First let me say, so there’s no misunderstandings, I’m just being inquisitive. 
Ok, so AZ is sufficient Freeze.
It’s such a bad deal that Stun on Smite has no effect on the chain. Does Fear have an effect on the chain (through gear or Echo) or does it operate like Smite?
No worries!
Yep!
Fear works just like Freeze or Stun, and can proc through the chain. But, it unfortunately makes enemies run away! If not for that fact, EF would probably be our best off-hand weapon (as is, it’s a fairly close second to AZ).
I cleared my next level GR 126 w/ 3:58 to spare. Only this time did use Echo instead of AZ (which I handed over to my Enchantress). And I used TS: Demoralize (slow movement) instead of Falter. When I Feared Elites they would run super slow mo. Now I know that I lost 50% dibs with Falter, but I picked up 2 breakpoints from 7 to 5, Fear for double damage and more DR from Demoralize. Not sure if this is a good trade off, but I’m messing around with it. What are your thoughts Rage?
Good job on the clear!
Regarding the EF/Demoralize setup you’re using, well, if it’s working for you, keep at it! Dropping Falter, though, is about a 25% damage loss. Personally I wouldn’t make that swap, but: different strokes for different folks!
H90 w/ Echo Fury
Just cleared GR 127 and it was ugly. I was casting WotB when I shouldn’t have (3×), I was uncommitted about what to kill, wasn’t casting TS… sheesh, but I cleared. I couldn’t decide whether spend my time on density so I could proc Echo Frenzy or not. 
I hear ya. I’m not a numbers guys, so I need to ask you, how valuable is or isn’t a breakpoint of 5 which is a 2 piont increase from 7? Demoralize keeps Elite from running which is something you had mentioned earlier. Would you do me a solid and take for a fews spins? Honestly, with your skill level… who knows what could happen.
Alright, I gave it a trial run.
First: going from 7f to 5f is a 40% damage increase. But, you’re not going to have stacks a good bit of the time, so the actual damage increase is going to be less than that.
I ran 130’s. Tried Aughild + EF + Demoralize and failed, then Aughild + EF + Falter and failed again. Then I switched to a CoE setup (using Mortick’s for bracer) and ran CoE + EF + Falter, and failed, then CoE + EF + Demoralize, and finally succeeded.
My gut reaction is that if one is going to run an EF setup, maybe it’s best to just pick everything that incentivizes density over stuff vs single target. So: CoE over Aughild, EF over AZ, Demoralize over Falter, and Rampage over WM/Brawler. And then you play it almost as a density-clearing build, though of course you’ll still kill those isolated elites.
After those runs, I swapped back to the “main” setup (Aughild, AZ, Falter) and knocked down a 130 no problem.
So, final analysis: I definitely think the standard setup is stronger. But, if you are going to use EF, then taking Demoralize is not a bad choice, especially if you take other stuff that works well against trash density (CoE, Rampage).
I almost cleared 127, but this Blue pack (at the 10:48 marker) cost me the rift and I don’t quite understand why (I had this Blue pack in a very confined space). The very next blue pack I took down quickly. Rage, what was my mistake? Was it that they kept disappear from time to time?
I appreciate you taking the time. Ok, so density will be key with EF for the obvious. It’s not as strong as Main, but I can live with that.
I’m going to stick with the above, because you know me, I favor DR over damage to a falt. And even though
performed better, I don’t find waiting for CoE to be much fun.
Yes. Terror demons are awful, particularly when they’re blue. I have a hunch that they may actually reset to 0 Stricken stacks whenever they do their vanishing act, which is definitely not helpful. Next time you see them, skip them, unless you have a Conduit.
Tried the Demoralize rune as per your testing. Used the CoE+EF setup. I actually found it really good at high GR so I can pin down running elites and even regular mob low HP targets to keep my stacks up. Great suggestions.
Thx for testing Rage.
You can really see the impact Demoralize has on the first Elite encounter in the video below.
Aughild + EF + Demoralize GR 128 clear.
I think I’ll try this setup: CoE + EF + Demoralize, after I get back from my camping trip.
Aughild + EF + Demoralize GR 129 clear.
Nice job on the clears, DH! Keep at it, I’m sure you’ll crack 130 soon.
I’m going to try to squeeze in a few rift tomorrow before a week long camping trip, we’ll see.
I’ll try CoE+EF+Demo later to clear a 124 (which will be my best) with a medium/good rift
Hey Rage, I’m curious, have you thought about what to replace FC with if we end up getting Illusory boots as an emanate.
Well, I wouldn’t replace it with anything, since it helps you move around quickly, which is very helpful. If you did replace it, you’d need Stomp to proc BoM, otherwise you’ll just die.
Haha, I forgot about, maybe even Frozen Charge.
Just noticed that the top seasonal H90 clear on the Asia server is using this setup. GR 131 @ 2341 paragon, augs 120-ish, gems at 130, so looks like SSF. So: very well done! Also noteworthy for using a Krelm’s bracer for Knockback and Stun immunity. Wonder if its somebody who followed this conversation!
How beneficial do you really think they are?
Side note: I’m just about ready to wrap up Weapon Throw/BT “not so guide” (I’ve learned a lot from reading y’alll guides). In these final stages, I’m testing 2 pieces H90 w/ IK, and at this point it’s not looking good. Your critiques will be welcomed. 