Build Guide
This is based on Jaetch's melee Tal Rasha's Wizard mini-guide recently uploaded to his youtube. I have tried to write down most of his comments in the video, for the sake of reference here, so most of what you'll read below is a sort of quote on the video guide.
Description
A hybrid spec that excels both on melee and ranged scenarios, with high tankyness and capable of dishing out tons of damage, perfect for reaching high solo Greater Rifts. While it has the old-school Blizzard/Hydra combo at its core, its playstyle is more reminiscent like a CM Wizard.
Skill Choices
- The main source of damage is your Mammoth Hydra buffed by Arcane Dynamo's bonus damage, which will last for the Hydra's entire duration.
- Tal's Meteors are the secondary source of damage.
- To get the most out of Tal Rasha's buff, you need all 4 elements on your skill bar.
- Electrocute procs the Lightning Meteor and ramps up Arcane Dynamo.
- Teleport with Calamity procs the Arcane Meteor and is your only survival/repositioning skill.
- Blizzard procs the Cold Meteor and is an added crowd control mechanism.
- Illusionist and Unstable Anomaly are cookie cutter passives.
- Arcane Dynamo and Elemental Exposure have strong synergy with the build.
Gear Comments
- Get +Hydra or +Meteor Damage where possible. Chest and Helmet are important slots for that.
- Tal's Source could roll +Hydra damage before Patch 2.2, but now it always rolls +Meteor damage (and it cannot be enchanted).
- Serpent Sparker is the best weapon. It's optimal if it has a 1.7 attack-speed breakpoint, but that's not necessary unless you're aiming for high GR groups.
- Frozen enemies also count towards the Ancient Parthan Defenders' effect.
- Try to ramp up the Tal's bonus damage whenever possible (activating the elemental stack), not necessarily before putting down a Hydra. The Tal's effect doesn't need to be snapshot by Hydra, the way Arcane Dynamo does.
Legendary Gems
- Bane of the Trapped is standard stuff
- Zei's Stone of Vengeance bonus damage is calculated from the damage source, so even though you'll be in melee range almost always, the Hydras will benefit from the bonus damage
- Esoteric Alteration adds lots of survivability against ranged mobs/elites
Follower - Templar
- Your Follower's focus is crowd controlling enemies (to proc Ancient Parthan Defenders) and boost your survivability.
- Unity + Enchanting Favor (immortal token)
- Ess of Johan
- Freeze of Deflection
- Eun-jang-do
- Attack-speed wherever possible
I'm flattered but I'm not the legendary Jaetch just made his build here so it could be more accessible. Jokes aside, maybe he will check this and answer your question, though I cannot promise that you'll get a reply. Just so we're on the same page.
He didn't mention the preferred defensive stats (where to get all-res, armor and vit) but I updated the build with what I observed from the video.
Low damage, 200-500 million from what I could see in the video, still much less than current top wizard build and also a lot riskier
For group play, you could drop the Unity for a RRoG and replace the Tal's Helmet with Crown of Primus.
Then replace Force Weapon with Slow Time.
Works well with illusionist, speeds attack speed of hydras and party.
Get to play with another new toy from the patch.
Hi Jeatch, do you feel the melee wizard can outperform range wiz with FnR for pushing 55ish greater rift? Sorry if it was already asked
This build isn't his. Jaetch plagiarized it and gave nobody credit. In fact, people were playing with this long before he had the gear for it, because he plays non-season.
Furthermore, in the video, he plays like garbage. His grouping of enemies is novice at best and his skill choices are garbage.
Firstly: It is a melee build and it takes no damage. Unstable anomaly is worthless. If you are dying, you are playing wrong. Audacity is a 1.15 multiplier. Use that instead.
Second: Zei's is about the worst choice for a 2nd gem. Pain Enhancer is the ONLY way you will be able to meet the high breakpoints on hydra. Hydra will be the bulk of the damage made by this build.
Third: If you are using electrocute, the best thing about it is being able to maintain constant dps vs ranged RG's. Only one of the electrocutes has piercing: Lightning Blast.
Furthermore, those of us who HAVE been playing with this build for quite some time have found better iterations of it. Force weapon (1.20 additive) is replaced by frost nova, bone chill (1.33 multiplier). It doesn't help as much on the RG, but clearing trash and fishing for Singer is really all you are going to do at the top of the list anyways.
I see Tasker and Theo is required, it's pets and randoms. Why not Magefist?
I don't understand why Esoteric Alteration, which is meh imo, instead of Strenght of Simplicity, which helps survivability and damage output with Electrocute.
Also, Ess of Johan is not a good choice. The Templar is dumb...and sometimes will pull towards him those mobs buffing parthan.
Thanks for your contribution! I'll see if I can add it to the guide when possible (on a hardcore note section), with due credit
I have a question, how high is your CDR? Teleport skill cool time seems to be near 0 but you don't even have Aether walker on. Am I missing something?
oh wait of course what was I thinking illusionist
thanks for the great build
does not ranged attacks count as physical?
with tal rasha set we get magic ressistance by ccasting spells, simplicity gem's life leach or molten gem might be better than esoteric?
Been using this build since last weekend, with the changes found in two of the comments here.
Very nice, but still have a lot of work to do on the gear.
Currently only have four pieces of the Tal Rasha set, and using a two handed sword (the one that spawns the enslaved demon), amongst other items there are not the best for this build.
Soloing GR26 is very easy. Need to try higher, but playing with friends a lot so need to make time :-)
Can't link my build as I'm playing on the PS4.
Hi,
Thanks for your Guide.
I like this gameplay, and build... But I see that the big problem with this build is the Guardian. Kill the mob it's ok, but the Guardian is problem, for this I prefer the classic build tal rasha ranged. Same THIS