Hateful Hierophant - Glacial Cascade Totems (Aura Scaling) [Dead Build in 3.16]
 Hatred is a Powerful Drug 3.16 UPDATE: with the new placement of Supreme Ego keystone in patch 3.16, this build is not viable any longer. The core concept is good but the passive tree doesn't work. I'm leaving it up for historical interest only - don't play this build! Contents: " 1. Videos - 3.16: Coming Soon - 3.11: Glacial Cascade Totems Video Guide and Gameplay Showcase - 3.10: Review: Early Version of Glacial Cascade Totems 2. Build Overview This is Totem-Based Hierophant build that uses Hatred to scale damage, by double-dipping the physical to cold conversion on Glacial Cascade. Pros and Cons: + Freezes, chills, and knocks back enemies. Good for bossing. + Multi-layered defenses, high HP, curse immunity. + Totems have inherent safety benefits and will tank for you in tough content. - Not SSF-viable as very specific uniques are needed. - Some people don't like totem playstyle. Not the fastest clear speed.
Core Concept: Hatred Scaling with Supreme Ego
 The idea of the build is to have a skill which starts with physical damage and converts 100% to cold, in order to double-dip from the Hatred Aura and scale damage by boosting Hatred's effectiveness. Hatred Aura (Level 20):
A Quick Bit of Math: first, Hatred aura gives 25% of physical as extra cold. Then, 18% more cold damage. If a skill converts 100% of physical to cold, that is 1.25 * 1.18 = 1.475 or 47.5% more damage! Supreme Ego:
With Supreme Ego and Hatred alone, we are getting (1 + (0.25 * 1.5)) * (1 + (0.18 * 1.5)) = 1.375 * 1.27 = 1.746 or 74.6% more damage from the Hatred Aura. This gets really nutty, however, when we start adding increased aura effectiveness from gear, the passive tree, and cluster jewel notables. With 100% increased aura effectiveness to Hatred (which is on the low side of what we can accomplish) the calculation becomes: (1 + (0.25 * (1.5 * 2)) * (1 + (0.18 * (1.5 * 2)) = 1.75 * 1.54 = 2.695 or 169.5% More Damage from Hatred!
Totem Mechanics and Keystones: The Basics
If you're unfamiliar with how Totems work in Path of Exile, the Wiki page is a good place to start. TLDR: totems inherit all of your offensive stats but have their own HP pool and resistances. Totems count as "allies", but are not "minions" or "party members." Totems cannot gain power/frenzy/endurance charges, but their damage does benefit from your own power/frenzy charges. Increased cast speed will improve the rate at which totems cast their spells to damage enemies, but there is a separate stat (totem placement speed) which affects how quickly you can summon a totem. Placement speed is very helpful for a smooth playstyle! The starting limit of totems summoned is one (1). With keystones, the Hierophant ascendancy, support gems, and gear it is possible to raise that limit to seven totems summoned at once. Sources of additional totems:
One common annoyance for totem builds is that the mana costs for summoning a totem can become very high (150+ mana each). Until gear is sufficiently strong, we can get Blood Magic as an effect from items and cast with life instead of mana - see the gearing section. 3. Passive Tree POB: COMING SOON Old Version (3.10-3.12): https://pastebin.com/p2asLV0F
What is POB?
A tool for sharing and theory-crafting Path of Exile builds. The Path of Building program was created by Openarl, and can be downloaded here: https://github.com/Openarl/PathOfBuilding/releases You will also need the community-maintained fork version, which adds several useful features and more regular updates. Follow the instructions here: https://github.com/LocalIdentity/PathOfBuilding/wiki/Installing-this-Fork After you update Path of Building to the newest version, follow these steps to load a build: - Click "New" (top middle) for a new build - "Import/Export build" at top left - "Import from Pastebin", paste the URL given above, and click "Import". Done!
Cluster Jewels
This build gets a huge portion of its damage from cluster jewels - using them is mandatory! Ideally, your large cluster jewel will have just 8 added passives, and the medium 4 or 5 added passives, in order to save on points. Get better ones as budget allows. Large Cluster Jewel Implicit: 10% Increased Elemental Damage (or 12% Increased Cold Damage). - Vengeful Commander: Hatred has 15% increased Aura Effect. Massive for DPS with Supreme Ego! - Other notables: Disorienting Display, Prismatic Heart, Widespread Destruction, Blanketed Snow (cold jewel only, and must not use Elemental Focus support). Totem-specific Medium Clusters give some very useful buffs: - Sleepless Sentries: 20% increased Totem Duration; You have Onslaught if you've Summoned a Totem Recently (20% faster cast and move speed). MUST HAVE. - Ancestral Reach: 25% increased Totem Damage; 25% increased Totem Placement speed; 25% increased Totem Placement range. Allows casting totems at edge of screen, helps to not get killed. - Snaring Spirits: 30% increased Totem Damage; Totems Hinder Enemies near them when Summoned, with 25% reduced Movement Speed. - Ancestral Echo: 20% increased Totem Placement speed; 10% increased Attack and Cast Speed if you've summoned a Totem Recently. Small Cluster Jewels grant increased Effect of Auras on You. Stack these!
Hierophant Ascendancy
 Explanation of Recommended Order: 1. Pursuit of Faith allows summoning an extra totem, and increases totem placement speed - great for quality of life. 2. Ritual of Awakening - damage buff plus mana and life regeneration. 3. Conviction of Power for maximum power charges (crit) and endurance charges (resistance and phys reduction). 4. Arcane Blessing grants constant uptime on Arcane Surge and adds to its buff effect for spell damage and mana regeneration.
Pantheon God Powers
Soul of Brine King prevents being stun-locked and (upgraded) grants Cannot be Frozen. Minor God: Soul of Ralakesh to avoid damage from bleed while moving, or Yugul if you need extra sources of reduced curse effect on you. Ryslatha is helpful when doing labyrinth trials for the life flask regeneration 4. Gem Links
Main Skill
Supporting Glacial Cascade socketed within Soul Mantle chest armor:
(The most optimal gem setup will also depend on your gear.)
Utility Gem Links
Auras: Hatred - Tempest Shield - (Enlighten). Debuffs: Arcanist Brand - Frost Bomb - Frostbite. Used to curse bosses with Frostbite and give them cold exposure (-15 cold resistance). Optional: Socket these in a weapon with "trigger socketed spells when you use a skill" crafted onto it to save activating with a hotkey. Movement: Flame Dash (+ Arcane Surge Support) Before completing Eternal Labyrinth and getting 4th ascendancy notable, can use Flame Dash to trigger Arcane Surge. Later this is not necessary. Warcry: Enduring Cry - Urgent Orders. With 4 endurance charges from the ascendancy, this grants significant life regeneration and reduced damage taken. (Optional, but helpful). CWDT #1: Cast When Damage Taken (Level 1) - Cold Snap (Level 1) - Bonechill - Lightning Golem (Level 3). Cold Snap will generate frenzy charges while clearing maps. Bonechill Support causes enemies in the chilled area to take more cold damage. Keep Lightning Golem at low level so it can trigger from CWDT. CWDT #2: Cast When Damage Taken (Level 15) - Steelskin (Level 18) - Increased Duration - Vaal Righteous Fire. Righteous Fire must be leveled above the CWDT so it isn't triggered. It's linked in with these solely to benefit from Increased Duration. Steelskin gives a small defensive boost which helps to avoid getting killed by several hits in a row, plus bleed immunity. 5. Leveling Guide
General Totem Leveling Tips
For some general tips that apply to all builds and will be helpful to new players, see my Build Resources Thread. It's perfectly fine to level with Glacial Cascade in a new league, but you may find it easier to use Holy Flame Totem because it's less gear dependent. Visit my Holy Flame Totem Hierophant Guide! You can easily level with HFT, and then switch to Glacial Cascade totems later after building up some gear and currency as there is a lot of overlap. Leveling with any totem build can feel a bit awkward in the first few acts. Stick with it, as everything becomes much smoother around Act 5, and really great after taking the second ascendancy!
Acts 1 to 2
Early Item Goals: - 2 scepters with added elemental damage. - B R R and B B B linked sockets on some gear. - Boots with added movement speed (check vendors). Take Frostbolt or Purifying Flame after killing Hillock. Mercy Mission: Quicksilver Flask, take Arcane Surge (leave this support at Level 1, don't level it up). Submerged Passage: take Frost Bomb and Frostblink (link Arcane Surge) and buy Holy Flame Totem. Before Brutus: take Added Fire and buy Added Lightning (link both to Holy Flame Totem). Buy Clarity Aura if desired. After Brutus: take Flame Dash, replace Frostblink. You can buy Spell Totem Support and begin leveling it in unused gem slots if desired. Before Merveil: take Storm Brand. Use this to supplement damage from the totem. In Act 2, use a vendor recipe to get 2 caster weapons with "added lightning damage to spells" (or some other element, doesn't really matter). - Magic Weapon + Orb of Alteration + Topaz Ring = Added lightning Damage Weapon. - (Iron Ring + Green Skill Gem = Topaz Ring, and so on for other colors/ring types). After Chamber of Sins: buy Herald of Ash and Herald of Thunder, use both. After the Weaver: take Elemental Focus, replace Added Lightning. You can also buy Controlled Destruction and Faster Casting and link them to Storm Brand for now. Help Alira for added resistances, mana regen, and crit multiplier. Gem Links: Holy Flame Totem - Elemental Focus - Added Fire Storm Brand - Controlled Destruction - Faster Casting. Flame Dash - Arcane Surge (Level 1).
Acts 3 to 5
Item Goals: acquire a 4-linked armor piece (check vendors). Act 3: After Tolman: take Frostbite, begin leveling it (won't need this right away). Gravicius: take Glacial Cascade! Fixture of Fate: optional, can take Cold Penetration and buy Hatred Aura if you do this side-quest, or just wait to get those in Act 6 if you are continuing to level with Holy Flame Totem. Act 4: Take Lightning Golem after defeating Voll. After Kaom and Daresso, take Multiple Totems Support, and place this in 4-link with HFT until you've completed the Cruel Labyrinth. Complete the normal Labyrinth sometime before entering Act 5. Wait to take Ancestral Bond Keystone at least until you've gotten the first ascendancy done. If using Glacial Cascade, the links: Spell Totem - Glacial Cascade - Controlled Destruction - Elemental Focus.
Acts 6 to 10
Various quests will give defensive utility flasks which are helpful. Progression starts to be determined by the level requirements of various uniques. Leveling from this point should be smooth and intuitive. Level 49: Soul Mantle body armor. Also trade for one or two Kikazuru Rings at the same time, a Self-Flagellation jewel, and take the Sanctum of Thought notable to reach 100% reduced curse effect on you. Level 61: can use Tukohama's Fortress. This is the time to take the Supreme Ego Notable and damage goes through the roof.
Playstyle Advice
A few helpful tips to improve performance with this build: - Totems play differently than other skills because there is a brief delay between summoning the totem and it starting to deal damage. If you play like other skills and charge pack to pack, eventually you will be stunned by a big hit and die before your totem can save you. Early on while leveling and in white/yellow maps you can get away with running through packs, but in hard content it becomes dangerous to charge ahead too fast. - Instead, cast totems ahead as you move, run near to where your totem is, and cast again. You should ideally always have your character in range of at least one totem to protect you. - Set your totem skill on the skillbar to "always attack without moving" option. That way if you click at the edge of the screen to summon totems, your character won't walk before casting, instead just raising totems in that general direction. This also makes it easier to do the tips above, casting totems ahead of the direction you plan to move. 6. Gear Choices Mandatory: Soul Mantle grants an effective 7-link armor, by supporting Glacal Cascade with Spell Totem. Best-in-slot item. The downside of self-cursing is negated by using the Kikazuru Ring plus passives or other gear to accomplish 100% reduced effect of curses on you. Self-Flagellation Jewel gives you big extra damage from self-cursing with Soul Mantle as totems die.
Negating Curse Effect on You
Kikazuru grants 60% reduced effect of curses on you. You must get an additional 40% reduced effect of curses on you from other sources. These can include:
Optional Uniques
- String of Servitude for 60% increased effect of Hatred is a huge DPS boost from a single item. Ideally, build the rest of your gear so you don't need other stats from the belt and can use this. - Tukohama's Fortress gives Blood Magic, removing the mana pool to cast spells with life, which solves the problem of high mana cost for totems. Mortal Conviction lets us have one aura (Hatred) without any reservation cost. This is a nice leveling item for the early end game, but once your gear is sufficiently good, will want to drop this so that you can also use Tempest Shield. - If using Tukohama's Fortress, you can also use Clear Mind unique jewel for a spell damage DPS boost. - Build Variant: If you do not use Tempest Shield, can instead put Hatred into an Essence Worm Ring and keep mana un-reserved, and use Mind over Matter for extra EHP. Selecting Rares: Overall, the goal for EVERY rare item is to have:
Remaining stats can be devoted toward increased your damage. Details follow...
Caster Weapon
Rare wand or scepter, either is fine. Avoid daggers. Good mods for DPS:
Amulet & Anoints
Amulet:
Amulet Anointments from Blight Oils:
Boots/Helmet
Boots: Increased Movement Speed +25% or better. Other useful mods:
Helmet: Mostly used for life and resistances, but a few damage possibilities as well.
Jewels
Unique Jewels: Situational: Spire of Stone will prevent totems from being stunned, relevant against some bosses and convenient to have - but not necessary always. Watcher's Eye: "Damage Penetrates #% Cold Resistance while Affected by Hatred." Expensive but a huge DPS boost against bosses! "Increased Cold Damage while Affected by Hatred" is cheap, but much weaker. Regular Jewels - Good Mods:
Hypnotic Eye Jewels - Good Mods:
Abyssal Jewels tend to be less efficient than regular jewels for this build.
Flasks
I always carry a Seething/Bubbling Divine Life Flask of Staunching. Quartz Flask (for phasing and dodge) is also a favorite because it prevents being jammed in corners by mobs - especially important for delve. Unique Flasks: 1. The Wise Oak (make sure cold resistance is highest) - gives resistance penetration 2. Taste of Hate. Physical as extra cold, also mitigates some incoming physical damage for a defensive boost. 3. Atziri's Promise. The cheapest option, not as effective as the other two. Chaos resistance from it is sometimes relevant. 7. Build Variant: Divergent Shockwave Totem
Glacial Cascade vs. Shockwave Totems
Shockwave Totem: a skill that has not been meta for years. With pure physical damage, a modest (5%) crit chance, and no inherent damage conversion, it has always been difficult to scale for the end game. HOWEVER, 3.12 added new Alternate Quality skill gems, and the Divergent Shockwave Totem with 20% quality now grants 40% of Physical Damage converted to Cold. Combined with gear and passives, it's now possible to reach 100% Phys-Cold Conversion on Shockwave Totem. Why bother? With the Astral Projector unique ring, the "nova" hit from Shockwave Totem will target monsters all across the screen. This gives massive range and defensive benefits due to the skill's inherent knockback. The main downside is budget, because the items to make this work are rare/expensive, and the damage depends on having excellent items - because SWT is not very good by itself. The suggested plan would be to begin on Glacial Cascade, eventually farming up enough currency to trade into the Shockwave Totem version. 3.12 Video: Shockwave Totem & Astral Projector Showcase 3.12 POB for Shockwave Totem: https://pastebin.com/VbpXhiBB 8. Conclusion For the most recent patch, jump to page 16. Please leave a comment if you have any questions or feedback on the build. I am always trying to improve. Last edited by ThanatoZGaming on Oct 15, 2021, 1:19:37 PM Last bumped on Oct 18, 2021, 4:18:57 PM
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(Reserved Post for Misc Updates)
Last edited by ThanatoZGaming on Sep 24, 2020, 2:30:01 PM
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Very good guide, very clear and well layed out. I'm a big fan of Wallach's FP totems build, but I played it a lot already, so my next totem guy might be this one.
Thanks for sharing ! | |
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This is one of the most clearly written guides that I've seen. I just swapped my typical crit GC totem guy to this to see how it does. So far, the damage on bosses feels a little worse, but will post again after giving it some more time.
Very nice job with the guide! | |
" Thank you! :) " Thanks for giving it a try! If DPS is an issue, the easiest upgrade to make is Kikazuru rings with Hatred efffect corruption. Losing the resists hurts a bit, but it does help DPS a lot to get more aura effect wherever possible. |
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I'm working on the rings, but I've used 30ish vaals with no luck and they're a couple ex to buy with the implicit. We'll get there eventually.
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Got a couple of questions:
- No self-flagellation ? Seems a good match for any Soul Mantle build. - Is the typical "Atziri's Reflection / Coward's Legacy" combo a possibility for endgame optimizations ? Or does it mess up some other setup ? | |
" Self-flagellation is in the "highly recommended" jewels section within the guide. About Atziri's Reflection, other people have asked about it as well, and I've given it some thought. Detailed reasons why I don't think the Atziri's Reflection / Cowards Legacy is worth it for this build: 1. Weighed against losing an extra totem, the 30% more damage from Pain Attunement isn't that much. Tukohama's Fortress gives +1 totems, life, armor, and totem damage vs the Reflection which has basically no other relevant stats. Suppose Pain Attunement = 30% more damage per totem... 5 totems doing 100% damage (Tukohama's) = 500% damage 4 totems doing 130% damage (Reflection, Cowards, Pain Attunement) = 520% damage 520/500 = 1.04 = 4% more damage. Not a dramatic DPS improvement. After losing the 40% increased totem damage from Tukohama's, it's almost a wash. 2. Requires giving up life rolls on belt and shield. That's a loss of as much as 225 flat life, or about 750 less HP than the current setup. 3. Loses armor from Tukohama's shield, and evasion/ES is not very valuable to this build, making it still less tanky. 4. Loses access to Blood Magic. With Supreme Ego, Hatred is reserving 75% of the mana pool so you now need a large investment into mana and mana regen in order to cast totems at will, or more likely, use a mana flask (and lose a DPS flask). 5. Requires an additional 5 passives to reach Pain Attunement. You probably drop Sanctum of Thought notable at the same time, but you're still spending extra passives which, realistically, means less life nodes. 6. Budget. Maybe this doesn't matter to some, but 13+ exalts for Atziri's Reflection could otherwise be spent on a Hatred Watcher's Eye, corrupted rings, insanely good caster weapon, +2 skill levels amulet, etc etc. TLDR Atziri's Reflection is best if you're going CI with totems, but for this build which is designed around stacking life and using Blood Magic, it's not that great. |
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Am I missing some big level of defense here or something ? Looking over it a heck of a lot of mod's / bosses could just about always one shot you if you get hit. Totem's implies staying a bit away from attacks for sure but.... Aside from that there is next to nothing in personal defense, because as good as any of us may be your eventually going to get hit.
Last edited by WolfDrone on Jul 1, 2020, 7:36:34 AM
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" Sure, there are some boss slams that can one-shot basically any caster. There will always be some stuff you need to dodge. With ~6000 HP and some ES, curse and ailment immunity, reduced damage taken from crits (Sanctum of Thought), around 6000 armor, and a lot of life regen, it is at least tankier than most spellcasters will be. You could put in Enduring Cry to generate endurance charges if you so chose, or use Shield Charge-Fortify for that buff if more damage reduction was a high priority. Also more defensive flasks are an option. Last edited by ThanatoZGaming on Jul 1, 2020, 2:01:31 PM
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