This is a caster build using Trozan sky shard and rune of Hagarrad (RoH) with cooldown reduction (CDR).
Updated for 1.4
Trozan builds had been there for quite a long time, however, they were never particularly exciting or strong. Previous iterations of full caster trozan builds mostly used lots of sky shard procs to create “the sky is falling” effect. This one uses mostly skills direct damage instead with skill modifiers adding more damage, projectiles and reducing cooldowns. Adding one more short cooldown spell like this which is RoH turns it into crucible worthy and fun to play build with very strong AOE and sufficient single target damage.
A pretty gif to attract attention:
Grimtools
http://www.grimtools.com/calc/gZwARpz2
Alternate setup with more skill points
https://www.grimtools.com/calc/eVL3Jxw2
Videos
1.4.0 https://youtu.be/lFM7BQShff0 Crucible wave 160-170, double Reaper
1.3.2 https://youtu.be/zAc2d4lk9s8 Crucible wave 140-150, two cold resistant nemesis
1.3.2 https://youtu.be/whzq2YUKjrk wave 150, Iron Maiden and sneaky Fabius
1.3.2 https://youtu.be/EJA79XaycZ4 Lokarr (spoiler!)
1.3.0 https://youtu.be/I-7sPFElV-A second summoning circle in the fields of despair, BOC
1.3.0 https://youtu.be/NfMAHrlETl4 same area as above in trash gear: http://www.grimtools.com/calc/w26JREA2 weapon is a common epic, pants and tome are the same as in the optimized setup, the rest is either faction gear or bought from vendors in ~10 min of shop farming. Not very spectacular but sufficient to get started with farming SOT and BOC.
1.2.1 https://youtu.be/H-MKGzaxiBw pre-nerf 1.2.1 Grava
Skills explanation
Trozan sky shard and RoH are the main damage dealers in the build doing high burst damage. I’d love to have more DOT together with it but have to live with what numbers there are. Highest DOT I’ve seen so far outside Crucible is 120K.
Mirror of Ereoctes grants us 3 seconds of invulnerability with ~11 sec cooldown.
Inquisitor’s seal allows to overcap elemental resistance if nothing else, if we have ~20% overcapped elemental res and add another 30% from the seal its enough to make foes like Shar’Zul and Valdaran harmless. Flat damage absorption can stop DOTs and is generally useful too, though could be better had the skill rank been raised to 18/12 or higher.
Word of renewal is a buff and instant heal on demand.
Nullification is a one-pointer used to remove auras and buffs from mobs like reflect, every arcanist knows (or should know) how important that is when going against Rashalga.
Star pact is an exclusive skill which main function is cooldown reduction as mentioned already.
Maiven’s sphere grants %damage absorption which acts as multiplicative damage reduction, cutting all incoming damage by 20%.
Deadly aim, elemental balance and inner focus boost offensive ability and/or crit damage. Several of the builds devotion procs activate on crit so having some is important.
Gear explanation
Helm Myth Clairvoyant Hat used for +1 all skills and CDR
Alternate Mythical Trozan’s hat +1 arcanist, CDR, set bonus
Shoulders Moosilauke’s Shoulderguards +3 trozan, +3 RoH, hp, resist. No particular prefix and suffix is required
Chest Fateweaver’s Raiment used for prismatic aura granted skill
Gloves myth Eastern Gloves from the Eastern set, +4 Trozan
Belt Myth Arcanoweave Cord +1 arcanist, +1 inquisitor
Pants myth Eastern Legguards from the Eastern set, shattered star, frozen core, physical resist
Boots myth Golemborn Greaves pierce and physical resist
Weapon myth Trozan Starkeeper +2 trozan, CDR, OA, skill modifiers to trozan
Off-hand Rolderathis tome, dropped by Rolderathis, boss in the Sunken Reliquary side area in Flooded passage, act 1. No specific rolls on it are necessary, only its basic stats, though any affix that makes sense is a boon. Used for reduced recharge to trozan and +trozan +hagarrad points.
Alternate Myth Tome of the Arcane Wastes +1 all skills, OA
Rings Allagast’s Stormgem is there for shattered star, also have OA and resist
Necklace myth Starfury Emerald cooldown reduction for rune of Hagarrad, skill modifiers to Trozan and Hagarrad
Medal myth Mark of Divinity popular oh shit proc useful for crucible, big hp
Relic Ignaffar’s Combustion Other options like Eternity or Iskandra’s balance will work
Necklace, weapon and off-hand are 3 items that make the build really strong.
What to use when you don’t have mythicals etc
Any items that add points to main skills or other relevant skills, + trozan, + hagarrad, but + artifact handling or star pact might not be bad to have too. Also items that give +1 to individual mastery, arcanist or inquisitor.
Beyond that the build needs what everyone else needs too, hp, resistances offensive and defensive ability, and its main damage boosts (cold, lightning, elemental, frostburn and electrocute). If you feel like glass and have difficulties surviving against trash mobs always chose defensive stats over offensive and skills. Always try to max your resist in elite and ultimate. Components and armor augments available from factions help to fill holes in them so always use them too once they become available.
New affixes like of scorched runes and runecarved on common items are awesome, then there is of Menhir’s wall, of kings, of nature’s bounty, of vitality, of potency, of attack, of protection, of readiness etc etc.
If an item has some hp along with resistances and/or OA or DA it is good. If it has +skills and damage it is also good. Some balance between these is needed to not be all attack glass cannon or some sort of useless damage sponge. If item has both hp/resist and skills/damage it is awesome.
No legendary item in the optimized setup is required for the build to function. Tome of Rolderathis isn’t either, but it is easy to get and works with any affix combination. Though its best to look for one with higher cooldown reduction (18%).
Best source of Moosilauke’s shoulders is crucible, finding him in campaign is a little tedious, fight is long and he can spawn in SoT which requires a key. This is not a necessary piece and can be replaced with anything at hand until a suitable one can be found.
Devotion roadmap and explanation
Put 1 pt in chaos (red) crossroads
Take Viper
1 pt in eldritch (green) crossroads
Take Scholar’s light, remove eldritch crossroads
Take Eel
Put 3 pt in Behemoth to get flat hp and skill nodes
1 pt in ascendant (purple) crossroads
Take Empty throne, remove ascendant crossroads
Take Chariot of the dead
Take Rhowan’s Crown
Take Murmur, remove Scholar’s light
Take Lizard, take Solemn Watcher, remove Lizard
Take Amatok
Take Hawk
Take Ultos
Put remaining point in order crossroads (yellow) for hp or wherever you want
Behemoth and Chariot have two healing procs that help with sustain as this build has no life steal. Chariot base stats are mainly about OA boost.
Rhowan’s Crown and Murmur contain two resist reduction procs, these are critical since the build has no mastery skills for this.
Solemn watcher is a huge DA boost and some pierce resistance.
Amatok is mainly about damage with some DA and hp, proc is also damage and not too bad at that.
Ultos has damage and resist reduction.
How to level this
Start as inquisitor with 1 pt in storm box, then either respec it to use fireblast/greater fireblast from flintcore bolts in normal/veteran, or leave as is and keep putting points in it to get rid of it later. Add rune of Hagarrad, then go to arcanist mastery and get Trozan, 1 pt in frozen core, 1 pt in mirror and few pt in Maivens, 1-3 pt in passives. After that its best to make haste to star pact and advance the mastery bar to get it before level 60. Switch to using Trozan and Hagarrad when both main skills are maxed. RoH will actually be useful all the way but trozan taken later will need a few points before it can work. Next slowly make your way to artifact handling.
Kymon’s Chosen, Death Vigil and Barrowholm
The choice of factions is not important, both KC and DV have some relevant items but none mandatory. DV is a little more relevant and they are cold resistant which is annoying if you choose to fight them. Barrowholm is the same – feel free to attack them if you don’t like them. Its better to not attack the Outcast though.
A few notes on Crucible
The build is capable of soloing gladiator without record breaking timers though maybe that can be improved – I know I’m not the best crucible player.
Biggest bane is Iron Maiden – one can be dealt with, but two of them or Maiden + Fabius is rough. The build has low physical resistance which is certainly accountable for this. Mirror – Aether cluster – Mirror works as a solution, praying she’s dead or close to death after that.
Mobs with high cold resistance like Moosilauke and cold yeti heroes take more time to kill because of limited resist reduction. According to grimtools Moose and Fabius have 94% cold res, Zantarin - 68%. Yeti heroes by the name Icesnap and Bonechill have 93% cold and lightning, they can spawn in wave 148.
Empyrion’s guidance with defense banner boosts hp to as much as 20K, this buff is invaluable with the build’s low base health.
As of 1.4, new waves prove to be very challenging even for the strongest builds. This one can complete them but it seems luck based and shouldn’t be reliable. Farming is still best done up to wave 150. Higher waves are pure challenge.
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