Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Chain Reaction, Pyromaniac, Bomb Specialist, and Born in the Shadows. You generate Power charges and Frenzy charges once you have taken the main Trap Masteries on the skill tree. A Watcher's Eye jewel is important for increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, damage penetrates up to 10% of enemies' elemental resistances while affected by Zealotry, and optionally 15% spell suppression while affected by Grace. The Light of Meaning jewel is used in the blue circle in the image above for 6% increased cold damage for each passive in its radius which is a major damage increase. The Reservation Mastery and Mana Mastery nodes are also very important for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. This is a life build so make sure and take a healthy amount of the nearby life percent nodes for survival. Note: The skill tree and build ratings have been updated for season (3.28).

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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%. You receive Shock and Ignite immunity and high life regeneration when your traps are sprung from the Pyromaniac ascendancy. You also gain a 30% chance to take 50% less area damage with the Bomb Specialist ascendancy. This build has the strong defensive advantage of casting traps from a distance while using a one handed weapon with a shield.

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Gems

 

Weapon (3-link)

Cold Snap (keep at level 4 to trigger Arcane Surge in a single cast)

Cast When Damage Taken Support (keep at level one to trigger more often)

Arcane Surge Support (keep at level one to trigger more often)

 

Shield (3-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support

 

Armour (6-link)

Ice Trap

Inspiration Support

Trap and Mine Damage Support

Cluster Trap Support

Awakened Added Cold Damage Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

Note: Awakened gems can be replaced with the normal support gems for seasonal play.

 

Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Hatred

Clarity

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Seismic Trap

Trap and Mine Support

Awakened Added Fire Damage Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

 

Boots (4-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

Flame Dash

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Zealotry is recommended as the best offensive aura for this build because it gives increased spell critical strike chance and increased spell damage. Clarity regenerates your mana and is needed for the high mana cost of Ice Trap. Zealotry 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 reduce 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. Seismic Trap is also recommended for tough enemies and it's used to increase your burst damage and single target damage.

3. Cold Snap is used to give a 25% chance to generate a Frenzy charge when an enemy dies in its skill effect area and it's linked to Arcane Surge Support for increased mana regeneration which helps with the very high mana cost of the build.

4. Summon Flame Golem gives a damage increase for your skills, 2% life recovery on Culling Strike, kills enemies at 10% life remaining with Culling Strike Support, and provides an extra target for enemies to attack.​

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Spell Dagger or Wand

Spell daggers have a lower intelligence requirement than wands which is important because you are using the Shadow area of the tree which has less intelligence nodes. Your weapon should have modifiers like +1 to level of cold spell skill gems, increased spell damage, increased critical strike multiplier, increased critical strike chance for spells, and increased cold damage. You should also add 1% elemental damage per 2% quality at the Horticrafting Station which should be added to your hideout.

 

Shield

Rare Shield

Look for high life, increased spell damage, increased critical strike chance for spells, optionally resistances, and if you can afford it +1 to level of all cold spell skill gems.

 

Armour

Spell Critical Strike Chance Armour

Look for high life, spell critical strike chance, strength, optionally a percentage of physical damage taken as an elemental damage, and add 8% increased life/8% increased mana at the crafting bench.

Belly of the Beast (budget)

This budget armour gives up to 40% increased life, 15% increased elemental resistances, and 50% increased life flask recovery. A +2 to level of socketed trap and mine gems corruption is also a solid option to increase your damage.

 

Helmet

Crown of the Inward Eye

Has up to 21% increased life, mana, and energy shield, and Transfiguration of Soul, Transfiguration of Body, and Transfiguration of Mind. Transfiguration of Soul causes energy shield to give spell damage, Transfiguration of Body causes life to give attack damage, and Transfiguration of Mind causes increases to mana to increase all damage. You can also look for a strong corruption like +2 to level of socketed AoE or aura gems and/or +1 to maximum Power charges.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, strength, resistances, increased cold damage, and an abyssal socket. You have a chance to add increased damage against Chilled enemies or increased cold damage using a Redeemers 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 high life, increased critical strike chance, increased critical strike multiplier, and a critical strike chance corruption.

 

Gloves

Rare Increased Damage Against Chilled Enemies Gloves

Look for gloves with increased damage against Chilled enemies, high life, resistances, and use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to add cold exposure on hit and increased trap throwing speed.

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Boots

Rare Boots

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

 

Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for an amulet with very high attributes, high life, +1 to level of all cold skill gems, increased global critical strike chance, and increased critical strike multiplier. You should also use Unstable Catalysts to increase its critical strike modifiers.

The Pandemonius

The middle tier option has up to 30 dexterity, 30% increased cold damage, 40% cold resistance, Blinds chilled enemies on hit, reduces enemies action speed by 30% when hit for one second, and damage penetrates 20% cold resistance against Chilled enemies. You should also use Turbulent Catalysts on the amulet to increase the cold damage and cold resistance penetration.

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 to increase its resistances or Intrinsic Catalysts to increase its attribute bonus.

 

Rings

Rare Frostbite Ring

Look for the Frostbite curse on hit, high life, strength, increased cold damage, and resistances. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their life bonuses.

Rare Ring

Look for life, strength, increased cold damage, and resistances. A Diamond Ring is the ideal base ring to use for increased critical strike chance or if you need resistances you can use a Two-Stone Ring base for two elemental resistances.

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Tattoos

Tattoo of the Arohongui Warrior

Replaces 10 dexterity nodes on the tree with 5% increased cold damage nodes.

Note: This tattoo greatly increases the damage of this build because of the numerous dexterity nodes in the Shadow tree.

Honoured Tattoo of the Hunter (Standard Only)

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

Gain 40% increased damage, consecrated ground, consecrated ground has triple radius, up to 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground, and 10% increased damage to enemies on consecrated ground. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when you hit a rare or unique enemy.

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 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 when you are Bleeding.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Heart of Ice for 30% increased cold damage and 6% cold resistance penetration at Cassia using a Crimson Oil, Opalescent Oil, and Golden Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: Ice Trap Damage Penetrates 10% Cold Resistance

Gloves: Commandment of Blades

Feet: Damage Penetrates 10% Elemental Resistances 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 one 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

Tabula Rasa is 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 look for 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 up to 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 boots can be equipped at level 9 for up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed.

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Amulet

Kurai Ward

This level five amulet 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 Signet rings at level one for mana regeneration which 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 this flask until you automatically use the flask when 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 should use Instilling Orbs on this flask until you automatically use the flask when it has full charges.

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

This endgame flask requires level 27 and gives 40% increased damage, consecrated ground, up to 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground, and increases enemies damage taken by 10% on consecrated ground. You should also use Instilling Orbs on this flask until you automatically use the flask when it has full charges.

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Leveling Gems

Explosive Trap of Shrapnel is the best trap to start off with and can be used at level one. You can switch to Ice Trap which is your endgame skill once you reach level 28. Vitality is the best defensive aura for leveling by far and can be used as early as level 10 for high life regeneration. Make sure to 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 should 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 start becoming available.

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That's all for this PoE guide! You can view more Path of Exile guides in the menu at the top of this page. Best of luck!​