Gem Review Corner: Molten Shell

Today, I would like to briefly give my opinion regarding the following gem titled Molten Shell:



Per the POE Wiki - Absorbed Damage: Once cast, any damage that is negated by armor (including armor gained via Granite Flask), blocking, or by the skill Immortal Call will count towards triggering explosions. The only damage mitigation provided by the skill is the bonus to armour while the buff is active. The Damage Absorption stat only indicates the threshold at which the buff will end and an explosion will take place.
Duration: Skill duration and buff/debuff duration will both increase the duration of Molten Shell. When the duration of Molten Shell expires, the buff and any accumulated damage toward an explosion is lost. An explosion will not occur if Molten Shell's buff timer times out.

This skill, besides looking completely bad ass, is meant to be a defensive/offensive skill for the player who dares to get within melee range of mobs. Strictly an str gem, it benefits melee players the most as it absorbs a portion of damage taken and once the max absorption is received it explodes to inflict damage.

At early stages of the game, the survivability options granted by this gem was clearly seen when I went melee. My character was able to take a few hits unscathed, and if the damage received exceeded the absorption threshold, it dealt damage. As I progressed, however, playing with this shell from the perspective of surviving defensively diminished and the added damage bonus from the shell exploding was never realized.

The two things that I dislike about the gem is the limited time duration and amount of time required to cast the gem. Due to the level micro management required to survive, I place more emphasis on casting Endurance, a totem, or aura. Combining this gem with faster casting or increased duration might help this situation, but I don't believe its worth it in the long run. The gem will be greatly improved for melee characters if the time duration was removed all together, thus remaining on the character until a mobster clobbered it to death, it will help to improve melee game play.

Support gems that I believe would synergize with molten shell are: added fire, concentrated effect, faster casting, increased duration, elemental proliferation, and chance to ignite.

Overall, I give molten shell a C.

It doesn't "absorb", shouldn't use that wording. It doesn't negate any damage at all except for the extra armor it gives you. It simply keeps track of how much damage you've negated naturally, and when it reaches that, boom.

Also, Added Fire Damage will do nothing for this gem.

This gem is the main reason I have 120+ strength as a witch.

Most of your points are wrong. Excellent review, would air on Fox News.

worst support advice ever

you want

molten shell-iron will-ele prof-burn increase-firepen-concentrated

"

Zerovirus27 wrote:

Most of your points are wrong. Excellent review, would air on Fox News.

Yes, it was thoroughly researched and the conclusions reached are clearly sound.

awesome gem,free dps and armor

"

ventiman wrote:

worst support advice ever

you want

molten shell-iron will-ele prof-burn increase-firepen-concentrated

you are going to 6L molten?


on a 4L, i would use


molten + iron will + conc + fast cast


or fire pen if your cast speed is already high enough

Conc effect, chance to ignite, fire pe

RF + PA = lvl 18 gem tooltip dps 43k

Would be an A- gem if elemental reflect didn't exist.