[2.3] Beginner-friendly Easy-Peasy Arc Caster

http://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Arc

Advantages:

• VERY easy to use (as it is self-targeting)
• Scales well, especially over L20
• Destructive

Disadvantages:

• Mana expensive
• Not as good against Single-target
• Not a projectile, so can't use projectile support gems

Also, as most non-totem/minion builds, it require you to stand still while doing damage.

That Arc is so expensive to use is one of the main deciding factors for how the skill points of the build are assigned. It needs a combination of reasonably high mana, high mana regeneration rate, and reduced mana cost of skills to work. Fortunately this in not too expensive in skill points for a Templar so there is sufficient room for both decent damage and life. You can also get extra mana per hit on some jewels.

At L20 Arc chains 7 times, meaning you'll hit 8 targets. The chaining means that this is very effective against packs, even more so against a few (2-3) mobs as the chains will jump between them, but less good against single targets.

The main characteristics for the build is high regeneration (life and mana both), high lightning damage, low spell costs, and a decent life pool.

High regeneration:
For the Arc spell high mana regeneration is needed unless you can leech enough. Since this is a build focused on easy gameplay, I chose to go for regeneration. It is also quite difficult to get enough mana leech as the game is currently balanced.
The life regeneration is also for ease of use. When I started I found it quite difficult to use flasks effectively, so for this build I chose to basically take those out of the equation until you need them against bleeding/freezing/etc.

High Lightning damage:
Since this build is not using critical strikes or charges of any kind, it needs as high damage as possible from the tree, giving a total of 383%. With the best possible gear, it should be possible to get well beyond 20k tooltip DPS (this would be expensive!). On top of that you have the damage from Shock (50%+25% increased damage) and the chaining (~6x damage when more than one target).

Low spell costs:
Since Arc is so expensive to run, every bit helps with getting the cost down. 8 nodes that reduce skill costs are used to reduce the cost by 32%. Those nodes also provide some life, mana, and regen.

Life pool:
The build has 173% extra life when finished. With some life from items, this should bring the total life up around the 4000 mark. This is decent, but it is not enough to go into close infight. You'll get a little bit of extra armour from the skill tree, but not enough. As a spell caster, you fight from a distance, and is protected by your killing speed and your meat shields.

Dexterity:
You should not need any extra Dexterity. See spell links though as if you use Culling Strike for your minion meat shields, a little bit of Dex will be needed on gear.

Play style:
Stay at a distance, and stay moving! This can't be repeated enough!
You will need your meat shields, and you will need your curse(s). Not all the time, but your character will not survive in any type of close in-fight.
Against ranged white or blue enemies, you'll often not use either meat-shields or curses. It is more important to kill and/or stun them fast to avoid incoming damage.
Against rare and above mobs, use curse(s) and meat-shields liberally.

Progression example:
20 Skill Points
40 Skill Points
60 Skill Points
80 Skill Points
100 Skill Points
Finished skill tree: 110 Skill Points

This build is quite forgiving with regard to the order skill points are allocated, so if another progression than the above suits you better, go for it!

There is only one Jewel slot, and I use Assassin's Haste in it. Survival Secrets is also a very good one for this build.

Example of another decent jewel to use:

Oak, Skill point, Skill point

Main skill:
4L:

5-6L: As 4L plus

If you have a 6L but can't keep mana up, use a Reduced Mana instead of Controlled Destruction. If you feel you need more life leech, you can try a Life Gain on Hit (though this will be more mana expensive).
As this guide was written, with the above gems mostly at L17 and the gear listed further down, my tooltip DPS was somewhat over 12k.

Damage enhancer:

A L2+ Enlighten gem can be used to reduce mana reserved, but is not at all necessary.

Protection
This combination gives you life and mana regeneration exactly when you need it the most, when mobs are close to you.

Escape!


Mana regeneration (if needed):

Level to be just sufficient to keep your mana mostly full. Note that you'll not have the mana pool with both Wrath and Herald of Thunder up to have this at very high level (as more and more mana is reserved the higher the level it is). I currently have mine at L2.

Golem and meat shields:
The Flame Golem could be replaced with a Chaos Golem if you want, but I like the extra damage. You can use Blind to reduce incoming damage, and/or Culling Strike for finishing if you have the links. Vaal Summon Skeletons are of.c. good against more difficult targets and are yet another meat shield.

Self-replenishing meat shield:
Possibly use Blind and/or Culling Strike.

Curse(s):
I prefer the Conductivity and Elemental Weakness combination for greater killing speed. If you're using a staff for Arc, then a 5L chest for this will enable you to add a Lesser Multiple Projectiles (only level 1) to curse even more targets.

Important gear stats:
You'll want maxed resists (of course), enough mana regeneration, life, as much spell/elemental damage as you can get, and if possible some extra mana.


Best Gear:
The main item to suit this build would be a 6L +1/+2 staff with plenty of spell/elemental/lightning damage as well as possibly some mana regeneration. Add in a L4 Empower Gem, and you'll do some very serious damage (double that of L20 Arc, minus the gem you'll be replacing with Empower) and an extra chaining. This will however be very expensive!

Other uniques of interest:
Doryani's Catalyst and a Doryani's Invitation (Lightning) belt suit this build well. Not only do they provide very significant damage, but they also supply some life leech. Due to the relative high life regeneration rate this is not strictly necessary, but is nice to have.

Moonsorrow is a good wand for this build, and actually have slightly higher damage than my current wand. I chose not to use it though since the higher cast speed will require a bit more mana.

Malachai's Simula... I find this a possibly fun item for this build. You'd be able to skill out of 6-8 nodes, and move down towards the Warrior's Blood notable, increasing life and life regen. You will however lose the auras. Try if you want :-)

The following Map affix should be especially considered before attempting them with this build.

Prefix:

• Hexproof: Curses will not work
• Grounded: Lightning resistance
• Mirrored: Elemental reflect (probably AVOID!)

Suffix:

• Balance: Elemental Equilibrium
• Smothering: Lower regeneration rates
• Hemomancy: Blood magic (AVOID!)
• Stasis: No regeneration (AVOID!)
• Temporal Chains: Avoid on principle (as it is just too boring)

If you don't have a unique mentioned, just use the best item you have. Apart from Tabula Rasa all the uniques in this section are dirt cheap in trading. Levels mentioned are approximate.

L1-L11:
Level as you want. I used melee, Elemental Hit, Vigilant Strike and Magma Orb.

L12-13:
Get a Lifesprig and start Arc'ing. Link an Added Lightning Damage (plus a third support when your mana can support it). Storm Call is good for single targets.

On equipment, go for mana regeneration and life.

Spell Totem + Summon Skeletons as meat shield when needed.

Skill tree: Go towards Divinity and Elementalist notables, then go Celestial Judgement

L16:
Start using Herald of Thunder.

L18:
Add Faster Casting to your Arc setup.

L24:
Switch to Reverberation Rod if you can get one.

If (when...) mana becomes scarce, use a low-level Clarity aura.

Skill tree: Go towards Storm Reaver, Quick Recovery

L31:
If you don't have a Reverberation Rod, it is time to load up in a 5L chest (if you have one). Arc, Faster Casting, Added Lightning Damage, Lightning Penetration and something else, probably Controlled Destruction or Life Gain on Hit. If short of mana, Reduced Mana is also an idea. Tabula Rasa if you have one is even better!

L38:
Start using Spell Echo... Go Tabula Rasa (or another 5-6L). You'll probably have problems keeping mana for full firing so maybe only use 5L, or 5L + Reduced Mana.

Skill tree: Go towards Deep Thoughts, Cruel Preparation, Elemental Dominion
Skill tree: Go towards Righteous Decree (mana)
Skill tree: Go towards Unrelenting, Combat Stamina, Dynamo, Shaper and/or southern elemental damage nodes

L59:
Use a Moonsorrow unless you have something better.

Skill tree: Go towards Purity of Flesh, Constitution, Heart of Thunder, life, remaining damage nodes

Once mana stable, start using Wrath.


If the last parts of A4N and A4C annoy you just as much as they do me, from Kaom/Daresso just death-zerg through. No sense wasting time on them.

Defensive stats (unbuffed)

Defensive stats (buffed)

Offensive stats (unbuffed)

Offensive stats (buffed, without curses and shock)

Offensive stats (unbuffed)

Offensive stats (buffed, without curses and shock)

This build is still very viable. Given the damage increase to Arc and more chains, it is even better than before. The extra Mana also helps a lot.
It is still a bit of a glass cannon, so I'll try to rebalance the damage a little bit down as it was already more than enough, and put some more defences in.

As for the new gems, particularly Controlled Destruction is very interesting.
Controlled Destruction should definitely replace Innervate as I went from 18k tooltip DPS to 24.5k with a L11 CD replacing a L19 Innervate!

Of the new unique items, only the Agnerod West staff seems interesting for this build.

As suggested by LadyCaity on page 3, I've tried out this combination:

This combination works very well, once you've got the gem levels up (this increase the range). It mean that when enemies are close, you leech significant life and mana, something which improves the survivability by a lot!

This build is still very viable. The new skill gem 'Orb of Storms' should give a nice damage boost, and 'Elemental Focus' may be a possible replacement for 'Faster Casting' especially if mana is scarce.

Note that I've chosen to go for Whispers of Doom for the extra curse. This means a bit less tooltip damage, but a lot more real damage.

As for which ascendancy class to choose for the templar, I'd select Inquisitor.
Another solution would be to base this on the Witch class (which is fairly easy), and then choose Elementalist or Occultist (primarily for the +1 curse)

No real changes for this build. It should be just as viable as before :-)