PoE Trade, and those Soulwrests are much cheaper there. Cheapest just now is a three-socket staff at 5 chaos. Saw a five-link plus one for 50 chaos. Not bad!

I took some weeks off from the game after Incursion and decided not to jump into a league again right away. I'm planning to play in Betrayal league, though, but I have no idea yet what kind of character to start. I must say, I'm finding witches to be a kick in the pants to play!

When I got this Tanky Totem SRS witch to level 49 day before yesterday, I equipped the Soul Mantle robe and found an immediate improvement to the quality of playing. Setting out a totem or two doesn't seem to take any time at all, and I can place them in the midst of a group of mobs and let them summon raging spirits while I squirt out skeletons. This is much easier than trying to do both, much less stressful. Normal Labyrinth was almost like a walk in the park last night.

I chickened out of trying the cruel difficulty today, 'cause I was only level fifty and the mobs are level 55. It's really Izaro I'm concerned about. I reckon he'll be level 55 too.

Sorry to go on so long. The gist of it is that I'm having a blast with this build. I'll see how far I can go with it and let you know. Thanks so much for sharing so generously!

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I chickened out of trying the cruel difficulty today, 'cause I was only level fifty and the mobs are level 55. It's really Izaro I'm concerned about. I reckon he'll be level 55 too.

My rule is that only a really good synergy build can do izaro at level 50. Best to wait a few levels.

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When I got this Tanky Totem SRS witch to level 49 day before yesterday, I equipped the Soul Mantle robe and found an immediate improvement to the quality of playing. Setting out a totem or two doesn't seem to take any time at all, and I can place them in the midst of a group of mobs and let them summon raging spirits while I squirt out skeletons. This is much easier than trying to do both, much less stressful. Normal Labyrinth was almost like a walk in the park last night.

How are you dealing with the curses applied by soul mantle? a flask of warding or kikazaru rings?

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My rule is that only a really good synergy build can do izaro at level 50. Best to wait a few levels.

Sounds like good advice to me. At level 54, I can equip Atsiri's Mirror Golden Buckler, which I think will be good for this build. I might give cruel Labyrinth a try when I've dinge 55 or 56.

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How are you dealing with the curses applied by soul mantle? a flask of warding or kikazaru rings?

I had a Kikazaru ring on for a while, but had to switch it out due to the need for more resistances after completing Act 5. I have a stibnite flask of warding in my bag now. Thanks for the suggestion! I haven't been doing anything about the curses, and I have been throwing out totems right and left. The curses last only seconds, and any extra damage I get from them has been negligible so far.

When I equip Atziri's Mirror one level from now, it will cut the duration of curses on me by 50%, and it will also reflect curses, which is pretty neat. If I can later combine that with the Kikazaru ring, which reduces the effect of curses on the player by 40%, that would be quite a lot of curse mitigation.

I wonder if it's possible to become curse immune in PoE.

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I wonder if it's possible to become curse immune in PoE.

Atziris reflection makes you curse immune, but you'll never afford one!