Are Totem passives really worth it? (Flame Totem)

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EonLight wrote:

Um... I think some people are missing the point here. I too an overwhelmingly finding that increase spell damage and increase cast speed generic nodes are much more effective than totem nodes. That is the point: totem nodes have become pretty much obsolete. The shamanic fury and ancestral bond cluster are the only worthwhile totem nodes for totem users. After that you're much better going after elemental nodes, cast speed nodes, spell damage nodes, or fire damage nodes even. As a templar fire totem user I'd rather to go all the way up to the witch fire wheel than pick up the totem nodes south of me.

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Whoaness wrote:

I believe that most Totem passive clusters aren't worth pursuing. The damage nodes are too low compared to available spell damage nodes, and the cast speed nodes are equivalent to the recently buffed cast speed nodes for Witch and Shadow start.

The only reason a totem user would pursue totem nodes is for Totem survivability, however, my planning has made me realize that you would need to give up your own surviability for the totem's. That's just not a good tradeoff.

For my build, I start as a Witch because of the strong spell damage start:
16% spell dmg x2 -> 4% cast speed x3 -> 20% elemental damage -> 10% spell damage x3

Also, Flame Totem costs a lot, so EB is a must. The health and mana nodes are the best for EB.

Here's a list of the Totem Node Clusters:

- 14% summoning speed -> 8% dmg/16% life -> 25% duration -> Ancestral Bond (Dual Totem)
- 4% cast speed -> Shamanistic Fury 16% damage/8% damage
- 8% damage x3/6% phys dmg reduction -> 10 all res -> Totemic Mastery 14% damage and 12% life
- 7% summoning speed and 2% cast speed -> 8% damage/14% summoning speed -> Ironwood 12% damage and 15 all res and 10% phys dmg reduction
- 25% duration -> 16% life/15% range
- 4% cast speed -> 12% life and 15% duration/Totemic Zeal 30% summoning speed

For the damage nodes, the Witch start has 62% spell damage and 20% elemental damage available to her, and here are 82% worth of Totem damage nodes altogether. This means 6 witch nodes are almost equivalent to 9 nodes. As for the cast speed nodes, the Witch already has more cast speed than the totem nodes.

For survivability, the resist and the physical damage reduction isn't enough to survive the toughest mobs. As a totem user, you will definitely be resummoning totems a lot. I've opted to find survivability through other methods, like blind support gem and dual/tri curses, rather than travel several points into the marauder area for those resist/phys reduction nodes.

Summoning speed is a very inefficient passive to take. If you are using totems, you would want global applied cast speed stats. I have enough cast speed from gear, gems and passives to cast totems quickly, so I don't see the point of these nodes.

In summary, the totem nodes are really lacking after the buffs to the witch start. 9 nodes for Witch completely outranks the Totem nodes, so all she needs is dual totem. Also, she's close to dual totem and Eldritch Battery, which EB is necessary for the high cost of Flame Totem. I really see no reason to take the Totem nodes other than dual totem, and perhaps Shamanistic Fury, so I hope they might get noticed when there is another round of balance updates.