Flicker Strike Slayer A10 Pts+Labs Commentary Run 3h27m20s

Below is some information to help make leveling Flicker Strike Slayer easier including Link setups, Notable Passive Orders, Gem Acquisition, Solving Attributes, and some questions and answers. This run will typically end around Lvl 61/62 based on how I normally XP since flicker can XP so well. As a result, I will plan for the run to end at about 62. ---- Links ---- Frostblades: Used for clear until Lvl 28 when we do the Flicker/Static Strike Swap Lvl 4 onwards: Frostblades (G) - Ancestral Call (R) - Any reasonable damage support - Any reasonable damage support Spectral Throw: Used for single until Lvl 28 when we do Flicker/Static Strike Swap. Use decoy totem Until 28: Spectral Throw (G) - Momentum (G) - Any reasonable Damage Support - Any Reasonable Damage Support (We use momentum because its a fantastic cheap support for spectral throw) Flicker Strike: Looking for any reasonable damage links from Lvl 28 to 38. At 38, we want multistrike linked to flicker. Once we get access to Lily in A6, we want to put fortify as one of the flicker links. There are not really good green gems for Flicker available for Lily outside of Close Combat and Faster Attacks. The blue gem situation is even worse, only real option is Physical to Lightning as we do not do enough ele damage to warrant Trinity in most circumstances while leveling Lvl 28: Flicker Strike (G) -> Any reasonable damage -> Any reasonable damage support (Melee Phys/Close Combat will be best available) -> Any Reasonable Damage Support Lvl 38: Flicker Strike (G) - Multistrike (R) - Any reasonable damage support - Any reasonable damage support Lvl 42 (around time we enter A6 and get access to Lily) Flicker Strike (G) - Multistrike (R) - Forfity (R) - Any reasonsable damage support that fits colors (Melee Phys/Close combat great options for last link depending on color) Static Strike: Looking for any reasonable damage links. Green sockets are a bit awkward for static strike as only good one pre-Lily is Close Combat. Culling Strike can be used in a pinch. Otherwise, you'd want to look mainly for red sockets for static strike. Eventually, getting maim on a 4th link is a nice bonus to flicker strike as well. Want to use intimidating cry pre-static strike to snapshot double damage effect (so long as you don't overwrite it with non-doubled static strike aka don't swing static strike 3 times in a row after intimidating cry) Lvl 28 onwards: Static Strike (R) -> Any reasonsable damage support -> Any Reasonable Damage Support -> Any Reasonable Damage Support (Try to get maim as one of supports if possible. You can lean hard into snapshotting static strike with ruthless support and intimidating cry, but I find it hard to track the ruthless proc timing throughout fight) Reservations and Utility: First half of campaign (A2 until A6): Herald of Ash (R), and Herald of Purity (R). Use low level Precision (G) as needed to fix accuracy issues for PT once acquiring PT and before access to weather hunter and 500 flat accuracy/-acc per level mastery Second half of campaign (need to have some source of mana leech, should be this point if following passive order): A6 and onwards: Herald of Ash (R), Arctic Armor (G), and Flesh and Stone (R). Curse: A2 onwards (through entire campaign): Poacher's Mark (G) Utility: A1 onwards: Decoy Totem (R) use to help setup spectral throw positioning and to otherwise soak damage on single target scenarios A2 onwards (through entire campaign): Blood Rage (G) Lvl 28 onwards (aka swap to Static/Flicker Strike): Intimidating Cry (R) for Snapshotting Static Strike Movement: Lvl 4 to Lvl 10: Dash (G). You can use shield charge (R) weapon swap tech with a shield in offhand, but for ease of management, I do not recommend this, just use dash Lvl 10: Leap Slam (R) - Faster Attacks (G) Whenever you can fit and have int: Frostblink (B). You do not need to level frostblink up. It is not a big deal if you only use leap slam and skip frostblink. Frostblink just adds some nice animation cancellation, flexibility with positioning, and some additional speed ---- Notable Passive Pathing Order ---- Act 1: (1) Master of the Arena (Lvl 7) (2) Destroyer (Lvl 8 w/ Dweller Skill Pt) (3) Mana Flows (Lvl 10) (4) Art of Gladiator (Lvl 11 w/ Fairgraves Skill Pt) Act 2: (5) Golem's Blood (Lvl 16) ** (6) Feller of Foes w/ 2 Rage on Axe Hit Mastery (Lvl 22 requires both Way Forward and Golden Hand skill points) Level 22 is an important breakpoint to get the rage mastery on axes to help with single target on Vaal Oversoul Act 3 and Normal Lab: (7) Bravery (Lvl 24) (8) Fill out small life node between Bravery and Art of Glad, Respec one point from the small mana nodes next to Mana Flows since you connect Master of Arena and Art of the Gladiator with health nodes now) (9) Tribal Fury w/ 1 Additional Target Strike Against Nearby Enemies Mastery (Lvl 28 w/ Piety Kill and Sewer Busts skill points) (a) Take Impact Ascendancy Node on Slayer (around Lvl 28) Act 4: (10) Precise Technique (Lvl 33 w/ Deshret Skill Pt) (11) Place two points into small life/armrour/evasion nodes in duelist starting path next to attack physical starting path (12) Respec the 2 x 16% attack physical damage nodes in duelist starting path (13) Start pathing towards weathered hunter ** Can respec the two nodes from Mana Flows here and put them into 30 intelligence and 30 strength near PT to fix attribute issues. At some point, will want to respec, usually I will check sometime in late A4/early A5 for this) Act 5: ** (13) Weathered Hunter (Lvl 37) You can take the 500 flat accuracy. -some accuracy per level mastery now or down the line. Check your PT values to make decision. Typically, you'll have enough cushion here to delay until later (14) 1 pt for the small attack leech for life and mana on the leech wheel near PT (16) Thick Skin (Lvl 39 w/ Miasmeter Skill Pt) (17) Cloth and Chain (Lvl 40 w/ Kitava Torments Skill Pt) ** At some point during second half, you will need to get the accuracy mastery for the 500 flat/-acc per level. Usually it ends up being around A7/A8, but you need to play it by ear depending on your health values and accuracy Act 6: (18) Burning Brutality w/ 100% damage if ignited fire mastery (Lvl 44 or so w/ skill pts from the 3 Act 6 Minor Pantheon Bosses) Act 7 and Cruel Lab: (19) Harvester of foes (Lvl 49 or so) (20) Golem's Blood (Lvl 50 w/ skill points from Kishara's Star, 2 pts from the 2 Act 7 Minor Pantheon Bosses) (b) Take Bane of Legends Node on Slayer (around Lvl 49-50) Act 8: (21) Wrecking Ball w/ 40% inc hit damage against unique/rares mastery (Lvl 52 or so) (22) Accuracy mastery if you don't have it already (Lvl 53) (23) Marked for Death w/ Frenzy Mastery (Lvl 55 or so w/ the 3 A8 skill pt quests) Act 9, Act 10, and Merc Lab: (24) Fill in 2 small life nodes (usually I do ones near bloodless) (25) Start pathing towards Veteran's Wrath along the +flat rage nodes (26) Finish Veterans Wrath w/ Intimidate nearby enemies while having rage Mastery (around 60 w/ A10 skill pt quest) (27) Use leftover points to fill in any remaining small life nodes (c) Take whatever you 3rd preferred ascendancy node is. Here, I take Endless Hunger as its a generically good ascendancy point and most versions of a flicker slayer will end up using it. ----- Gem Acquisition ----- Important Notes on Transmutes and Alterations: Transmutes: You need to prepare at least 2 transmutes to be available upon returning to Act 1 to collect the Way Forward Skill point from Act 2 to buy Flicker Strike (G) and Static Strike (R). We need to buy them at this point (around Lvl 18 or so) because it helps us avoid any attribute issues that we might get from waiting until Lvl 28. Alterations: You need to prepare at least 2 alterations for after the Fidelitas Kill/Intruders in Black/Baleful Gem Collection Quest Rewards/Buys to be able to buy Herald of Ash (R) and Blood Rage (G). You will need another alteration eventually to buy Herald of Purity (R), but you do not need to get Herald of Purity going exactly at 16 and you might have some socket issues anyways that early in game. Get Herald of Purity (R) when you can. We will eventually be replacing it at start of A6 Chance Orbs/Fusing: Will only need 1 by time A6 rolls around to buy Fortify from Lily after clearing A6 Twilight Strand Alchs: No alchs needed unless for some reason you decided to take something besides Multistrike from Opening the Harvest in A4 (please don't do that, multistrike is essential to build) Ranger Mule/Hillock Kill/First Town Enter Rewards/Buys: - Quest Reward: Take Frost Blades (G) Hailrake/Mercy Mission Rewards/Buys: - Quest Reward: Take Ancestrall Call Support (R) Submerged Passage Open/Cracking Some Eggs Rewards/Buys: - Quest Reward from first set of rewards: Take Decoy Totem (R) - Quest Reward from second set of rewards: Take Dash (G) - Buy Spectral Throw (G) from Nessa Lower Prison Enter Rewards/Buys: - Quest Reward: Take Faster Attacks (G) - Buy Added Fire (R) IF extra transmute AND you have giga red sockets. Priortize added fire on frostblades over spectral throw. Use chance to bleed on spectral throw if it has a red link as 3rd link available Brutus Kill Reward/Buys: - Quest Reward: Leap Slam (R) - Optional (only if giga extra transmutes [3 or more], otherwise wait until return to A1 for Way Forward Skill point in A2): Can buy either Flicker Strike (G) or Intimidating Cry (R) now. Merveil Cavern's Enter Reward/Buys: - Quest Reward Doesn't Matter, usually take a random green gem for a Topaz Ring recipe at vendor using an iron ring + the green gem I took - Optional (only if giga extra transmutes [3 or more], otherwise wait until return to A1 for Way Forward Skill point in A2): Buy Static Strike (R) Fidelitas Kill/Intruders in Black/Baleful Gem Collection Reward/Buys: - Quest Reward: ALWAYS take Poacher's Mark (G) - Buy from Yeena: Herald of Ash (R), Blood Rage (G), and Herald of Purity (R) in that order of priority Weaver Kill Reward/Buys: - Quest Reward: Take one of Melee Physical (R), Close Combat (G), or Cruelty (R). Only take Cruelty if you are desperate for a red link for spectral throw. Otherwise, I'd take either Melee Phys (R) or Close Combat (G). You can wait on taking this reward until sometime in A3 when you have a better sense of what your socket situation will look like for Flicker/Static swap The Way Forward Act 1 Return Buys: - Buy Static Strike (R) from Nessa - Buy Flicker Strike (G) from Nessa - Optional: Buy Intimidating Cry (R) from Nessa. You want this by time you do flicker/static strike swap at 28 after first slayer ascend and tribal fury. If you don't have a transmute, you can wait until then - Optional: Can buy Ruthless (r) or Added fire (r) if you have neither to have some extra gems to play with once you do swap to flicker/static at 28 - Optional: Buy Precision (G) from Nessa (doesn't have to be now, only really need if accuracy for PT is cursed, but becasue we don't get PT until A4, you can delay buying until like 28 so you can have some insurance against accuracy issues once we eventually get to spec PT, we want to buy before 28 to avoid precision having too high of a flat reservation cost since almost all melee builds don't scale mana at all) Lost in Love/A3 Tolman Reward/Buys: - Quest reward: Doesn't matter. Usually take pride (r) or grace (g). If pride (r), usually park it on a weapon swap just to level it for later Opening Mines Reward in A4: - Quest Reward: Doesn't matter, take any gem you prefer Opening the Harvest Reward in A4: - Quest Reward: Take Multistrike (R) A6/Lily Buys/Other Buys: - Buy Fortify (R) - Buy any other gem if you have color issues for exmaple can pick up added cold (g) here if you have giga green links - Buy Flesh and Stone (R) and Arctic Armour (G). Replace Herald of Purity with Flesh and Stone. Use sand stance mostly and swap to blood stance on bosses only if you feel comfortable with survivability. Use arctic armour (g). Note, you need to have some form of mana leech at this point to run 75% reservation (Herald of Ash, Flesh and Stone, and Arctic Armour) otherwise, your mana sustain will be not great. You can either buy Arctic armour and flesh and stone from Lily in A6 at Lvl 1 or go back to A2 and buy them from Yeena where they will some gem level scaling to match your character level. I typically go back to A2. ---- Solving Attributes and Resistances ---- Attributes: We will be using/buying a Lapis Amulet and taking the Lapis Amulet from A3 quest for turning in the Ribbon Spool to Dialla. We will use a heavy belt (strength belt) by about late A3 to help with strength issues. Beyond that we will various attribute nodes on trees as needed. The +30 nodes for strength and intelligence near PT come in clutch here. Resistances: We will help alira to get the 15% res to make campaign easier/smooth on resistance. Additionally, we will get weather hunter and cloth and chain before start of A6 to help ensure we have capped resistance and/or can reach it with crafts after the A5 Kitava resistance penalty applies. In terms of rings, I typically like having a Sapphire Ring with crafted fire res and a Topaz ring with craft fire res. I will replace these with rare rings if they drop if said rare rings have a resistance on them already with an open suffix or have giga life and an open suffix. Otherwise, I won't replace and just keep going with the crafted sapphire and topaz ring. Usually, I obtain the sapphire and topaz ring from the iron ring + blue/green gem recipe respectively if I cannot get them as a drop. Occassionally, will buy straight from vendor. ----- Some Questions and Answers ---- Why not rush PT? Goal of build was to get Flicker going as soon as reasonably possible. To reach that milestone, it feels better to have Tribal Fury and the + 1 strike target mastery along with Impact from Slayer Ascendancy. By going PT early, you are commiting to have melee splash in your links on flicker until you get Tribal Fury. You can somewhat compensate for not having PT by having the rage mastery on axes early. This is not the same as you will only be at full rage on single targets, but typically, you don't really need PTs buff for clearing anyways Why swap to flicker before multistrike? Lvl 28 feels like a pretty decent time to do it as you have enough on tree to support it and you have enough access to more sockets to make it reasonable to run Flicker and Static Strike. Additionally, you've gotten critical passives at this point. Flicker feels way better with multistrike, but not having it for 10 levels isn't the end of world. Big QoL improvement especially on single when you do get multistrike though Why fortify on flicker? Static strike is only used for single, we want fortify for both clear and single, so best solution is to put on flicker Why axes over swords? Axes are better for campaign leveling. You can definitely use swords, but having access to rage on hit mastery and onslaught node from Harvester of Foes is very nice. Eventually you will probably transition to swords in maps at some point/when you swap to crit on flicker. Fortunately, not a ton of axe nodes are taken so it is not a large respec cost Why do you take mana flows so early instead of Bravery (the Life notable immediately under duelist)? Mana flows provides us with intelligence which means we can use Heralds in A2 without buying a Lapis Amulet. It also allows us to equip Frostblink in A1 without a Lapis. Both heralds and frostblink require some form of additional intelligence as duelist base intelligence isn't enough. Finally, in A2 we path straight through Golem's Blood, so we do pick up life, its just delayed a bit. If you don't feel comfortable or you want to save respecs down the line, if you can buy a Lapis amulet in late A1 or early A2 before you get heralds, go ahead and do so. Note that this will cost a transmute which sometimes this build can be tight on early. We will eventually spec out of mana flows when we get near the +30 intelligence node near PT How is this build sustain frenzy charges on single target? In short, it isn't. In a fresh start SSF scenarion, theres not really a way I know to be able to sustain frenzies on single target to perma flicker strike. As a result, best we can do is to find good skills to weave with flicker strike which may help us generate some frenzys when coupled with the Frenzy Mastery on Mark Mastery. Static strike works well for this purpose and the flicker strike CD isn't too bad Why static strike as single target supplement? Static strike provides nice lingering damage that we can boost with intimidating cry to get double damage on it throughout its entire effect as long as we don't overwrite it. As a result, using intimidaing cry then static striking will usually give us enough time to have another opportunity to Flicker as the flicker CD is short. Usually you can static strike, then flicker. Just don't static three times in a row if you've just used intimidating cry as you will overwrite the exerted static strike effect with a non-exerted one. If you don't like static strike, blade storm is also an option as you can also exert cheese with the lingering storms it produces. Otherwise, use flicker when its available