Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Chain Reaction, Pyromaniac, Explosives Expert, and Born in the Shadows. The Coated Shrapnel jewel is a legacy jewel in standard that can be used in the blue circle above to cause your traps to poison enemies and adds high physical damage to your traps. The Charge Mastery is also important for a chance to generate an Endurance, Frenzy, or Power charge on kill. Ghost Dance can be taken for a strong defensive node that regenerates a high amount of energy shield when hit. The Reservation Mastery and Mana Mastery should also be taken for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use another reservation skill. Make sure and take a healthy amount of the nearby life percent nodes on the tree for survival. Note: The skill tree image in the image above is updated for the new season (3.25).

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Defensive Layers

The Born in the Shadows ascendancy blinds nearby enemies and reduces your damage taken from blinded enemies by 15%. Summon Skitterbots Chills and Shocks enemies which lowers their action speed, increases enemies damage taken, increases your critical strike chance, and gives elemental resistance penetration with the Explosives Expert ascendancy. This build also has the defensive advantage of attacking from a distance with a shield which improves your survival. 

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Gems

 

Weapon (3-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support

 

Shield (3-link)

Cold Snap (keep at a low level)

Cast When Damage Taken Support (keep at level one so it triggers more often)

Clarity

 

Armour (6-link)

Explosive Trap of Shrapnel

Trap and Mine Damage Support

Awakened Added Fire Damage Support

Cluster Trap Support

Inspiration Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

 

Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Summon Skitterbots

Herald of Purity

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Seismic Trap

Trap and Mine Damage Support

Awakened Added Fire Damage Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

 

Boots (4-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Culling Strike Support

Minion Life Support

Flame Dash

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Clarity is important for the high mana cost of the build and provides high mana regeneration. Summon Skitterbots is selected to Chill and Shock and gives increased critical strike chance and damage penetrates 10% of elemental resistances with the Explosives Expert ascendancy. Herald of Purity should also be equipped to increase your physical damage and summons four extra targets for enemies to attack. Herald of Purity should be used once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Reservation Mastery, the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery, and a leveled Enlighten Support to lower the mana reservation cost of your skills.

 

Gem Notes​​​

1. Steelskin is the recommended guard skill for this build because Immortal Call requires you to use potions more often and Molten Shell requires very high armour to be effective.

2. Explosive Trap of Shrapnel is a new transfigured gem that makes Explosive Trap have screen wide damage. It should be paired with Seismic Trap for an added burst trap that can be used with Explosive Trap of Shrapnel on tough fights.

3. Cold Snap is used to give a 25% chance to generate a Frenzy charge when an enemy dies in its skill effect area.

4. Summon Flame Golem gives a 20% damage increase, kills enemies at 10% life with Culling Strike Support, gives fire exposure with Elemental Army Support, and provides an extra target for enemies to attack.

5. The Explosive Trap of Shrapnel Saboteur build is the best trap build in the game currently but if you would prefer a Shadow with a bow attack playstyle you can also check out the Toxic Rain Trickster Guide here Toxic Rain Trickster Guide.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Spell Dagger of Wand

This weapon should have +1 to level of physical spell skill gems, high spell damage, increased critical strike chance for spells, increased critical strike multiplier, and ideally increased mana. You should also add 1% increased area of effect per 4% quality at the Horticrafting Station which can be added to your hideout with the edit option.

 

Shield

Rare Physical Spell Shield

Look for very high life, +1 to all physical spell skill gems, increased critical strike chance for spells, increased spell damage, optionally resistances, and you can optionally add a 5% chance to deal double damage at the crafting bench.

Lioneye's Remorse

The budget option gives up to 210 life and very high armor especially if you can get the legacy version in the standard league.

 

Armour

Belly of the Beast

This defensive armour gives up to 40% increased life, 15% increased elemental resistances, 50% increased life flask recovery, and allows you to allocate more damage on the tree. A +2 to level of socketed trap and mine gems corruption is also an option. The Tinkerskin armour is not recommended because it requires more life nodes from the tree with little offensive benefits.

 

Helmet

Rare Archdemon Crown

This helmet base applies all three elemental exposures on hit but has the downside of reducing your elemental resistances by 10%. Normally you would want fire exposure as an implicit modifier on your gloves but with this build you should use physical damage converted to fire damage on your gloves instead. This helmet should have high life, high strength, high resistances, and +1 or +2 to level of socketed AoE gems with increased area of effect.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, life percent, resistances, increased damage, and an abyssal socket. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the belt to increase its life bonus.

Abyss Jewel

Look for an abyss jewel with high life, energy shield, increased critical strike chance, and added physical damage to spells.

 

Gloves

Rare Physical to Fire Damage Gloves

These gloves can have high life, 30%+ physical damage converted to fire damage, resistances, and spell suppression. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors on your gloves to add increased trap throwing speed and physical damage converted to fire damage so that Explosive Trap of Shrapnel has all of its physical damage converted to fire damage. Trap and Mine gloves are not recommended because physical damage converted to fire damage is a huge damage multiplier for Fire Trap of Shrapnel which is your primary damage skill.

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Boots

Rare Boots

Look for high life, high strength, resistances, movement speed, and spell suppression. Tailwind and Onslaught don't trigger when using traps. You should use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll a chance to avoid elemental ailments and a chance to avoid being Frozen because you will already be immune to Shock and Ignite with your ascendancy.

 

Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for an amulet with modifiers like high attributes, high life, physical damage as extra fire damage, increased critical strike chance, increased critical strike multiplier, and optionally +1 to level of all physical spell skill gems. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the amulet to increase its life bonus.

Carnage Heart

This amulet is the budget option for up to 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. You can also use Prismatic Catalysts on the amulet to increase its resistances or Intrinsic Catalysts to increase its attribute bonus.

 

Rings

Rare Flammability Ring

Look for Flammability on hit, high life, strength, resistances, and add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their life bonuses and reduced mana costs.

Rare Ring

Look for high life, energy shield, increased critical strike chance, resistances, and add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench.

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Tattoo (Standard Only)

Honoured Tattoo of the Hunter

This tattoo can replace a 30 dexterity node on the tree to give +1 to Level of All Dexterity Skill Gems.

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Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Gives 40% increased damage, consecrated ground, 150% increased critical strike chance, and 10% increased damage to enemies on consecrated ground. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when it has full charges.

Rumi's Concoction (legacy is better)

Gives 1500 armour, 12% increased attack block, and 6% increased spell block. The legacy version is much better and gives higher block chances. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when it has full charges.

Diamond Flask

Gain 100% increased critical strike chance. Try and roll Bleeding and Corrupted Blood immunity during effect and use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you are Bleeding.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Heart of Flame for 30% increased fire damage and damage penetrates 6% fire resistance at Cassia using a Teal Oil, Azure Oil, and Golden Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: Summon Skitterbots Has 45% Increased Mana Reservation Efficiency (which eliminated the need for extra mana)

Gloves: Commandment of Blades

Feet: 120% Increased Critical Strike Chance if You Haven't Crit Recently

Belt: Enemies Blinded By You Have 30% Reduced Critical Strike Chance

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Bandits

The best bandit to help in Act 2 is Alira because she gives 15% to all elemental resistances which allows you to focus more on damage from your equipment. If you don't need the resistances you can kill all three bandits instead for 1 passive skill point.

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Pantheon

Soul of Solaris is the best major Pantheon power and gives 6% reduced physical damage taken when only one enemy is present, a 20% chance to take 50% less area damage, 8% reduced elemental damage taken if you haven't been hit recently, take no extra damage from critical strikes if you've been hit with a critical strike recently, and a 50% chance to avoid elemental ailments from critical strikes. Soul of Abberath is the best minor power to help maintain energy shield and gives 60% less Ignite duration on you, makes you unaffected by burning ground, and gives 10% increased movement speed on burning ground.

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Leveling Gear

 

Weapon

Lifesprigs

You can use two level one Lifesprigs that each give 40% increased spell damage, +1 to level of socketed spell gems, increased cast speed, life, mana, and life regeneration.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

A great level one offensive chest armour that has six white linked sockets. Any color skill gems and support gems can be linked together inside of it which allows you to deal much higher damage at an earlier level. You can also get a Tabula Rasa with a high increased damage corruption which also requires level one for fairly cheap from the trade site.

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Helmet

Goldrim

A strong level one resistance helmet with up to 40% increased elemental resistances and 10% increased rarity of items found.

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

These level one gloves give 15% increased attack speed, 15% increased cast speed, and a 15% chance to generate an Endurance, Power, or Frenzy Charge on kill.

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Boots

Wondertrap

Wondertrap can be equipped at level 9 and give up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed.

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Amulet

Tear of Purity

This amulet gives level 10 Purity of Elements, up to 20 to all attributes, 40 to life, 30 intelligence, and 10% increased elemental resistances. The Purity of Elements aura can also greatly increase your elemental resistances for a 50% mana reservation cost.

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Rings

Perandus Signets

You can use two Perandus Signets at level one that each give up to 65% mana regeneration, 65 mana, 2% increased intelligence for each unique item equipped, and 2% increased experience.

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Flasks

Quicksilver Flask

This flask can be used at level four for 40% increased movement speed and can have increased movement speed as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Silver Flask

This flask gives Onslaught which increases your attack speed, cast speed, and movement speed as early as level 27 and you can also get increased movement speed as a second modifier. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Bottled Faith (use a Sulphur Flask for 40% increased damage if you can't afford Bottled Faith)

This endgame flask requires level 27 and gives 40% increased damage, creates consecrated ground, gives 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground, and increases enemies damage taken on consecrated ground.

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Leveling Gems

Explosive Trap of Shrapnel can be used as early as level one and is your endgame trap skill. Vitality is the best defensive aura for leveling by far and can be used as early as level 10. Make sure and pick up a Steelskin gem once you are level 4 and have at least 16 strength for a defensive guard skill. Dash also requires level 4 and should be used as your travel skill at early levels.

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Upgrades

You can upgrade your wands to two Ashcallers at level 12 for increased spell damage, high added fire damage to spells, a 10% chance to cover enemies in Ash on hit, and a chance to summon Level 10 Raging Spirits on kills. Carnage Heart is the budget amulet for this build and can be equipped as early as level 20 for up to 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. You can also upgrade to two Praxis ring at level 22 to reduce the mana costs of all skills by up to 16 which allows you to use utility flasks in the place of mana flasks. Many of the items in the leveling section above last all the way to the midgame where better items will become available.

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And that's all for this Explosive Trap of Shrapnel Guide! For more on Path of Exile you can view a guide here Endgame Guide.

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