s17 invoker crusader newbie

[arylexin 0]

https://us.diablo3.com/en/profile/Arylexin-1204/hero/112550810

I have the 6p invoker set, and am framing my build off of the icyveins model. I have decent but not perfect rolls on my pieces. I dont yet have compass rose/traveler's pledge so i am using placeholders with some ok stats until I get it to drop. I don't have a pigsticker so I'm using Hack. 

my question is, I can tear through tX like its nothing but at T13 I die constantly (from exploding/molten/poison mobs, hard hitting mobs, etc). I have over 6500 vitality on my character, which i've read is enough  for t13. What am I missing that will allow me to survive/thrive in t13 and higher?

thanks, 

Arylexin

[Yolo 40]

5 hours ago, arylexin said:

https://us.diablo3.com/en/profile/Arylexin-1204/hero/112550810

I have the 6p invoker set, and am framing my build off of the icyveins model. I have decent but not perfect rolls on my pieces. I dont yet have compass rose/traveler's pledge so i am using placeholders with some ok stats until I get it to drop. I don't have a pigsticker so I'm using Hack. 

my question is, I can tear through tX like its nothing but at T13 I die constantly (from exploding/molten/poison mobs, hard hitting mobs, etc). I have over 6500 vitality on my character, which i've read is enough  for t13. What am I missing that will allow me to survive/thrive in t13 and higher?

thanks, 

Arylexin

I can't see your rolls yet (writing from phone) but i recommend you change all of your chest and Pants gems for diamonds, and reroll any Critical, armor and regenerate life rolls to all resistance. All resistance works differently from wow-it works with every damage you take, even physical

Also recommend to change lord commander to hold your ground or renewal. And dont kill trash, focus on elites, pop cooldowns and as soon as they die, horse away and search for the next. 

[Knutsanity 15]

I second hold your ground, will keep minimum defence up without provoke going, from adding to the justice lantern. Also resist All, but I can't imagine not having an esoteric leg gem in, once you get your necklace, or now for the bane of the powerful. Or switch to resist all for sure though. I'd go for esoteric, boyarsky's chip and bane of the stricken. Some maniacs go without esoteric leaving room for B o t trapped though. You can switch your shoulder area damage roll to a much more useful 15% life. You can switch from the attack speed law to the resistance law. I think you need more ancients, have a couple wasted rolls on things like resource cost, you can grow a lot offensively for this build with the weapon and boyarsky's. But that isn't the point of course. It is supposed to take a while to find perfect or close too gear. 
Point is, once you have better gear slowly but surely, you can go all resist all gems, with a couple rolls too, or you can go with the esoteric. You can not do neither. Now before you fine tune that gear, you certainly can't do neither. Even with the extra dmg reduction and dmg from the endless walk set you need that defence. 
But since it may be a journey may I suggest balancing as you go. Esoteric for now, and then swapping the attack speed law with the resistance law depending on if toughness or offence is keeping you from progressing as you go. 

[arylexin 0]

thanks guys tonight i got pig sticker, completed my endless Walk set (albeit with bad rolls), ran with Bane of the trapped, boyarsky, and bane of the powerful and I just cleared solo GR70 without dying, though i did have to run away and heal/cooldowns a few times. I'm learning how GR is different than farming: dont charge right into the middle of the pack and overcommit! Skip parts that look stupid. I also got primal ancient invoker boots on my very first gr70 clear, heck yeah. I'll look into esoteric alteration.

[Yolo 40]

3 hours ago, arylexin said:

thanks guys tonight i got pig sticker, completed my endless Walk set (albeit with bad rolls), ran with Bane of the trapped, boyarsky, and bane of the powerful and I just cleared solo GR70 without dying, though i did have to run away and heal/cooldowns a few times. I'm learning how GR is different than farming: dont charge right into the middle of the pack and overcommit! Skip parts that look stupid. I also got primal ancient invoker boots on my very first gr70 clear, heck yeah. I'll look into esoteric alteration.

Gg on your 70 and first primal! 

With set bonuses buffed to nuts, i also support leaning towards defense while low on paragon and not perfect rolls. Once you feel you survive everything but low on damage, you can go towards offense.

And replace your iron skin rune to the Thorns boosting one. It bumps up your damage a lot. 

[Knutsanity 15]

Oh yeah that Iron Skin rune is massive, X3 dmg for 4 seconds really. use it for every pack of elites. Sometimes offence is defence, and killing elites faster can be great defence. 
However, with an attack speed close range build, which thorns is, it is best to never have to run away. The offence can get you to  GR 100 in this build fairly quickly, of course especially if you never run away. For that reason don't just look into esoteric, let it help you become a tank up to GR 95 at least. Esoteric after lvl 25 is phenomenal, and you can get it to 50% elemental resistance fairly quickly. Not having to run away, using all your cooldown skills as much as possible, the pig sticker, and bane of the stricken (amazing for high attack speed builds) will get you well past 90 as is. Over committing is great when you're a tank! ?

Unreal drop, that's so awesome! I was convinced you never get primals for the build you are wearing. I like to pretend my bad luck is designed I guess. I got a, useless for the build, ring for my first, was so proud of it, was able to put thorns on it in the enchantress, and just because it was wearable at the time and my first primal I added a caldessan recipe to it in the cube, and finally only recently took it off. I still don't have a primal set piece that I planned on using. ( got 2, 1 I died with wearing it on the wrong character "temporarily" or was supposed to be, 1 I changed my build for slightly to incorporate and have been making great use of it since)