Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Chain Reaction, Pyromaniac, Shrapnel Specialist, and Bomb Specialist. The Light of Meaning jewel is shown as a blue circle in the image above and can give 6% increased lightning damage for each passive in its radius which is a major damage increase. You can generate Power charges and Frenzy charges once you take the two nearby Trap Masteries on the tree. The Mana Mastery is very important because it gives increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. The Ghost Dance node on the right side of the tree is a great defensive node that makes you quickly regenerate energy shield when you are hit. This is primarily a life build so make sure and take as many of the nearby life percent nodes as you can for survival. Note: The skill tree and build ratings are updated for the new season (3.26).

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Defensive Layers

The Pyromaniac ascendancy makes you immune to Ignite and Shock and regenerates a large amount of health when one of your traps are triggered. You will have a 30% chance to take 50% less area damage with the Bomb Specialist ascendancy. You will also have the defensive advantage of attacking from a distance with traps while using a shield.

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Gems

 

Weapon (3-link)

Cold Snap (keep at a low level)

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

Power Charge On Critical Support​

 

Shield (3-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

 

Armour (6-link)

Lightning Trap (Lightning Trap of Sparking can optionally be switched to for boss fights)

Inspiration Support

Trap and Mine Damage Support

Cluster Trap Support

Awakened Elemental Focus Support (Shock will come from Summon Skitterbots)

Increased Critical Damage Support (use Awakened Added Lightning Damage Support at lower critical strike chance levels)

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Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Summon Skitterbots

Clarity

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Lightning Spire Trap

Trap and Mine Support

Awakened Elemental Focus Support

Awakened Added Lightning Damage Support

 

Boots (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration 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 also needed for mana regeneration for the very high mana cost of Lightning Trap. Summon Skitterbots is selected to Shock and Chill nearby enemies and detonates your traps and then re-arms them. You can use Summon Skitterbots once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery and a level 4 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. Lightning Trap of Sparking can optionally be switched to for boss fights. Lightning Trap of Sparking has better single target damage but doesn't do as well against spread out enemies.

3. Lightning Spire Trap is used as a secondary attack for tough enemies and will greatly increase your single target damage.

4. Cold Snap is used to give a 25% chance to generate a Frenzy charge when an enemy dies in its skill effect area and generates Power charges on critical strikes with Power Charge On Critical Support.

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

6. If you would prefer to play a physical trap build that performs better at higher 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 Rune Dagger or Wand

A rare spell dagger can be used over a wand for high global critical strike chance and a much lower intelligence requirement. Look for increased spell damage, increased critical strike multiplier, increased critical strike chance for spells, and if possible +1 to level of all lightning spell skill gems. You should also add 1% elemental damage per 2% quality at the Horticrafting Station.

 

Shield

Rare Shield

Look for life, increased critical strike chance for spells, increased spell damage, optionally resistances, and if possible +1 to level of all lightning spell skill gems.

 

Armour

Spell Critical Strike Chance Armour

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

Belly of the Beast

This budget 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.

Note: The Tinkerskin body armour isn't recommended because it requires more life nodes on the tree, life regeneration is already high from the Pyromaniac ascendancy, and you can easily get Frenzy charge generation from the nearby Trap Mastery.

 

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.

Rare Helmet

This budget option can be used for resistances, high life, strength, and optionally +2 to level of socketed AoE gems. You can also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll increased spell damage and increased critical strike chance with spells.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, increased lightning damage, strength, resistances, 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, added lightning damage to spells, and added cold damage to spells.

 

Gloves

Rare Critical Strike Against Shocked Enemies Gloves

Trap and Mine gloves can't have lightning exposure on hit and increased damage per Frenzy charge from Eldritch Ichors and Eldritch Embers. Look for gloves with increased critical strike chance against shocked enemies, high life, resistances, and add the combined increased critical strike chance and increased elemental damage after a critical strike modifier. You should also add lightning exposure on hit and increased damage per Frenzy charge with Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors.

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Boots

Rare Boots

Look for high life, strength, resistances, optionally spell suppression, and roll the combined 100% chance to avoid being chilled and increased movement speed modifier at the crafting bench. Tailwind and Onslaught from your boots don't trigger with traps. You should use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll chance to avoid being Frozen (or a resistance) and increased cooldown recovery. You are immune to Shock and Ignite with ascendancies so chance to avoid being Frozen is helpful.

 

Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for an amulet with very high attributes, high life, +1 to level of lightning skill gems, increased global critical strike chance, and/or increased critical strike multiplier. 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 should use Prismatic Catalysts on the amulet to increase its resistances or Intrinsic Catalysts to increase its attributes.

 

Rings

Rare Conductivity Ring

Look for Conductivity on hit, high life, strength, increased lightning damage, and resistances. You should use Fertile Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their life bonuses.

Rare Diamond Ring

Has a increased critical strike chance implicit and can have high life, strength, increased lightning damage, and resistances. If you have an open suffix you can optionally roll increased critical strike chance and critical strike multiplier if you've shattered an enemy at the crafting bench. You should also use Unstable Catalysts on the ring to increase its critical strike modifier.

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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 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 when you are Bleeding.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Heart of Thunder for 30% increased lightning damage and 6% lightning resistance penetration at Cassia using a Sepia Oil, Azure Oil, and Golden Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: Lightning Trap Pierces 3 Additional Targets

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 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 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

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. It can also 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.

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, increases enemies damage taken by 10% on consecrated ground, and gives 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground.

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Leveling Gems

Explosive Trap is the best starter trap and can be used at level one. You should switch to Lightning Trap which is your endgame skill once you reach level 12. 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've reached 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 and can be used as early as level 20 for up to 56 to all attributes and up to 20% increased elemental resistances. You can also greatly 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 above section last until the midgame where better items will become available.

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

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