The current fotm strongest specs would be ultra tanky freezing pulse or ethereal knives caster(FP is better imo, safer against reflect, safer in general due to freeze/chill), dual spark totem variations(summoner and traps mixed in) and lightning arrow archers builds. Melees are simply at a big disadvantage in endgame at the moment because of the huge damage the mobs do in general, it's more gear reliant and even with good gear it's still a much riskier play. I wouldn't recommend a melee as first char, besides maybe a pseudo ranged like a ground slam marauder, but really that's like a freezing pulse build, only with a shittier skill and requiring better weapons.Playing an agile melee dps class isn't really a requirement of mine, just a preference. If it's not a good class for end-game I don't want to play it. Really I guess I'd rather play one of the current fotm builds and if I want to have a less-powerful alt class I'll make that sometime.
I find reflect to be mostly an issue when you play EK which can creates super large amount of burst due to the aoe factor and high base dmg per cast. As a melee for example I don't find it to be much of an issue because it's unlikely you'll be hitting as many targets anyway. I guess it could happen though especially if you're going glass canon melee type build but as a melee you probably wouldn't do that anyway so it tends to be less of an issue. Maybe Leap slam physical builds I don't know I don't play these, but never been an issue with a physical cleave for example because it's a lot of smaller hits so even if you hit a lot of mobs it doesn't reflect that much. Also you can evade/block reflected attacks, which you can't do on reflected spells, so that adds an extra layer of defense against reflects as a melee.What Pyros said about reflect is so true I dont know how you HC guys do it. One moment of lapse of not hovering over a named = one shot from reflect physical mobs. Thats the real bad side to high dps physical builds.
A little IIR goes a long way. It doesn't help so much with currency drops, but if you have like even 30 IIR you should see a decent amount of yellow drops. Well, a decent amount compared to having none. If I was starting HC, I would level a ranged character and stack IIR as much as possible to get some drops, at least for Normal and Cruel, maybe switch out for some of the tougher bosses on Cruel. Normal is pretty easy.I'm really liking Hardcore more than I thought I would, after months of playing default league. I'm on my second character(first died at like lvl 15 to my own stupidity), and up to about lvl 47 or so with only a couple close calls so far. So far the only downside seems to be that by farming/outleveling areas to ensure survival, it kills your drop rates for gear and currency when you're pretty far above a zone level. Hell, I didn't get a single yellow item off of Vaal or Piety when I killed them on normal. I'm at Act 2 Cruel now, and I think I've seen a total of 1 alchemy orb drop so far(and I made 1 from shards/scraps), I usually have half a dozen by this point on default league, hitting zones when I'm actually around their level.
Im a 100% physical ranger using RoA build + Conc Effect @9k dps but my hps are low in the mid 3's and armor around 6k, might be why.I find reflect to be mostly an issue when you play EK which can creates super large amount of burst due to the aoe factor and high base dmg per cast. As a melee for example I don't find it to be much of an issue because it's unlikely you'll be hitting as many targets anyway. I guess it could happen though especially if you're going glass canon melee type build but as a melee you probably wouldn't do that anyway so it tends to be less of an issue. Maybe Leap slam physical builds I don't know I don't play these, but never been an issue with a physical cleave for example because it's a lot of smaller hits so even if you hit a lot of mobs it doesn't reflect that much. Also you can evade/block reflected attacks, which you can't do on reflected spells, so that adds an extra layer of defense against reflects as a melee.
Oh and LoH which heals instantly and works on attacks but not spells.
Is this similar to what you posted? I looked in the thread but couldn't find the video you posted.Yeah I posted videos of that build, well my variation which is single arrow with prolif/chance to ignite spreading burns, but the build is pretty fun and very strong.
The game is really basic. The character planning and currency (sort-of) are the only things that are sorta complicated to a new player, but everything has been plotted for the most part already by other people.I also watched a few freezing pulse vids, ex:
It seems like the guy only uses 4 abilities, the two totems, some AE debuff and his freezing pulse. That shit looks really basic, am I missing something?
30 in a couple hours, really? I must be missing some critical technique here. I'm lucky if I'm significantly out of act 1 by that time, and I'm not even especially close to 20. Care to fill in the apparently uninformed/noob/stupid on how that's done?Once you know the game well, you can level to 30+ in a couple of hours, and 50 in a day.
I'm not that fast, but I can make 40+ in a day. It helps when you've done it already a dozen times, and having a stash full of good leveling rares/uniques make a big difference too. You tend to race through some areas, grind in high mob density areas when you need to, etc. With the race season going on I'm sure there are guides around somewhere.30 in a couple hours, really? I must be missing some critical technique here. I'm lucky if I'm significantly out of act 1 by that time, and I'm not even especially close to 20. Care to fill in the apparently uninformed/noob/stupid on how that's done?