Welcome to POE 3.22 Trickster Spark CI build guide! Geared towards experienced Spark players, this guide offers a synergy of defensive layers and versatile utility spells. Centered on energy shield mechanics and defensive synergy, this CI Spark Trickster offers resilience and wide-area damage. Delve into strengths, tackle weaknesses, and navigate leveling, gearing, and gem choices. Brace for a rewarding journey as you explore the intricacies of this build.

 

• Build Strengths
• Build Weaknesses
• Leveling Notes
• Post-Campaign Gearing
• Early Game Gear and Gem Links
• Gem Links
• CI Swap
• Crit Swap

 

PoB Link: https://pobb.in/ToIYkag_YcfX

↖ Build Strengths

Let's discuss the strengths of the CI Spark Trickster build and why you might want to give it a shot. One of the main draws is the synergy between its defensive layers. Energy shield leech is excellent, thanks to our ascendancy and passive tree choices, and over leech ensures that we're always leeching instantly. This synergy works perfectly with Spark, which covers a wide area and maintains consistent damage output. With a high energy shield leech rate, surviving is possible if you don't get one shot.

 

The defensive layers, including spell suppression, ghost shrouds, and evasion, work together to prevent one-shot situations. As we enter maps, our energy shield is already close to the cap, making it easy to maximize it with just a single piece of gear. Overall, our defenses create a comfortable playstyle that's difficult to breach.

 

↖ Build Weaknesses

Like any build, there are weaknesses to consider. A significant early-game power spike needs to be improved, which might make this build better suited for a second character rather than a league start. To address this, we need to invest in our passive tree wisely and use some budget-friendly uniques to bridge the gap.

This might require a bit of heisting to generate Chaos for the necessary uniques. Additionally, reliance on unique items puts pressure on rare gear slots, making gear management more crucial. While evasion helps avoid attacks, a lack of energy shield regeneration when not taking damage is a vulnerability. However, Ghost Shrouds and specific scenarios mitigate this. Also, energy shield regeneration can be turned on temporarily if needed.

 

↖ Leveling Notes

Let's walk through the leveling process step by step:

• Start with movement skills: Choose Flame Dash, Leap Slam, or Frost Blink.
• Gems for early acts: Spark, Pierce, Added Lightning, Flame Dash/Frost Blink, Arcane Surge, Frost Bomb.
• Boss-killing skills: Orb of Storms, Flame Wall, Wave of Conviction.
• Utility skills: Herald of Thunder, Herald of Ice, Clarity.
• Alira quest reward for resistances and mana.
• Use essences for early gear bonuses.
• Focus on defensive nodes in the passive tree.
• Save alchemy for crafting evasion-based hybrid gear.
• Transition to orbs for evasion/ES gear.
• Aim to cap resistances with gear and passive tree.

 

↖ Post-Campaign Gearing

After the campaign, gear upgrades are essential. Here's what you need to consider:

• Use Singularity Scepters for damage and mana regen.
• Prioritize evasion/ES gear with good resistance.
• Use a helmet with "Trigger Socketed Spells when you Focus."
• Algor Mortis gloves for extra utility.
• Obtain a Chayula amulet for Energy Shield and Chaos Resistance.
• Use Hybrid Evasion/ES Body Armor.
• Consider unique boots and a belt.
• Integrate Essence of Horror for extra ES on a ring.
• Use defensive flasks and Wise Oak.

 

↖ Early Game Gear and Gem Links

• Weapons: Singularity Scepters. Early on, prioritize Singularity scepters for high damage output. They're affordable and provide mana regen, cast speed, and other useful bonuses.
• Helmet: Trigger Socketed Spells when Focused. Choose a helmet with the "Trigger Socketed Spells when Focused" modifier. This will allow you to trigger utility spells, boosting your overall damage.
• Gloves: Algor Mortis. Algor Mortis gloves synergize well with your skill setup. While not necessary, you can socket Vortex for added damage. Other options include Cast on Critical Strike or Cast on Melee Kill setups.
• Chest: Ghost Thrive. Ghost Thrive is a valuable chest piece with high chaos resistance. Aim for capped chaos resistance before transitioning to CI (Chaos Inoculation) to ensure survivability.
• Boots: Centric Boots. Centric Boots offer budget-friendly and solid resistance bonuses. Prioritize resists on your gear to maintain elemental resistances.
• Rings: Shah's Revelation . Shah's Revelation is an excellent late-game choice for an energy shield. Avoid using it too early, as it turns off energy shield regeneration. Hold off until you've completed Uber Lab for significant energy shield boosts.

 

↖ Gem Links

Main Damage Skill: Spark

• Link: Spark - Inspiration Support - Spell Echo Support - Energy Leech Support - Lightning Penetration Support - Elemental Focus Support (or other suitable gems)
• Prioritize these gems for maximizing Spark's damage output and penetration potential.

 

Utility Skills

• In Trigger Socketed Spells Helmet: Sigil of Power - Power Siphon (for power generation) - Tornado Cold Snap (for burst damage)

• Additional Damage Skills: Arcanist Brand - Arcanist Brand - [Main Damage Skill] - Increased Critical Strikes Support - Controlled Destruction Support
• Utility Curse Setup: Wave of Conviction - Curse on Hit Support - Curse 1 - Curse 2
• Auras: Grace - Wrath - Herald of Ice
• Optional Frenzy Charge Generation: In case of an open socket, you can include Cold Snap linked to Frenzy Charges on Cast.

 

Tips and Considerations

• Capped Resistances: Prioritize resistance capping on gear to minimize elemental damage taken.
• Chaos Resistance: Maintain high chaos resistance while transitioning to CI to prevent sudden deaths.
• Gem Quality: Level and quality of your gems can significantly impact your damage output. Prioritize gem leveling and quality.
• Gear Upgrades: As you progress, seek upgrades that offer a balance of damage, survivability, and resistances.
• Jewels: Consider using jewels with appropriate modifiers to enhance your damage or defenses.
• Flasks: Utilize flasks that provide life and energy shield recovery, elemental damage boosts, and ailment immunity.
• Passive Tree: Allocate nodes that enhance elemental damage, spell damage, cast speed, and energy shield. Prioritize nodes that align with your chosen skills.

 

↖ CI Swap

Transitioning to CI:

• Swap to Energy Shield gear.
• Sandstorm Visage unique helmet for base crit.
• Upgrade body armor to Sadist Garb.
• Sandstorm Visage allows more curses and utilizes Punishment, Elemental Weakness, Conductivity, and Assassin's Mark.
• Swap to CI-focused passives.
• Consider using a CI-friendly anathema ring for curses.

 

↖ Crit Swap

Transitioning to Crit:

• Use Sandstorm Visage and wands with high base crit.
• Craft wands with perfect rolls using your main hand weapon's crit.
• Craft a Sadist Garb with evasion/ES and resistances.
• Adjust gem links and focus on scaling crit multipliers.
• Explore additional ways to scale crit damage.

 

Conclusion:

Congratulations! You've now grasped the core concepts of the 3.22 Trickster Spark CI build. Whether you're diving into the league with this build or transitioning from a different character, this guide should help you navigate the challenges and enjoy the unique playstyle of a CI Spark Trickster. Remember, PoE is all about customization, so feel free to adjust the build to match your playstyle and gear availability. Happy hunting, Exile!