6.06.2014 Unwavering Dried Lake Map of Hordes

Servant of a Frozen Fire - Ambush
Mods - Monsters cannot be stunned, Increased pack Size
Quantity: +12%

Currency Expended:
1 Transmutation
2 Alteration

Currency Gained:
1 Transmutation
4 Alteration
2 Augmentation
3 Chromatic
1 Alchemy
1 Chaos
4 Scrap
2 Whetstone

Maps Gained:
Crypt (L66)
Dunes (L66)

Much like the last run, I had been working on other characters between this map and the last one I posted.  I remembered to apply my auras, but that's about the only thing that went smoothly at the start.  I wasn't using all my skills effectively and the large pack size caused my some trouble at first.  I probably should have burned a portal and run out to regroup, but I died early on.  I had just leveled, so that wasn't much of a penalty.  I died later to some undead rhoas that stunned me while I was trying to run down a necromancer.  However, even with that 2nd death, I still gained about a quarter of a level because of all the mobs on the map.

Once I got used to running this character again things went pretty well.  The wide open nature of this zone can be a problem, I almost missed a strongbox clearing the map.  The low level currency was a net gain just because I didn't need to spend much on the map.  To have an alch and a chaos drop on top of that is great.  Then there were the two map drops, so it's always nice to grow the map pool.  Finally, I got Windscream boots on this run.  Those add an extra curse, so that would either free up a few skill points for a Hex Master, or allow one to run three curses.  However, reading up on it, I'm not sure 3 curses is really worthwhile.  That's a lot of effort to get those cast.

In terms of where this character is going, I started using mine as a way to get some extra damage out in situations where I can't effectively stand in place and Freeze Pulse.  I'm using Ice Nova with a Cold to Fire gem right night for the theme of the character, however, I think Ice Spear with LMP would be more useful.  I'd like to try that since it would have more range and would crit often leading to the frozen/burning combination that gave this character his name.

Mostly the mine has been used on bosses, but it was helpful in one map that had blackguard archmages casting Lighting Thorns.  I want to try to make it more useful, and I think using a projectile skill rather than and AOE would help in that regard.  My other option would be to try to link things in with the Raise Spectre gem I'm using, but I don't have minion passives.  The spectres have mostly been to provide some sort of distraction.  However, I do think that changing the gems I use for spectres on the summoner witch will help her get into mapping.  I want to work on improving her gear next week.