Greetings, Exiles! Keep in mind that changes in items, mechanics, or skill choices may occur between patches, potentially altering the build's effectiveness.
In this guide, we initially centered our strategy around the Conqueror unique, the Black Cane. This staff grants phantasmal might, providing flat physical damage to spells for each summoned phantasm. The plan was to run a poisoned Blade Vortex setup, investing in an Agony Crawler to summon the phantasms. Choosing the Occultist ascendancy over the Assassin was deliberate, aiming for hybrid minion damage and chaos damage over time scaling.
While the build performed well in low and mid-tier content, it faced challenges in higher-tier encounters and endgame bosses. The inconsistency of summoning phantasms, especially during single-target situations, led to a clunky management experience. The disappointment, however, paved the way for a fallback strategy using the Cold Iron Point weapon, offering comparable damage without the need for summoning phantasms.
Let's delve into the final build:
As explained earlier, the choice for the main damage skill was a poison-based Blade Vortex. Leveraging its high hit rate and physical-based damage, coupled with the Unleash support for comfortable stacking during mapping, the build aimed for a robust setup. Additionally, scaling the Herald of Agony Crawler for maximum damage was crucial. The Occultist ascendancy brought satisfying benefits like Profane Bloom for chaos damage explosions on cursed enemies, enhancing clearing capabilities.
For single-target damage, Withering Presence, combined with increased duration of ailments during focus, was employed. The build also utilized Plague Bearer for powerful clearing during maps. Defensively, the build incorporated Eldritch Battery, Mind over Matter, Temporal Chains, and Aspect of the Spider for hindering and slowing down enemies. The Lethal Pride jewel with Kilava transformed Pain Attunement into Glancing Blows, significantly boosting block chance.
The passive tree focused on chaos damage, damage over time nodes, and applicable minion damage nodes. A hybrid investment in life and energy shield nodes, along with key defensive keystones, provided a balanced defense. Notably, the Occultist ascendancy nodes, including Profane Bloom, Void Beacon, Withering Presence, and Malediction, significantly contributed to the build's damage and curse capabilities.
Gearing for the build involves essential unique items, such as the Devouring Diadem, which grants mana reservation reduction, Eldritch Battery, Feast of Flesh, and shield recharge on skill use. The choice of a Cold Iron Point dagger proved to be pivotal, offering three levels to Blade Vortex and the Herald of Agony. Other unique items like Embalmer's Gloves and Circle of Nostalgia with specific affixes further complemented the build.
In conclusion, while the build initially faced challenges, adapting to the Cold Iron Point weapon proved to be a successful pivot. The guide encourages flexibility in the Path of Exile journey, showcasing how adjustments can lead to a potent and enjoyable build. So, grab your gear, embrace the poison-popping occultist, and conquer the challenges that await in Wraeclast.
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