Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Chain Reaction, Born in the Shadows, Explosives Expert, and Pyromaniac. You can generate Power charges and Frenzy charges once you take the two nearby Trap Masteries on the tree. The Mana Mastery node is very important for 12% increased mana reservation efficiency so that you can 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 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 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 also Chills and Shocks enemies which lowers their action speed, increases the damage taken of enemies, increases your critical strike chance, and gives elemental resistance penetration with the Explosives Expert ascendancy. You will also have the defensive advantage of attacking with traps from a distance 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)

Clarity

 

Shield (3-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

 

Armour (6-link)

Lightning Trap (Lightning Trap of Sparking has better single target and can be used for boss fights)

Inspiration Support

Trap and Mine Damage Support

Cluster Trap Support

Awakened Added Lightning Damage Support

Awakened Elemental Focus Support

 

Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Summon Skitterbots

Enlighten Support

Flame Dash

 

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

Enduring Cry

Urgent Orders Support​

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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 which gives your traps 10% elemental resistance penetration with the Explosives Expert ascendancy. You can use Summon Skitterbots once you have the 12% 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. Lightning Trap of Sparking has better single target damage but doesn't do as well against multiple spread out enemies. Lightning Trap of Sparking can optionally be switched to for boss fights.

3. 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.

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

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

6. 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 additional target for enemies to attack.

7. 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

A rare spell dagger is preferred over a wand for high critical strike and a much lower intelligence requirement. Rune Daggers can have an increased global critical strike chance implicit, increased spell damage, increased critical strike multiplier, increased critical strike chance for spells, and increased lightning damage. You should also add elemental damage per 2% quality at the Horticrafting Station which can be added to your hideout with the edit option.

 

Shield

Rare Critical Strike Shield

Look for life, increased critical strike chance for spells, increased spell damage, resistances, and add a chance to deal double damage at the crafting table.

Lioneye's Remorse

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

 

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 Helmet

Look for high life, strength, resistances, and if you can afford it +2 to level of socketed AoE gems. You should 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, life percent, strength, resistances, and an abyssal socket. You should use Fertile Catalysts to increase its life.

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 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, movement speed, and spell suppression. Tailwind and Onslaught don't trigger with traps. You should use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll a chance to avoid being Frozen and life regeneration. You will be immune to Shock and Ignite with your ascendancy so chance to avoid being Frozen is very helpful.

 

Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for an amulet with very high attributes, high life, +1 to lightning skill gems, increased global critical strike chance, and 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 Ring

Look for high life, strength, intelligence, increased lightning damage, and 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 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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