Help a HC noob try something new for the two week race

TL;DR
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Only ever played a Summoner, want to try something new. Need something HC viable (durable!) that isn't super end-game gear dependent. I just want to participate in the race to a reasonable level and learn the differences in HC play and survival so I can participate more in HC leagues in the future. Don't need to farm end game maps yet.


So yeah, I'm a noob to HC. I'll admit that, but I want to get my feet wet and get over the anxiety of losing characters so I can participate in more fun in the future. This is my chance.

I'm interested in playing the two week race and potentially dedicating a lot of time to it just for fun. I've been looking at various builds, trying to find something which is durable enough to provide a slim chance of dying if I play it carefully. The problem is I've only ever played a summoner to level 75, and a sporker back in the beta days in Anarchy. So yes, HC noob.

I've looked extensively at various builds around the forums, the build of the week, etc. but many of them express reservations about HC viability either explicitly or in a roundabout way, and/or are quite gear dependent considering you're starting out with nothing and only have two weeks.

I would appreciate any recommendations, and I'm up for anything. I prefer to play ranged classes but am willing to try anything (except Summoner obviously) which is able to survive well. Links to threads and/or passive skill trees would be extremely helpful. I know enough about the game in general that I don't require a complete breakdown or hand holding, just a little direction. Thanks!
Mivo is posting his Flame Totem build to a lot of threads like this. I have no knowledge of how it works, just passing on some info that I've seen.

http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/827006
Thanks for the response. I'm trying it out right now.

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