Path of Exile

Vorph

Bronze Baronet of the Realm
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The boss-killing thing is why I chose Spectral Throw over Frost Blades.

People will gem swap but rarely item swap. Typically the gem swap is increase area effect (for clearing) to concentrated effect (for bosses).
Or GMP to Slower Projectiles. Does that trick work with Frost Blades? It's a godsend for Spectral Throw.

Do you just facetank every boss and if you don't kill them before your flasks run out that's it?
You can always portal back to your hideout to get more flask charges. I do facetank everything though, but YMMV there depending on how much life you have, if you're using claws for easy leeching, etc.

Do you use Vaal gems like VHaste and VGrace? They make a huge difference (but you can't just refill them by portaling).
 

Tuco

I got Tuco'd!
<Gold Donor>
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Do you use Vaal gems like VHaste and VGrace? They make a huge difference (but you can't just refill them by portaling).
No, but I have been saving them. Won't I have the same problem with them as flasks? As in, I pop it once and then it's empty? Or is the intent that I pop it and kill the boss before the buff is gone?
 

Vorph

Bronze Baronet of the Realm
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That's the ideal situation, yeah. If you need a round 2 or 3 then you have to do it with just flask refills.
 

Zaphid

Trakanon Raider
5,862
294
No, but I have been saving them. Won't I have the same problem with them as flasks? As in, I pop it once and then it's empty? Or is the intent that I pop it and kill the boss before the buff is gone?
Since all these buffs stack multiplicatively, you ideally hit a point where you just burn the bosses before they run out. Not always possible for every build though, or it could be insanely expensive for your gear.
 

Amzin

Lord Nagafen Raider
2,917
361
How does poe.trade work? How do I find these people? Is it just a listing and they're supposed to respond to the whisper or is it automated somehow and IDK what I'm doing? Can you party with people anywhere and trade remotely?
 

Dashel

Blackwing Lair Raider
1,829
2,931
How does poe.trade work? How do I find these people? Is it just a listing and they're supposed to respond to the whisper or is it automated somehow and IDK what I'm doing? Can you party with people anywhere and trade remotely?

Yeah you have to manually trade. I'm new to the game but I've bought 2 items. Click the Whisper link on POETrade, hit Enter in game, paste the whisper. They usually respond pretty quick. In my experience they invite you to a group, you click their name when in group and visit their hideout to do the trade. Sometimes people are not online though.
 

Angerz

Trakanon Raider
1,234
826
How does poe.trade work? How do I find these people? Is it just a listing and they're supposed to respond to the whisper or is it automated somehow and IDK what I'm doing? Can you party with people anywhere and trade remotely?

If they dont respond, its probably cause you are the 1000th person to whisper them and its already gone. I don't sell much so I put up a DND when it goes, but poe.trade doesn't update its gone for a while, so you get a shit load of whispers if you are selling something in high demand.
 

Amzin

Lord Nagafen Raider
2,917
361
Gotcha. Ok I'm guessing either it was sold already or he was just busy, I was just wondering if there was some automation or something going on I didn't know about
 

Deathwing

<Bronze Donator>
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I wish the game was more flexible in terms of build diversity and map clear speed vs boss kill speed. One of my favorite builds from last season was Ngamahu's Cyclone and Molten Strike. Because of how powerful Ngamahu's and Xoph's Blood are(were? good luck getting a xoph's blood), cyclone only needed a 4 link to mow through maps. I later changed the build to Lead Sprinkler, 4 link Sunder, and Molten Strike, still worked just as good, just couldn't use a Kaom's.

What other skills clear maps well in a 4 link? Supporting itemization like Xoph's Blood count. I'm currently building towards bow build that uses Lightning Arrow in a 4 link with that Harbinger helm(Callous Mask?) that supports socketed skills with Ice Bite and Innervate. Hopefully they come down in price after next week's change.

Unrelated: fuck truly melee builds. I still like how Wild Strike feels(except for the fire strike sound, ugh) but using a non-movement truly melee range skill to do all your damage is just asking to be ganked by ranged packs. Feel like I already knew this, wish I had remembered it.

Anyone know at what range you get the full bonus from Far Shot? Lioneye's could compete with Doomfletch if it's easy to get that 30% more.
 

Penance

Ahn'Qiraj Raider
4,970
4,594
This lag is really pissing me off. I don't notice it as much when solo but I group with 3-5 other people constantly and it's always really bad. We just wasted a unique level 76 map :(
 

Ryanz

<Banned>
18,901
52,944
Also regarding boss fights... Most players use Vaal Lightning Trap to shock the boss and gain the extra damage boost it provides.
 

Penance

Ahn'Qiraj Raider
4,970
4,594
The way it has been explained to me (this was before basalt nerf) is that armor(granite) is better for many smaller hits and basalt is better for taking those big dick wallops to the face.
 

Croetec

Lord Nagafen Raider
1,783
1,955
Finally got skelly mage auramancer running and definitely the funnest build I've played yet. I'll have to see how it plays out in later maps as ice cascade miner with a 4 link carried me into t13ish so far. Hardest item to get was a 6 socket Queen's Escape with the right colors on it, picked one up for 25c all blue/green just have to 6 link it now. Found the playstyle to be way better then baron zombies as you can surround bosses with the mages and they have around two screens of range, also enjoying popping vaal skeleton and having another 30 of my boys show up and shit stomp bosses in.

Gonna setup animated guardian shenanigans with some of those cheap aura boosting uniques. It was around 1c and 4 alchs total for the whole set, would have to feel out maps and bosses with it but if it dies no major loss unless you go full whaling retard and give it a kingmaker for the culling strike aura it now has.
 
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zombiewizardhawk

Potato del Grande
9,324
11,907
Spent a couple hours dicking around in PoB trying to make a flicker strike build with debeon's dirge and after quickly half assing a couple things, the one it looks like is going to win is a Slayer with The Red Trail boots... assuming I can get a pair. Infinite pursuit is selling for 1alch but blessings are stupidly expensive. 106 point build had it at like 186% life with 2 extra jewel sockets and +2 max frenzies, with every level after 83 being able to go into either 5% life nodes or small trips to other jewels or whatever else seems nice at the time that is close. Depending on how easy frenzy charge maintenance is with red trail (will I end up able to perma-spam it even in boss fights?) I could possibly drop the 2 max frenzies and put those 4 points into life or whatever too but i'm not sure i'll get hit frequently enough by single targets for that. Mana should be fine to run herald of ice and 2 curses on blasphemy (frostbite and maybe poachers mark or enduring cry depending) if I get a +1 amulet or can wiggle a doedre ring in without losing too much. Will have to keep tinkering with it a bit tomorrow.


TLDR; I need a blessing of uul-netol =(.
 

Kiroy

Marine Biologist
<Bronze Donator>
34,611
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The way it has been explained to me (this was before basalt nerf) is that armor(granite) is better for many smaller hits and basalt is better for taking those big dick wallops to the face.

This is true, and the big hits are typically the ones that kill (unless you have a shit build), so basalt wins I think.
 

Deathwing

<Bronze Donator>
16,366
7,363
Spent a couple hours dicking around in PoB trying to make a flicker strike build with debeon's dirge and after quickly half assing a couple things, the one it looks like is going to win is a Slayer with The Red Trail boots... assuming I can get a pair. Infinite pursuit is selling for 1alch but blessings are stupidly expensive. 106 point build had it at like 186% life with 2 extra jewel sockets and +2 max frenzies, with every level after 83 being able to go into either 5% life nodes or small trips to other jewels or whatever else seems nice at the time that is close. Depending on how easy frenzy charge maintenance is with red trail (will I end up able to perma-spam it even in boss fights?) I could possibly drop the 2 max frenzies and put those 4 points into life or whatever too but i'm not sure i'll get hit frequently enough by single targets for that. Mana should be fine to run herald of ice and 2 curses on blasphemy (frostbite and maybe poachers mark or enduring cry depending) if I get a +1 amulet or can wiggle a doedre ring in without losing too much. Will have to keep tinkering with it a bit tomorrow.


TLDR; I need a blessing of uul-netol =(.

This post reminded me: make sure you try some builds with Harbinger items this league. Even if they keep the mechanic around after this league, it might be in such a limited fashion that it's too expensive for most people to try.

What Harbinger items look build defining?