LastEpochTools Link (This is my gear right now, not necessarily a snapshot of the perfect setup)
Build Summary-
This build uses easy to achieve stats and skill nodes to bring you from level 1 to Empowered Monoliths. It doesn’t use Author of Arcana/Immutable Order, and instead actually casts Runic Invocation to access several different invocations as needed. I haven’t brought this to high corruption yet, and I imagine that it won’t hold up to the higher performance needed there.
Rotation/Playstyle-
Runebolt is the primary method of generating runes, which has been speced to only fire. Runebolt is chosen over Frost Claw for mana generation, the build has sustain issues against bosses as casting Frost Wall and Runic Invocation multiple times consumes mana very quickly. Fire Ward has been speced to Cold, and alongside Frost Wall the build has access to multiple Heo runes. Flame Rush is kept as Fire, but could be speced to Lightning to gain access to Plasma Orb.
Invocations
Aergon’s Greater Fireball (Rah Rah Rah)- This invocation is most useful in early levels and even pre-empowered monoliths. It has a large area of effect, does respectable damage, and inflicts Spreading Flames. It’s not great for stacking Ignite, but against white and blue mobs you often don’t need to.
Igneous Rain (Heo Rah Rah)- The primary Ignite stacker against bosses. It hits numerous times, naturally inflicts its own Ignites, and the inflicted Ignites have increased duration. Very capable of doing severe amounts of damage if timed well, as the area of effect is quite small. At higher levels this will also become the damage dealer against most trash, using Frost Wall to hold them in place, once Greater Fireball starts to fall off.
Reowyn’s Frost Guard (Heo Rah Heo)- You really can’t go wrong, and you will need it at higher levels. Frost Wall has been speced to reduce mana cost when cast rapidly to facilitate easily casting Frost Guard, or Flame Ward can be used to generate one of the runes.
Plasma Orb (Rah Gon Rah)- An optional addition, which can be used for more mobile clearing of trash and supplementing other skills. I personally find it difficult to actually use this invocation to do damage, so I don’t use it.
Stats
Very straightforward. Spell damage (flat or increased) is nice, but mostly you will be looking for increased: fire, elemental, damage over time, elemental damage over time, and fire damage over time. Increased crit chance and crit multiplier aren’t useless, but have less impact for this build.
Defensively, after resist capping, look for mana spent gained as ward, ward retention, ward decay threshold, and ward per second. During the campaign, health is going to be plenty to stay alive. Crit reductions are welcome, but you get a decent chunk from passives.
Ward stats get better (and are largely required) once you have a health gained as ward item (Available as an Experimental prefix, or from some uniques) or Boneclamor Barbute. Before/without that, health and leech are the way to go, but even after that leech will help keep your health to ward going.
Runebolt generating mana means that most mana stats aren’t required, you will typically be full or nearly full on mana. If you opt for a different generator (Fireball or Frost Claw) you will need mana stats.
Increasing skill levels won’t get you a ton for this build, but increases to Runic Invocation or Runebolt will give you the best returns. Fire Ward has some potential with more levels, but gets the job done without. Frost Wall and Flame Rush can’t get much more than they already have with 20 skill points.
Uniques
Uniques aren’t required for leveling or early monos, but do help. Once you get up to higher levels they of course becomes necessary.
For leveling, Avarice is of course top tier and easily available. Reowyn’s Fortress will carry you up to monoliths, but pales in comparison to a catalyst and wand/scepter with good stats due to passives. Other fire based uniques like Firestarter’s Torch and Calamity will also do you well early on.
At higher levels, you’re of course playing all the hits. Boneclamor Barbute and Twisted Heart of Ukheiros give you tons of ward, Fundamental Criterion is just always good (A wand and some Attunement is substantial for your damage), Throne of Ambition is Throne of Ambition, and Mad Alchemist’s Ladle is obviously goated.
Leveling
There’s not much to say here, leveling is leveling.
Early on, focus on speccing into damage, as there isn’t much that can kill you anyway.
Use Fireball until you can get access to Runebolt, then respec. You can continue to use Fireball if you want, but you may have mana issues on longer fights.
For resists, physical is the most common damage type. The second most prevalent type will shift from act to act (Fire, Poison, and Void for the most part, but Cold/Lightning for Lagon).
Increased spell/fire/elemental damage is going to be your go to, as you likely won’t be stacking tons of ignites yet and increased DOTs won’t be as useful.
Skill Specialization Priority-
Runebolt (Or Fireball/Frost Claw)
Runic Invocation
Fire Ward
Flame Rush
Frost Wall
Q/A
Q: Why play this build over something more proven?
A: Because it’s cool, I guess. It actually casts Runic Invocation and leans into what the mastery is about, and I like that. It’s also plenty good for casual play, and if you aren’t pushing high corruption you don’t need the most proven build.
Q: Why is your gear bad?
A: Because I’m bad.
Q: Why doesn’t this post have the “Runemaster” tag?
A: It won’t let me, I don’t know.