We're currently living in such exciting times since for the first time in a while, we actually have variation within a specific build. I'm curious to see what everyone's favorite generator is for UE:
1. Evasive Fire with cubed Thunderfury/Calamity, fairly cookie cutter and has stood the test of time
2. Entangling Shot with cubed Calamity, started surfacing in S3 especially in N6 builds, but criticized for its aiming requirement. Main pro? Provides for both BotT/CtW
3. Bolas with cubed Leonine, has only become a thing due to the introduction of the cube, the grouping meta, and the sort-of area damage fix
4. Elemental Arrow with cubed Kridershot, an up and comer requiring some bit of attack speed to really shine. This setup takes full advantage of the cold->fire CoE rotation and like ES, provides for BotT/CtW, but it does you one better, hits a butt load more targets!
Obviously there will always be one setup that shows up the most on the boards, and will be the one that most use, creating a cascading effect, but is there a hidden setup somewhere that we have yet to discover? I sure hope so! I for one have stuck to #1 for reasons that many have stuck to it, most hatred, ease of aim, and synergy with Iceblink, but is that hatred really so important now? Can we just play better and l2aim:D? And with cubed Thunderfury just around the corner, we've got options.
Feel free to toss in something not mentioned above that has really worked for you. I would add a poll, but I don't think that option is avail on mobile haha.
Whatever you do with generators, if it makes you shoot less MS in some way or another, you are not doing it right.
MS uptime is the key.
EF/F is top choice with high hatred re-gain and low aiming requirements.
ES/JiS works in synergy with MfD/ME due to 100% proc coeficient, and seems more suitable for setups with mid/low end RCR, although skill requirements are higher to make efficient use of it. I would not suggest Odyssey's End in cube, which results in over all a significant damage loss against Calamity.
Trying to buff generator by gear affix, legendary gem or cubing DD is not a good idea either. Only viable exception seems to be the Huntard's Wrath.
Seasonal and HC players' obvious belt choice is this along with the new legendary gem, while non-seasonal players might favor WH for a good chunk of dps gain in expanse of losing some toughness(!?) and risking resource management optimization.
I prefer the cubed Kridershot build with Frost Arrow. Yeah, you actually have to click on your target. But once it does it hits everything behind it. You do lose MfD, but, unless you are double stacking with Contagion and Calamity, you are better off procing BotT and CtW on more enemies and but you don't have to use IceBlink. As you upgrade your BotT, it gets begins to outperform the 40% you get from MfD. I prefer the benefit of Zei's over IceBlink. If IceBlink had a better 2ndary Affix. I can get the 10% CHC from Bait the Trap and I like the Caltrops to get the additional slows. I also prefer ES:Justice is Served over EV:Focus. With the new belt, those arrows get there really fast and you only lose 1 Hatred per cast. It's the same thing with this build you have to click on the monsters, but more so since you want to hit different targets each cast to spread out the slows. Still for raw damage EA:FA is really good.
I personally wish Blizzard would change out the way Omryn's Chain worked. I would prefer it to drop the Caltrop at the destination over the cast location. That way you wouldn't lose Discipline for the Caltrop and the vault using Bait the Trap. I would use an Ancient Omryn's over Witching Hour to get a lot of defense. I tried this set up in S3, I swapped it out for Witching Hour and free Caltrops are really nice to have. But overall, I wound up pushing solo with Witching Hour because of the drop mechanic.
I run ES/JiS, DML in Cube, HPS is my quiver (have a great one with +20% Fire/20 AS/10 CC Dex/Vit 12 Disc.
My rationale for ES/JiS that it will proc CtW and BotT which seems petty important to me since they are both separate multipliers to your damage, and I don't see Iceblink as viable (not for pushing anyway) since BotS is an absolute necessity for the RG.
Other aspects of my build vary based on mood. I have a GG Star of Az (840 Dex/10/100) and when I run that I also run the cookie cutter Cindercoat. However if I'm in a mood for all out DPS I run a hellfire with Steady Aim on it, I wear WH, I cube HW, wear shoulders with rcr (as versus AD) and select the Night Stalker passive. My sheet damage for fire is around 4.5 million at this point.
I also flip between two other skills, either Caltrops/BtT or Shadow Power/Gloom. Sometimes I cube an immunity amulet instead of CoE which means I'm running double immunity if I also have my Star equipped. Sadly,, even though I have very good gear, none of this has made my Hunter competitive with my Uliana Monk build, which frankly, I am almost forced to use when I'm in a group that is really pushing. It's not that the damage is that much better, but it is just so much more tanky and flexible (if you play it right). It sure works much better if there is an OP Barb and a Healing Monk in the group as well. I'm hopeful the next patch will offer a DH build that can be run in groups that are pushing, I remain convinced that Blizzard did not buff the new items enough in 2.3. My thoughts are for HW the generator speed increase should have matched the speed increase of mutishot and the generator damage range should have been 60-100 (not 45-60). Wraps of Clarity should have been 40-55% damage reduction. With these changes I think the UE set may have been a more viable option for group pushing.
ps another thing I sometimes do is swap out CoE for RRoG and wear some gg Magefists. I can get my sheet damage for fire to over 5 million with this setup. I acknowledge CoE is better for pushing, but for speed Grifting or Farming keys I find the consistent damage is better.
We're currently living in such exciting times since for the first time in a while, we actually have variation within a specific build. I'm curious to see what everyone's favorite generator is for UE:
1. Evasive Fire with cubed Thunderfury/Calamity, fairly cookie cutter and has stood the test of time
2. Entangling Shot with cubed Calamity, started surfacing in S3 especially in N6 builds, but criticized for its aiming requirement. Main pro? Provides for both BotT/CtW
3. Bolas with cubed Leonine, has only become a thing due to the introduction of the cube, the grouping meta, and the sort-of area damage fix
4. Elemental Arrow with cubed Kridershot, an up and comer requiring some bit of attack speed to really shine. This setup takes full advantage of the cold->fire CoE rotation and like ES, provides for BotT/CtW, but it does you one better, hits a butt load more targets!
Obviously there will always be one setup that shows up the most on the boards, and will be the one that most use, creating a cascading effect, but is there a hidden setup somewhere that we have yet to discover? I sure hope so! I for one have stuck to #1 for reasons that many have stuck to it, most hatred, ease of aim, and synergy with Iceblink, but is that hatred really so important now? Can we just play better and l2aim:D? And with cubed Thunderfury just around the corner, we've got options.
Feel free to toss in something not mentioned above that has really worked for you. I would add a poll, but I don't think that option is avail on mobile haha.
Toodles!
Season 7 Hardcore Demon Huntard #14 @ GR78
Unhallowed Essence Multishot Guide
Whatever you do with generators, if it makes you shoot less MS in some way or another, you are not doing it right.
MS uptime is the key.
EF/F is top choice with high hatred re-gain and low aiming requirements.
ES/JiS works in synergy with MfD/ME due to 100% proc coeficient, and seems more suitable for setups with mid/low end RCR, although skill requirements are higher to make efficient use of it. I would not suggest Odyssey's End in cube, which results in over all a significant damage loss against Calamity.
Trying to buff generator by gear affix, legendary gem or cubing DD is not a good idea either. Only viable exception seems to be the Huntard's Wrath.
Seasonal and HC players' obvious belt choice is this along with the new legendary gem, while non-seasonal players might favor WH for a good chunk of dps gain in expanse of losing some toughness(!?) and risking resource management optimization.
I prefer the cubed Kridershot build with Frost Arrow. Yeah, you actually have to click on your target. But once it does it hits everything behind it. You do lose MfD, but, unless you are double stacking with Contagion and Calamity, you are better off procing BotT and CtW on more enemies and but you don't have to use IceBlink. As you upgrade your BotT, it gets begins to outperform the 40% you get from MfD. I prefer the benefit of Zei's over IceBlink. If IceBlink had a better 2ndary Affix. I can get the 10% CHC from Bait the Trap and I like the Caltrops to get the additional slows. I also prefer ES:Justice is Served over EV:Focus. With the new belt, those arrows get there really fast and you only lose 1 Hatred per cast. It's the same thing with this build you have to click on the monsters, but more so since you want to hit different targets each cast to spread out the slows. Still for raw damage EA:FA is really good.
I personally wish Blizzard would change out the way Omryn's Chain worked. I would prefer it to drop the Caltrop at the destination over the cast location. That way you wouldn't lose Discipline for the Caltrop and the vault using Bait the Trap. I would use an Ancient Omryn's over Witching Hour to get a lot of defense. I tried this set up in S3, I swapped it out for Witching Hour and free Caltrops are really nice to have. But overall, I wound up pushing solo with Witching Hour because of the drop mechanic.
I run ES/JiS, DML in Cube, HPS is my quiver (have a great one with +20% Fire/20 AS/10 CC Dex/Vit 12 Disc.
My rationale for ES/JiS that it will proc CtW and BotT which seems petty important to me since they are both separate multipliers to your damage, and I don't see Iceblink as viable (not for pushing anyway) since BotS is an absolute necessity for the RG.
Other aspects of my build vary based on mood. I have a GG Star of Az (840 Dex/10/100) and when I run that I also run the cookie cutter Cindercoat. However if I'm in a mood for all out DPS I run a hellfire with Steady Aim on it, I wear WH, I cube HW, wear shoulders with rcr (as versus AD) and select the Night Stalker passive. My sheet damage for fire is around 4.5 million at this point.
I also flip between two other skills, either Caltrops/BtT or Shadow Power/Gloom. Sometimes I cube an immunity amulet instead of CoE which means I'm running double immunity if I also have my Star equipped. Sadly,, even though I have very good gear, none of this has made my Hunter competitive with my Uliana Monk build, which frankly, I am almost forced to use when I'm in a group that is really pushing. It's not that the damage is that much better, but it is just so much more tanky and flexible (if you play it right). It sure works much better if there is an OP Barb and a Healing Monk in the group as well. I'm hopeful the next patch will offer a DH build that can be run in groups that are pushing, I remain convinced that Blizzard did not buff the new items enough in 2.3. My thoughts are for HW the generator speed increase should have matched the speed increase of mutishot and the generator damage range should have been 60-100 (not 45-60). Wraps of Clarity should have been 40-55% damage reduction. With these changes I think the UE set may have been a more viable option for group pushing.
ps another thing I sometimes do is swap out CoE for RRoG and wear some gg Magefists. I can get my sheet damage for fire to over 5 million with this setup. I acknowledge CoE is better for pushing, but for speed Grifting or Farming keys I find the consistent damage is better.