Greetings, fellow Exiles! Welcome to the guide on the Ice Trap Occultist League Starter Build for the Trial of the Ancestors League. In this guide, we will delve into the intricacies of this well-rounded build that offers exceptional clear speed, formidable single-target damage, and the potential to shine throughout the end game. Whether you're a dedicated single-build player or someone who seeks continuous improvement, this build is tailored to your needs. 

• Why Occultist Over Saboteur?
• Playstyle and Mechanics
• Pros & Cons
• Skills and Mechanics
• Key Uniques
• Skill Tree and Ascendancy

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↖ Why Occultist Over Saboteur?

You might be wondering why we chose Occultist over Saboteur for this build. While Saboteur offers quality-of-life features like trap-throwing speed and recovery, the damage potential of an Occultist far outweighs that of a Saboteur. Moreover, this build's Flexibility allows you to tailor it to your playstyle - whether you prefer mapping, bossing, or farming invitations. The Occultist version can also make use of Profane Bloom, granting significant clear speed improvement, which sets it apart as a versatile and strong choice.

↖ Playstyle and Mechanics

Mastering this build requires understanding its mechanics. Traps have a slight delay before detonation, so throw them under enemies and give them time to trigger. Mapping involves casting Arcanist Brand to apply curses, and Hex Bloom ensures curse propagation. In boss fights, use your curses strategically and consider Shield Charge to escape damage zones quickly. Make sure to time your Aura activation and flask usage just before the trap detonates for maximum impact.

↖ Pros & Cons

• + Versatile build for mapping, bossing, and invitations.
• + Great single-target and clear speed.
• + Low budget, suitable for league starters.
• + Flexibility to adjust the build's focus.
• + Smooth leveling experience.
• - Requires adjustment to trap playstyle.
• - Recovery mechanics can be challenging.
• - Suffix-starved for attributes and resistances.
• - Inferior recovery compared to Saboteur.
• - Deeper investment for optimal performance.

↖ Skills and Mechanics

↖ Key Uniques

• Heatshiver (Helmet): Provides a significant damage boost, making it a crucial unique for this build.
• Slave Driver's/Architect's Hand (Gloves): These gloves enhance our trap-throwing speed based on our cast speed. Architect's Hand is preferred due to its synergy with frenzy charges.
• Void Battery (Wand): Increases power charges, crit chance, crit multi, and spell damage, making it an ideal choice for our build.
• Tinkerskin (Chest): Offers life and energy shield recovery per trap triggered, along with phasing, helping with recovery and survivability.
• Rallying Cry (Boots): Instantly sets you to max charges while stationary, providing a burst of power for boss fights.
• Gravebind (Boots): Enables Profane Bloom mechanics, offering excellent clear speed improvement with Herald of Ash explosions.

↖ Skill Tree and Ascendancy

• Balanced Version: The balanced skill tree provides a solid foundation for both mapping and bossing. Prioritize life, crit, damage, and essential ascendancy nodes.
• Bossing Version: Adjust the skill tree to allocate Charge Mastery for increased charge duration, enhancing charge uptime during boss fights.
• Mapping Version (Explode): Experiment with the explode version by utilizing Profane Bloom with Gravebind gloves. This setup offers potent mapping capabilities.

Conclusion:

Thank you for joining me in this Ice Trap Occultist League Starter Guide for the Trial of the Ancestors. If you're intrigued by the build's versatility, strong damage output, and solid mapping capabilities, give it a try! Whether you choose to stick with the balanced version or experiment with the bossing or mapping variants, this build promises an exciting and rewarding experience. Best of luck in the Crucible League, Exiles! Stay safe and enjoy the adventure.