Crit / meteor build

[Spangles]

Have you considered using Ice Armor in combination with Cold Blooded? I had been planning to use Crystalize for the armor bonus, but perhaps Chilling Armor would be the most sure-fire way to make sure that all nearby enemies are chilled for any damage you deal. Plus, Ice Armor will give an 8% reduction to melee damage and slow enemies down a bit if you need to beat a retreat.

This comment is for Monty, but I am always looking for better lockdown and I will switch in Chilling armor and see what happens.

Spangles, I noticed that you've been using Explosive Blast a lot. How has that been going for you? To me, it seems like it's redundant with meteor, and I would rather use Teleport or Magic Weapon instead. But perhaps there's something I'm missing about it. Is its CM proc rate any good?

Storm Chaser / Explosive Blast was a standard CM build back in 1.03. So much has changed all at once that I can't tell if Spectral Blade / EB works equally well, but it certainly works well enough to use as a primary attack up to MP5 in 1.05.

I think that the 1.05 CC buff compensates for lower proc rates reasonably well, most of the time. Can't be more specific without a combat log.

Meteor isn't my primary attack, it is a finishing move and a ranged attack for kiting. I lock down a pack with Frost Nova and wear them down with Spectral Blade and Explosive Blast, then cast Meteor on my head to speed things up.

I can one-shot myself with a Meteor if the pack reflects damage, however, so I wouldn't do this in hardcore. Better to lock them down, start a Meteor, and teleport out, I suppose.

The build looks like it can dish out a ton of damage but not sure if I can pull it off in Hardcore.

The build has no escape route, I either live or die, so I wouldn't try it hardcore. Not without a lot more LoH, which doesn't heal reflected damage as well as it did before 1.05, or more lifesteal, which is very expensive.

Let me know what you think of Comet. If you get them with bone chill their health drops so fast. It really does a lot of damage.

I did use Comet and the mobs do die faster. But three 20 AP Star Pact casts are more useful than two 40 AP casts with any other rune, to me at least.