[3.5] [Starter Build] Arcane's NotF - Molten Strike Champion/Gladiator [Dual Wield/1H+Shield]

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• Fun to play.
• Easy to gear and level.
• Decent clear speed and boss killer.
• Makes lava from your enemies.

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• Relies on leech.
• Only ~5k life (there's a tanky version but the damage is halved.)

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• 2x Grelwood Shank - 4 additional balls per hit - (Must have and Recommended) OR decent rare 1hs with: ~Attack speed, ~Flat phys. damage, ~% Phys. damage, ~High flat fire dmg roll.
• 2 rings with some of these: ~Flat phys. damage, ~Flat fire damage, ~ Inc. elemental damage with wep., ~Inc. fire damage, ~Flat life, Accuracy, Resistances
• Impresence (Fire)(END GAME) OR good rare amulet with some of these: ~Flat phys. damage, ~Flat fire damage, ~ Inc. elemental damage with wep., ~Inc. fire damage, ~Flat life, Accuracy, Resistances...
• Hrimnor's Resolve Samite Helmet
• Belly of the Beast, Full Wyrmscale
• Rare boots with: ~Resistances, ~Flat life, ~Movement speed, Armour
• Tombfists OR Rare gloves with: ~Resistances, ~Flat life, ~Armour, ~Flat fire damage
• Rare Stygian Vise belt (+ Abyss Jewel) with: ~Resistances, ~Flat life, ~ Inc. elemental damage with wep.
• Murdereous Eye Jewels: Double flat fire damage roll (Flat fire damage to Sword attacks, Flat fire damage), Flat phys. damage, Attack speed
• Wildfire Jewel
• The Wise Oak, Bismuth Flask
• Dying Sun, Ruby Flask

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Basic Version(Champion - Dual 1-handed):https://pastebin.com/q9uckRjA
Tanky Version (Gladiator - 1h + shield):https://pastebin.com/KXVf5672

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Champion: Go for Unstoppable Hero(1.), Fortitude(2.), Conqueror(3.) and Worthy Foe(4.)

Gladiator: Go for Painforged(1.), Versatile Combatant(2.), Violent Retaliation(3.), Outmatch and Outlast(4.)

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6907531 escreveu:

For the dual wield version:

Consider removing Elemental Focus and adding Ancestral Call for trash clear and a Fire Penetration to switch to for bosses
Without Elemental Focus we can ignite and will utilize the fire penetration from Combustion

Murderous Eye Jewels with "Fire damage to attacks" + "Fire damage to sword attacks" are the better option for dps but they ramp up in prices very quickly if you want a life roll on them.

Important!
Cap out your lightning resistance so you don't have to rely on flasks!

Don't go for accuracy on gear because enemies will always be taunted and can not evade.
See A Worthy Foe ascendancy node.

And drop point blank from the tree once you equip a Grelwood

For the tank version:

Passives
Copy paste the dual wield build but drop Elemental Overload(Because of inconsistency) and the Heart of Flame noobtrap and instead invest those points towards the life nodes around templar & marauder, pick up Resolute Technique to counter the fact that we dropped the "enemies can not evade" ascendancy while also freeing up suffix mods.
And with the remaining points we can also pick up the jewel socket above RT.

Ascendancy
Instead of gladiator, remain as champion
Removing A Worthy Foe in the ascendancy and replacing it with Master of Metal for more survivability through armour while adding flat damage that builds up which I believe can compete with the 18,2% damage multiplier if molten strike can shotgun impales, which it should.
(18.2% based on that if they're taunted they're also intimidated)

1H-shield or Dual Wield
I'd say dual wielding is better for the tank build because otherwise we lose the base dual wielding bonuses:
10% more Attack Speed while Dual Wielding
15% additional Block Chance while Dual Wielding
20% more Attack Physical Damage while Dual Wielding

Gear
I dont really have anything to add here other than that Loreweave should remain the stronger all around pick although this could be an interesting alternative if you swap to abyss jewels & drop Elemental Focus:

Because then, as stated before, we can ignite, granting us the penetration from Combustion along with the support from the chest which combined grants us 56% additional fire penetration.

Also heres a strong flask to consider for the build:

These are just my uneducated opinions tho