Witch requires an attack skill investment?

I've run as a "main" character a (non-summoner) witch for the past couple of leagues focused on spell skills and found gearing for attack skills was a bit lackluster without very specific items or sacrificing spell-related tree/jewels/mods.

I recently gave a melee class a try and found it far easier to maintain large amounts of damage and survivability without such a narrow/specific focus of gear/tree choices. The 3.10 patch introduces some focus on wands as well as a few cases where attack choices are buffed, specifically for the witch.

First question: Is there a relatively safe/accessible (non-summoner) choice for investment in clearing end game content that involves an attack skill that I should know about, for witches? I'd love to go with arma or storm brand spell skill again as a focus, as a witch, but it seems like I'd be better off with a templar or shadow to properly supplement a brand with also an +attack investment.

Second question: Is the design intent here with 3.10 emphasizing that witch as a class -must- invest in attack skill/gearing, in order to be viable for end game content?

I often end up at a point of inflection where survivability falls off, and investment in defense ends up making damage progression invert. The biggest challenge, in my novice view is attack focused skills can benefit from life leech where spell skills can really only benefit from energy leech, which for spells means forcing an +es tree/gear build.

Hopefully this comes across as constructive and not critical! I'm willing to give a witch + spell-caster another try this league (brand-mapping is fun!), but due to massive end-game disappointment from the last 2 leagues I'm likely to only consider this as a secondary character and not my main.. unless there's compelling argument otherwise.

Thanks!