Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Swift Killer, Heartstopper, Polymath, and One Step Ahead. The damage of Toxic Rain primarily comes from its chaos damage over time so try and take all of the nearby chaos damage over time multiplier, damage over time multiplier, and increased damage over time nodes on the tree. A Watcher's Eye jewel is highly recommended for increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, 22% increased damage over time multiplier while affected by Malevolence, Bleed immunity while affected by Malevolence, and optionally 15% spell suppression while affected by Grace. The Charge Mastery with Overcharged is very important because it gives a chance to generate an Endurance, Frenzy, or Power charge on kill. The Mana Mastery and Reservation Mastery should also be taken for increased mana reservation efficiency so that you can use the recommended reservation skills. To help with the very high mana cost of Toxic Rain you can take one of the Life Masteries for skills cost life instead of 15% mana cost and if you play in standard you can also use a legacy Replica Conqueror's Efficiency jewel for non-channeled skills have -9 to total mana cost. This is a life build so try 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 Heartstopper ascendancy makes you take 40% less damage for 5 seconds and 40% less damage over time for 5 seconds alternating back and forth. The One Step Ahead ascendancy gives increased action speed and lowers the action speed of enemies. And with the Polymath ascendancy you'll gain 3% increased damage, 1% life replenishment, 1% energy shield replenishment, and 1% mana replenishment on kill for every mastery node taken on the tree.

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Gems

 

Weapon (6-link)

Toxic Rain

Awakened Vicious Projectile Support

Awakened Void Manipulation Support

Empower Support

Efficacy Support

Cruelty Support

 

Armour (6-link)

Toxic Rain of Withering

Manaforged Arrow Support

Mirage Archer Support

Withering Touch Support

Awakened Greater Multiple Projectile Support

More Duration Support

 

Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Malevolence

Clarity

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

Dash

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Boots (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support

Vaal Haste

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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 and gives increased damage over time and increased skill effect duration. Clarity is also needed for mana regeneration for the high mana cost of Toxic Rain. Malevolence can be used once you have the mana reservation efficiency from the Reservation Mastery and 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. Toxic Rain of Withering has spore pods that apply Wither and is linked to Withering Touch Support for faster Wither stacks. Wither is used to increase your chaos damage by 6% stacking up to 15 times.

3. 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.

4. Summon Flame Golem gives a 20% damage increase, 2% life recovery on Culling Strike, kills enemies at 10% life with Culling Strike Support, and provides an extra target for enemies to attack.

5. Toxic Rain is one of the strongest Shadow builds in the game but if you think you would prefer to try out a strong starter trap based build the Lightning Trap Saboteur Guide can be found here Lightning Trap Saboteur Guide.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Thicket Bow

Look for a Thicket Bow which is one of the fastest bow types 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 very strong 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 rating.

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How Do You Craft A Great Starter Toxic Rain Bow?

To make a strong starter Toxic Rain 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 to guarantee +1 to level of socketed gems. Remove cannot roll attack modifiers and craft increased chaos damage over time multiplier and you will have a strong starter Toxic Rain bow.

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Quiver

Rare Damage Over Time Quiver

Look for high life, damage over time multiplier with attack skills, increased attack speed, increased damage with bow skills, and if you can afford it chaos damage over time multiplier with attack skills.

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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 look for an increased damage corruption once you have enough currency.

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Helmet

Devoto's Devotion

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

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

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

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Gloves

Rare Apothecary's Gloves

Apothecary's Gloves have up to an 18% increased damage over time implicit. Look for high life, increased damage over time, chaos damage over time multiplier, increased attack speed, and resistances.

 

Boots

Rare Boots

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

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Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for high attributes, high life, +1 to level of chaos skill gems, increased damage over time multiplier, and optionally add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench. You should also use Fertile Catalysts to increase its life bonus and reduced mana cost.

Carnage Heart

This budget amulet gives 56 to all attributes, 20% to all elemental resistances, 2% life leech, 50% increased recovery from life leech, and 40% increased damage while you are leeching. You can also use 20 Intrinsic Catalysts to increase its attribute bonus.

 

Rings

Rare Despair Ring

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

Rare Chaos Damage Ring

Look for high life, resistances, increased chaos damage, increased damage, and add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench.

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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 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 also use Instilling Orbs until you automatically use the flask when it has full charges. 

Granite Flask

A Granite Flask is highly recommended for 1500 armour because increased critical strike chance isn't a significant damage increase for the chaos damage over time of Toxic Rain. Try and 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 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

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

Quill Rain

Quill Rain can be used at level 5 and is the budget bow for Toxic Rain. It's the fastest bow in the game and has up to 100% increased attack speed, 100% increased projectile speed, 30% less damage, 2 mana on kill, 20 dexterity, and 50 accuracy rating.

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Quiver

Hyrri's Bite

This quiver requires level 12 and gives attributes, increased attack speed, increased area of effect, and added cold damage.

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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 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

These boots 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

This level 5 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 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 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 on the flask 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 also 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 makes enemies on consecrated ground take 10% increased damage. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when you hit a rare or unique enemy.

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Leveling Gems

Caustic Arrow can be used as your level one skill and you can add Volley Support at level four for multiple projectiles. Precision is the best offensive low level aura and can be used once you reach level 10 for increased critical strike chance and accuracy. Vitality is the best defensive aura for leveling by far and can be used as early as level 10. You can start using Toxic Rain which is your endgame skill at level 12. Make sure and 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 an early level.

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Upgrades

Quill Rain is a level 5 bow that can be used until your endgame bow because it's the fastest unique bow in the game and attack speed is important for Toxic Rain. Carnage Heart is the budget amulet for this build and can be equipped as early as 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 significantly with the very high mana cost of Toxic Rain. 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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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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