[2.1/2.2 WIP]Belton's In Depth Hidden Potential Caustic Arrow Guide. 35k+ DPS Atziri/Ubers/HC Viable
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2.2 NOTICE
Currently testing/leveling/fine tuning. As a result I won't have a finalized tree and updated gem guide up until I am happy with what I'm running. If you want to see where I'm at currently- check my profile, character name BeltonPerandus. Updates coming soon. Preface This guide is currently a work in progress, and will be continually updated. (P.S. Not TLDR friendly) Overview Hey guys, wanted to do an updated build guide for Caustic Arrow to discuss changes to the build for 2.1 and it's current state following the recent addition of new support gems, gear, and nerfs to the base damage of Poison (Caustic) Arrow. I am aware there are other guides out there (shout out to Dyg for the help throughout this process), some of which may be very similar- others will be different- Path of Exile is a game of choice, accordingly the decision will be yours as to which best suits your style, I will make arguments as to why I have chosen to build the way I have and you can go from there. By no means are you locked to a rigid pathing or gearing structure when making your own character- I myself have made changes to the tree about a dozen times since the launch of 2.1. Hope you enjoy and feel free to ask any questions in the comments below. Majority of this guide is written under the assumption that you are familiar with the process of obtaining a +3 bow. If you are not here is a short guide.
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Obtaining a +3 bow is the single most important gearing element in any caustic arrow build. It will improve your damage by more than double in most cases, and should be the first thing that you seek out once you have leveled. This is assuming it is at least 5 linked. In talisman currently there are numerous available for around 1 exalt that are unlinked- these are preferable for those on a budget as it will cost you 2-3ex + base cost +crafting fees to craft your own bow. Fusings and Jeweller's are quite cheap at the moment, so spending an ex for a rare bow that has +3 and then investing into 6 socketing and 5 linking it is likely worth it for those on a budget. The possibility to hit a 6L is also ever present in this scenario- unlikely, but the thrill is there nonetheless. Expect to spend around 1-2ex to socket and jeweler your bow if you buy an unlinked +3. Prior to obtaining a +3 bow, using a +2 is acceptable and incredibly cheap (1-5c). If you go this route I suggest purchasing a white or magic bow base that is already 5 linked and using alterations until you get +2 to bow skills. These bases are typically only a few chaos after a week into the league. In order to obtain +2 bow skills the item level must be at least 64. A Maraketh bow is by far the best base and if given the option should always be chosen. If none are available, get the one with the highest attack speed. If you are using a +2 bow and already have Hidden Potential, do not regal the bow, as you will get an extra 25% damage for keeping it magic. The best suffix to have on any bow are resistances as it will greatly assist in your gearing elsewhere. If you are res capped, I would still suggest this in case you find upgrades and need to pick up the res, additionally it will assist with elemental weakness maps. Alternatives are increased attack speed and reduced DoT damage (leo mod). If you end up with a rare bow from either regaling or by purchasing one, you want to ensure that there is an open prefix. If the bow is +3 already, then increased DoT is the best mod to have, mastercrafted by a level 3 Leo and giving upwards of 30% damage. If the bow is rare and is not +3 already and is only a +2, you will want to have one open suffix and 2 open prefixes. At this point, you will use the Catarina mod "Cannot roll attack mods"(suffix, 1 Exalt Cost) and then use an exalted orb on your bow. This will ensure that it gets given the prefix "+1 to level of socketed gems" as there will not be any other available mods for it to roll. From here you should have a 5 mod bow; +2 bow gems +1 all gems as your prefixes and the Cata Mod and whatever two other suffixes were on there previously. Remove the Cata Mod from the bow with Tora 7, and then craft Increased Damage over Time from Leo to fill in the 3rd prefix. If you have been lucky enough to get two good suffixes on the bow (Res/res or res/attack speed) you can consider using an exalt on the bow to fill in the 3rd suffix. If you plan on going this route ahead of time I suggest using an iLvl 72+ base so that t1 resistance is available as a possible suffix. If you have useless suffixes, just leave it as is. They are not mandatory and some time in the future can be removed with haku to put what you need in their place. Alternative Caustic Arrow Guides
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Dygnity: 1443983 (2.0)
Grocery: 1488967 (2.1) LiftingNerdBro: 1381964 (2.1) Why Play Caustic Arrow?
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Pros
-Can handle ANY map mod (no regen is a pain in the ass and should be rerolled but is doable with a mana flask) -Primarily scales off Gem level and talent points, making it very cheap to get into -Capable of Speed Farming Atziri deathless with 1-2ex in gear (at a low level as well) -Immune to Reflect -Primary Damage comes from your cloud's DOT mechanic, which allows for great mobility and mechanical involvement -Ability to scale gear to a high ceiling, allowing for lots of min/maxing and build longevity -Very few Required Items and/or Uniques (minimum of +2 bow being the only 100% mandatory piece of gear) -With 2.1 there are near infinite possibilities with skill point allocation, it is highly customizable -Does not require very many mandatory skill gems- allowing you lots of options for secondary setups. Cons -As you primarily scale off gem level, supports, and talents- it is eventually necessary to get a 6 link +3 bow, level 21 Caustic arrow, and level 3/4 empower- this can be expensive -Caustic Arrow Jewels are incredibly expensive compared to most builds (3 mod rare jewels with life are 1-3ex each) -Popular Meta build that can feel at times like "the same old", this is less so the case in 2.1 but don't expect to see the CA_ncer memes disappearing anytime soon Calculating Caustic Arrow Damage Output If you are considering switching to Hidden Potential, looking into swapping talents, jewels, or gear, knowing how to calculate caustic arrow damage can be incredibly helpful in making more informed (and cheaper) decisions. Here is the formula.
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Step 1: Determine Caustic Arrow Base Damage (Gem level)
 Step 2: Determine Total increased damage from tree, gear, gems (don't forget to include %'s from quality) and jewels. NOTE: Anything that is prefaced by the word "MORE" Damage is not included in this. (All support gems except empower, and Frenzy Charges) Step 3: Determine How Many More Multipliers you have. (Do not add them together) Math: (Caustic Arrow Base Damage x Total Additive Damage) x Multiplier x Multiplier x Multiplier...etc. Example: Parameters: Level 20 Caustic Arrow with level 20 support gems (Void Manipulation, Rapid Decay, Slower Projectiles, Concentrated Effect) that have 0 quality. 410% increased damage from tree, and 200% increased damage from jewels. No increased Damage on gear, for a total of 610% increased damage. For this example we will assume a 5link bow, so no empower, and also for sake of ease we will not have any +gems modifiers on our bow (If you do however, adjust CA and support gem level values accordingly) (550.33 x 610%) x 1.39 x 1.39 x 1.29 x 1.59 =(550.33 x 7.1) x1.39 x1.39 x1.29 x1.59 =15,484.52 Note: If you are trying to calculate your tooltip cloud damage, disregard concentrated effect from your calculation as area damage increases do not show up on Caustic Arrow's tooltip. In this build we do not pick up any increased area damage on the tree, however if you have it on your jewels and are calculating tooltip damage, remember to disregard these as well. Stats Below is with a level 3 Empower, 21 Caustic Arrow, and 7 frenzy charges. With +1 frenzy boots and a level 4 Empower 40k+ tooltip is obtainable. If you add rallying cry, much higher numbers are possible, however have been left out due to variance.  How High Can This Damage Go?
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Alot of people have messaged me here or on Reddit regarding the damage linked above, and I agree with the consensus that it is awesome to see the tooltip that high. My gear, however, is far from perfect. Moreover, my tree only takes 428% increased damage- It is possible to obtain more than 550% if you so choose- so this COULD be even higher (I am comfortable with the defensive and offensive balance I have at the moment, however)
I thought it might be interesting to do the math on what the maximum possible damage could be here with perfect gear, using the tree I have linked below- this can also illustrate the DPS potential we have moving forward and what can be reasonably obtained while maintaining at least 5000 life and Resistance Cap. If you are reading this prior to the rest of the information - keep in mind this is 100% optimal gear, so don't be thrown off by me tossing around Empower 4 like its an easily obtained item. Also- we are only calculating our tooltip here, so conc effect will not be included. Caustic Arrow Level: 21 +3 Bow Empower 4 Total CA level 28= 1336.2 Base Damage Increased Damage from Tree: 428% Increased Damage from Drillneck: 55% Increased Damage from Jewels: 5 total. Hidden Potential=175%, Poachers Aim=10%, 13% chaos Damage, 7% life, 12% DoT, 12% Proj Dmg x3. = 296% increased damage Talisman: 30% increased Damage Bow: 30% increased damage Gem Quality: 10% from Void manip, Slower proj, and Rapid Decay (Conc effect quality is area dmg so wont show on tooltip) = 30% Total of 869% increased damage 32% More Damage from 8 Frenzy Charges (+1 on Blood Dance) 40% more Damage from level 21 Void Manipulation 40% more Damage from level 21 Rapid Decay 30% More Damage from level 21 Slower Projectiles (1336.2 x 9.69) x 1.32 x 1.4 x 1.4 x 1.3 = 43,548.04 Cloud tooltip DPS. Defensive Stats:
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 My Gear (Talisman League)
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Jewels: Class Options Shadow Ranger Scion Bandits Normal: Oak for +40 life Cruel: Kill All for +1 Skill Point Merciless: Kraitlyn for +1 Frenzy Charge Passive Tree Shadow (Level 90): Leveling Guide Shadow (Normal: Level 38-40) Shadow (Cruel: Level ~55) Shadow (Merciless: Level ~65-70) Gearing Mandatory Uniques: Optional Uniques: Drillneck in 2.1 Transitioning from a staple unique in any PA (now CA) build, Drillneck is now an optional gearing choice. Due to the inability to run the Pierce Gem in our main six link set up, our maximum obtainable pierce chance is 65%. To obtain this we must invest 4 points into the Pierce cluster, as well as use the Poacher's Aim unique Jewel. The total investment is therefore 6-7 talent points (the variance depending on whether you travel 2 or 3 nodes to obtain the jewel socket) for a net gain of 95% increased damage (65% from piercing/drillneck, 10% from hybrid pierce nodes, 10% proj dmg from jewel, and 10% from first node of pierce cluster). This works out to roughly 13.5-16% damage per point which is very efficient at first glance. (10% is a baseline damage increase per point). However, as with all things in PoE, there is an opportunity cost to consider. Since we are running Hidden Potential, a magic quiver will give us 25% increased damage for simply being equipped. Moreover, a magic quiver can roll upwards of 99 flat life as well as a res roll, which can significantly aid in the process of reaching res cap. If we were to divest all the talent points from Drillneck that were mentioned earlier, we'd be at a loss of 70% damage, but would gain 6-7 talents, 50 flat life, and some much needed resistance. If you are point starved or if you are on a tight budget, this route can be taken with far less drawback than in previous patches. Reinvesting those saved points into 3 jewels, for example, could end up resulting in more damage than was obtainable previously, not to mention those jewels could also have a whopping 21% life on them. This, obviously, is dependent on your access to jewels on the tree, the quality of your jewels, your level, and your specific defensive requirements at the time. In summation, there is no black and white answer to which is better per se. It will depend on factors independent to your character and it's progression. However, it is something to consider as an alternative and is not as cut and dry BiS as in the past. N.B. Drillneck has the added advantage of the actual pierce mechanic- with Caustic Arrow, projectiles that pierce will drop a cloud after each mob they hit, which can significantly improve it's aoe capabilities. If you are not running a CA with quality or any skill radius modifiers, I would still highly suggest using Drillneck to map as it will significantly improve your clear speed. Also, if you do choose a magic quiver- A penetrating will be the best base, for the reasons mentioned above. Magic Gear This section will comprise of your jewelry, gloves, chest, helm, and possibly your quiver if you opt to not use a drillneck. While it may seem at first glance that obtaining magic gear might be cheaper and/or easier than rares, being that they are two mods as opposed to 6- this is rarely the case (unless you are able to find them for cheap on poe.trade--which should be your first course of action trying to obtain them as it will save you alot of $ and time in most cases). Rolling the exact two mods you need in the exact tier combinations required to have acceptable life totals and res cap is both time consuming, and expensive. Prepare yourself for this ahead of time and do not expect to get what you need with a couple hundred Alterations, it will take thousands. It is not imperative, however, to hit t1/t1 on every piece (obviously its best to!)- you are looking to hit resistance cap and after that get as much life as possible. Also- if you are in need of a specific resistance (let's say you are fire and cold capped but need lightning res on your last piece) and you end up hitting a well rolled item of a different resistance- do NOT roll over this. Your gear will change as you progress and accordingly the appearance of resistances on specific item slots may change. I suggest creating a tab for these pieces as a "bank" of options. Bare in mind doing this will require numerous bases- so keep your eyes peeled while mapping (and make sure you check your loot filter options as many will filter out magic/white items) I suggest doing your rings first when starting this process. Since we are using two-stones (prismatics work as well, however are less common on poe.trade, but equally as difficult/easy to craft) The reason for this being that in most cases you will end up with two resistances that are receiving +32 from the implicits and one that is receiving +16. This is important to note as it will impact the future gear requirements to hit res cap. For bases we will be using the following: Helm: Lion Pelt Amulet: Talisman (Chaos Damage, Damage %, or Life % are your best options-> getting both is GG) Rings: Two Stones or Prismatics Belt: Leather Belt Chest: Assassins Garb or Zodiac Leather (I prefer Assassin's Garb for the movement speed implicit- it comes at the loss of some base evasion) Gloves: Slink Gloves (Quiver): Penetrating Arrow Quiver Required Item Level for Bases: Helm: 72 Amulet: 60 Rings: 60 Belt: 72 Chest: 81 (t2 is also acceptable for life- it is 100-109, this requires ilvl 73) Gloves: 72 Quiver: 72 The Perfect 2 Mod Stats: (for the purposes of this I will refer to 42-45 res as T1, technically there is a better tier at 46-48 "t0", but these are not necessary as they require iLvl 84 and provide a very small increase, however if you have access to them or want to go for 100% perfect, then ilvl 84 will be your requirement for all single resistance bases) Helm: 99 life and a T1 Resistance Amulet: Implicit- Life%, Chaos Damage %, or Damage %. If you do not have access to talismans then use an Onyx Amulet or an Agate/Lapis if you desperately need the INT) Explicit: 89 life, 16% to all resistances (t1 all res is 15-16%) Rings: 79 life and t1 all res Belt: 99 life and a t1 resistance. Blessed orb the implicit to at least 35+ (if you are self crafting just do so on a belt that already has a perfect implicit roll) Chest: 119 Life and a t1 Resistance Gloves: 89 Life and a t1 Resistance (Quiver): 99 Life and a t1 Resistance Examples of Well Rolled Hidden Potential Gear:
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Helm: Amulet: Talisman: Ring: Belt: Chest: Gloves: Skill Gem Set Up Bow: Priority: #1 Caustic Arrow #2 Void Manipulation #3 Rapid Decay #4 Slower Projectiles #5 Concentrated Effect #6 Empower Explanation:
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Empower technically will give the highest damage increase once it is fully leveled (3+), however at this point you will almost certainly have at least a 5link (but more likely a 6link) bow. If you are running a 5link bow and have empower 3+, drop either Slower Projectiles or Concentrated Effect. In terms of damage output and mana costs, Slower projectiles is by far the worst gem, however due to a lack of Caustic Arrow cloud Radius and the removal of Increased AOE from our standard gem set up, removing Conc effect may be better for clear speed in lower->mid tier maps.
For Atziri and bosses, conc effect is the best gem. If you have a +3 bow or a +1/+1 bow, the above applies to a level 2 empower as well. Chest (Optional): Priority: #1 Essence Drain #2 Void Manipulation #3 Controlled Destruction #4 Rapid Decay #5 Empower if level 3 #6 Slower Proj or Empower if level 2
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Essence Drain is an incredibly powerful spell that has been added in patch 2.1. Luckily for us, it scales off almost every single damage increase bonus that Caustic Arrow does, while at the same time having a much higher base damage. This means that our talent point allocations will essentially "double dip" benefiting both Caustic Arrow and Essence Drain. The only exception to this is Area Damage, however we do not get any increases to this on our tree, only from Conc effect and as a possible suffix on jewels. With the addition of the new support gem Controlled destruction this is an easy 1:1 swap (conc effect->void manip). Otherwise, it is essentially the same as CA in terms of supports. Because Caustic Arrow is a damage over time spell we will often have situations where we do not have anything to do (except kite and avoid enemy mechanics while keeping up frenzy charges/curse), by running this Essence Drain set up in your chest you allow yourself a secondary attack that does substantial damage to your enemies. In fact, it can almost DOUBLE your dps. For a majority of fights and content this is entirely unnecessary as CA does more than enough damage itself, however for map bosses and Atziri it is a fantastic addition and one that I highly recommend. Be forewarned the spell itself is somewhat finnicky- shooting a small purple "blob" projectile that then applies a DoT to the enemy. With slower proj it moves quite slowly as has a very poor radius. Having pierce as a result of using drillneck can help combat this, as essence drain will not seamlessly pass through mobs without it. If you are targeting a boss and an ad spawns and gets in the way of the ED projectile, you will have to recast it. An alternative option to this is to use the Skill Contagion to help spread the DoT from essence drain. This can be linked to a low level CWDT as well if you do not want to manually cast it. As ANOTHER bonus, essence drain also heals us for a portion of the damage it deals. Overall a fantastic spell with impeccable synergistic abilities when used in conjunction with your primary CA setup. [/spoiler] Secondary Gem Setups
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Curse and Frenzy Charge Generation
For pure single target fights- GMP can be replaced with Faster Attacks or Culling Strike. Explanation:
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Optionally, you can choose to run this in your chest in either a 5 or 6 link set up, however this is entirely unnecessary as you will not need to curse the vast majority of mobs while mapping, nor will you need the frenzy charge generation because of Blood Dance Boots. For longer fights we will be using this secondary setup to keep up Vulnerability and Frenzy Charges, however Caustic Arrow will be doing 99.9% of our damage, so outside of curse/frenzy maintenance, we will focus on mobility and mechanical avoidance, as well as cloud placement.
Auras Core: Optional: Explanation:
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With the changes to mana gained per level, running clarity is incredibly easy now even when leveled a moderate amount. If you are mana starved, run a lower level clarity or use rallying cry to assist with regen. Using Enlighten is also an option, but not required.
Grace is not neccessary for a majority of mapping content, however can help with Atziri, Ubers, and end game maps. Mobility Self explanatory- use primarily to navigate obstacles or kite bosses. CWDT Setup and Warcry Explanation:
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We run a level 1 CWDT with IC to prevent one shots- increased duration is of little consequence in most scenarios, however can slightly improve your chances of survival in those situations. Rallying cry greatly increases our mana regeneration and damage, it can also be linked to increased duration for ease of use purposes. The above combination of gems will be very difficult to get in a 4 link as all of our gear is dex based. Do not feel obliged to try and get RRRR on any of your gear.
Last edited by Belton on Mar 5, 2016, 4:36:36 PM Last bumped on Mar 17, 2023, 9:12:01 AM
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Following you and Grocery for CA builds. Appreciate your time-consuming efforts to deliver useful information to our community.
I'm testing a +1 Additional Arrow quiver (in place of Drillneck), and trying to vaal craft a +1 Curse amulet. Good Hunting ahead with all our efforts. Thank you. |
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" Appreciate the kind words. Will do my best to get all the information down in here over the next couple of days- I am travelling for Christmas so doing this on the go has been somewhat difficult! +1 curse Amulets are great, albeit not entirely optimal anymore (this is asuming you are playing in Talisman league) Being able to roll t1/t1 mods (89 life and 16% all res) and also getting 12% life and 30% chaos damage on the same amulet is far and away your best option) Glad to hear your exploring builds to see what works best for you. I find with every guide you read there is something to take from it that you can adapt to make your own. Best of luck! Last edited by Belton on Dec 26, 2015, 4:35:15 PM
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very imformative bro. keep it up :D
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Well-written and detailed guide, well done!
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" Vulnerability is a MORE multiplier, not an increased. While the wording says "Cursed enemies take X% increased damage" it does not increase your damage, but increases their damage taken - thus it is a more multiplier. That means if you have 700-800% increased damage Vulnerability nets you a relative 21-24% damage - increased relative to enemies that haven't been cursed. | |
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Wow 35k pa and with mine im only doing 28k with empower 4 but no hidden potential ;/
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