Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Master Toxicist, Nature's Boon, Nature's Reprisal, and Nature's Adrenaline. Take the increased chaos damage over time nodes, increased damage over time nodes, increased poison damage nodes, and make sure to get a 100% chance to poison enemies. The Charge Mastery with Overcharged is important because it gives a chance to generate a Frenzy, Endurance, or Power charge on kill. The Clever Thief node should also be taken for 1% life leech and 1% mana leech and works with all types of attack damage. You should also take the Reservation Mastery and Mana Mastery for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. 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

Scourge Arrow is a great poison bow skill that allows you to charge a high damage poison attack and then move each time it's shot which is great for your mobility and survival. When you kill an enemy during a flask effect your poison damage will spread to all nearby enemies with the Master Toxicist ascendancy. With the Nature's Boon ascendancy flasks will gain three charges every three seconds and you will have a 20% chance to not expend a flask charge when using your potions. You will also have 25% of physical damage taken as chaos damage with the recommended Darkscorn Bow.

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Gems

 

Weapon (6-link)

Toxic Rain of Withering

Manaforged Arrows Support

Mirage Archer Support

Withering Touch Support

Awakened Greater Multiple Projectile Support

More Duration Support

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Armour (7-link)

Scourge Arrow (Scourge Arrow of Menace can be switched to for faster damage against larger groups of enemies)

Awakened Deadly Ailment Support

Awakened Void Manipulation Support

Awakened Vicious Projectile Support

Awakened Unbound Ailment Support

Chance To Poison Support

Added Chaos Damage Support (from The Covenant body armour)

 

Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Malevolence

Clarity

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support

Vaal Haste

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Boots (4-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

Dash

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Malevolence increases your damage over time and skill effect duration and is the best offensive aura for this build. Clarity is also needed for the high mana cost of Scourge Arrow. Malevolence can be used once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery and Reservation 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. Vaal Haste can have its Vaal ability used without reservation once you have enough souls from defeating enemies to use it. Vaal Haste gives high increased attack speed and increased movement speed for a short to medium duration.

3. 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.

4. Scourge Arrow is one of the strongest poison bow build in the game but if you think you would prefer to try a very strong normal bow build the Tornado Shot Deadeye Guide can be viewed here Tornado Shot Deadeye.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Darkscorn

Gives a 20% chance for poisons inflicted by this weapon to deal 300% damage, converts 25% of physical damage to chaos damage, and converts 25% physical damage taken from hits to chaos damage.

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Quiver

Rare Damage Over Time Quiver

Look for high life, damage over time multiplier with attack skills, chaos damage over time multiplier with attack skills, increased attack speed, and increased damage with bow skills.

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Armour

The Covenant

This armour is the best option for 10% increased life, up to 30 intelligence, high energy shield, socketed gems are supported by level 29 Added Chaos damage, and skills gain a life cost equal to the base mana cost of the supported skill. You might need a corrupted The Covenant so you can use Tainted Chromatic Orbs to get random socket combinations because the uncorrupted version will almost always roll blue sockets with Chromatic Orbs because it's a pure energy shield base.

Dendrobate

This budget option has socketed gems are supported by level 10 Chance To Poison, up to 100% increased poison damage if you have 300 dexterity, 25% increased poison duration if you have 150 intelligence, and 25% increased elemental resistances.

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Helmet

Rare Helmet

Look for high life, high resistances, strength, and +2 to level of socketed AoE gems if you can afford it. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll increased damage per Power charge and increased duration of ailments.  

Devoto's Devotion

This budget option can be used with the budget Dendrobate body armour for 16% increased attack speed, 10% reduced physical damage, 65 dexterity, 20% increased movement speed, 25% chaos resistance, and high defensive stats. Devoto's Devotion also makes it easier to get 300 dexterity for the 100% increased poison damage on Dendrobate. You can also look for a +2 to level of socketed aura or AoE gems corruption on this helmet for fairly cheap from the trade site.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, life percent, resistances, strength, increased chaos 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, increased damage over time while wielding a two handed weapon, and attack speed.

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Gloves

Rare Apothecary's Gloves

Apothecary's Gloves have an 18% increased damage over time implicit. Look for high life, increased damage over time, chaos damage over time multiplier, attack speed, a resistance, and add projectiles pierce an additional target at the crafting bench.

 

Boots

Rare Two-Toned Boots

Look for high life, resistances, Onslaught on kill, Tailwind, Elusive, and movement speed.

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Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for life, increased damage over time multiplier, increased chaos damage, attributes, resistances, optionally energy shield, and add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the amulet to increase its life bonus.

Impresence

The budget option has up to 16 to all attributes, 40% increased damage over time, added chaos damage, 70 life, 23% chaos resistance, and Maddening Presence when you kill a rare or unique enemy which reduces enemies' action speed and damage by 10%. You can also use Fertile Catalysts on the amulet to increase its life bonus.

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Rings 

Rare Despair Ring

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

Rare Chaos Damage Ring

Look for a ring with high life, strength, resistances, increased chaos damage, and crafted reduced channeling skill mana cost.

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Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Gives 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 you hit a rare or unique enemy.

Dying Sun (legacy is better)

Gives two extra arrows, 20% increased area of effect, 50% fire resistance, and reduces fire damage taken by 20%. The legacy version has a longer duration. Use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when it has full charges.

Diamond Flask

Gives 100% increased critical strike chance. Look to 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 can anoint your amulet with Nomadic Teachings for +2 to maximum elemental resistances to improve the builds defenses (bow builds often lack max resistances from their tree) at Cassia using a Black Oil, Golden Oil, and Golden Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: 40% Increased Scourge Arrow Damage

Gloves: Commandment of Blades

Feet: 16% Increased Attack Speed if You Have Killed Recently

Belt: Enemies Withered By You Have -6% to All Resistances

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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 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

Silverbranch

This great level one bow gives +1 to level of socketed bow gems, increased attack speed, increased accuracy, and mana on kill.

Roth's Reach

Gives high physical damage, 80% increased elemental damage with attacks, skills chain +2 times, and requires level 18.

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Quiver

Craghead

Craghead requires level 4 and gives 7-14 added physical damage and 25% reduced projectile speed.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

A great level one body armour that has six white linked sockets. White sockets allow you to link any color gems 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

An excellent 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

Level one gloves that 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 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

Two Perandus Signets can be used 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 and gives 40% increased movement speed which helps speed up the leveling process. This flask can also have increased attack speed or movement speed as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Silver Flask

This flask gives Onslaught which gives increased attack speed, cast speed, and movement speed as early as level 27 and can have increased attack speed or 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, consecrated ground, increases enemies damage taken by 10% on consecrated ground, and 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you hit a rare or unique enemy.

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Leveling Gems

Caustic Arrow should be used at level one and you can add Volley Support at level four. Vitality is the best defensive aura for leveling by far and can be used as early as level 10. Scourge Arrow which is your endgame skill should be switched to at level 28. Make sure to pick up a Steelskin gem once you've reached level four and have 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

The Carnage Heart unique amulet can be equipped at level 20 and can be used for its 56 to all attributes and 20% increase to all elemental resistances. The Death's Harp bow is an excellent upgrade to Roth's Reach at level 32 and has an extra arrow. You can later upgrade to Death's Opus at level 44 for two additional arrows. You can also benefit from upgrading to two Praxis rings 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 until the midgame where better items will become available.

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

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