This guide is meant to present two concepts. One is Vitality based and the other is Chaos based.
I also added a guide for Acid Purge Witch Hunter which has the same animation as Flames of Ignaffar.
Grimtools-
Deceiver - https://www.grimtools.com/calc/r2BO1rzV
*Screenshot with Deadly Aim, Word of Renewal, Blood of Dreeg, Inquisitor Seal, Hungering Void and Ritual Circle
Apostate - https://www.grimtools.com/calc/4ZDLvBQZ
*Screenshot with Word of Renewal, Inquisitor Seal, Deadly Aim and Hungering Void
korsar’s Setup - https://www.grimtools.com/calc/eVLBRw6N
Mage Hunter - https://www.grimtools.com/calc/q2m9bAG2
*Screenshot with Word of Renewal, Hungering Void, Deadly Aim, Inquisitor Seal and Mirror of Ereoctes
Witch Hunter - https://www.grimtools.com/calc/L2Jr3eg2
*Screenshot with Blood of Dreeg and Pneumatic Burst
FAQ-
>Chaos Ignaffar
[spoiler]Which is better among the three Ignaffar versions?
The Aether variant is naturally the weakest. Between Vitality and Chaos performance vise I can’t decide, I like both of them. Personally though I always lean towards the Vitality variant because of the unique build concept and also because I dislike Tainted Flame’s visuals
Why not use Gauntlets of Ignaffar?
Gauntlets of Ignaffar are a sheet DPS increase but that’s because they contribute to the Vitality component of the Flames. Voidsteel Gauntlets on the other hand increase the Chaos component so despite being a sheet DPS loss they’re much better.
This is how it looks like with Gauntlets of Ignaffar^
Is Doom Bolt really needed here?
It is merely here for reliable procing of devotions.
Have you considered Arcanist as a support mastery?
You loose out on a lot of offense and I personally don’t think it’s worth it.[/spoiler]
>Vitality Ignaffar
[spoiler]Why no Tainted Flame?
The modifier is useless for this build since it’d convert valuable flat fire damage into chaos damage.
Why not use Voidsteel Gauntlets?
The skill mods for ignaffar, particularly the energy cost reduction skill mod makes these gloves much better than Voidsteel Gauntlets.
Will this work with an off-hand?
Nope, you need both Decrees. Not just for the conversion but also for the flat damage and the ADCtH skill mods.
Why use Mantle of Black Flame?
Believe it or not despite lacking the +1 to Flames of Ignaffar that Ben’s MI does Mantle of Black Flame is still a DPS gain. That along with the %OA which is crucial to Crit based Channeling spells such as this makes it BiS.
Is Radaggon’s Helm usable here?
It most certainly is but it won’t be BiS because you’d loose out on some valuable cast speed and loose the 2pc Black Flame Bonus. You would however gain a very strong skill mod for Mark of Torment.
I can’t craft Ignaffar Relic with +1 Flames of Ignaffar Completion bonus. What should I do?
You can choose to sacrifice cast speed to replace Black Flame helm and Chthonian belt with Clairvoyant’s Hat and Cord of Deception respectively.[/spoiler]
>Aether Ignaffar
Why not go with Apostate?
Well this concept will most certainly work with an Apostate but
I was kinda sick of seeing AAR as the go to channeling skill on Mage Hunters so decided to make this one. I don’t mind DE being the go to skill for Apostates cause it’s actually good so don’t have any Apostate variants.
Is Aether Ignaffar better than Albrecht’s Aether Ray?
I doubt that. Aether Ray is very well supported through skill mods but Aether Ignaffar despite not having any support from game side is still a damn good spell.
The sheet DPS is much lower than Choas and Vitality Ignaffar, is it any good?
Not only is it good but just like those two you can life steal from bosses. It is naturally weaker than the Chaos and Vitality variants because both have excellent support. We have Devastation at our disposal for tough situations.
Is Flame Torrent not usable here?
I am kind of sick of that skill but feel free to go for it if you want to.
>Acid Purge
[spoiler]Did you try Acid Ignaffar using Ugdenbog Venomlauncher?
Nope, I didn’t want to let the awesome animation of Acid Purge go to waste so went with it.
The sheet DPS for Acid Purge looks low, is it good?
It’s the most versatile one of the three setups, you can either stand and channel your ray or let the DoTs do the trick for you.
How is energy management on the witch hunter?
Well energy management is a problem but it’s hard to run out of juice in the middle of a fight. I’d still advise timing your energy pot properly, chug it when your energy bar is half empty.
Why go full into the Nightblade Mastery?
For stats like spirit, cunning, physique.
Why invest into Merciless Repetoire instead of Shadow Strike or DEE?
Personal preference, I wanted to squeeze as much damage as I could out of Acid Purge and therefore went with MR Passive.[/spoiler]
In Closing-
Credits to Superfluff and korsar because his setup was very useful for min-maxing and for devotions for the Vitality concept.
I disliked laser builds in vanilla with the exception of Obliteration. Now with the addition of Flames of Ignaffar and Drain Essence I actually like these type of builds.
I had fun with these builds, hope you guys like them as well.
