Elemental Bladedancer...good or bad idea?

Rogue
1

Hi all,
I am trying to build an elemental BD, maybe it was already done, but i didn’t found any build like that… maybe because it is not a good idea, i am quite a noob at creating build :slight_smile:
My idea come from: Cinder strike is fire skill, shuriken (shield) and lethal mirage can be lightning (and the dagger fulgurite shard is very nice with that).

So for Trash mob, i only use shift which proc shuriken and shadow cascade (yes i know not elemental). And from time to time or rare boss the lethal mirage with a low CD.
Lot of invulnerability also with these 2 skills.
On bigger boss, i use cinder strike with oil coating/elemental vulnerabilty i can boost a bit my defense/offense and then use lethal mirage.
For now i am 73 in normal mono, and it works pretty well…
here is my current build:

I also use 2 fulgurite shard instead of the eye of reen, more damage with lethal mirage, but less with cinder strike… switching from time to time, not yet sure what is the best option.
I tried mourning frost boots also, but my resist are too low for now, to use them.
i have more luck to find good unique than good rare items.
So i am not a “pro” at making build, i have the feeling that my build will not work well in empowered monolith…
and i am not sure of the way to take on defense keep on dodge or convert it to glancing blow and so i can even reduce a bit my dodge as i would already have more than 100% GB.

So should i give up on this build ?
or have you idea to fix/optimize it please ?
Thanks forward all :slight_smile:

2

I don’t have any experience with Cinder Strike, since i despise that skill.

All I can say, is that Lightning Bladedancer works perfectly fine.
I did play it in in couple of stream’s, it’s not min-maxed yet and the singletarget damage is outrageous. (I literally need 2-3 uses of Lethal Mirages for a Empowered Shade or Timelineboss, no exaggeration).

AoE Damage is a bit underwhelming, but that is more than off-set by the super fun playstyle, using 5 skill flow and shadows to prepare the Lethal Mirage, that literally kills everything with one attack.

I would say, if you want to use Cinder Strike, your AoE should be fine, not sure of Fulgurite Shards and Lightning Damage pairs very well with it.
If you wanna go fire damage Cinder Strike, Decoy and Acid Flask are probablly better and if you wanna go lightning damage, using DW Fulgurite Shards would definitely incentivice to play with Shurikens.

The only feedback I have for Lethal Mirages Skill Spec Tree, is the Blur/Synchronize branch is really underwhelming.
If you use Lethal Mirage for AoE, 1 point in Synchronize is enough, but still kinda underwhelming, since you need to invest 3 points in Blur, which makes Lethal Mirage worse as a defensive skill.

For maximum damage the shadow branch will be way better, both for AoE and Singletarget.

Defensively, I played my DW Fulgurite Shard BD with full dodge and I knew it’s not the best primairy defense layer currently.

It’s ok-ish but drops off in empowered significantly.
Focusing on Health, Resistance and getting a little bit of dodge as secondary or tertiary defensive layer is really good though.

3

thx for the reply :slight_smile:
So if i read well, it is fire OR lightning… but mix both to go “elemental” will not work well enough ?

4

It’s relatively often the case. The affixes give more power if they are more precise (fire vs elemental).

Oh? A design concern?

5

That’s not what I said, but it will work mroe straight forward.

The problem with scaling elemental damage instead of specific fire or lightning damage, will be lower %inc. values.

It very well might still work.

6

I absolutely hate fire skills.
Fire is one of the most boring themes in any action game IMO.

7

Wow, ok Oo

8

Yea… i had the same response when he told me that😂

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9

I have a ignite BD build with throwing+fire damage focus. Damage is disgustingly high so yes, elemental BD can work well

Required unique
Keltans blasting agent mainly for ignite duration
Meaehrin hubris: convert all bleed to ignite
(Optional) calamity, bleeding heart, woven flesh
Good to have afffix:

  • Level of acid flask

Skill:
Decoy: full explosive node at the top + ignite + shadow
CinderStrike: coating oil + fire dagger + regen
Acid flask: convert to fire, ignite, fire shred, 3 small explosion, frailty(1) (optional throw multiple flasks)
Shift: acid flask + shadow + full dodge (dex scaling)
Havent decided on last skill. Currently sync strike: full shadow generation+ crimson shroud+ mana efficiency

Playstyle: throw acid flask everywhere. The 3 small explosion hit 3 times to enemy at center of skill. CinderS if required for ignite damage amplify and regen. Decoy is basically 3x huge damage grenade lob skill for high hp mob. Sync strike to generate shadow and lob 5 ignite flask to bosses.

Defensive is full GB without apostacy using 2 nagasa sword + dodge.

Passive: all defensive node+bleed+crimson shroud+dex+mana on hit+ health on GB.

Idols: nothing looks good for rouge idol so I put a lot of general idol to buff up HP amd resist.

Haven’t reached empowered though and kind of burnt out by monolith atm so no idea how good it is there.

Variation is using Sanguine hoard as marksman with long duration hail of arrow. But a lot squishier as she lost 40% GB chance.

EDIT: on re-read, you are asking more on advice on your specific build, so ignore my post if you will. More often than not, I tend to focus more on the title of thread rather than the body and misread occurs…

10

No comment on your build so far (if you’re still winning then it’s a good build ipso facto), but take a look at the Crystal Swords as bases for your mainhands as an alternative. I saw a build using those for massive attack speed & elemental damage up.

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11

thx all for the replies and advices.

Not sure yet if i will continue in this way or not.
The %elemental < 1% unique dmg type seems to be a mistake , no ?
Usually the base flag dmg are already splited, so no need reduce the % increase.
An example will be maybe more clear:
30 base lightning dmg + 100% increase => 60 dmg
30 base elem dmg on a skill should be 10fire+10cold+10lightning.
So if we add 100% elem , i will got the same 60dmg.
So why the %elem increase given by affix should be weaker ?

12

Because elemental damage is a more general thing compared to a specific element affix so it has smaller numbers. “Specialising” in a thing gets bigger numbers.

13

ok , i can understand that.
But %spell damage or %melee damage are even a lot more generic than elemental damage, and have same %value then %physical or %fire …
So still not fair for %elemental :slight_smile:

14

Melee damage is lower than specific damage types and elemental damage.
It’s also only available on Melee Weapons and Shields.

Spell Damage and Specific Damage Types have the same numeric value, but I think you could argue about what’s more “generic”.

Spell damage only applies to spells, so it doesn’t affect ailments and melee attacks for example.
And specific damage types do affect every type of attack, but only this specific damage types.

For a non-physical melee build, %inc. melee damage is better than %inc. [damage type] in most cases, until you reach enough shred or penetration of your main damage type or you get more flat melee damge of your main damage type, than your weapon has.

This whole thing could be it’s own discussion, but if you dig deeper into it, I think the numeric values on most affixes are pretty balanced. (Only affix that is not in a great spot right now IMO would be HP Regen, because you need to many suffix slots to make it worthwhile)

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