~1 week until 3.17 - Last call for my fellow Exiles to test my comprehensive, in-depth, beginner-friendly, SSFHC-viable CHECKLIST build guide for Toxic Rain Champion

==================================================================================================================== LIGHTEE'S NOTES ==================================================================================================================== When doing the early game leveling, make sure to use the rare rustic sash + whetstone + weapon vendor recipe to create a 40-59% increased physical damage weapon at various staged. I typically do this on a poleaxe at level 18 right before fighting the Weaver boss. Do the recipe again at level 23 with a vaal axe and this will take you all the way to level 33 where you aim to swap to Toxic Rain. Look at the TR swap bow in the item tab to see the kind of bow you should expect to have when you swap. The first item level 64 thicket bow you find should be alt rolled for + to level of bow gems and then 4l'd. You can also use random essences and alchemy orbs on 64+ thicket bows to attempt to get a quick +2 bow gems thicket. Toxic Rain has some weird interactions with its overlap that change your average pod overlap at various amounts of increased AoE. There are a few "sweetspots" that will result in a significant increase in overlap frequency. The targetted sweetspot I will be going for in SSF is 5 arrows, 39% increased area of effect which you acquire with 20q Toxic Rain, Bow Mastery 20% increased AoE, and 9% increased aoe from a craft on either neck, gloves, or helmet. There is a better overlap that can be reached at 6 arrows with an alt quality Concentrated effect but that is trade league stuff. Look into Remicaster's work on identifying Toxic Rain AoE thresholds to find what works best for you with the resources available. Ascendancy Order is skip Normal lab and do Normal + Cruel together for Fortitude, then Inspirational and add Defiance Banner The last ascendancy is Conqeruor for Taunt/damage reduction or First to Strike Last to Fall for Adrenaline. I like Conqueror STR is a constant issue in the build. Don't be afraid to spec Master of the Arena and/or 30 STR node As soon as you get Gravicious Life as ES chest mod and get Ghost Shrouds you drop Blood Rage if you're okay with the damage loss Vitality is ran at a low gem level early to help with Blood Rage Degen. Just level it as much as you need to do avoid degening You can also take the 2% regen while moving Life mastery and/or make sure to keep pressing your life flask every 10 seconds for Heart of Oak Regen ==================================================================================================================== GENERAL TIPS ==================================================================================================================== This build is part of Zizaran's 3.16 build guide collaborations with Lightee https://www.twitch.tv/lightee7 Bandits: Kill All Hover over the bright mastery icon to see what masteries are taken The items in this guide are are a GUIDELINE, listed with the main core stats you're looking for. More/higher stats (resists, attributes, etc) are always better! On trade leagues you can search for "Empty Suffixes" or "Empty Prefixes" with a value of 1 for items with open crafting slots Upgrade your Pantheons, ESPECIALLY BRINE KING Keep an eye out on your Strength/Intelligence requirements, especially when adjusting your tree/replacing gear We are scaling the Damage Over Time portion of Toxic Rain. We do not utilize stats like chaos leech or Adds X to X Chaos Damage ==================================================================================================================== 3.16 Changes ==================================================================================================================== Toxic Rain did not receive nerfs in 3.16 and continues to be one of, if not THE, strongest league starter available. ==================================================================================================================== GEM LINKS ==================================================================================================================== 6L: Toxic Rain - Void Manipulation - Mirage Archer - Faster Attacks - Efficacy - Empower 3/4 6L: Toxic Rain - Ballista Totem - Multiple Totems - Withering Touch - Focused Ballista - Efficacy 4L: Cast When Damage Taken (Level 11) - Vaal Molten Shell (Level 16) - Increased Duration - Defiance Banner 4L: Flame Dash - Withering Step - Lifetap - Despair/Second Wind (If Hunter ring with Despair on Hit) 4L: Malevolence | Determination | Grace | Vaal Blight If you want to use Viridi's Veil setup, you will need to switch your aura setup into your helmet with an Enlighten 3+ ==================================================================================================================== SKILL GEM LOCATIONS ==================================================================================================================== ---------- 1 - 12 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Caustic Arrow - Act 1 - Nessa - Enemy at the Gates Mirage Archer - Act 1 - Nessa - Mercy Mission Smoke Mine - Act 1 - Nessa - The Caged Brute Dash - Act 1 - Nessa - Breaking Some Eggs Blink Arrow - Act 1 - Nessa - The Caged Brute Puncture - Act 1 - Nessa - Breaking Some Eggs Toxic Rain - Act 1 - Nessa - The Siren's Cadence (replaces Puncture) Void Manipulation - Act 1 - Nessa - The Caged Brute ---------- 12 - 24 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Withering Step - Act 1 - Nessa - The Caged Brute Onslaught - Act 1 - Nessa - Mercy Mission Vicious Projectiles - Act 2 - Yeena - Sharp and Cruel Summon Skitterbots - Act 2 - Yeena - The Root of the Problem Flesh and Stone - Act 3 - Siosa - A Fixture of Fate (aka the Library quest) Blood Rage - Act 2 - Yeena - Intruders in Black ---------- 24 - 36 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Despair - Act 3 - Clarissa - Lost in Love Malevolence - Act 3 - Siosa - A Fixture of Fate (aka the Library quest) ---------- 36+ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Endgame ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Swift Affliction - Act 3 - Clarissa/Siosa - A Fixture of Fate (aka the Library quest) Empower - Can only be acquired through drops or div cards, trade for it if you're not on SSF Efficacy - Act 3 - Siosa - A Fixture of Fate (aka the Library quest) Concentrated Effect - Act 3 - Siosa - A Fixture of Fate (aka the Library quest) Damage on Full Life - Act 3 - Siosa - A Fixture of Fate (aka the Library quest) Defiance Banner - Act 3 - Clarissa - Lost in Love Vitality - Act 3 - Siosa - A Fixture of Fate (aka the Library quest) Cast When Damage Taken - Act 4 - Petarus & Vanja - The Eternal Nightmare Second Wind - Act 3 - Clarissa/Siosa - A Fixture of Fate (aka the Library quest) Flame Dash - Act 3 - Clarissa/Siosa - A Fixture of Fate (aka the Library quest) Immortal Call - Act 4 - Nessa - Breaking the Seal ==================================================================================================================== WHY GHOST DANCE ==================================================================================================================== Ghost Dance in combination with the Gravicious "Gain 10% of Maximum Life as Extra Maximum Energy Shield" craft gives us an additional layer of defence since we have a large amount of evasion from Grace and other sources You will want to drop Blood Rage once you swap to Ghost Dance, as it will eat all of your energy shield ==================================================================================================================== AURAS ==================================================================================================================== Make sure you have Charima and Influence mana reservation efficiency nodes and the mana reservation efficiency mastery Early Game: Malevolence Determination Vitality (Keep low level, just enough to help with Blood Rage degen. Can also run higher level with Vitality Life Mastery) Defiance Banner After acquiring a Shrieking Essence of Loathing Helmet/Redeemer Helmet (8% reservation efficiency): Malevolence Determination Grace Defiance Banner If you want to use Viridi's Veil, you will need to move your auras along with an Enlighten 3+ into your helmet ==================================================================================================================== FLASKS ==================================================================================================================== After Upgraded Brine King Pantheon (Freeze Immunity, before this use a Heat flask instead of Acceleration): Bubbling Divine Life Flask of Staunching Enduring Eternal Mana Flask of Warding Perpetual Granite Flask of Iron Skin Perpetual Silver Flask of Acceleration Perpetual Quicksilver Flask of Adrenaline ==================================================================================================================== MANA PROBLEMS ==================================================================================================================== Acquire a Enduring Mana Flask as soon as possible. You can craft the Warding suffix on it with Bestiary if it is "Enduring Eternal Mana Flask" You can use the non-channeling skills -Mana craft to help make spamming a little more comfortable ==================================================================================================================== Ailment Avoidance ==================================================================================================================== In the beginning, you will be using flask suffixes to deal with ailments. As you progress through the game and build your character, you will have options to gain immunities to ailments. There are many new options to approaching elemental ailment immunity in 3.16 You can find a complete list here: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/3186390#ailmentmitigation Upgraded Major Soul of the Brine King now grants Freeze Immunity, along with already having 50% Reduced Chill Effect If you'd like, you can go for more than 50% reduced chill effect. One way is the Reduced Effect of Chill and Shock on You crafting bench option (now grants 30-40%) You can also get 30% Reduced Chill Effect from a jewel There is also 60% Reduced Effect of Chill craft on Rings as an option Minor Soul of Garukhan grants 60% reduced Effect of Shock With these two pantheons and the craft, you will have Freeze Immunity, 100% reduced effect of shock, and 90% reduced chill effect. ==================================================================================================================== KEEP DYING :( ==================================================================================================================== Make sure your resistances are capped Make sure you have your Warding and Staunching flasks Make sure you have a Granite Flask (preferably of Iron Skin) and are using your Vaal Molten Shell/Defiance Banner in dangerous situations ==================================================================================================================== Anointment ==================================================================================================================== Early game - Freedom of Movement (Clear Sepia Violet) Mid/Late game - Corruption (Crimson Black Black) ==================================================================================================================== CRAFTING ==================================================================================================================== -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crafting Life + Chaos Dot Multiplier Gear -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Many Rare items for this build have Life + Chaos Damage Over Time Multiplier. You can craft a majority of this gear with Harvest Chaos/Chaos more likely rerolls, Aberrant Fossils, and Aberrant + Pristine Fossil Combo -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crafting Mid/Late Game Bows -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can farm/buy a 6L Short Bow through the "The Porcupine" divination card (better base) or "Imperial Legacy" divination card. A Shrieking Essence of Dread (or higher) will give you +2 levels of socketed bow gems, hope for an open suffix (Either recraft with another essence or annul)) Craft Chaos Damage over Time Multiplier (Betrayal Craft) You can unveil this modifier only from weapons dropped by It That Fled, which is not on the initial Sydicate board. You need to pick remove members from the syndicate until It That Fled appears. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crafting End Game Bow -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Around the point you can comfortably afford Empower 4 and have around 8+ exalts, you can seriously consider a sizable weapon upgrade If you do not think you'll reach this amount of currency, you can go for a bow with +2 level of socketed bow gems and +1 level of socketed gems The bow you are aiming for is Hunter Increased Chaos Damage Over Time, T1 DoT Multi, +1 to Level of Socketed Gems, Can have 3 additional crafted mods, crafted +2 to Level of Socketed Support Gems, and crafted Chaos Dot Multi You will need a Hunter Influenced 6L ilvl 82+ bow. Ideally, this would be a Thicket Bow You can either buy one to influence (make sure it is ilvl 82+, no influence, not corrupted/mirrored/fractured) or link a hunter bow yourself You can influence your own bow through a Hunter's Exalted Orb or an already influenced bow with the Harvest Weapon Influence Swap craft (1/6 chance) Remember that you can quality the base with Hillock in Transportation or with Perfect Fossils and craft quality on an item before 6 linking Alt/Aug/Regal for T1 Dot Multi annul it down to this mod on a rare item. Can Have 3 Crafted Mods, Cannot Roll Attack Mods, Exalt twice. You should hit +1 to Level of Socketed Gems and a random tier of Hunter Increased Chaos Damage Over Time Wipe craft, Can Have 3 Crafted Mods, +2 Level of Socketed Support Gems, Chaos Dot Multi Craftofexile: https://pastebin.com/qZvPGhfc -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cluster Jewels -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Large Cluster setup is very strong/balanced endgame Large Cluster Options: Chaos Large Cluster (8 Points) Good notables to look out for are at least two of Touch of Cruelty, Wicked Pall, and Unholy Grace. Ideally, you want 3 notables on your Large Cluster Jewel for good pathing Crafting your own: Acquire 8 passive chaos large cluster jewel (preferably ilvl 50-67, helps with crafting substantially), reroll with Harvest more likely chaos or abberant fossils until 3 notables Medium Cluster Options: Projectile Damage (4 or 5 points): Shrieking Bolts Repeater Crafting your own: Purchase 4 or 5 passive Projectile Damage Medium Cluster Jewel (ilvl 50-67 easiest to roll). Harvest reforge attack/caster until you hit both notables Tip: Remember that you can get resistances/attributes you need on Cluster Jewels. You can also swap/augment the resistances (suffixes) using Harvest Small Cluster Jewels: Use Normal Jewels Mods to look for on jewels: Maximum Life Chaos Damage Over Time Multiplier Attack Speed with Bows Damage Over Time Projectile Damage Damage Attack Speed Attack and Cast speed Area Damage Chaos Damage Strength and Intelligence All Attributes Resistances --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------