[3.2] Theorycrafted Penta-Totem Lightning Tendril/Arc Hierophant (2.4M Shaper DPS)

Spent the last few days pouring over the hierophant changes and creating my 3.2 league starter that should be easy to get going, but also scale into being able to easily destroy the end game.


Pro's

Easy to get started.
Gearing should be rather easy and cheap.
Super relaxed playstyle.
Rather safe due to totem playstyle and pretty good regen and life pool.
Damage is ultra stronk.

Con's
Totems (Depends on person, I personally love totems)
Clearspeed isn't auto-bomber zoom zoom

Bandits: Help Alira

Gearing
Helm: Rare with Life and Resists, Mana (Lightning Tendril damage or crit Enchant)
Gloves: Rare with Life and Resists, Mana
Boots: Rare with Life and Resists and Movespeed, Mana
Armour: 6l Soul Mantle
Amulet: Life and Resists, Mana, Crit Multi
Rings: Dual Kikazaru's
Weapon 1: Shimmeron
Weapon 2: Shimmeron

Jewels: 1 Self Flagellation, and then Rares with Life, Crit Multi (global, spells etc), Totem Damage, Spell Damage


Skill gems

6L Soul Mantle: Lightning Tendrils, Concentrated Effect, Lightning Penetration, Controlled Destruction, Faster Casting, Increased Critical Strikes/Increased Critical Damage
(strikes will be more consistent, but critical damage will do better when you have your diamond flask up)

(When clearing simply switch Arc in instead of LT

4-Links:
Flame Dash, Faster Casting, Arcane Surge (Level 9), Increased Duration
Immortal Call (Level 12), CWDT (Level 10), Vaal Haste, Increased Duration
Conductivity, Wrath, Summon Lightning Golem, Minion Life


Ascendency: Pursuit of Faith>Conviction of Power>Ritual of Awakening>Illuminated Devotion


Playstyle

Run around placing Arc Totems with Inc AOE for clearing, while flamedashing to proc Arcane Surge. Put in Lightning Tendrils and Conc Effect for bosses, curse boss with Conductivity, and place 5 LT Totems and run around and dodge.

PoB pastebin:

https://pastebin.com/Lz9nHxmX

Been working good so far. Lightning tendrils is pretty powerful for single target. I recommend taking Pursuit of Faith as the first ascendancy because at that point in the game, the extra totem and damage helps out more than power charges. I leveled with firestorm totem(s) until about 40 or so when I switched to Spark.

Another update: got dual Shimmerons for 70c each, it was a big DPS buff and the build is now very, very comfortable on a 5L soul mantle. Chews through high tier red maps and I've started doing Uber Lab carries because it's fast and safe and I can carry a party. Got lucky and got a lightning tendrils crit enchant on my helm too.

I was using a rare wand and Apep's before, and they were good as well. I could do high tier reds and uber lab carry (only one person carry though) but both were harder. Currently sitting at 5.1k life at level 87 and modest gear.

I find a mana flask to be indispensible, because it ensures I get MoM damage reduction bonus. It's super useful to have life flask regen AND mana flask at the same time.

Also, Arc is much better for clearing than Spark. It's even worse for single target but all the way up to t14 my level 15-16 Arc felt more comfortable clearing than my level 19 Spark. I recommend using that for clearing skill and keeping lightning tendrils for single target.

Overall very good build, my friends have been asking me what I'm playing because it seems unusual but very strong. I'd say make this into a proper guide, but then people would catch on and it would get nerfed even more than Hierophant will be next patch ;)

Any update here? Saw, that the OP has changed to Dark Pact meanwhile? Is that build viable for 3.2 Endgame or should i rather go for DP also? I generally like the idea of ARC with Totems.

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Milaan wrote:

Any update here? Saw, that the OP has changed to Dark Pact meanwhile? Is that build viable for 3.2 Endgame or should i rather go for DP also? I generally like the idea of ARC with Totems.

Was only temporarily running DP totems to farm some currency to upgrade this build, as DP totems do damage with literally like zero gear.

But yeah this build is definitely viable for ultra end game, and turned out being quite a bit stronger than I had even originally though. With all the right gear you should be easily burning through super high tier maps, and can definitely be viable for running guardians/shaper/elder stuff without too much of an issue.

Arc for clear is fantastic, just use Inc AOE for some better range, and then go Lightning Tendrils with Conc effect on bosses.

"

Xanthochroid wrote:

Was only temporarily running DP totems to farm some currency to upgrade this build, as DP totems do damage with literally like zero gear.

But yeah this build is definitely viable for ultra end game, and turned out being quite a bit stronger than I had even originally though. With all the right gear you should be easily burning through super high tier maps, and can definitely be viable for running guardians/shaper/elder stuff without too much of an issue.

Arc for clear is fantastic, just use Inc AOE for some better range, and then go Lightning Tendrils with Conc effect on bosses.

How would you rank DP Totem vs Arc Totem vs Ball Lightning Totem?

I was playing arround with all 3 and found that DP is way stronger but i have to admit that my Tree and Gear was for DP Totems still. So i basically just switched the gems.
Got the feeling that you need more totems with the BL/Arc that with DP where you literally just place one or two totems and kill everything.

"

Milaan wrote:

"

Xanthochroid wrote:

Was only temporarily running DP totems to farm some currency to upgrade this build, as DP totems do damage with literally like zero gear.

But yeah this build is definitely viable for ultra end game, and turned out being quite a bit stronger than I had even originally though. With all the right gear you should be easily burning through super high tier maps, and can definitely be viable for running guardians/shaper/elder stuff without too much of an issue.

Arc for clear is fantastic, just use Inc AOE for some better range, and then go Lightning Tendrils with Conc effect on bosses.

How would you rank DP Totem vs Arc Totem vs Ball Lightning Totem?

I was playing arround with all 3 and found that DP is way stronger but i have to admit that my Tree and Gear was for DP Totems still. So i basically just switched the gems.
Got the feeling that you need more totems with the BL/Arc that with DP where you literally just place one or two totems and kill everything.

If I were to make an honest comparison I would say that DP totems are quite a bit stronger. I really can't deny that DP is pretty much the strongest totem skill in the game right now for single target (mostly due to the crazy 70% more scaling because of totem's counting as 'your' life). DP can clear red maps on a 4l, but is super meta and you won't be very unique; I prefer running off-meta builds that are still pretty strong.

Also this build with Arc clears way faster than DP totems, so that's an advantage.

Another advantage of running off-meta builds is that gearing is usually cheaper and easier.

Bandits?

"

DP can clear red maps on a 4l, but is super meta and you won't be very unique; I prefer running off-meta builds that are still pretty strong.

Also this build with Arc clears way faster than DP totems, so that's an advantage.

Another advantage of running off-meta builds is that gearing is usually cheaper and easier.

Last night I recorded some videos of me using a 4L soul mantle and white driftwood wands to clear up to t10 maps with Arc and Tendrils. It was comfortable enough that I coulda gone to 12 or 13 with that setup, I just got bored. Bosses just went from a 0.5-1 second kill to 5-10 seconds lol

You mention using Increased AOE with Arc totems...does that actually affect Arc? I didn't think it did.