[3.15] Purifying Flame Miner | Surviving the Nerf Fest | League Start Viable | All Content Cleared

Hello Exiles. I started this build in 3.12 to a challenge set by my friend to down Sirus within 24 hours of play. This build is a jack of all trades in terms of survivability, damage, clear and bossing. There are better in every category but few alternatives on such a tight budget. Join me in turning the unrighteous to ash.

As is tradition, feel free to leave any questions and comments here, Youtube or join me as I no-life the league launch: Twitch!

3.15 Changes; survived better than most

3.15 will go down as one of the biggest "slow down" moments in PoE history. With sweeping nerfs to support gems, active gems, flasks, mechanics and more; many a guide maker have thrown up the reddit cry baby towel. This build saw some nerfs BUT it will endure and still carry you to the end game comfortably. You will just need to use a few extra mines.

Mana Reservation
Boys, this is huge and was not initially caught by yours truly. To compensate for the cost we will keep our early game path and include Efficient Munitions and it's wheel. We will also drop either Vaal RF or Steelskin to include enlighten in our buff link set up. End result we will have us at less life be similar damage to 3.14. EZPZ

Consecrated Ground
No longer applies 100% increased critical strike chance. This one stings a little bit, especially early league

Gem Changes

Purifying Flame: Unchanged
Swift Assembly: Unchanged
Trap and Mine Damage: 10% reduced mine speed->10% less mine speed
Concentrated Effect: 54% more damage -> 39% more damage
Awakened Added Fire Damage: 49% physical as extra fire -> 44% physical as extra fire
Elemental Focus: Switch to empower level 4 at end game.
Combustion: 29% more fire damage -> 19% more fire damage, -19% resist -> -10% resist.

Flask Changes
Coming Soon - Need to play to get a better understanding



Pros and Cons


+Great bossing: insta-phase most bosses.
+inexpensive and smooth start: Purifying Flame is level 1, blastchain is level 8.
+All Map mods
+Simple play style: No need for 9 buttons (looking at you Slams)
+Screen-wide AoE: Delve, Blight and Heist swarms melt faster than your fps



-Reluctance to play other builds after this
-Can't play it with an integrated graphics card
-Scaling can get expensive as time goes on


TL/DR POB and Vid NAO!!
My current POB. Still evolving: https://pastebin.com/fNzySVVJ [3.15 Update]
Videos: Game Play Video


Leveling Tips

Leveling Trees are included in the PoB. As for skills I'd Suggest:
Level 1 - 8: Stormblast Mine + Orb of Storms
Level 8+: Blastchain Mine->Purifying Flame->Swift Assembly->Trap and Mine Damage->Added Fire Damage->Concentrated Effect

To supplement your damage:
Armageddon Brand->Hextouch->Combustion->Flammability
Vaal Righteous Fire

Movement:
Flame Dash->Arcane Surge(level 5)->Increased Duration

Buffs:
Skitterbots. Herald of Ash.


Play Style
1. Bind Detonate to space bar
2. Bind Steel Skin to left click
3. Place Mines on right click.
4. Stutter step for trash
5. Front load mines for Bosses
6. Collect currency and repeat

*disclaimer: While playing "chicken" with bosses, where you see if your detonation sequence will kill them before they kill you seems fun; for the sake of your XP bar, I must caution against it.
Edit: Never mind, do it every time. A true test of will.



Common Questions and Arguments

The Argument on Tremor Rod

Pro Argument:
1. Tremor rod provides an extra detonation for all of our mines. The second detonation does require a second re-arming before hand, but this gives us the ability to keep our damage up while moving and dodging mechanics.
2. In addition, the rod gives us a linked blast-chain mine. At league start, a jeweler's touch prophecy turns this into a 6 link putting us way ahead of most builds.
3. As we progress, a 6-linked Tremor Rod is a pseudo 7-link keeping us ahead of most builds.
4. Finally, having our damage link in our weapon slot opens the chest up to other options like Kaom's heart.


Argument against:
1. Tremor rod is not easily accessible. It does not have a farmable divination card to guarantee it for SSF or non-currency focused players.
2. It can be expensive at league start. Again, if non-currency focused in your game play, putting together the 30-45C this bad boy costs in the first few days can seem daunting.
3. Wand/Scepter/Shield provide higher damage. At end game, or with very good early luck, a wand/shield, scepter/shield or dual wielding can provide superior damage to tremor rod. In harvest this was obtainable in week 1, but that's dead now so...


My suggestion is to make your way towards a tremor rod. If you plan to play this character league-long, switching to one of the other damage options later may be in the cards. If SSF use a tabula or farm Dapper Prodigy cards and go 1 handers instead. You will lose the double detonation, but will be largely fine otherwise.


Minefield versus Swift Assembly

Minefield is a support gem that rapidly places 5 mines at the expense of a cooldown into between those placements. As such it can better front load damage for a boss or essence monster. In conjunction with Tremor Rod's second mine explosion, it puts up higher DPS than Swift Assemblyif you do not miss a cool down.

Swift Assembly is a support gem that has a chance of placing an additional 1, 2 or 3 mines on a given mine throw. As it doesn't increase an individual mine throw in length at all, it provides better dps while on the move such as clearing maps or dodging telegraphed attacks.

My suggestion is Swift Assembly. Increasing clear speed and mobility at the sacrifice of burst damage is the way to go in my book. It allows you to dodge attacks, keep moving through content and stay alive.


Elemental Focus vs. Combustion

Elemental Focus has higher damage but prevents purifying flame from igniting the enemy. Ignite provides quite a few opportunities for bonus damage through itemization.

Combustion has lower damage, but allows and encourages ignites. In addition, it lowers the fire resist of ignited enemies. When combined these bonuses surpass Elemental Focus.

My suggestion is to run focus and attach combustion to an Armageddon Brand. The brand will then take care of ignites, allow for curse on hit or culling strike. It will also contribute to reduction in FPS, which is always a GGG goal.


Indigon and Mana late game scaling

Nah Akane ruined this for everybody.


Detailed Gearing Section
Helmet
Required Stats: Life>Strength>Resists
Luxury: Enemies have -9% to fire resist [warlord mod] | Increased mine damage [shaper mod]
Ultra Luxury: Consecrated ground from PF applies 9% increased damage taken [enchant]


Amulet
Required Stats:Life>Strength>Resits
Luxury: Counterweight[enchant]
Ultra Luxury: Xoph's Blood


Weapons
Starting wands: Fire damage, Spell Damage, crit and crit multi
VIP ASAP Upgrade: Tremor Rod.
Ultra Luxury: Crafted Bow with Signal fire. (coming soon).


Body Armour
Required Stats: Life>Resists
Luxury: Kaom's Heart
Ultra Luxury: Double corruption % increased damage, Maximum restances, or increased maximum life


Rings
Maximum Life>Resists>strength for kaom's
Luxury: Adds x to x fire damage against ignited enemies
Ultra Luxury: Circle of Anguish [buff effect/increased fire damage]


Gloves
Maximum life>Resists>Strength for Kaom's
Luxury: fingerless silk gloves
Ultra Luxury: Culling strike or Spell damage [Warlord Mod] | Unnerve enemies on hit [Hunter Mod]


Belt
Maximum Life>Resists>Strength for Kaom's
Luxury: increased maximum life [Hunter Mod]
Ultra Luxury: Stygian Vise


Abyss Jewel
increased maximum Life>Damage penetrates 2% elemental resistance if you haven't killed recently (the mines kill, not us)


Boots
Maximum Life>Resists>Strength for Kaom's
Luxury: Atziri's Step
Ultra Luxury: Penetrate Enemy reistances if you haven't killed recently (our mines kill not us) [enchant]


Annointments
Offensive annointments: Counterweight for the crit chance and crit multi.
Defensive annointments: Discipline and training [life] | Holy Dominion [resists].


Flask choices
1. Blood of the Kurai or good life flask
2. Quartz Flask. Dodge and Spell dodge as an extra defensive layer.
3. Diamond flask. Effective crit chance increases our damage by ~30%.
4. Enduring Mana flask. We do need help keeping our mana topped off.
5. Optional flasks. Each of these below have their own benefits so choose your preference. Remember to grab curse, freeze and bleed immunity somewhere.
Optional Flasks
A. Silver flask for onslaught. This increases all action speeds (movement, cast and attack).
B. Basalt flask. Extra physical damage reduction.
C. The Wise Oak. This will provide fire penetration as long as fire is, or is tied for, your highest resist. Bonus!! Having all of your resistances equal (including uncapped value) will cause this to reduce elemental damage across the board as well.
D. Quicksilver Flask.
E. Bottled Faith. Damage. Damage. Damage.


Cluster Jewels
This build fines very limited scaling with cluster jewels. As a result, I opted to stack life on the tree in lieu of pushing for extra elemental damage or crit from jewels.


Gem Links
Damage 6L
Purifying Flame>Concentrated Effect>[A]Added Fire Damage>Empower>Trap and Mine Damage>Swift Assembly
Before Tremor Rod sub Empower for Blast Chain Mine


4 link
Flame Dash>Arcane Surge>Increased Duration>Steel Skin


Bossing 4 link
Armageddon Brand>Combustion>Hextouch>Flammability


Buffs
Summon Skitterbots.>Enlighten>Herald of Ash>Precision


Ascendancy | Bandits | Map Mods

1. Born in the Shadows. Both damage and damage mitigation.
2. Pyromanic. Regeneration and some elemental immunity.
3. Bomb Specialist. QoL for mine chaining.
4. Explosive Expert. Damage. Damage. Damage.


Bandits:
Kill Them All

Map Mods to Avoid:
Nothing. Avoid None. The unrighteous will turn to ash


Pantheon
Major: Soul of the Brine King. Stun lock sucks.
Minor: Soul of Ryslatha. Longer fights (sirus) this is a good QoL


My Current Gear

24 hours of play time

18 hours of play time


Change log
9/21/20 - Posted. Now let's min/max.
9/25/20 - Gameplay video added. Tremor rod explination. Swift Assembly and Minefield explinations.
1/13/21 - Updated for 3.13 league launch.
4/14/21 - Updated for 3.14 launch. Possible starter for me!!
7/21/21 - Updated for 3.15 launch. Nerfs came and went; we endure.
8/1/21 - Final Update for 3.15. Mana aint even an issue.
Last edited by f1rstborn on Aug 2, 2021, 10:24:40 AM
Last bumped on Dec 3, 2021, 6:33:51 PM
[Reserved]
Is the POB link working for some people?
Last edited by MyNameIsArvin on Sep 24, 2020, 1:16:50 AM
"
MyNameIsArvin wrote:
Is the POB link working for some people?


You need to download the community fork version of PoB otherwise the link won't work.

Works fine for me.
Yay, so excited to see another guide from you! Your other builds from previous leagues have been stupid good.
"
Yay, so excited to see another guide from you! Your other builds from previous leagues have been stupid good.


I'm glad to hear it! First time branching out of the witch category. Stay tuned for videos and 2 more builds coming this league!
"
MyNameIsArvin wrote:
Is the POB link working for some people?


It is a POB community fork link. I will include a download for that version of POB as well, good call.
So far not a single build satified me to progress and invest on unfortunately ..
Just looking for a fun build with no complicated mechanics (i play to relax not to stress my brain with rotations and pots requisites) able to tackle (at least almost) all endgame.
let's see if this one is the right one! ;)
"
Yloss wrote:
So far not a single build satified me to progress and invest on unfortunately ..
Just looking for a fun build with no complicated mechanics (i play to relax not to stress my brain with rotations and pots requisites) able to tackle (at least almost) all endgame.
let's see if this one is the right one! ;)


We think the same! I hope this is the one for you.
Hey mate, seen the video, pretty neat!
Any tip on how to follow passives, which notable to get first and so on pls ?
Thanks!

Edit: Still lvling up but I feel very squishy especially in Heist ...
Last edited by Yloss on Sep 25, 2020, 5:32:59 PM

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