[3.18] (((Abandoned))) Donkster5' The Toxic Tank! RIP 3.19 due to mana res issues

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Shanopla wrote:

Hey man thanks for the great guide. I see most folks pathing away from totems - up and to the right. Is self cast focus with ballista support a preference thing or do you like the totem nodes for a reason? Thanks again!

It’s all TR, but it depends on your goals. I prefer using totems for the majority of my dps while I dodge things which means totem nodes are necessary so they can survive long enough to cast a couple times… think EA champ. You could take this idea one step further, allocate the “+1 totem, no damage with selfcast skills” notable and get 6 totems. Set up your selfcast as frenzy instead of TR. Going totem for supports is just going straight TR vs TR ballista. Both are viable and work well.

Nothing wrong with taking this build and reworking it to fit your playstyle.

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WarPig17 wrote:

Build is going good so far. Gear is still pretty janky/cheap but I'm into T16's now, focusing mostly on ballista aspect, and though single target is still struggling at times it's good enough to take down conquerors, etc. as long as the mods aren't too crazy and you're patient. Admittedly I still find myself running out of mana quite often in boss encounters. Running clarity and/or swapping in lifetap support does help, but obviously you have to sacrifice something (DPS, etc.) in leu of these. Otherwise it's a great budget build and will stick with it while I farm currency. Next step seems to be crafting a good bow. Might swap to a bigger/better LS build later to tackle stuff like 30 wave simulacrum, etc. but for now this is more than adequate. Good work & thanks again:

Nice! Conquerers on a quill rain is a pretty big deal. A TR bow would take you up several notches. Yeah, mana is a problem with TR until you can craft -mana cost gear. Either that or min/max to the point where things die faster than you run out of mana.

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Shanopla wrote:

Hey man thanks for the great guide. I see most folks pathing away from totems - up and to the right. Is self cast focus with ballista support a preference thing or do you like the totem nodes for a reason? Thanks again!

I can't speak for Donkster but in my experience and reading through the guide it's a personal preference thing. Totems are a safer playstyle w/ consistent damage, self-cast is going more all-in on the offensive style. Either way you'll be using one or the other as a supplement to whatever you choose to put emphasis into. Totems even as support are just great ways to block enemies, soak some damage, apply debuffs, etc.

GLHF this league.

Invested about an exalts worth of 3-fossil resonators but could only get 1/1 on this bow. Still not bad -- decent AS roll and open affix for % DOT so figured I'd use now until I have more currency to try again later. Any other tips for getting the best outcome here or just good ol resonator RnG? Cheers.

Edit:

Because the build runs so well @ juiced t16 w/ sentinels I've managed to make a good flow of currency. Managed to grab this bow for 5ex and feels really good. Now to upgrade quiver, ring, chest, etc.

Just popping back in to briefly summarize my experiences. The build has taken me to 38/40 already (admittedly no-lifing atm) and is a great league starter and mapper. I've barely done any bossing tbh just because that's not where the consistent $$ is in my mind, but from what I've experienced its been competent (Uber Maven kicked my ass though). Though I wouldn't categorize it as immortal because new archnemesis stuff & altar buffs are straight up scary and a huge source of unavoidable one shots, it's quite tanky and virtually unkillable if you try hard and are always hit-and-moving. I've focused more on totems but they do require a bit of finesse, as I'm sure pure self-cast does in its own right, so play more with whatever feels more fun to you.

Thanks again and cheers. Here is my final gear, working on another character right now so doubt I'll improve on this: