Level 96 Crit Lightning Tendrils of Escalation Totem Hierophant^3.26

Notes

!!!Levelling!!!
Recommended to level early game with Orb of Storms + Lightning spell of your choice (Yes you can use transfigured Tendrils too)
Recommended time to fully transition to Totem build:
1- Allocated 1st Ascendancy Pursuit of Faith (for +1 totem)
2- Allocated Ancestral Bond (for another +1 totem)

-Some config are forced in custom modifiers under configuration for Mercenary load, just deactivate them if not relevant -

Pros & Cons:
Pros
+ Totem gameplay
+ Very fast clear for totem build
+ Good DPS (and uptime) for endgame because can summon totem and run around
+ Great survivability
+ Cheap to start & gear and does not require expensive uniques (Except 6L Cloak of Flames)
+ Can run many map mods (no leech, reflect, etc.)

Cons
- Totem gameplay (totems have active aggro range of only 60,  'You' is You but totem 'You' is sometimes not You, etc.)
- Defense is unique dependent 

Offensive layers:
1. Arkhon Tools Belt + Skitterbots + Unbound Ailment
New tech for 3.26, inflict persistent & permanent 20%+ Scorch (-res) , 30%+ Shock (increased damage taken) and 20%+ Chill (decreased action speed)

2. Totem DPS consistency
As is with other non-selfcast / self-attack build, DPS do not drop when player character is evading.

3. Damage tech via Guardian's Blessing Aura with Raise Spectre + Animate Guardian
Using Dark Marionette which reconstructs itself, Guardian blessing can be used for an additional damage aura (Zealotry or Wrath)
Animate Guardian can hold multiple uniques to buff your personal damage like using Kingmaker

Defensive layers:
1. Endurance Charge + Phys damage taken as Fire + Elemental ailment immunity 
+4 Endurance Charge from Ascendancy
+1 Endurance Charge from taking Endurance node in tree for +1 maximum & using +1 minimum endurance charge on ring

Phys damage taken as fire from Cloak of Flames 

Elemental ailment immunity from Purity of Elements

2. Block + High Life regen
High block % from the following:
Shield increased chance to block affix
Tree
Amulet anoint As the Mountain
Replica Reckless Defense

High life regen from the following:
Passive tree
Ascendancy node Ritual of Awakening
Vitality aura + Watcher's Eye mod
Flat life regen + increased life recovery rate from gears

3. Totem playstyle + Animate guardian defensive buff
Totem playstyle (fire & forget), make Animate Guardian hold Kingmaker for +10 Fortification
In 3.26, I'm making my Mercenary hold Kingmaker, but Animate Guardian can hold them if Merc do not go core (pls GGG this is a good addition, don't nuke it)


Mastery, Ascendancy, Bandits & Pantheon 
Important Mastery :
1. Totem mastery (Totem taunt)
2. Totem mastery (5% from hits taken from totem)
3. Block mastery (+%chance to block from shield block chance)
4. Life mastery (15% increased maximum life)

Ascendancy :
1. Pursuit of Faith (Mandatory to transition to totem build)
2. Conviction of Power (Damage + Defense from End charge) 
3. Ritual of Awakening (Damage + regen) 2 & 3 is interchangeable, your mileage may vary, I just like phys reduction from end charge more
4. Arcane Blessing (Damage)

Bandits :
Kill all (1 points)

Pantheon :
Soul of Brine King for stun avoidance
Soul of Ryslatha for life flask 


Gem setup:
Main Skill (Lightning Tendrils Totem):
Lightning Tendrils of Escalation + Spell Totem + Elemental Focus + Increased Critical Strike + Increased Critical Damage + Infused Channeling
Main skill. Everything adds damage.
!!!Get quality on Lightning Tendrils to improve clear, but not strictly necessary early game!!!

Animate Guardian
Animate Guardian + Meatshield +  Minion Life
Animate Guardian setup, gear will be covered in gear section below

Guardian Blessing Aura
Raise Spectre + Meatshield + Guardian Blessing + Zealotry / Wrath
Use Dark Marionette corpse to raise (respawns every 4s after death)
Press aura to activate blessing, aura keeps active as long as least 1 Dark Marionette is alive at any given time
If aura is turned off (both Marionette died together), just wait for them to respawn then turn again
!!!Keep Guardian Blessing at level 1 to minimize DOT damage!!!
!!!Zealotry or Wrath depending on mods on Watcher's Eye, Wrath is slightly stronger than Zealotry!!!

Utility
Righteous Fire of Arcane Devotion, Conductivitiy, Flame Dash
RF of arcane devotion for more cast speed, Conductivity to self-cast on enemies, Flame Dash for movement skill

CWDT
CWDT + Immortal Call + Purifying Flame
Standard Guard skill. Purifying Flame for life regen from consecrated ground

Aura 
Vitality , Purity of Elements , Tempest Shield , Summon Skitterbots + Unbound Ailment
Vitality for life regen, Purity of Elements for resistance + elemental ailment immunity, Tempest Shield for spell block
Summon skitter bots + unbound ailment for persistent scorch, shock, chill
!!!Make sure unbound ailment is not linked to Tempest Shield as it will raise the reservation!!!
!!!You can use Clarity instead of Tempest Shield during leveling while your mana problem is not solved (passive tree will solve it)!!!

My Gear + Explanation:
Wand / Sceptre:
Spellcaster rolls (crit, cast speed, damage). +1 level of lightning and/or spell skill gem is great.
Progressively upgrade into endgame version. 

Offhand:
Wand / sceptre for levelling > Rare Shaper shield
Early game you can skip using shield and use another wand/sceptre for damage. Endgame change to shield
Shield mod = Inc. chance to block + Life + Life regen + Shaper +1 maximum totem 
!!!Using Shaper's Exalted Orb can deterministically add shaper totem mods if only Prefix slot is open!!!

Helmet:
Rares > Double Influence Rare
Life + Life regen + Res
Best implicit: Phys taken as fire + cast speed

Body Armour:
Tabula > Corrupted Tabula (+2 AOE) > Cloak of Flames > Corrupted Cloak of Flames (+2 AOE)
You can decide when to transition to Cloak of Flames based on your budget

Gloves:
Rares > Double Influenced Rare
Life + %Life regen rate + Life Regen + Res
Best implicit : chance to Unnerve & inflict Lightning Exposure

Boots:
Rares > Double Influenced Rare
Life + Movement speed +  %Life regen rate + Life Regen + Res
Best implict : %life regen rate & damage per endurance charge

Belt:
Arkhon Tools
BIS. Gives much needed dex & intelligence, %mana reservation efficiency & inc. skitterbots ailment.
Enable scorch from skitterbots

Rings:
Kikazaru + Rare > Taming + Rare
Kikazaru is great during levelling
Endgame change to Taming for resistance + damage
Rare ring to roll Life + cast speed + res + (crafted) min endurance charge
!!!+1 minimum end charge craft on ring only work with Endurance node passive tree for +1 maximum end!!!

Amulet:
Replica Dragonfang's Flight
+Level to Lightning Tendrils, %reservation efficency & lowered attribute requirement
Best anointment: As the Mountain for block chance

Jewels:
- Militant Faith under High Templar Dominus for Inner Conviction (area / channelling / elemental damage per devotion roll, make sure no allocated notable is changed)
- Watchers Eye with Vitality increased life recovery rate + Wrath / Zealotry damage mod
- Replica Reckless Defense for block
- Large Cluster Jewel - Lightning for damage
- Medium Cluster Jewel (Ancestral Guidance for min based action speed and regen + Sleepless Sentries for Onslaught)
- Life + crit multi jewel

!!!Animate Guardian!!!
Weapon: Dying Breath > Kingmaker (damage + fortification)
Helmet: Leer Cast / Crown of Tyrant / Nearby enemies have Malediction (damage / less damage)
Glove: Corrupted with Enfeeble on hit implicit
Boots: Windscream (+1 curse to enable Enfeeble)
Body armor: Gruthkul's Pelt (life regen)  

!!!Mercenary (3.26)!!!
Amulet: Perquil's Toe (allies hit is lucky)
Belt: Kaom's Binding (nearby deal phys as fire)
Ring: Call of the Void (chill)
Body armor: Doryani's Prototype (reduce lightning res)

!!!Make sure to modify custom modifiers under configuration for how you equip your animate guardian & mercenaries!!!

Flasks:
1.Bleed life flask
2.Quicksilver Flask (Flexible suffixes - %life regen (crafted) / %reduced curse effect / %crit chance)
3.Diamond Flask 
4.Ruby Flask 
5.Bottled Faith (Best DPS, also flexible slot, can use whatever you want)
Get gain charges on hit prefix for all utility flask