RF is my easiest build, but I play softcore. Unfortunately it is also my most expensive build, but it paid back after I got a Kaoms and a bringer of rain within my first five merciless dominus runs.
The stuff I bought for levelling my RF build ->
Ambus charge, Araku Tiki, and springleaf (9% regen on low lifee, useful for levelling while still using RF. Wore wondertrap until I was able to get to 65 and use RiseOfPhoenix, since I was essentially on low life)
Note that breakeven for RF requires that you have more %life regen than the damage you take. The rough formula is that if you add together all max fire resist + all % life regen the total should be more than 25 for breakeven. The full formula is actually:
R + r = (0.9 + 0.7(E/L)) x (0.25 - 0.01F)
Where
F = +%Max Fire Resist
E/L = ratio of max energy shield to life. At about 16% the rough formula works exactly. at 0% you can count life regen as giving a 10% bonus in the rough formula. As energy shield gets higher it gets much harder to reach equilibrium.
R + r is the percent regen (r is the % low life regen. If you exclude the lowlife regen and you are still above the damage taken then you can run RF permanently on high life)
My current gear cost (in standard):
RoF 2EX
Carcass Jack 20C (I managed to 5 socket 5 link it rather quickly, but getting the right colours for the perfect RF took me way more chromatics than it should have)
2x Red beaks on switch (one 20C I ripped myself off, one 3C)
Perandus Blazon (dropped)
BrightBeak (2c)
Blood Dance (Dropped just as I was looking to trade for one. Unfortunately has only 21% chance of frenzy charge on kill. Bought a 22% one later for 20 C)
So the build basically cost me every orb I had collected since the start of playing the game, but by level 70 had pretty much found everything for my other 10 or so characters. It's amazing how many damage multipliers it gets:
AoE multiplier (from passives and conc effect)
%Life increase / + life / +Energy shield (from passives and gear - seriously though avoid the energy shield. You are forced to have about 16% from Phoenix and CarJack already))
% burning damage (from passives and gem)
% max damage on low life (200% from readbeaks on switch)
% fire resistance reduction (From flamability, I use cyclone and brightbeak to apply it. If I get lucky on vaaling an amulit for +1 curse I could also get ele weakness which I have casting on damage taken)
A very rough Idea of my DPS at level 75;
3K (Life) + 600 ES = 1800 base damage
AOE = ~40%
Burning damage = ~120 % from passives and gem
max damage from redbeaks = 200%
flamability = ~20%
Total? = 20k DPS
This is about 7 times higher than any of my other characters, and basically only requires me to stand around (or move towards archers then stand around). Things basically die as you run past them, so maps like mountain ledge is just run from one end to the other and stop if something interesting drops.
Other RF players have better DPS numbers than this, but I've put some investment into + blocking, and probably took a couple too many %life regen passives (all except the ranger one)
The stuff I bought for levelling my RF build ->
Ambus charge, Araku Tiki, and springleaf (9% regen on low lifee, useful for levelling while still using RF. Wore wondertrap until I was able to get to 65 and use RiseOfPhoenix, since I was essentially on low life)
Note that breakeven for RF requires that you have more %life regen than the damage you take. The rough formula is that if you add together all max fire resist + all % life regen the total should be more than 25 for breakeven. The full formula is actually:
R + r = (0.9 + 0.7(E/L)) x (0.25 - 0.01F)
Where
F = +%Max Fire Resist
E/L = ratio of max energy shield to life. At about 16% the rough formula works exactly. at 0% you can count life regen as giving a 10% bonus in the rough formula. As energy shield gets higher it gets much harder to reach equilibrium.
R + r is the percent regen (r is the % low life regen. If you exclude the lowlife regen and you are still above the damage taken then you can run RF permanently on high life)
My current gear cost (in standard):
RoF 2EX
Carcass Jack 20C (I managed to 5 socket 5 link it rather quickly, but getting the right colours for the perfect RF took me way more chromatics than it should have)
2x Red beaks on switch (one 20C I ripped myself off, one 3C)
Perandus Blazon (dropped)
BrightBeak (2c)
Blood Dance (Dropped just as I was looking to trade for one. Unfortunately has only 21% chance of frenzy charge on kill. Bought a 22% one later for 20 C)
So the build basically cost me every orb I had collected since the start of playing the game, but by level 70 had pretty much found everything for my other 10 or so characters. It's amazing how many damage multipliers it gets:
AoE multiplier (from passives and conc effect)
%Life increase / + life / +Energy shield (from passives and gear - seriously though avoid the energy shield. You are forced to have about 16% from Phoenix and CarJack already))
% burning damage (from passives and gem)
% max damage on low life (200% from readbeaks on switch)
% fire resistance reduction (From flamability, I use cyclone and brightbeak to apply it. If I get lucky on vaaling an amulit for +1 curse I could also get ele weakness which I have casting on damage taken)
A very rough Idea of my DPS at level 75;
3K (Life) + 600 ES = 1800 base damage
AOE = ~40%
Burning damage = ~120 % from passives and gem
max damage from redbeaks = 200%
flamability = ~20%
Total? = 20k DPS
This is about 7 times higher than any of my other characters, and basically only requires me to stand around (or move towards archers then stand around). Things basically die as you run past them, so maps like mountain ledge is just run from one end to the other and stop if something interesting drops.
Other RF players have better DPS numbers than this, but I've put some investment into + blocking, and probably took a couple too many %life regen passives (all except the ranger one)