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ARQIUM POISON HELIX PATHFINDER – 2.7MILLION ARMOR RATING™*

Hypnotic Eye JewelMelding of the FleshMegalomaniacForbidden FlameWatcher's EyeLarge Cluster JewelInertiaLarge Cluster JewelForbidden FleshMedium Cluster JewelIntuitive LeapMedium Cluster JewelThe Wasp NestDawnbreakerZodiac LeatherLion PeltSnakebiteCircle of NostalgiaCircle of NostalgiaAul's UprisingTwo-Toned Boots (Armour/Evasion)Stygian Vise
Bottled FaithTaste of HateTopaz FlaskDiamond FlaskRuby Flask

Ok, it IS a clickbait, it has Only about 2000 armor, but the physical mitigation is HIGHER than if you had 2.7 million Armor...

First of all, this build isn’t league starter, but you can migrate from a league starter to this after you get the watchers eye, melding of the flesh, a few crafts and uniques.

VIDEO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q23JADIiWqE

POB

https://pobb.in/gYOqXq5bSmpi

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Pinnacle bosses and Wave 30 double boss at the end of the video.

Feared 100% quant is still hard for this build, but I managed to do it after few (lots of) deaths as you can see in the video.

PRO:EXTREMELY TANKY without compromising DPS.Do ALL content and all mods.Cheap-ish: I spent 90ex on my build.Can be used on HC.Good DPS - 10-20million dps with spectral helix, without counting multiple hits of the same attack.

CONS:Degens are dangerous, you are NOT tanky against degens because of your maximum life, but you will have time to move out.DPS Ceiling at 10-20million dps.New Droughtbringer mod on monsters in 3.18 might be very dangerous and kill you instantly if you aren't careful.

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MITIGATION.

You know that the bigger the hit, less effective the Armor is right? So with very big hits, Armor is less and less effective... but, with elemental damage there is no such limitation, the damage reduction is the same for any sized hit.

That is why we convert 100% of physical damage taken to elemental, that is reduced by 89%-90% elemental resistances, plus -32% less elemental damage taken from Sapphire/Topaz/Ruby Flasks (20%+59% flask effect) multiplied by -6% REDUCED elemental taken from Nature’s Bloom... as it is right now, my character can tank a 39k Single Physical hit without dying AND without using any Guard. With Steelskin up, the maximum SINGLE Physical hit without dying is about 64000. The maximum Single Elemental hit that I can take is a 50k, without factoring spell suppression.

Right now you can check on POB, my Life is 3517, so to be one-shot I need to take a >39000 single physical hit damage, or 50k single elemental hit, with the same life amount you could never take the same damage using Armor, because then the damage taken would be reduced only by 90% would be 3950 and you would die, but if you had 5000 life, you would still need 2.7 MILLION ARMOUR to survive... is there anything that hits like this in the game? Maven Memory Game Deals 42571 to 63857 Physical Damage... So, I am almost there..., probably I could try to tank it with Steel skin? going to try later.

Did I tell you that on top of that you have tons of damage avoidance from Elusive? Did I tell you that mobs poisoned by you can’t deal critical hits against you? And that you have 40% more of block chance? More layers of defense here.

The downside is:

Those defenses doesn’t work against degens and dots, so while you have a 89% elemental resistance with lots of mitigations from flasks, the same doesn’t work for physical degens, so because your maximum hp and life regeneration/leech is low, you have to react fast and avoid degens. Good things are: you are immune to almost all degens and all your resistances are high, and the only physical degen that will kill you are the storm from Sirus if you go in.., and the Die beam if you don’t manually click any flask to remove the corrupted blood (Master Surgeon ascendence), if you are not immune against it. Because you have low HP and your life regen/leech is low, you also can’t tank degens like shaper beam and vortex, so the Feared Fight is still a bit hard for this build, but very doable if you get the mechanics down. I could do it at >100% quant, but it was not a breeze… I died a lot, but because I am bad at this game.

RECOVER.

Pathfinder recover is one of the best of the game, how? Using Flagellants flasks with instilling orbs to Use when charges are full. When you spec into Master Surgeon, every time you use a flask it recovers 6% of your maximum life, also removes Bleeding and Corrupted Blood, so you don’t need to have any expensive jewel for it. It works when you are hit, so the denser the map, more you recover, and it works when you can’t heal like when you get stuck by Maven Beams.

Triple beyond 100% delirious is a breeze for this build, you can rest assured that nothing will kill you, unless you get some bad map mods like elemental weakness plus minus maximum resistances…. then maybe you can worry a little bit. Elemental weakness alone isn’t much a problem because if you use a Sulphur flask the consecrated ground with increased flask effect will already mitigate a lot of its effects… and you can always roll a less curse effect on one of your flasks… So on top of all that defenses I told you before, you have yet 80% less effect of curse on you when on consecrated ground.

The downside again is against degens, because you aren’t being hit you aren’t getting healed. This makes fights like Feared harder… but remember, with lots of flask effectiveness, your consecrated ground from sulphur flasks will heal you a lot, and your flasks will still be healing you, but less often.

DAMAGE:

The damage is respectable, but this is not a build that will scale the dps at infinitum, yet you can achieve 15-20million dps, enough to do all endgame content confortably.

The formula is the old know Spectral Helix+Nightblade and Perfect Agony to scale poison damage, so get lots of attack speed, crit, crit damage, poison duration and chaos damage… in my case I am getting Frenzy charges to scale the bonus from Snakebite too.

PROS:

· Extremely Tanky against Physical, Chaos and Elemental Damage without sacrificing damage. You will never die in maps, only the most unforgiving mechanics will kill you (maven memory game and shaper beam in The Feared… with a bit more optimization I think you can tank the memory game maybe too… lol… maybe…

o 97-100% Physical Damage taken as elemental

o 89% Elemental Resistances with tons of LESS elemental damage taken… this will mitigate your physical damage taken too because of the above.

o 75% Chaos resistance.

o 100% Spell Suppression easily.

o Recover 9-18% of your life every time you get hit with Master Surgeon… maybe better than Aegis Aurora because it is all hits – including blocks, and you don’t need armor to scale the recovery.

o 26% Damage from Elusive

o Enemies can’t deal critical strikes on you.

o Elemental ailments immune.

o -80% effect of curses on you.

· Permanent flasks.

· 11mil DPS+ when hitting only once with Spectral Helix, some bosses can be hit several times, just multiply the damage.

· Can take all map mods, with enduring mana flask for no leech.

· The mapping is good, attack once per screen against yellow mobs and run with plague bearer killing everything… and you movement speed is high enough, mine is at +122% with elusive effect and without quicksilver, that can be almost permanent if you chose to use it.

· Can league start with a more conventional SH Poison Pathfinder, using Determination/Grace and Basalt/Granite Flasks, and then transition to this build keeping most of the skill gems and gameplay. Look for Tri-Polar Bear for a good SH Poison Pathfinder starter.

· You can self-craft all the gear, and the uniques aren’t expensive.

· Can do ALL Endgame including Wave 30 Simulacrum, Maven, Uber Elder and 100% Quant Feared, but it is not optimal to farm Feared, as it is a bit hard for this build if you are bad with mechanics, but it is a very forgiving build because you can take a lot of pain without flinching.

· Can farm triple T16+ beyond 100% Delirious without fear of dying, not even corpse explosions can kill you.

CONS:

· If you like the adrenaline of almost dying and having to dodge stuff, this isn’t for you…

· Weak against degens. -You are immune to almost all degens, corrupted blood, bleed, ignite, but it is weak against ground degens, so be aware of standing on top of desecrated ground, burning ground, shaper vortexes, shaper beam, and Sirus Storm (lol)… but is not like you will die instantly, you just have to move and be aware.

· The new nullifier modifier on monsters in 3.18 might be a problem, because it removes flask effect, and then you are extremely squish and will probably die, to Hardcorers, be aware.

· Maps with less flask charges maybe might be a problem, I never cared and did it anyway, but wasn’t juiced.

· Maps with no-leech needs a enduring mana potion.

· Tons of buttons to press:

o Focus – you skip this while mapping and only use on bosses.

o Blessing Malevolence – you can skip this while mapping.

o Blood rage Buff once on map, several times while doing long bosses.

o Totems – Ancestral Protector on bosses.

o Spectral helix

o Movement – Whirlwind blades.

o Withering step (on left mouse button).

o Plague Bearer – Use on cooldown for more damage multiplier and clear.

o Steelskin (I don’t use it on CWDT, but you can, the build is a bit socket starved and will have to have some compromises, also the build is so tanky that you can just remove it. I use manually it when doing bosses or simulacrums against some heavy damage when needed...

o While mapping it is just movement, attack and plague bearer on cooldown, but while bossing, for optimal damage, you will have to manage all cooldowns, it is not that hard though.

GEAR:

· WEAPON:

o Wasp Nest, a 1c unique, is your endgame weapon unless you want to spend several dozen exalts for a little bit better one.

o With power charge on crit corruption is ok, but if you somehow cap your critical strike chance without power charges, get one with critical damage corruption.

· SHIELD:

o Dawnbreaker. Get one or divine one for 20% of Physical Damage taken as fire. If you corrupt it for 8% physical damage taken as fire too then you can cap 100% of physical damage as elemental, but don’t spend too much in this, at this point +Life is just as valuable as that.

· GLOVES:

o Snakebite. You will need one with Despair on Hit corruption implicit, because we can’t have despair on rings. You can use Witchfire brew if you cant sustain Frenzy Charges or can’t find a despair on hit one, but you will need this flask slot for Bottled Faith.

· BODY ARMOR:

o I use a evasion base, but I am thinking about using a hybrid ES/Evasion base next league for more EHP.

o You need something like this: [Imgur](https://imgur.com/T5P536Z)

§ Craft with Essence of Horror until T1 Life or T2/1 Life and Spell Suppresion + 1 T1 or T2 Resistance. Also you can spam essences until you are happy with prefixes, and use eldritch chaos orbs to get the perfect suffixes, I didn’t care to do it.

o Then craft implicit with eldritch embers and ichors, you need +3% maximum cold resistance and purity of ice aura effect.

· BOOTS:

o Mine is this: [Imgur](https://imgur.com/Jkfr6sH)

o The important part is the +2 Level for Socketed Cold Skills, Tailwind/Onslaught are good for dps and speed, but not mandatory. Mine I bought in trade for about 18ex, maybe a failure for someone, but was perfect for me.

o There are 2 options for boot craft

§ THE EXPENSIVE is to get a Circle of Nostalgia with the correct mods AND Level 25 Purity of Ice, then you can just use a good boot with resistances and brittle ground, or tailwind onslaught boots. Brittle ground boots is better for dps and gives you more option, if you can’t get this specifically, then you need:

§ A good redeemer boot with +2 Socketed Cold skills, the flavor is yours, tailwind or not. And maybe you can fit a Empower on Purity of ice, and ditch this boots and use something else. I am not a crafty guy, refer to some craft guide for a perfect boots.

§ The perfect one would have Movement Speed, Life, Elevated Tailwind (hunter), Onslaught on kill and +2 Cold skill gems(redeemer), Poison duration (hunter). Resistance for some flexibility.

· HELMET:

o Mine is: [Imgur](https://imgur.com/YyE4jx0)

o The important part is the Focus Ailment duration and the 8% Physical damage taken as Fire.

o Craft with Essences of Greed until T1 Spell Suppresion, Annul the rest, multmod with Phys damage taken as Fire and Focus Ailment Duration.

o Craft implictis with ambers and ichors until 7% Physical Damage taken as elemental (fire, cold, lightning). And Less cost of attacks.

o The Enchantment can be on your taste, I went for helix rotations for better clear and sometimes better dps, if the boss moves, but you can fit a aura reservation one, or other.

· RINGS:

o 2x Circle of Nostalgia with Increased Chaos Damage and %to Chaos Resistances while affected by Herald of Agony. Both rings will cap your chaos resistance and increase your damage by tons.

§ EXPENSIVE PART: Get one with increased life implicit.

§ MORE EXPENSIVE: Get one with Level 25 Purity of Ice. (I am hitting myself on foot with this if because of this these rings get more expensive… lol).

· AMULET:

o Aul uprising with Envy.

o Alternatives are Ungil’s Harmony and Ashes of the Star.

o As annointment I like Corruption, more dps and good clear with plaguebeared+withering step, but you can look at whatever you need. Prismatic Skin might be good so you can have more flexibility on clusters or boots.

· BELT:

o Mine is this: [Imgur](https://imgur.com/dR2wZ1R)

o Important part is: Life, Increased Flask effect, Increased Flask Duration. You can alternatively go for Increased Flask Gain too, if you can’t fit lots of it on clusters.

o Mine I crafted with Chaos Spam, Craftofexile told me that it was the most cost-effective method as you can’t target flask modifiers. Then I slammed a hunter orb, looking for %maximum life, but got %chaos damage and I settled for it. I could be more anal and try for a T1 life belt, but didn’t bother.

o Abyssal jewel needs a +Maximum Life and Enemies Withered by you have -2% to all resistances. If you can find one with other useful affixes go for it.

· CLUSTER JEWELS:

o Are the most important part because you will fix lots of things in this build with it.

o You will need one Large Cluster with Attack Damage while using Shield or Claw attack damage with:

§ Feed the Fury – Life Leech. Good to have.

§ Fuel the Fight – Mana Leech. Mandatory.

§ Martial Prowess – tons of damage/attack speed, but not mandatory.

o The other Large Cluster is only for damage, so you can have a Large Cluster with Chaos damage with Unholy Grace and Wicked Pal, going for Unwavering Will(damage) or Unspeakable Gifts (explosions/clear).

o Medium clusters you will need:

§ One with Flask effect Duration with Spiked Concotion(flask gain/damage) and Brewed Potency (Damage/Flask gain) - mandatory.

§ Another with Flask effect Duration or Chaos damage over time with another Brewed Potency for Flask gain and Circling Oblivion for damage.

o Megalomaniacs: Need one with at least Winter Prowler(+2% maximum cold res) and one or 2 useful other masteries, or better yet, one with Winter Prowler and Prismatic Dance (+1% Maximum res).

· JEWELS:

o Melding of the flesh to achieve 89% elemental resistances, get one with a good roll will be give you more flexibility.

o Inertia – To be able to equip Dawnbreaker, as it needs tons of Strength.

o Intuitive Leap will give you tons of flexibility, a Unnatural instinct may be better, or not, I tried and sold it.

o Forbidden Flesh and Flame:

§ Several options: Way of the Poacher for +1 frenzy and frenzy generation, as you need for using together with Snakebite. But if you use Anomalous Blood Rage, maybe you can try another one, Gathering Winds if you don’t have tailwind on boots, Rapid Assault, Quartz Infusion…, your flavor.

o Watcher’s Eye:

§ Cheap: Physical damage taken as cold while affected by Purity of Ice (10%) and Physical Damage taken as any elemental while affected by Purity of elements (12%).

§ A bit pricier: Double Physical damage taken as elemental while affected by purity of elements (12+12%), you may not need this if you have corrupted Dawn breaker.

· FLASKS:

o To a pathfinder Flask is the most important, because it will be your recover, will give you damage and will fix your resistances.

o FLASK 1: TASTE OF HATE. – Mandatory, use one with 15% of Physical Damage taken as Cold roll. The other roll doesn’t matter.

o FLASK 2 AND 3: TOPAZ AND RUBY FLASK – Get them with 6 or 7 charges on being hit and:

§ one with 40% additional elemental resistances during flask effect – mandatory.

§ Other with Attack Speed or critical strike chance during flask effect or reduced mana cost during flask effect, this one is a craft that you learn after unveil it from Cinderswallows.

o Flask 4: Diamond or Quicksilver flask, depends if you want speed or damage. Get it with 6 or 7 charges on being hit and Attack Speed or Critical strike chance or -mana cost. You can also go for movement speed while affected by a flask if you want more zoom zoom.

o Flask 5: This is flex, Bottled Faith is insane because it scales everything and you have tons of increased flask effect… and in a fight It will be almost permanent because you generate flasks on crit on top of the 5 charge per 3 seconds from Nature’s Boom.

§ Other Option if you don’t have Bottled Faith yet is:

§ Witchfire Brew if you don’t have despair on gloves.

§ A good flagellant Sulphur flask with a good suffix (AS, Crit or movement speed).

o Important Point: don’t use more than 2 unique flasks, because they don’t have charges on being hit and will reduce your recover to a dangerous level.

The TREE:

You can look at my POB, but I will be highlighting the most important clusters and masteries:

o Get %life clusters.

o Get Careful Conservationist cluster and Flask applied to you have 10% increased effect mastery.

o Survivalist notable for +1% maximum cold resistance.

o Auras from your skills has 15% effect on you on reservation mastery, will give you +1% maximum cold res from purity of ice and good damage from Envy.

o Enemies poisoned by you can’t deal critical strikes on claw mastery.

o Elusive also grants 40% critical strike multiplier on dagger mastery.

o 40% increased effect of elusive on claw mastery.

o Poison Duration on poison mastery.

o Get Perfect Agony and Dire Torment cluster.

o Get + Frenzy Charge on tree.

Read Comments
Life

3550

Mana

78.26

Energy Shield

40

DPS

11M

Effective Hit Pool

253.25K

Chaos Res

75

Fire Res

89

Cold Res

89

Lightning Res

89

Armour

2K

Evasion

6K

Block

46 | 0

Crit Chance

74%

Crit Multi

538%

Rage

0

Strength

186

Intelligence

138

Dexterity

266

Ward

0

Item Quantity

0%

Item Rarity

0%

Movement Speed

122%

Master Toxicist
Master Toxicist
Nature's Adrenaline
Nature's Adrenaline
Nature's Boon
Nature's Boon
Master Surgeon
Master Surgeon
Perfect Agony
Perfect Agony
Acuity
Acuity
Ballistics
Ballistics
Blood Drinker
Blood Drinker
Careful Conservationist
Careful Conservationist
Charisma
Charisma
Claws of the Magpie
Claws of the Magpie
Dire Torment
Dire Torment
Entrench
Entrench
Fatal Toxins
Fatal Toxins
Fervour
Fervour
Finesse
Finesse
Frenetic
Frenetic
From the Shadows
From the Shadows
Heart of Oak
Heart of Oak
Herbalism
Herbalism
Inveterate
Inveterate
Poisonous Fangs
Poisonous Fangs
Survivalist
Survivalist
Swift Venoms
Swift Venoms
Thick Skin
Thick Skin
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Arqium

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