Hey there, fellow Path of Exile players! Excited to share with you latest adventure in PoE Affliction: the Poison SA (Scourge Arrow) Pathfinder build. After some trial and error (and quite a bit of lag!), We've honed this build for those who love to farm juicy T16s with style. Let's dive into what makes this build tick, but remember – no PoE build is ever truly complete!

 

• Key Mechanics
• Skills & Passives
• Crafting & Equipment
• Scaling Up
• Gameplay Tips

 

↖ Key Mechanics

• Poison All The Way: At the heart of this build is the unique ability to poison with Elemental damage, thanks to the Warden of the Magi. We need a PoisonBerry Tincture saying all damage can poison for weapon attacks.
• Why An Ele Bow?: Unlike the costly phys bows, an elemental bow offers higher DPS, though you sacrifice some defensive perks of a Darkscorn.
• Defensive Strategy: Using Defiance of Destiny amulet for a pre-hit life boost and combining it with Blood Notch for instant leech and recoup.
• Max Hit Considerations: This build isn't designed for Uber bosses. For that, consider integrating The Fourth Vow and Divine Flesh.
• Energy Shield and Stun Threshold: Energy Shield is set to not protect life, so every hit stuns me, triggering defensive mechanics like Steel Skin and Berserk.

 

↖ Skills & Passives

• Pathfinder Masteries: Essential for this build are Nature's Reprisal, Nature's Adrenaline, and Nature's Boon.
• Wildwood Ascendancy: Nature's Concoction is crucial for flask uptime. Coated Blade is a game-changer for this build.
• Poison Nodes and Suppression: Essential for damage and survival.
• Clusters and Jewel Sockets: We've used a variety of unique jewels and clusters for damage and defense optimization.

 

↖ Crafting & Equipment

• The Bow: Fractured base with added lightning damage. Rolled with Essences for top-tier damage.
• Gloves and Rings: Focused on resistances and -7 to Mana cost for non-ring skills.
• Amulet: Defiance of Destiny with allocated Whispers of Doom.
• Helmet: Key for reduced Mana cost of attacks.
• Boots: Fractured base with shock avoidance and evasion.
• Quiver: Look for projectile speed, Elemental damage, and damage over time multiplier.

 

 

↖ Scaling Up

• More Damage: Craft or find gear with an increased number of projectiles.
• Defensive Options: Consider defensive auras or switch to a Blizzard Crown helmet for cold damage boosts.

 

↖ Gameplay Tips

• Self-Attack Strategy: Tap your attack a few times and move on, letting your Mirage Archer and Mana-forged Arrow triggers do the work.
• Loot Strategy: Clear first, then loop back for loot. It's more efficient than trying to do it all simultaneously.
• Dealing With Lag: Avoid using returning projectiles as it can cause significant lag.

 

This build is a fun blend of offense and quirky defenses. It's incredibly potent in maps but has its vulnerabilities, particularly to DOTs and large single hits. Remember, it's about playing smart and adapting to the situation. And as always, PoE builds are a journey – there's always something to tweak or improve!