[3.2] Viper Strike / Blade Flurry Poison Trickster, CI - 1 mill dps, affordable (50c), build guide

build guide - updated 29.03.2018

The idea of this build is to utilize the offensive and defensive buffs from the reworked trickster ascendancy for a poison build and make use of the new fated unique "The Effigon".
I like interesting, but affordable mechanics, so this off-meta poison CI trickster cost 50c to gear and does realistic 1 mill dps single target on a five link.

basics:
- 100% chance to hit against blinded enemies (we always blind with the witchfire brew flask)
- stun immunity (if not hit recently - works great with high dodge and evasion)
- gain energy shield from a high evasion Body armour (about 500 es)
- gain non-chaos damage as added chaos damage and general buffs to poison damage
- BF for clearing general mobs (500k dps)
- Viper strike as a dedicated single target boss-killer skill (1 mill dps)
- 5k energy shield and actually make an ES + Evasion Shadow, like the theme and tree of shadow suggests.
- fast movement with whirling blades and high attack speed
(at level 82, currently)

cons:
- relies on flasks. they double the damage output and blind enemies

PoB link: https://pastebin.com/Zqgp5866

gameplay video

spoiler: I'm not a good player. I overkill stuff (poison duration is at ~13 seconds), my movement is clunky, I don't time my flasks well, etc, etc. ... nonetheless, the build carries me ;)
due to some demand, here's a random map with boss fight at the end:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/247313034


gear




Gear explanation

The Effigon gives 100% chance to hit against blinded enemies. We trigger that by using two Witchfire Brew unique flasks, that blind enemies, apply the despair curse and increase Poison Damage


we need a high ES helmet, that buffs Evasion via the Escape Artist Ascendency (+5 Evasion per 1 Energy Shield on helmet) and a high Evasion Chest that buffs Energy shield via the Escape Artist Ascendency (+1 Energy Shiled per 6 Evasion on Body Armour). Hyrri's Ire has one of the highest evasion ratings in the game with almost 3000 evasion and adds some dodge chance for spells and attacks.


Wasp's Nest is the obvious choice for a poison attack build


and Breath of the Council as a "stats stick" in offhand


For (pretty insane) single target, Viper strike is put into the "Embalmer" gloves, as a cheap 5-link


additional flasks are Atziri's Promise to buff damage and leech, Sorrow of the Divine Flask for Energy Shield regeneration and a nice damage buff, a Coralito's Signature for increased poison duration (max roll. is ~10c, at the moment) and a quartz flask for extra dodge and anti-freeze



skilltree
https://www.pathofexile.com/fullscreen-passive-skill-tree/3.2.1/AAAABAYCAQEJAhEFtQZwBx4JIAzyDXwOSBB7ES8RUBGWE20UCRX9Fr8bJSL0JognqSsKLKYsvy4jNAo1uTdmN4NF9EZxRwZJUUmxSxxLrkyDV8lcQFyKXfJfamSvaoxsCGwLbRlvV3DUdIF1nnaCen9-WX_GgwmHy4o4j8GP-pKAkyeTkJUumhehL6LZo6Oly6brpyunm7DYtAy0xbTRtUi3MLjZvjq-isEAwuzIDMgUytPN6s8V0NDWB9fP2VvbGtvn3Ujf8-LV5FbndOjW6QLquutj7BjtQe-I8NXxivVL9W_5N_mk?accountName=PopeJo&characterName=PopeJohnWick


leveling

- level as ED + Contaigon (works very well with the damage nodes for VS / poison BF)
- kill all bandits = +2 skill points
- transition into CI once you got all your gear ~ lvl 68+
- the order of ascendencies does not really matter when you do lab that early (before killing kitava). I took the defensive nodes first "Ghost Dance" > "Escape Artist" > "Harness the Void" > "Prolonged Pain"
- pantheon doesn't matter. pick what you like


playstyle

whirling blade into a pack (get the fortify buff) -> hit all your flasks -> blade flurry it down -> whirling blade to the next pack.

for bosses the same: whirling blade into the boss (get the fortify buff) -> hit your flasks -> viper strike as long as flasks are up -> whirling blade evade and watch the boss degen to death, or prepare for the second boss phase.

i did uber lab solo at lvl 69 with this build. you can use a shaper Es shield with "ES recovery and block chance" until you got enough ES to switch to breath of the council in offhand.


stats

at character level 81:

1,029,670 Viper strike damage
523,550 Blade Flurry damage

5,129 energy shield
15,810 evasion (77% evade chance)

30% dodge
30% spell dodge
+55% movement speed
15% block chance
less phys + fire damage taken from arctic armour

and of course 100% chaos resistance from going CI


cost of items

gear was all-in-all 50c.
the energy from within jewel and breath of the council where the most expensive items. got them for 15c and 20c.
ES gear is very cheap, as it is NOT meta this league. you can get great gear for 1-5c.
I bought the high evasion roll Hyrri's Ire with 5 sockets for 1 chaos and 5-linked it myself.

with more money to spend and gg items, this build can improve in all of its aspects, but it already works fine for everything in yellow maps (starting at lvl 70, once you can equip all your gear).


up next / to do

so, at lvl 70 (having completed uber lab), this build is already done and has 500k VS damage.
at level 81 I reached 1 mill dps.

six-linking the chest for better clear speed (add inc. AoE to Blade Flurry or use Reave - whatever you prefer)
Watchers eye jewels would be a nice addition.
Last edited by PopeJo on Apr 6, 2018, 2:23:45 PM
Last bumped on Apr 13, 2018, 2:56:09 PM
Which ascendancy's did you choose?
"
McMuffinz wrote:
Which ascendancy's did you choose?


Trickster.
Added the order of ascendencies, but it does not really matter when you do lab at lvl 68, before killing kitava.
I took the defensive nodes first "Ghost Dance" > "Escape Artist" > "Harness the Void" > "Prolonged Pain"
Last edited by PopeJo on Mar 29, 2018, 2:47:20 AM
Last edited by warlock360 on Mar 29, 2018, 4:31:41 PM
"
Trickster.
Added the order of ascendencies, but it does not really matter when you do lab at lvl 68, before killing kitava.
I took the defensive nodes first "Ghost Dance" > "Escape Artist" > "Harness the Void" > "Prolonged Pain"


Thanks man.

Which jewels are you using?
"
McMuffinz wrote:
"
Trickster.
Added the order of ascendencies, but it does not really matter when you do lab at lvl 68, before killing kitava.
I took the defensive nodes first "Ghost Dance" > "Escape Artist" > "Harness the Void" > "Prolonged Pain"


Thanks man.

Which jewels are you using?
its in his pob, energy from within amd growing agony.
"
Can we get a picture of the skill tree? Cant get it to display large enough so I can see the path fully


https://www.pathofexile.com/fullscreen-passive-skill-tree/3.2.1/AAAABAYCAQEJAhEFtQZwBx4JIAzyDXwOSBB7ES8RUBGWE20UCRX9Fr8bJSL0JognqSsKLKYsvy4jNAo1uTdmN4NF9EZxRwZJUUmxSxxLrkyDV8lcQFyKXfJfamSvaoxsCGwLbRlvV3DUdIF1nnaCen9-WX_GgwmHy4o4j8GP-pKAkyeTkJUumhehL6LZo6Oly6brpyunm7DYtAy0xbTRtUi3MLjZvjq-isEAwuzIDMgUytPN6s8V0NDWB9fP2VvbGtvn3Ujf8-LV5FbndOjW6QLquutj7BjtQe-I8NXxivVL9W_5N_mk?accountName=PopeJo&characterName

That should work. I had to highlight only a portion of it for it work.
I'm lvl 52 right now and I was wondering how frost blades would do vs blade flurry. I don't really like blade flurry that much and love frost blades for clearing. What do you think?
Please, add a small video with the gameplay.
"
McMuffinz wrote:
I'm lvl 52 right now and I was wondering how frost blades would do vs blade flurry. I don't really like blade flurry that much and love frost blades for clearing. What do you think?


sure, as Frost Blades is 100 phys base damage, it works just as well for poisoning things. just remember that projectile damage does not increase poison damage.

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