Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Rapid Assault, Avatar of the Chase, Way of the Poacher, and Avatar of the Slaughter. Toxic Rain's damage primarily comes from its chaos damage over time so try and take the nearby increased damage over time multiplier, increased chaos damage over time multiplier, and increased damage over time with bow skills nodes. The Mana Mastery and Reservation Mastery give increased mana reservation efficiency so that you can use the recommended reservation skills. The Charge Mastery is also important because it gives a chance to generate an Endurance, Frenzy, or Power charge on kill. This is a life build so make sure and take as many nearby life percent nodes as you can for survival.

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Defensive Layers

The Rapid Assault ascendancy gives you permanent Onslaught and the Avatar of the Chase ascendancy gives 100% increased effect of Onslaught and a 10% chance to evade attacks while you have Onslaught. The Avatar of the Slaughter ascendancy also gives 10% increased attack damage per Frenzy charge, 4% increased attack speed per Frenzy charge, 10% increased evasion per Frenzy charge, and 4% increased movement speed per Frenzy charge which are very helpful both offensively and defensively.

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Gems

 

Weapon (6-link)

Toxic Rain

Empower Support

Efficacy Support

Awakened Swift Affliction Support

Awakened Void Manipulation Support

Awakened Vicious Projectile Support

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Armour (6-link)

Siege Ballista

Awakened Greater Multiple Projectile Support

Withering Touch Support

Multiple Totem Support

Faster Attacks Support

Culling Strike Support

 

Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Malevolence

Clarity

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

Flame Dash

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Boots (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

Enduring Cry

Call To Arms

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Malevolence is the best offensive aura for this build because it increases your damage over time and skill effect duration. Clarity gives high mana regeneration and is needed for the very high mana cost of Toxic Rain. Malevolence can 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 linked to your auras to lower the mana reservation cost 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 armor to be effective.

2. Toxic Rain of Withering applies one stack of Wither per spore pod but isn't recommended because it gives up increased area of effect and you can apply Wither faster with totems.

3. Siege Ballista totems are used as a secondary attack for difficult enemies with Withering Touch Support for Wither which increases your chaos damage by 6% stacking up to 15 times.

4. Enduring Cry is used to bolster your defenses by giving a large 2200 life heal over one second and generates Endurance charges which reduce your physical damage taken and increase your elemental resistances. You should also link Enduring Cry to Call To Arms to make it instantly cast on cooldown.

5. Summon Flame Golem gives up to 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 think you would prefer to play a Toxic Rain build as a Shadow that is stronger defensively but has a lower attack and movement speed you can also check out the Toxic Rain Trickster Guide here Toxic Rain Trickster.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Thicket Bow

Look for a Thicket Bow which is the fastest bow base in the game with +1 to level of socketed gems, +2 to level of socketed bow gems, increased damage over time multiplier, increased chaos damage over time multiplier, and increased attack speed. You should also add 1% attack speed per 8% quality at the Horticrafting Station which can be added to your hideout.

Quill Rain

Quill Rain is a nice extreme budget option because it's the fastest bow in the game. Quill Rain gives 100% increased attack speed, 2 mana per enemy hit with attacks, 100% increased projectile speed, 30% less damage, 20 dexterity, and 50 accuracy.

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How Do You Craft A Great Starter Toxic Rain Bow?

To make a strong starter bow you should find a tier one damage over time multiplier fracture (a permanent modifier that appears golden) on a Thicket Bow with an ilvl of 85 or above. Use Shrieking Essence of Dread for +2 to level of socketed bow gems until you get a tier one attack speed, an open prefix, and an open suffix. You can use Orbs of Annulment to remove unwanted modifiers and/or the Bestiary to switch a suffix to a prefix or a prefix to a suffix. Next use the crafting bench to add the cannot roll attack modifiers suffix and use an Exalted Orb on the bow to guarantee +1 to level of socketed gems. Remove cannot roll attack modifiers and craft chaos damage over time multiplier on the bow and you will have a strong starter Toxic Rain bow.

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Quiver

Rare Damage Over Time Quiver

Look for high life, increased damage over time multiplier with attack skills, increased attack speed, increased chaos damage over time multiplier with attack skills, and resistances. The increased chaos damage over time multiplier modifier has a chance to be added with a Hunter's Exalted Orb with at least one open suffix.

 

Armour

​Carcass Jack

Gives up to 50% increased area damage, 50% increased area of effect, 70 life, 12% increased elemental resistances, and can have more than 200 energy shield. You should also go for an increased damage corruption once you have enough currency.

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Helmet

Devoto's Devotion

Gain 16% increased attack speed, 10% reduced physical damage, 65 dexterity, 20% increased movement speed, 25% chaos resistance, and high defensive stats. You should also eventually go for a +2 to level of socketed AoE or aura gems corruption.

The Broken Crown

A budget option that gives 15 to all stats, 20% increased damage when on low life, and 61% increased chaos resistance.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, life percent, resistances, increased chaos damage, increased damage, and an abyssal socket. You should also use 20 Fertile Catalysts to increase its life bonus.

Abyss Jewel

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

 

Gloves

Rare Apothecary's Gloves

Rare Apothecary's Gloves have up to an 18% increased damage over time implicit. Look for modifiers like high life, increased chaos damage over time multiplier, increased damage over time, increased attack speed, and optionally a resistance.

 

Boots

Rare Two-Toned Boots

Look for life, resistances, Tailwind, Elusive, and movement speed.

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Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for high attributes, high life, +1 to all chaos skill gems, increased chaos damage, and chaos damage over time multiplier.

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Rings

Rare Despair Ring

Look for a ring with Despair on hit, high life, increased chaos damage, resistances, and crafted reduced mana cost. You should use 20 Fertile Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their life bonuses and reduced mana costs.

Rare Chaos Damage Ring

Look for rings with high life, strength, resistances, increased chaos damage, and crafted reduced mana cost at the crafting bench.

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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. You should use Instilling Orbs until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges. 

Granite Flask

A Granite Flask is recommended for 1500 armour instead of a Diamond Flask because increased critical strike chance doesn't significantly help the damage of your chaos damage over time with Toxic Rain. Try and roll Bleeding and Corrupted Blood immunity during effect and use Instilling Orbs until you automatically use the flask whenever you are Bleeding.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Avatar of the Hunt for 30% increased damage with bow skills, 30% increased damage over time with bow skills, 200 to evasion rating, and 6% increased movement speed at Cassia using a Clear Oil, Opalescent Oil, and Opalescent Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: 40% Increased Toxic Rain 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

Alira is the best bandit to help in Act 2 for this build because she gives 15% to all elemental resistances, 20% increased critical strike multiplier, and 5 mana regeneration per second. You can also optionally kill both bandits if the last two nodes in your tree are preferable to 15% increased elemental resistances and 5 mana regeneration per second.

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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

Quill Rain

The budget bow for the build can be used as early as level 5 and has up to 100% increased attack speed, 100% increased projectile speed, 2 mana on kill, 50 accuracy, 20 dexterity, and 30% less damage.

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Quiver

Hyrri's Bite

A great quiver that can be equipped at level ten with high strength, dexterity, intelligence, attack speed, and cold damage.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

A great level one offensive chest armour that has six white linked sockets. The six white linked sockets allow you to link any color gems together for 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 helm with up to 40% to all elemental resistances and 10% increased rarity of items found.

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

These strong 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 nine and gives 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 level one Perandus Signets that each give up to 65% mana regeneration, 65 mana, 2% increased intelligence for each unique item equipped, and 2% increased experience gained.

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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.

Granite Flask

You will have Onslaught from your ascendancy so you should use this flask for 1500 armour. You can also 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, 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 the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you hit a rare or unique enemy.

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Leveling Gems

Galvanic Arrow is typically the best level one bow skill because it has multiple projectiles without a support gem. You should switch to the higher damage Ice Shot with Volley Support at level four. Toxic Rain which is your endgame skill can start being used as early as level 12. 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

The Carnage Heart unique amulet can be equipped at level 20 for up to 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. You can also upgrade to two Praxis rings at level 22 to reduce the mana costs of all skills by up to 16 which helps with the very high mana cost of Toxic Rain. The items listed in the leveling section above can last all the way until the midgame where better items will become available.

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And that's all for the Toxic Rain Guide! For more about Path of Exile you can view the endgame guide here Endgame Guide.

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