Hello everyone! This is a follow-up post to the video I posted earlier today, where I showcased a new way to become immortal in a party (and we did some lvl 28 ubers for the memes). In this post I will explain how it works exactly, and go over some of our troubles during the past leagues with this support.

What is Vampiric Link?

Introduced in 3.16, Vampiric Link is a vastly underused link skill that causes the leech of the user to apply to the linked targets. It gives the user overleech and applies the recovery from the leech to the linked targets instead. It also sets the linked target's 'maximum total life recovery per second from leech' to the user's instead. But the most important part here, is the FLAT bonus Vampiric Link provides to the user to their 'maximum total life recovery per second from leech'. To clarify, the base recovery per second from life leech is 20% of your maximum life. Using a lvl 20 Vampiric Link without any buff effect will boost this to 25.8%, before any other multipliers apply (the multipliers being 'increased maximum total life recovery per second from leech' and Vaal Pact).

Vampiric Link with Strength of Blood

Previous immortal builds were using the keystone 'Strength of Blood', provided by Lethal Pride Timeless Jewels, in order to get 100% less damage taken. If you can somehow leech 200% of your maximum life per second, you would be literally immortal: 100% less damage taken FROM ALL SOURCES.
Previously it was possible to reach this 200% of life leeched per second by scaling both 'maximum total life recovery per second from leech' and 'increased life recovery rate', but that got patched and with that, solo immortal builds got killed. It is no longer possible to reach 200% of life leeched per second using just the sources of 'maximum total life recovery per second from leech', the maximum possible is ~114% (details on this number below).
However, with the fact that Vampiric Link adds a flat amount of leech cap to the base 20%, it is now possible to reach the 200% of life leeched per second again. Our fully juiced level 32 Anomalous Vampiric Link with with 92% quality and a ton of buff effect adds a flat amount of 14.48% flat to our leech cap, which is basically 75% more leech. With this, it is possible to reach the infamous 200% of life leeched per second again!
The only difference with using Vampiric Link, however, is that the leech applies to the linked targets instead of to the users. The person that is leeching can not use SoB to become immortal, however all of the linked targets can. This means that we can have one person that stacks all of the sources of 'maximum total life recovery per second from leech', somehow leeches 200% of their life per second, links 1-5 other players in the party and those players will leech 200% of their maximum life per second. If those players then have SoB allocated, they will have 100% less damage taken, allowing them to go full glass cannon Zhp builds.
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Reaching 200% leech cap

In order to reach 200% of our life leeched per second, we can invest in a couple of stats:

• 'increased maximum total life recovery per second from leech', a multiplier to our leech cap
• Link buff effect (which got buffed this league on the passive tree, huge!)
• Vampiric Link level, each level increases the flat amount that the buff adds to our base leech cap
• Vampiric Link Quality, using Anomalous Vampiric Link this provides 'increased link buff effect'. Fun fact: this alternate quality was bugged before and did not give any effect. We reported it and GGG patched it the next league. Thanks GGG!

Let's go over these sources and see how we reached the 200% leech cap with our Champion Support (POB above). To start off, we will grab the following sources of 'increased maximum total life recovery per second from leech':

• 90% on the tree (Hematophagy + 2 small nodes in front, Vitality Void, Taste for Blood and 25% leech Mastery
• 20% on Elevated Crusader Influenced Gloves
• 35% on a Crusader Influenced Simplex Amulet with Life and Mana Catalysts
• 48% on Replica Soul Strike (using a bow with '20% increased bonuses gained from equipped quiver')

This brings us to a total of 193% 'increased maximum total life recovery per second from leech', that's a lot!
*A quick side note on the usage of Replica Soul Strike: for those who do not understand leech it basically reduces your leech packet duration to 1 second from 5 seconds, since it gives '80% reduced maximum recovery per life leech'. We counter this by allocating the Slayer node 'Brutal Fervour' using Forbidden Flame + Flesh, giving us a total of '4% increased maximum recovery per life leech' (not 20% because we have '20% increased bonuses gained from equipped quiver'). Another way to counter this leech duration would be by using 'Divergent Life Leech Support', however we tested that and it seems that this alternate quality is bugged and does not apply at all. We submitted a bug report in order to get it fixed.
We also grab two link clusters on the passive tree, namely 'Empowered Bond' and 'Inspiring Bond'. 'Empowered Bond' gives Vampiric Link +2 levels and the small passives give us 15% link buff effect. 'Inspiring Bond' gives us 20% link buff effect if we have linked recently (in the past 4 seconds).
Using this bow
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Immortal Support Bow
we get a lvl 32 Anomalous Vampiric Link with 92% quality (using a 20/20 gem, lvl 3 Empower, lvl 4 Enhance and +2 levels from the passive tree).
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So in total we have 81% increased link buff effect, which gives us 8*1.81=+14.48% flat to our leech base cap of 20%. This 34.48 base is then multiplied by our 'increased maximum recovery bla bla' (this is getting annoying to write lol) for a total of 34.48*2.93=101.03% leech cap, which is then doubled by Vaal Pact to 202.06%!
Because these calculations were becoming very annoying to do each time we made a small change to our builds, we created a simple calculator to do it for us :)
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Having consistent leech

Now that it is possible to reach the 200% leech cap, we need to find a way to make the support leech as well. If the support leeches 200% of their life per second, Vampiric Link will then cause the linked targets to leech 200% of their life instead.
It is very hard to leech 200% of your life per second, especially when we want to be able to leech when there are no monsters around (this is needed when your carry and aurabot are glass cannons). We came up with a couple of options:
- Self-hitting with the flask mod 'Damage taken leeched as life during flask effect'.
- Devouring Totem with consistent corpse generation (e.g. Corpsewalkers).
- Herald of Thunder Autobomber using 'Vessel of Vinktar' and 'The Writhing Jar' (and 'The Traitor' Keystone if not pathfinder).
In the end we ended up using the last two methods, as we encountered issues with recovering the self-inflicted damage (more on recovery in the next section). By combining the last two methods, we have incredible uptime on our leech. This is important because if we are not leeching for a single second, our carry and aurabot would die to any damage taken.
We scale the leeched life using multiple sources of 'increased total recovery per second from life leech', with the bulk of this stat coming from a catalysed, max rolled 'Wurm's Molt'.
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Becoming Tanky

One of the main hurdles we had to overcome was making this 'Immortal Support' as tanky as we could, because it would be the 'weakest link' in our defences. Because we are using both 'Vaal Pact' and Vampiric Link, we do not have access to life regeneration or life leech. This makes it really hard to get decent recovery without having to invest too much. Luckily, this league introduced a way to become 'immune' to small hits using just two jewels, 'Bloodnotch' and 'Immutable Force'. If you don't understand how these work by now, I heavily recommend checking them out because together they form a very strong defence layer. This combo becomes even stronger if you also include the Champion node 'First to Strike, Last to Fall' with the Stun Mastery 'Gain Adrenaline when stunned'.
We started using this combo on the third day of Crucible start, and have been very tanky ever since. Because we have an aurabot as well, our main defences would be (with non-optimal gear):

• 4.6k Life
• 89% Elemental Resistances
• 75% Chaos Resistance
• 200k Armour
• Fortify
• Taunt
• 85% suppression

Together with 'Vaal Arctic Armour', this was enough to tank Uber Maven Memory Games.
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Abusing Immortality on Carry and Aurabot

We could now build a DPS carry and an Aurabot as absolute glass cannons. This means that after equipping a Lethal Pride and allocating the 'Strength of Blood' nodes, these builds would not have to invest into ANY defence. This resulted in some crazy builds, pushing our total burst damage to somewhere between 3 and 5 billion dps using Stormbind.
Carry:
For the carry we decided on using a power charge stacking Occultist, mostly because A) our carry really likes playing Occultist and B) it allows for some crazy AoE scaling which is really good for Stormbind. The carry uses righteous fire (which deals no damage because 100% less damage taken), reverses 50% of their life for 'Pain Attunement' and uses 'The Annihilating Light' without capping their resists.
Aurabot:
Being Zhp allows the aurabot to not invest into any defences. This means that our aurabot was using 'Eldritch Battery' to easily support one of their auras with 'Divine Blessing' without investing in 'Reduced mana cost'. The aurabot also picks up as much 'increased aura effect' as possible, and uses three 'Voices' setups with small reservation clusters. Also most of the auras are supported with 'Generosity', because the aurabot has no use for defences. This causes most of our defensive auras to reach 190%+ aura effect.
2-man party play:
Technically it is possible to play this support without an aurabot, however you would need to change a lot of stuff and have better gear for the Immortality support. The passive tree for the support is quite tight, and so is the gearing. However, I do think it is possible to do with more investment.
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POB's

- Immortal Support (Champion): https://pobb.in/dOBdI2QzYeiy
- Zhp Stormbind Carry (Occultist, still on a 4link): https://pobb.in/13sCkQ3zzDiP
- Zhp Aurabot (Ascendant): https://pobb.in/_4TJT1w0Wm51
- Zhp Markbot (Deadeye): https://pobb.in/sN1oKcSePZ5N
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(Accidental?) stealth nerfs at Crucible League Launch

Originally we had slightly different plans for our league start. Instead of using a Champion, we wanted to use a Pathfinder since the new life flask node would solve our recovery issues. However, we were under the assumption that the buff that Vampiric Link provides would stack PER PLAYER LINKED. This would mean that 1 link would give a flat bonus of ~+14% to our base leech cap, but 2 links would give us 28%. In the previous leagues, this was how Vampiric Link worked. However, as soon as we hit act 5 on league start we wanted to confirm if it was still the case since GGG did some changes to the link skills on the passive tree. And to our disappointment we discovered that it no longer stacked.
You see, because the buff was stacking per link we did not have to use Replica Soul Rtrike, which in turn meant that we did not have to allocate the Slayer node in order to increase our leech duration. But because GGG changed the way link skills work (without putting it in the patch notes, if they even knew Vampiric Link buff stacked in the first place), we had to change our plans to a Champion instead using the Forbidden Jewels.
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3.19: Lake of Kalandra Changes

We originally created this comp in Lake of Kalandra League, where we decided to do this in a private league with ~10 people playing. We wanted to do a 6-man party, so that meant we first had to farm 5 Lethal Prides PainChamp. In Kalandra league, the buff of Vampiric Link still stacked so we had a very easy time hitting the 200% leech cap. We were also playing as a Trickster instead of a Champion, using 'Coruscating Elixir' in order to utilize ES instead of Life solving our recovery issues. We also used mirrored jewellery with 'increased curse effect on you' and used self-curse Temp Chains in order to increase both our link duration and (potentially) leech duration.
However, back then we did not have the link QOL that we have now (link two targets as once) and keeping up 5 links in a 6 man party was very hectic and stressful, especially in a bossing scenario. It was, however, a ton of fun to pull that off in a private league!
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Solo Immortality

We did some more theorycrafting in order to find out if this tech can be used for a solo build. WARNING: The following tech is extremely scuffed, we do not recommend doing this.
The main issue with doing this for a solo build is that fact that you still need to use Vampiric Link in order to reach 200% leech cap. This means that you are going to have to link to your minions. However, if your minions die you will also die.
We discovered that it is possible to link to your minions with Vampiric Link, fill a leech packet with enough leech to last for 5+ seconds (longer with temporal chains, slayer, divergent life leech support which is still bugged and doesnt work) and then weapon swap back. Weapon swapping desummons the minions, but does not cause you to die. You then have immortality for the full duration of the leech, and once it expires you have to weapon swap (preferably to a 'summons spectral spirits' essence weapon), link, leech and weapon swap back. Very scuffed, and it requires further testing for sure!
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Conclusion

This was quite the journey, over the past 6 months me and 2 of my close friends spent countless hours coming up and testing these builds! I'm glad to finally make this post and reveal our tech to the rest of the player-base, hopefully you all get to play this before GGG patches it :)
Thanks for reading!

This is article 3/10 in Part I of our series, How To Build Wealth and Grow Your Wealth Through Staking. We’ll discuss alternative investments and how they can make valuable additions to your portfolio. We hope you learn something and enjoy!
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Key Takeaways

1. Commodities, like precious metals, oil, timber and wheat
2. Futures contracts
3. Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)
4. Stocks in exploration and production companies
5. Infrastructure assets
6. Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs)
7. Cryptocurrencies
8. Collectibles
9. Private equity
10. Private credit
11. Hedge funds
12. Venture capital

For links to resources in the article and to see the FAQs, please read this article on our blog.

Types of Alternative Investments

If you are looking to build wealth, alternative investments might be something to consider. They can provide diversification and potentially higher returns than traditional investments, like stocks, bonds, or real estate.
It’s important to note that alternative investments come with a higher level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors.
Some examples of alternative investments include:
1. Commodities like gold, oil, timber, and wheat can act as a hedge against inflation and add diversification to a portfolio.
These types of investments are often volatile, but can also provide a good return over the long term.
There are several ways to invest in commodities, including:

• Futures Contracts can be bought or sold for commodities such as crude oil, gold, and agricultural products. These contracts allow investors to speculate on the future price of the commodity at a future date.
• Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) provide investors with exposure to a basket of commodities and can be bought and sold like stocks.
• Mutual funds that invest in commodities or companies involved in the commodity industry.
• Some investors choose to hold physical commodities such as gold bullion or silver coins.
• Investing in stocks of companies involved in commodity production and exploration, like mining or oil companies.

2. Infrastructure assets like roads, bridges, and airports can provide a stable source of income and can be a good hedge against inflation.
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These investments can be made through infrastructure funds, municipal bonds, or by directly investing in infrastructure projects.
3. A Master Limited Partnership (MLP) is a type of business structure. They are usually formed by companies in the energy sector to raise capital for expansion and growth.
MLPs are structured as partnerships, rather than taxed at the corporate level. They avoid double taxation and pay out a significant portion of their income to shareholders as dividends.
As a result, MLPs are attractive to income-focused investors.
4. Cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin and Ethereum use cryptography for security. Cryptocurrencies are decentralized and operate on a blockchain.
Public blockchains are transaction databases that function as distributed ledgers. Transaction records are kept by decentralized miners and validators, instead of on a centralized corporate server.
These blockchains operate independently of governments and central banks.
We run validator nodes that create and verify blocks for Polygon, Cosmos Hub, and Kava.
There are risks associated with investing in cryptocurrency. The lack of oversight and regulation can make crypto investors more susceptible to fraud and hacking.
Plus, cryptocurrency values can fluctuate rapidly, so it can be difficult to value and predict the performance of these investments.
5. Collectibles, like art, rare coins, stamps, and vintage wines are alternative investments. They can be illiquid, however. That means that in the event of a financial emergency, it may be difficult to sell the collectible quickly or at a fair price.
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Alternative investments, like collectibles, may require a high level of expertise to make money.
For example, investing in fine art requires knowledge of the art market, the value of different artists, and knowing how to value its condition.
Similarly, investing in rare coins, stamps, or vintage wines requires knowledge of those markets. You must know the rarity, condition, and historical significance.
6. Private equity investments are ownership stakes in a private company or a portfolio of private companies.
These investments are usually only made available to institutional investors or high-net-worth individuals. These investments are not publicly traded on stock exchanges.
Private equity firms typically aim to generate returns through a combination of operational improvements and financial engineering.
Examples are leveraged buyouts, growth capital investments, and turnaround investments. They are considered to be high-risk, high-return opportunities that are not suitable for all investors.
7. Private credit investments allow high-net-worth individuals to lend money to private institutions. These loans offer higher yields than many publicly traded bonds, but can be difficult to sell if you need money fast.
8. Hedge funds use a variety of investment strategies, like long/short, leverage, and derivatives to generate returns.
Hedge funds can be a good option for investors who are willing to accept higher levels of risk in exchange for potentially higher returns.
They are generally only available for accredited investors, having $1 million or more liquid net worth.
9. Venture Capital invests in early-stage startups and can be a high-risk, high-reward option for investors. VC investments typically require a significant amount of capital and a long-term time horizon.
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Well-known VC companies are Andreessen Horowitz, Pantera Capital, and Sequoia Capital.
Alternative investment management fees, performance fees, and transaction fees may be high. These fees reduce your returns and should be considered.
Another important factor to consider is the level of expertise required. Venture capital, private equity, private credit, and hedge funds require a high level of knowledge. They are less suitable for the average investor, but alternative investments like real estate and commodities can be more accessible to the average investor. These investments are often easier to understand.
Diversification is key. Investing in a variety of alternative investments can help spread out the risk and increase the chances of achieving your investment goals.
In addition, be aware of the tax implications of alternative investments.
Consult with a tax professional or financial advisor to understand how they may affect you.
Alternative investments include commodities, infrastructure assets, MLPs, cryptocurrencies, collectibles, private equity, hedge funds, and venture capital. They can generate higher returns than traditional investments, but it’s important to understand the level of expertise required, potential risks, tax implications, liquidity, and fee structure.
Be on the lookout for the next article in the How To Build Wealth Series: Alternative Investment: Affiliate Marketing.
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The information contained in this article and the resources available for download through our website is not intended as, and shall not be understood or construed as, financial advice. We are not attorneys, accountants or financial advisors, nor are we holding ourselves out to be. The information contained in this article is not a substitute for financial advice from a professional who is aware of the facts and circumstances of your individual situation. We have done our best to ensure that the information provided in this article and the resources available on our website are accurate and provide valuable information. Regardless of anything to the contrary, nothing available on or through this email should be understood as a recommendation that you should not consult with a financial professional to address your particular information. Blocks United expressly recommends that you seek advice from a professional. Neither Blocks United nor any of its employees or owners shall be held liable or responsible for any errors or omissions in this article, our website, or for any damage you may suffer as a result of failing to seek competent financial advice from a professional who is familiar with your situation.
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