Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Explosives Expert, Demolitions Expert, Pyromaniac, and Born in the Shadows. The Reservation Mastery with Charisma is important for increased mana reservation efficiency so that you can use the recommended reservation skills and still have enough mana to cast your mines. The Resistance Mastery can provide a large amount of chaos resistance and can give Corrupted Blood immunity or you can optionally use a jewel with a Corrupted Blood immunity corruption. Make sure and take enough of the nearby life percent nodes on the tree for survival. Note: The skill tree 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%. This build also has the defensive advantage of attacking from a distance with mines while using a shield. 

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Gems

 

Weapon (3-link)

Enduring Cry

Urgent Orders Support

More Duration Support​

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Shield (3-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

 

Armour (6-link)

Hexblast

Trap and Mine Damage Support

High-Impact Mine Support

Minefield Support

Awakened Void Manipulation Support

Empower Support

 

Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Summon Skitterbots

Flame Dash

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

Vaal Haste

More Duration Support

 

Boots (4-link)

Wither

Spell Totem Support

Multiple Totems Support

More Duration Support

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Summon Skitterbots is used to apply Despair with the Profane Proxy unique ring because Hexblast is an area of effect attack if the targeted enemies have a curse on them. These auras can be used once you have increased mana reservation efficiency from the Reservation Mastery and a leveled Enlighten Support linked to your reservation skills so that you have enough unreserved mana for Hexblast mines which also reserve mana.

 

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. You can hold down the button that detonates your mines in AoE situations to quickly detonate your Hexblast mines.

3. You should use a The Devouring Diadem for the Eldritch Battery modifier to make casting Hexblast Mines cost energy shield so that you can use both reservation skills and mines which reserve mana.

4. The Enduring Cry warcry is used for Endurance charge generation and up to 10% life regeneration per second. Endurance charges reduce your physical damage taken and elemental damage taken.

5. Summon Flame Golem gives a 20% damage increase, replenishes 2% life on Culling Strike, kills enemies at 10% life with Culling Strike Support, and provides an extra target for enemies to attack.

6. If you would prefer to play a physical trap build instead that performs well at high gear levels you can also check out the Seismic Trap & Exsanguinate Guide here Seismic Trap & Exsanguinate Saboteur Guide.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Spell Dagger or Wand

Rare spell daggers have a much lower intelligence requirement when compared to wands and have an increased global critical strike chance implicit. This weapon should have modifiers like +1 to level of chaos spell skill gems, increased spell damage, increased critical strike multiplier, increased critical strike chance for spells, and increased chaos damage. 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 Shield

Look for life, +1 to level of all chaos spell skills gems, increased spell damage, and increased critical strike chance for spells.

Lioneye's Remorse

The budget option that has up to 210 life and very high armour especially if you get the legacy version in Standard.

 

Armour

Belly of the Beast

This armour gives up to 40% increased life, 15% increased elemental resistances, 50% increased life flask recovery, and allows you to allocate more damage nodes on the tree. A +2 to level of socketed trap and mine gems corruption is also a nice option.

 

Helmet

The Devouring Diadem

Has +1 to level of socketed gems, socketed gems have 25% increased reservation efficiency, trigger level 15 Feast of Flesh every 5 seconds, 10% chance for energy shield recharge to start when you use a skill, a random veiled modifier, and Eldritch Battery which makes energy shield protect mana. Eldritch Battery is used because mines reserve mana and it allows you to cast spells using your energy shield. You should also eventually go for a +2 to level of socketed AoE or aura gems corruption.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, strength, increased chaos damage, resistances, and an abyssal socket. You have a chance to add increased chaos damage when using a Hunter's Exalted Orb on the belt if you have an open prefix. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the belt to increase its life bonus.

Abyss Jewel

Look for an abyss jewel with high life and three sources of added damage such as added chaos damage to spells.

 

Gloves

Spell Critical Strike Gloves

You should look for up to +0.8% to spell critical strike chance as a corruption, increased cast speed as a corruption, and high life. Hands of the High Templar can have up to five implicit modifiers and is one of the best options. Malachai's Mark is also a good option if you can't afford Hands of the High Templar for Frenzy, Endurance, and Power charge generation.

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Boots

Rare Boots

Look for high life, resistances, movement speed, optionally strength, and optionally spell suppression. Tailwind and Onslaught don't trigger with mines. You should use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors on the boots 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 from your ascendancies.

 

Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for an amulet with high attributes, high life, +1 to level of all chaos skill gems, and if you can afford it increased critical strike modifiers. 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 use Prismatic Catalysts on the amulet to increase its resistances or Intrinsic Catalysts to increase its attributes.

 

Rings

Profane Proxy

This ring makes Summon Skitterbots apply the socketed Despair curse, can Chill or Shock depending on which ring slot you put the ring in, has up to 30% increased cold resistance, 30% increased lightning resistance, and gives +3 to the level of the socketed curse gem. You should also use Prismatic Catalysts on the ring to increase its resistances.

Rare Ring

This ring can have high life, strength, increased chaos damage, and high resistances.

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Tattoo (Standard Only)

Honoured Tattoo of the Wise

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

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Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Has 40% increased damage, 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 gives much higher block chances. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever 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 Darkness for 27% increased chaos damage and 7% chaos resistance penetration at Cassia using an Azure Oil, Azure Oil, and Opalescent Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: Hexblast Deals 40% Increased Damage

Gloves: Commandment of Blades

Feet: Adds 1-160 Lightning Damage if You Haven't Killed 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 also kill all three bandits 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 Ryslatha is the best minor power and gives 60% increased life recovery from flasks at low life, life flask charges every 3 seconds if you haven't used a life flask recently, and enemies you hit have 50% reduced life regeneration.

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

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

These gloves require level one and 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

Kurai Ward

A level five amulet that gives up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 100 accuracy, and 30% increased projectile damage.

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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 it can also have increased movement speed as a second modifier. You can 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, consecrated ground, 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground, and increases enemies damage taken by 10% on consecrated ground. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

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Leveling Gems

Explosive Trap of Shrapnel is the best starter skill but is not easily accessible at the beginning of the game. You can optionally use Caustic Arrow instead at level one. You should switch to Hexblast which is your endgame skill once you have a unique Profane Proxy ring with a Despair curse gem socketed in it which makes the damage of Hexblast deal damage against multiple targets. 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 four and have at least 16 strength for a defensive guard skill. Dash also requires level four 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. The Carnage Heart amulet is the budget amulet for the build and can be used as early as level 20 for up to 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. You can also benefit from upgrading 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 listed in the leveling section above last all the way until the midgame where better items will become available.

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That's all for the Hexblast Mine Guide! For more about Path of Exile you can view the endgame guide here Endgame Guide.

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