How to take a build to the next level?

DPS: 7.03M
Effective HP: 60.62K
Life: 4.9K
Level: 95
Min budget

Overview

How to take a build to the next level? is a Path of Exile Pathfinder build by surfacelevelmaster, made for the Sentinel league (3.18). It is centered on Vaal Molten Shell and plays as a strength, spell, area, duration archetype. In Path of Building it reaches 7.03M DPS with 60.62K effective HP, 4.9K life, 745 energy shield. Key uniques include Darkscorn, The Devouring Diadem, Dendrobate, Impresence.

surfacelevelmaster's Notes

View thread

I have been playing a Pathfinder, Caustic Arrow Ballista poison build for a bit now and I am liking it a lot. It was not my league starter, but I am thinking of starting it next league as my only character. ( i normally roll a bunch and get bored of it in T16s.) All the gear is super cheap and available.

My question is around elevating it more than it is. I think that it is pretty much at a plateau as the upgrades are super expensive, but I was hoping there was some weird interaction that I was missing that would up the DPS. Survivability is great, so no problems there. I imported my character as it is and cleaned up the links and this is the PoB: https://pastebin.com/viZidV4K

I plan on getting the frenzy forbidden jewels, probably getting +1 arrow on my quiver to make the scourge arrow easier to land and that is about it. Currently flasks are 100% uptime, the onslaught drops for a few seconds every once and a while but it is okay. I use scourge arrow with infusing channeling for the damage boost and survivabilty. Withering step is just for moving faster and applying a stack of wither to start a boss. I have molten shell on left click and use vaal molten pretty liberally. The malevolence aura has a 20s duration and is pretty easy to keep up. Basic play style is to drop totems, charge scourge arrow for the buff when doing bosses, otherwise I don't really bother, drop totems and run around. It clears pretty quick and bosses melt pretty good. The character is pretty cheap, I am buying 6 linked dendrobates and double corrupting them right now.

With the frenzy generation and extra arrow making scourge land all 5 pods, it will be around 11M dps during focus window, around 6M dps outside of focus.

Am I missing something that will take this much higher? With expensive gear I can get to like 14M in PoB, but it is not worth the cost as it is clearing everything just fine right now. I am just wondering if I am missing some odd item affix, unique, or link tech that will boost it higher.