[3.10] Brittleknee's Scourge Arrow Trickster - All Content! Delirium Ready!

[3.10]Brittleknee’s Scourge Arrow Trickster - All Content! Ready for Delirium!





Greetings, Exiles! I’m Brittleknee!

I started playing PoE in Harbinger league, and really love this game. I’ve started to branch off into build creation and I’m excited to share this one with you guys. Very different from my norm of minion/summoner builds, I had an absolute blast playing this and will be starting 3.7 with it as my leaguestarter.

Like most Scourge Arrow builds, this has a top end that can get quite ridiculous, both in damage numbers and exalts, but the initial investment for the build is pretty approachable. This will get you a comfortable shaper and red elder kill, as well the more shallow delve bosses. I had to implement a bow-swap for to get my first U-Elder, but altogether that swap only adds about 40C to the build.

You can stop there, or keep going as I did, and make quick, easy work out of U-Elder, Aul and the like with a nice, Fossil-Crafted Shaper Bow.

I hope you enjoy playing it as much as I do!

Check out the Media section below for kill videos/clips!

Catch me Streaming on Twitch or in game as @Brittleknee!



Delirium Update


ANNOINT: Heart of Ice, Throatseeker, Master Fletcher, Forces of Nature

Let's Catch Up!

With Delirium, there were no walk-backs on some of the changes from Delirium. It was certainly not to be expected, but I had hope.

I spent the last of the league trying to figure out what bow would be comparable to what we lost between Shaper's Double Damage Mod nerf and the loss of the Cold%/Freeze% Unveil craft.

This is the result: (You can use new Multi or old WED base, up to you.)



As long as you hit Socketed Gems Deal 20% More Attack Damage and at LEAST T3 flat cold, you're gucci. I rolled Serrated, Frigid and Metallic together.

You'll want to still roll on a Shaper Base, but where I Warlord Slammed Cull on this one (you won't be able to get this combination unless you're really wanting to craft on an Awakened Warlord/Shaper base, you'll want to just hope for Shaper's nerfed AS/DD suffix or something of the like.

All that being said, I think SA is gonna rock at this mechanic as its clear with heralds is decent enough and the single target has always been sound. Even post nerf 2.6M sDPS per Pod (15.6M) is possible at high investment.

<3BK

Cluster Notables

Cold Scourge Arrow
=======================
Rapid Infusion
50% increased Effect of Infusion
5% increased Movement Speed while you have Infusion

Calamitous
10% chance to Freeze, Shock and Ignite
30% increased Elemental Damage with Attack Skills
15% increased Effect of Non-Damaging Ailments

Unwavering Focus
40% chance to Avoid being Stunned while Channelling
Channelling Skills deal 25% increased Damage
15% reduced Mana Cost of Channelling Skills

Precise Focus
50% increased Critical Strike Chance while Channelling
+30% to Critical Strike Multiplier if you've been Channelling for at least 1 second

Rapid Infusion
50% increased Effect of Infusion
5% increased Movement Speed while you have Infusion

Devastator
20% increased Attack Damage
20% increased Damage with Ailments from Attack Skills
Enemies killed by your Attack Hits have a 15% chance to Explode, dealing a tenth of their maximum Life as Physical Damage

Corrosive Elements
15% increased Elemental Damage
Cold Skills have a 25% chance to apply Cold Exposure on Hit
Fire Skills have a 25% chance to apply Fire Exposure on Hit
Lightning Skills have a 25% chance to apply Lightning Exposure on Hit

Doryani's Lesson
0.2% of Elemental Damage Leeched as Life
25% increased Elemental Damage

Prismatic Heart
+10% to all Elemental Resistances
30% increased Elemental Damage

Blanketed Snow
Damage Penetrates 10% Cold Resistance against Chilled Enemies

Cold to the Core
1% increased Cold Damage per 25 Dexterity
1% increased Cold Damage per 25 Intelligence
1% increased Cold Damage per 25 Strength

Cold Conduction
Enemies Chilled by your Hits are Shocked
Enemies Shocked by your Hits are Chilled

Chilling Presence
Nearby Enemies are Chilled

Blast-Freeze
20% increased Cold Damage
Freezes you inflict spread to other Enemies within a Radius of 12

Stormrider
10% chance to gain a Power Charge when you Shock a Chilled Enemy
25% increased Cold Damage with Hits against Shocked Enemies
25% increased Lightning Damage with Hits against Chilled Enemies

Fettle
+20 to maximum Life
10% increased maximum Life

Surging Vitality
8% increased maximum Life
Regenerate 0.5% of Life per second
Every 5 seconds, Regenerate 10% of Life over one second

Adrenaline
6% increased maximum Life
15% increased Maximum total Recovery per second from Life Leech
6% increased Attack Speed while Leeching

Prismatic Dance
30% increased Evasion Rating
+1% to all maximum Elemental Resistances

Natural Vigour
30% increased Evasion Rating
8% increased maximum Life

Shifting Shadow
20% increased Evasion Rating
+20 to Dexterity
10% chance to Blind Enemies on Hit

Untouchable
30% increased Evasion Rating
3% chance to Dodge Attack Hits
3% chance to Dodge Spell Hits

Aerialist
3% chance to Dodge Attack Hits
3% chance to Dodge Spell Hits
5% increased Dexterity

Darting Movements
5% increased Movement Speed
5% chance to Dodge Attack and Spell Hits while moving

30% chance to Avoid Elemental Ailments
3% chance to Dodge Attack Hits
3% chance to Dodge Spell Hits

No Witnesses
10% chance to gain Elusive on Kill
25% increased Elusive Effect




Path of Building Links:

Initial Investment:

End of League Gear:






1.0. Introduction


1.1. Pros & Cons

Pros:
This build can do all content! Though not extremely impressive in Delves 400+
  • Bosser - Has cleared all Boss content including Red Elder, Shaper, Uber Atziri, Uber Elder, All Delve Bosses, Mastermind and the briefly-lived Synth bosses.
  • Mapper - With the doorway fixes or perhaps a Rain of Arrows setup, this isn’t the worst mapper in the world.
  • Forgiving - Stacking dodge and evasion results in a very forgiving build. If you’re still learning the mechanics of the game, this build will allow you to learn damage patterns without being one-shot as often since you will evade or dodge most of the damage monsters do. Smaller hits that do come through are easily leached through.
  • League Starter - You can start this build for around 100-120C, which is a pretty decent setup. You can also level Brands if you have a witch friend or can buy the gems which is ezpz leveling.


Cons:
There are, however, a few drawbacks to the build which include the following:

  • Occasionally Squishy - If anything strips your defenses, you are dead considering you have about 4-4.5k life on a good day. This rarely happens, but can happen more frequently on maps with: “Dodge Change is Unlucky” for obvious reasons.
  • Gem/Gear Swaps Required - Its not a true all-in-one character, but with some swaps it is easily done. Some people, however, dislike keeping track of ‘this ring is used for this boss’ or ‘this gem is needed during this phase,’ so I thought I’d go ahead and note that here!



1.2. Playstyle

Scourge Arrow is a very powerful skill. Like Volatile Dead and other similar abilities, its AoE damage is powerful enough there is no need for single target as well. With the upcoming changes to Scourge Arrow’s projectiles, there will be no more annoying clipping through doorways and hallways, leaving it up to you if you’d like to add in a Rain of Arrows secondary link for clear.

With proper investment you will do plenty of damage for bosses and can offer bossing services if you so desire. In groups, you will shine with a proper support.


1.3. Origins

Having never played Scourge Arrow before I wanted to do something a bit different. The new Trickster Ascendancy was a desirable base for the build, as the new defenses were incredibly powerful and could be properly augmented/complimented with passive allocation and gear. Not to mention the Ascendency was left open-ended enough for other skills that were non-DoT to shine as well. While not the highest damage a Trickster Scourge Arrow build could offer (*cough* Eternity Shroud), I believe this build achieves a proper balance of damage and defense. Fun enough for those who like big DPS numbers and safe enough for those who are new to the game.







2.0. Skill Trees, Ascendancy, and Leveling

Here you should find everything you need to get started. If there’s missing information you’d like to see, please let me know in the comments and I will do my best to accommodate the request.

2.1. Ascendancy Choices

Trickster is a Great Ascendency. You’ll be picking up the following:
  • Swift Killer
  • Ghost Dance
  • Escape Artist
  • Harness The Void


2.2. Leveling Toolkit


You can level this build one of two ways: A.) Storm Brand or B.) Rain of Arrows

Brands are incredibly fast to level, make quick work of the leveling content and can scale easily with minimal points invested.

Leveling Rain of Arrows & Scourge Arrow is straightforward as well, though a little bit slower but allows you to get used to pod placement.

Leveling Trees

Rain of Arrows & Scourge Arrow
This includes the step by step leveling process and the final level 90 ‘Budget Tree.’
If you are buying everything right away, please check the PoB for End Game Gear.















Skill Gem Links

Rain of Arrows:
  • 3-Link: (2G1B)
    Rain of Arrows, Added Cold, Added Lightning
  • 4-Link: (3G1B)
    Rain of Arrows, Added Cold, Added Lightning, Mirage Archer
  • 5-Link: (3G2B)
    Rain of Arrows, Added Cold, Added Lightning, Mirage Archer, Critical Strikes
  • 6-Link: (3G2B1R)
    Rain of Arrows, Added Cold, Added Lightning, Mirage Archer, Critical Strikes, Elemental Damage with Attacks


Scourge Arrow
  • 3-Link: (2G1B)
    Scourge Arrow, Inflused Channeling, Mirage Archer
  • 4-Link: (2G1B1R)
    Scourge Arrow, Infused Channeling, Mirage Archer, Elemental Damage with Attacks
  • 5-Link: (3G1B1R)
    Scourge Arrow, Infused Channeling, Mirage Archer, Elemental Damage with Attacks, Hypothermia
  • 6-Link: (4G1B1R)
    Scourge Arrow, Infused Channeling, Mirage Archer, Elemental Damage with Attacks, Hypothermia, Cold Penetration


Other Gear Links


In Act 1 you can pick up Blink Arrow, or try one of the new movement skills available. Frost Bomb can be used early on for debuffing bosses.

Maker sure you pick up Herald of Ice in Act 2, and Hatred in Act 3. They will help your damage as you level.

In Act 6, make sure you do Lily’s mission for Cast When Damage Taken to use with the Guard skill of your choice. You will pick up another to automate Cold Snap.




2.3. Pantheons

Major:
Soul of Lunaris - Stun Immunity comes from Ghost Shrouds so Soul of Lunaris adds a defensive layer by providing even more avoidance.
(Soul of Solaris is also acceptable.)

Minor:
Ralakesh or whomever you prefer. Yugul is great for Aul/U-Elder.


2.4. Bandits


Help Alira for that sweet, sweet multi, all-res, and mana regen.





Check me out on Twitch! http://www.twitch.tv/brittleknee
All of my builds are here: https://tinyurl.com/y5vwayk2
Last edited by brittleknee on Mar 13, 2020, 11:00:27 AM
Last bumped on Jun 25, 2020, 1:42:06 PM


3.0. Early Gearing & Budget Setup


Hooray! You made it to maps! Now it’s time to get started!

3.1. Required Uniques


Hyrri’s Ire, Zodiac Leather



Hyrri’s Demise, Sharktooth Arrow Quiver



Atziri’s Step, Slink Boots



Lioneye’s Fall, Viridian Jewel



3.2. End-Game Gem Setup


Scourge Arrow:
  • Scourge Arrow, Infused Channeling, Mirage Archer, Hypothermia, Elemental Damage with Attacks, Cold Penetration.


Defense/Debuff:
  • Cast When Damage Taken, Steelskin (or guard skill of choice), Frost Bomb, Vaal Cold Snap.


Movement:
  • Blink Arrow, Faster Attacks, Faster Projectiles, Portal


Utility/Curse:
  • Cast When Damage Taken, Bladefall, Curse on Hit, Elemental Weakness.


Optional Rain of Arrows:
  • Rain of Arrows (Vaal Okay, too), Mirage Archer, Added Lightning, Added Cold, Critical Strikes, Elemental Damage with Attacks.



3.3. Flasks


Diamond, Stibnite, Jade, Quicksilver and Life Flask.

You may use Atziri’s if you prefer the extra damage and leech.

Dousing MUST be on your Instant Life Flask. Thicc ignites will chew through your energy shield/life extremely quickly.

3.4. Jewels



Aside from the Unique, you will want as much added cold damage as you can manage. Also you will want a source for Onslaught for mapping from the Searching Eye Jewels.


3.5 Budget Setups


No Lioneye’s Fall
  • Without Lioneye’s Fall, you will need to pick up Vitality Void to improve your Leech. You can also take some added cold damage since you’ll miss out on the Crit/Multi nodes associated with the Jewel use as well.
  • Path of Building: https://pastebin.com/UJXNTmDN


Hopeshredder for Bossing
  • To use Hopeshredder for bossing purposes on a Trickster, you must accommodate the cold degen with some passive tree adjustments (You must take Survivalist), a non-optional belt enchant (120 ES/Sec), and an essence worm so you can use Purity of Ice.
  • Path of Building: https://pastebin.com/u45TgS9e








5.0. End Game

5.1. Final Build Gear





5.2. Improving Further


If I play this again, I'd definitely want to explore the Dex-stacking hub-bub. I think it could be very synergistic, but I did not have the time or currency this past league to explore it. I did however, get a decent watcher's eye and a +1 Quiver, so all in all I think it was a successful league.

The bow I created this league wasn't the absolute best in slot for the build, but I thought it was a compromise for those who didn't want to deal with Hopeshredder but wanted to do decent damage. Depending on if you go for the RoA setup or not, it can be relatively cheap to add to your build due to only needing to mod it, rather than buy a linked base and crafting from there.


5.3.GearSwaps/GemSwaps

Aside from the previously listed Hopeshredder swap for bosses if you decide to go that route (see Early Gearing - Budget Setups for more info), there are a few things to move around as you are able.

Dream Fragments, Sapphire Ring


Pyre, Sapphire Ring
  • PoE Wiki Page: https://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Pyre
  • Why: Making sure there is 100% corpse removal from deeper delves (450+) The degens left by various corpses will one-shot you depending on mods since you cannot evade them.


Barrage 20/20
  • PoE Wiki Page: https://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Barrage
  • Why:This is the one way to kill Atziri and U-Atziri. Directly swap your SA gem for Barrage on her encounter and single target her and use RoA for Zombie phases. Otherwise, you can just put your pizza-dodging skills to the test by placing a single pod and let Mirage Archer (hopefully) kill a clone for you. You will die if you even take a single projectile worth of damage from your own pod during split phase.





Check me out on Twitch! http://www.twitch.tv/brittleknee
All of my builds are here: https://tinyurl.com/y5vwayk2
Last edited by brittleknee on Mar 13, 2020, 12:36:40 AM


6.0. Frequently Asked Questions

Here's the scoop on some common questions and problems the build faces.

6.1. Frequently Asked Questions


Is +1 Arrow Really worth 20 Ex on a Quiver?
Yep. It absolutely is if you can afford it and truly enjoy min-maxing. The spore-pod distribution changes with the added arrow, and by aiming closer to your character, you can create a V-shape cone of pain around an enemy that results in significantly more single target DPS.



Why do you have to enchant ES/Sec on your belt, can't you use Soul Tether?
It's definitely an alternative if you're running Hopeshredder. Its also a definite budget alternative. However, this build already struggles to hit Elemental Weakness cap on resists, not to mention belts have huge potential for stats and other damage. A well rolled belt can have Cold %, Elemental % and Elemental Damage with Attacks%, which is absolutely bonkers. Both will solve the issue of keeping ES up during boss encounters, but the bottom line is investment and how much you're willing to put in on it.

Is this build good for Delve?
Unlike Ranger, Duelist or Scion variants of Scourge Arrow, this build becomes particularly susceptible to the degens left behind by monsters at depths of 550-600+. While a Pyre ring can and does help with corpse removal, some of the degens are actually environmental, like the spore bursts in Fungal Caverns. You'll have to take a considerate amount of care in not stepping in bad.


6.2. Troubleshooting Common Issues


Survivability

I wanted to address some of the issues that have popped up in the first few pages or replies.

This is not an immortal build, and I've never claimed it is. While I can't save you from being tilted about being oneshot, I can try and explain how and why it happens and what you can do about it.

Firstly, here's a spreadsheet to look at while you read. Numerically, it reflects the mechanics I reference below (thank you Xayazi):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15KUNNtRDJgGmS2SGRB-p4ZFyKfgc4unF8L4jTRDHC9c/edit#gid=0

  • Tricksters Have Layers - The most important thing to realize is that Trickster's survivability is largely conditional, in an If A then B sort of way. The most notable is the Ascendancy itself. Ghost Shrouds are granted, but if for some reason you care taking multiple hits in a short time, even if those are absorbed by Steelskin, you will deplete your Shrouds. Not having your Shrouds immediately reverses the 6% reduced Damage taken and the 3% Evade chance, 10% Movement speed, 10% Spell Dodge, 18% Attack Speed. More significantly, however, is that you will LOSE YOUR STUN IMMUNITY. Your ES and Health % are at a low percentage due to high reliance on secondary defenses, meaning once your ES is gone, any medium to large-scale hit will Stun you. If you're Stunned, then you might as well be dead. So, tl;dr if you don't have ES, you will die.


  • Monster Mods and You - Understanding and recognizing monster mods isn't just for HC. You have to be weary of monsters and their mods if your goal is to die as little as possible. Some of the most dangerous are those which increase Monster Accuracy, which negates our secondary defenses and makes weaker. Accuracy and Crits, Precise, Deadly, Physical and Substantial Physical are all auras to be weary of. All either reduce the effectiveness of your secondary defenses or increase the incoming damage substantially. While one alone is not usually enough to kill you, a combination of any of these on one rare, or a group of rare monsters can quickly turn a normal map into a shit-fest. Learn the auras, learn to keep your distance or make sure you're fully flasked and anticipating and special attacks the mobs may have. So, tl;dr if you don't pay attention, you will die.


  • Map Mods and You - If you're trying to hit higher levels (95+) and do not wish to die, you will need to defensively roll your maps. In the meta of THICC 8-Mod, 132% Quantity Mega-Juiced Maps are what ever person will tell you to run, if you run these maps, you're gonna die. Just like monster mods can stack up against you, so can map mods. You can preemptively remove yourself from a deadly situation by never setting foot in the map to begin with. The most notable map mods to avoid when trying to level are Dodge Chance is Unlucky/Increase Accuracy, Reduced Flask Charges, Crit Chance/Crit Multi, Ele/Vuln Curses, and Cannot Leech. Ignite on Hit can potentially be dangerous in combination with some of these mods due to the ability of a particularly hefty ignite to completely burn away your ES. So, tl;dr don't roll maps that stack the odds against you.


  • Movement is Crucial - The last way to improve survivability is to improve your movement and fluidity in the game. You should very rarely plant your feet on this build, unless you want to roll the dice. By planting you're feet you're directly placing yourself in harms way no only for attacks but ranged spell and the like. In Legion, a lot of the monsters have ranged attacks, from the Vaal Hatchet Toss to the Eternal Spear Throw, staying on the move means the monsters will be trying to attack where you were versus where you are. Use your movement skills and movement speed to circle, kite, and distract (blink arrow leaves a clone) monsters to your benefit. So, tl;dr don't expect to live through everything if you're not avoiding the avoidable damage.


So, all in all, the stacked Shrouds, Dodge, Evasion, Blind, Phasing, etc all work in conjunction to give you the best possible chance at survival. You will be able to survive a LOT of the "Ah, shit" moments that happen. But, if you're not paying attention at all to what is going on around you, from basic mechanics to maps and monsters, then everything that goes into making this build tough will not save you. Played well, this can be one of the tankiest and forgiving builds you will ever play.

Hopefully this section helps.














8.0. Credits, Updates, Changelog

Credits


Thank you to RedXY, as this build would not have been possible without you.

Thank you to my followers, subscribers, patrons, and to all of you who have stopped by and said hello on stream, or on the other guides.


Updates


Archived updates posted at the top of the guide at the beginning of a new league will be moved here at the league’s conclusion.
Metamorph Update


ANNOINT: Heart of Ice, Throatseeker, Master Fletcher, Forces of Nature

So, we have quite a bit to talk about!

First and foremost let's not over-react to the numerical adjustments that were released with the patch notes. It's definitely an oof, but I think it can be overcome.

The overall base damage of the bow was lowered, and added chaos was given, but we don't scale that part of the damage.

BUT! All of the modifiers for stages and thorn arrows were not affected, which means we can still use SA as a vector for nice, chunky damage.

The future for SA will rely heavily on the investment into flat damage. If we can still feed enough flat in the front of the equation, then we can still produce adequate results out of the end point.

I don't know what the future weapon for this build will look like, not without seeing what the new modifiers will be, and right now we don't have a clue. Hyrri's got a slight nerf, too. So the gear I have in the PoB is technically legacy even though the patch isn't up yet.

I would recommend farming up the Imperial Bow div cards to the best of your ability, and trying to roll for flat cold, AS%, Crit%, Multi%. Just something nice.

Hopeshredder is no longer a quick, cheap swap so I am removing it at this time as a build swap. I will not get rid of it forever, just want to see how the economy goes and how rare it becomes.

My goal is to eventually transition into this build so I can provide an authentic update to this guide.

All that being said, I think SA is gonna rock at this mechanic.
<3BK



Blight Update

Yay, it’s time for Tower Defense!

First and foremost let's not over-react to the numerical adjustments that were released with the patch notes. For the most part, it will effect ES tricksters far more than us. A little off the top of damage reduction and evasion, is more than made up for with the baseline lowering of accuracy for all monsters across the board. That means our evasion investments will pay off.

In 3.7, the changes to the tree were beneficial, allowing us to pick up blind and phasing with little sacrifice, as well as run a Precision aura for some extra crit.

All in all, the build is still in a great place. I have finally expanded some of the FAQ section. This explains in more detail how the build's defenses work, as well as provides a spreadsheet to illustrate what I mean when I refer to "stripped defenses."

Have a great league, I think SA is gonna rock at this mechanic.
<3BK

Hopeshredder Swap:
Check me out on Twitch! http://www.twitch.tv/brittleknee
All of my builds are here: https://tinyurl.com/y5vwayk2
Last edited by brittleknee on Mar 13, 2020, 12:40:12 AM
Bes build, yes?

But... why no gib note? Bex.
Last edited by BlooLemonHaze on Jun 4, 2019, 9:22:38 PM
Interesting, wondering how long the build sucks until you feel that its is clearing smoothly ?

Or is it good from the start ?
Yeah gonna join in on the previous post, would this actually feel good while going through acts\early mapping in a leaguestart format.
For the initial character I leveled Brands then transitioned to Scourge Arrow in BA. It felt pretty seamless. I'm undecided whether or not I will level RoA/SA or go the Storm Brand Route for the upcoming league.

I wasn't sure if the guide needed an outline of how to level brands, as it has been pretty ubiquitous as of late.
Check me out on Twitch! http://www.twitch.tv/brittleknee
All of my builds are here: https://tinyurl.com/y5vwayk2
Last edited by brittleknee on Jun 5, 2019, 6:46:25 PM
Awesome build and even more awesome guide!
I do this for money
awesome build! your deathless UE kill was great!
Nice, I'm thinking going ci trickster with something similar.
CliveHowlitzer wrote:

I am now too addicted to that feeling of being kicked in the nuts when you die.

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