Artillery Balista final update (Phrecia) - Path of Exile

Pluses: -cheap and fast league start -safe totem playstyle -few different approaches, poison, shrines, spellslinger -pretty good boss killer with poison(?) Minuses: -limited amount of sockets -you have to stack 5 vines with your attacks, so the Balista could benefit from poison Ascendancy -totems can be pretty boring playstyle Late Endgame: -possible respecialize into more juicy Spellslinger setup (in the next guide, soon tm.) Leveling: Act 1 Ice shot + Mirage Archer+ Faster Attacks (or Added Fire Damage depending on socket colors) Shrapnel Balista + Cold Damage Support + Faster attacks (or Added Fire Damage depending on socket colors) Utility: Dash or Blink arrow Aura: Precision, Clarity (pay attention that higher level = higher reservation) Before Marveil you may swap Shrapnel Balista for Siege Balista Act 2 Quest - Rush to Chamber of Sins Aura: swap Precision with Herald of Ice Utility: Blood Rage (not neccessary since we are going mostly to support Balistas) Kill All Bandits or Help Kraityn if you want to just quickly rush through campaing with higher movement speed. Elemental Damage support for later (once you get Artillery Balista) You can buy Frenzy and level it up too. Act 3 Quest - Lost Love Aura: Swap Herald for Haste or Grace (depending if you need dps or defense) Quest - Sever the right Hand Siege Balista swap to Artillery Balista + Lesser Multi Projectiles + Faster attacks (or Added Fire Damage depending on socket colors) + Elemental Damage with Attacks Once you get Oath of the Magi, sockets may be a tricky part as you would want no gems in helmet and boots. You can drop supports from Ice Shot or replace Ice shot with Frenzy. Ice shot should be better if you can't find better bow for you current level. Frenzy + Faster attacks Act 4/5 Greater Multi proj instead Lesser Multi Proj for Balista Act 6/7 Grab Alchemist Mark from Lily for later use You can use additional aura depending on sockets availability and needs: Grace or Purity of Elements Act 8 pick Roots of the Grove ans start using the mark against the Bosses. Swap faster attacks for chance to poison on Frenzy. or pick Woodland Shrines if Roots of the Grove if you won't like poison approach. Act 9/10 You can go for Ghost Dance if you found good hybrid amour, if not you can focus on Poison passives. Pick Woodland Shrines or Innate Blessing if you decided to go full shrine. Gearing: If you experiancing low dps, especially if you can't find a good bow during leveling, you can focus more on elemental damage passives, sacrifice evasion passives and spell suppression. In general, tripple elemental bow should be better; armour preferably -> hybrid, to use with Ghost Dance. Prioritize life, resists should be fixed thanks to the ascendancy. later you can leave body amour without gems so it will benefit from Forest Tracking even more. Jewels can be an easy source for ele resists if needed, but I would prioritize damage (totem/elemental). Annoint: Vinespike Cordial may be pretty useful for quickly generating vines, but I'm not sure if it's worth it before playing with it. Ascendancy - Daughter of Oshabi 1. Oath of the Magi (boots and helmet without the gems) 2. Roots of the Grove 3. Forest Tracking 4. Woodland Shrines Alternative - Shrines: 1. Oath of the Magi 2. Woodland Shrines 3. Innate Blessing 3. Forest Tracking