PoE 3.15 Expedition has brought 19 new Skill and Support Gems, massive balance changes, a flask system rework as well as new item types. Here is the latest PoE 3.15 Shadow League Starter | Endgame | Fast | Cheap Builds brought to you by PoECurrencyBuy. These Saboteur, Trickster and Assassin popular builds are also leveling guides, you can check the pob link in detail.

 

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Shadow Trickster

[Expedition] PoE 3.15 Shadow Toxic Rain Trickster League Starter Build

[Expedition] PoE 3.15 Shadow Essence Drain Trickster League Starter Build

 

[Expedition] PoE 3.15 Shadow Toxic Rain Trickster League Starter Build

  • + Alch and go: can run every map mod
  • + Survivable with 9k+ EHP, 45k Ev, High spell dodge
  • + Great Damage
  • + Entry gear is very cheap
  • - DOT build, so a slight ramp up for max DPS
  • - Some people don't enjoy hybrid

Build Mechanics

Toxic Rain: Toxic Rain shoots out a base 5 arrows (pods). Pods can stack, so area of effect is somewhat important. Attack speed is massively important in terms of DPS and enjoyment.

Recovery:

With flasks up, we sit at a comfortable 45k Evasion to cap our QOTF, and 50/75 dodge/spell dodge. This means we rarely get hit, and when we do, we proc Ghost Shroud.

 

Main Link

Toxic Rain - Mirage Archer - Void Manipulation - Vicious Projectiles - Swift Afflictions/Efficacy - Empower Level 4 (Skip if you don't have at least Empower 3)

For your offhand:

Caustic Arrow - Mirage Archer - Greater Multiple Projectiles - Swift Afflictions - Vicious Projectile - Void Manipulations

Auras

Flesh and Stone - Malevolence - Discipline - Enlighten

You can grab reduced mana reservation off the tree if you want to force Blood and Sand, but I'd recommend just not bothering until you get a strong enough enlighten. You can consider running Dread Banner if you have a low enough mana cost on Toxic Rain/Caustic Arrow, but don't have Enlighten. You may also want to use a level 1 Clarity somewhere else in your gear. This will give you access to Clarity mod Watcher's Eye, and Vaal Clarity which can help with early bossing.

Wither Totem

Spell Totem - Multiple Totems - Faster Casting - Wither

We already have quite a bit of duration, so faster casting helps us build quicker.

IC + Blink Arrow

CWDT - Steelskin, Clarity - Blink Arrow - Faster Attacks - Culling Strike

I've been trying out CWDT Steelskin, and I think I like it so far. Play around with it and see how it feels. We also put Frenzy and Blink Arrow here linked with Faster Attacks and Cull. 

Despair

Withering Step - Dash - Despair - Second Wind

30 points -> 50 points -> 70 points -> 90 points -> Full

Path of Building Link: https://pastebin.com/78rTAXNR

 

 

[Expedition] PoE 3.15 Shadow Essence Drain Trickster League Starter Build

  • + Fast mapper
  • + All endgame bosses viable, including deep delve bosses.
  • + Hardcore viable
  • + Cheap, clear upgrade path. Shaper 3EX, uber elder 8EX.
  • - Single target lacks, you are not oneshoting bosses.
  • - You are a meta slave
  • - Performs really poorly in the timeless domain
  • - Requires heavy swaps for HoGM (but can actually do it)
  • - potentially clunky 1-2 playstyle (altho very fast)

Weapon

Essence Drain - Swift Affliction - Void Manipulation- Empower - Controlled Destruction - Efficacy

There is no variation when it comes to essence drain. You should push for a 6l as soon as possible and buy a level 3 empower. If you only have a level 1 or 2 empower but you have a 6l, you should use Decay support instead

Helmet

Vaal Discipline - Malevolence - Enlighten - Flame Dash

You should put your auras in your helmet because vertex gives +1 level of socketed gems. This means you will only need a level 3 enlighten instead of 4. It will also give a slight damage and ES boost by leveling your auras more.

Gloves

Contagion - Increased Area of Effect - Intensify - Faster Casting

If you use an es base gloves, you should put your Contagion setup here for ease of coloring. Intensify and area of effect supports are mandatory to make contagion's aoe massive. Faster casting is a nice quality of life boost.

Boots

Wither - Spell Totem - Multiple Totems - Increased Duration

I recommend placing a 3l wither totem here. Don't use blight totems, it's lower range, worse hinder and takes a jewel slot. It's a noob trap. Wither doubles our damage against anything that stands 2 seconds in the wither circle, it should be used against endgame bosses.

For your 4th socket, if you do not have aspect of the spider on a piece of gear, you should use flesh and stone in sand stance: Flesh and Stone

If you have aspect of the spider, you have a free socket.

You should put a Phase Run inside. In your skills bar, bind phase run to your left click button to trigger it automatically when you start moving.

Body armor

Vaal Blight - Controlled Destruction - Efficacy - Void Manipulation - Swift Affliction - Infused Channelling

Here you have some choice. For more damage, the best option is blight:

A CwdT setup is also viable with the following gems:

CWDT - Summon Stone Golem - Spirit Offering - Enfeeble - Steelskin

If you do not have aspect of the spider on a piece of gear, you should use flesh and stone in sand stance

 

Pantheon: Soul of Lunaris and Soul of Shakari

Bandit: Kill All (recommended)

Path of Building Link (Community)

t16 viable setup: https://pastebin.com/Wev6vzjR

2-4Ex - 6500ehp - 520k ED dps + 900k blight dps

All content setup: https://pastebin.com/Wae7923S

10-15Ex - 7500ehp - 1M ED dps + 1.2M blight dps

Endgame setup: https://pastebin.com/P03cddjL

100Ex - 8600ehp - 3M ED dps + 4M blight dps

 

 

 

Shadow Assassin 

[Expedition] PoE 3.15 Shadow Assassin Storm Brand Endgame Build

[Expedition] PoE 3.15 Shadow Autobomber Herald of Thunder Assassin Fast Clear Build

[Expedition] PoE 3.15 Shadow CoC Ice Nova Assassin Endgame Build - Life / LL / CI

 

[Expedition] PoE 3.15 Shadow Assassin Storm Brand Endgame Build

  • + good single target Dps
  • + dodges attacks and spells via Cyclone
  • + pretty good clearspeed while mapping
  • + immune to crits through Elusive buff
  • + 75/75 Blockchance with Flaks
  • + up to 12k+ ES
  • + ES leech
  • + 30 ES on hit
  • + 5% ES on Block
  • + 5% ES on kill
  • - expensive if you want Endgame Gear
  • - slow start of ES recovery and recovery rate
  • - between Bossphases with no mobs you only got ES recovery and vaal Discipline
  • - cannot do Elemental reflect maps

Gems Setup

6-Link CoC setup:

Cyclone - Hypothermia - Inspiration - Awakened Cast On Critical Strike - Ice Nove - Increased Critical Strikes

swap in awakened added cold (5/20) instead of Inspiration for a small dps boost, but only if you're still crit capped on cyclone without flasks active

4-Link Aura setup:

Enlighten - Hatred - Herald of Ice - Vaal Discipline

+ Aspect of the Spider on Gear

You can skip discipline if you're playing the Life based build

4-Link Movement and Vaal RF for dps:

Dash  - Second Wind - Vaal Righteous Fire

4-Link cwdt setup:

CWDT - Frost Bomb - Immortal Call - Precision

3-Link Cospri setup:

Frostbolt - Ice Nova - Frostbite

3-Link Vortex setup:

 

Vortex - Bonechill  - Arcane Surge - Awakened Unbound Ailments

 

Ascendancy: Mistwalker->Ambush and Assassinate->Unstable Infusion->Deadly Infusion

Pantheon: Soul of Lunaris and Soul of Tukohama

You can switch Major God Lunaris to Solaris if you want it easier at Bosses. Make sure to upgrade the Pantheons you use.

Bandit: Kill all

Path of Building Link

https://pastebin.com/MU1J0WTg

  • focused mostly on Defensive
  • max Block
  • 9k+ES
  • Stun immune from Boots enchant

Life Version

https://pastebin.com/iAMw7Sjr

  • "Tanky" 5k Life with huge dps
  • attack capped without flask
  • crit capped only with Diamond Flask and Bottled Faith or crit Watcher's Eye (swap added cold for inc. crit for Budget version)
  • max Dodge
  • stun immune through Boot enchant and helmet craft
  • Blind on hit from Pandemonious
  • weak against random one shots (rare) and Dot effects

Low: https://pastebin.com/BL8BqCnc

 

rare rings can be added for more ES without sacrificing to much dps or circle of fear with inc. maximum ES as implicit

 

 

[Expedition] PoE 3.15 Shadow Autobomber Herald of Thunder Assassin Fast Clear Build

  • + Insane clearspeed
  • + Satisfying explosions
  • + Single-Target DPS is actually viable for an autobomber
  • + Fun!
  • - A bit tricky to balance resist and dex/str requirements
  • - Not SSF/HC Friendly
  • - Will struggle against Sirus/other difficult bosses until you get really good gear. It's not supposed to be a bosskiller

 

 

Gems and Links

Herald of Thunder - Awakened Added Lightning - Energy leech - Awakened Lightning Penetration - Awakened Elemental Focus - Power Charge on Critical

Other options: Swap out lightning pen, added lightning or Power charge for Inspiration.

Storm Brand - Energy Leech - Power Charge on crit - Awakened Lightning Penetration - Awakened Added Lightning Damage - Awakened Controlled Destruction

Other Options: If you get Inspiration on HoT, swap it in here instead.

Wave of Conviction - Conductivity - Cast when Damage Taken - Shock Nova - Cold Snap

Conductivity - Orb of Storms - Awakened Curse on hit - Assassin's Mark

Flame Dash - Arcane Surge - Faster Casting - Second Wind

 

Leveling Section

For Talent Points Allocation, check leveling trees in POB: https://pastebin.com/pgJ4SpYL

Leveling Gear

Buy Cheap PoE Tabula Rasa, Goldrim, Lochtonial Caress, Wanderlust, Le Heup of all, Lifesprig, Axiom Perpeteum, Eclipse Solaris, Obliteration, Storm Prison.
Rare wand with spell/elemental damage, spell crit/multi, added flat dmg.

Leveling Gem Links

Start with Freezing Pulse - Onslaught - Added Lightning Damage
If you have tabula, get Added Cold damage and Arcane Surge.

Either go for Kinetic Bolt with Added lightning - LPM - Added cold/Elemental damage with attacks or go with Storm brand:

At lvl 12: Storm Brand - Added Lightning Damage - Added Cold Damage - Onslaught - Arcane Surge - Faster Casting

At lvl 18: Storm Brand - Elemental Focus - Controlled Destruction - Added Lightning Damage - Faster Casting - Onslaught

At lvl 21 Get 4L Lightning spire as well for additional single-target damage: Lightning Spire Trap - Added Lightning Damage - Trap and Mine Damage - Controlled Destruction

Remember to get Herald of Thunder.

In Act 3 (Around lvl 24) you can get Spellslinger and get Arc + Ball lightning: Ball Lightning - Elemental Focus - Spellslinger - Added Lightning Damage

Arc - Increased Critical Strikes - Spellslinger - Added Lightning Damage

Can be triggered with normal attacks or Frenzy linked to Faster Attacks.

 

Ascendancy: Opportunistic -> Mistwalker -> Unstable Infusion -> Deadly Infusion

Bandit: Help Alira for the 5 mana regen/s, 15 to all resists, and 20% crit multi

Path of Building Link: https://pastebin.com/Sai85NL4

 

 

[Expedition] PoE 3.15 Shadow CoC Ice Nova Assassin Endgame Build - Life / LL / CI

 

 

Gems Setup

6-Link CoC setup

Cyclone (21/20) - Hypothermia (21/20) - Inspiration (20/20) - Awakened Cast On Critical Strike (6/) - Ice Nove (21/23) - Increased Critical Strikes (21/23)

swap in awakened added cold (5/20) instead of Inspiration for a small dps boost, but only if you're still crit capped on cyclone without flasks active

4-Link Aura setup

Enlighten (4/20) - Hatred (20/) - Herald of Ice (21/20) - Vaal Discipline (21)

3-Link Movement and Vaal RF for dps

Dash (20/20) - Second Wind (20/) - Vaal Righteous Fire (21/)

use Vaal RF on Bosses for more dps, dont use the normal RF

4-Link cwdt setup

CWDT (1/) - Frost Bomb (1/) - Immortal Call (3/) - Precision (21/)

3-Link Cospri setup

Frostbolt (21/23) - Ice Nova (20/20) - Frostbite (21/)

3-Link Vortex setup

Vortex (20/20) - Bonechill (20/20) - Arcane Surge (8/20) 

Awakened Unbound Ailments (5/20) increaes the chill and shock effect if you got the Cluster Jewel node "Cold Conduction"

 
Ascendancy: Unstable Infusion -> Deadly Infusion -> Opportunistic -> Mistwalker

Pantheon: Lunaris and Shakari

Bandit: Help Alira

Path of Building Link

CI Version

https://pastebin.com/YDkSu0MS

  • focused mostly on Defensive
  • max Block
  • 9k+ES
  • Stun immune from Boots enchant

--------------
https://pastebin.com/9KZm0Hs1

  • zoom zoom Version for offensive Playstyle
  • explode cheast with AoE stacking from cluster
  • stun immune through from Boots enchant

Life Version

https://pastebin.com/zC6VmDM0

  • "Tanky" 5k Life with huge dps
  • attack capped without flask
  • crit capped only with Diamond Flask and Bottled Faith or crit Watcher's Eye (swap added cold for inc. crit for Budget version)
  • max Dodge
  • stun immune through Boot enchant and helmet craft
  • Blind on hit from Pandemonious
  • weak against random one shots (rare) and Dot effects

Low: https://pastebin.com/uxvveLGq

- rare rings can be added for more ES without sacrificing to much dps or circle of fear with inc. maximum ES as implicit

 

 

Shadow Saboteur

[Expedition] PoE 3.15 Shadow Lightning Trap Saboteur League Starter Build

[Expedition] PoE 3.15 Shadow Glacial Cascade Mine Saboteur Boss Killer Build

 

[Expedition] PoE 3.15 Shadow Lightning Trap Saboteur League Starter Build

  • + Very fun to play
  • + Completely insane single target damage.
  • + Shock/Ignite/Freeze/Chill immune
  • + Blinds nearby enemies
  • + Decent Es on kill + regen
  • + Can do literally all map mods
  • + Able to do all content in game
  • + Amazing defensive capabilities
  • + Easy/Cheap to gear with room for lots of improvements as you get more currency
  • - Can be pretty expensive to fully min/max yourself for end game gear
  • - Low Life Version is much better but needs currency and not really league start viable
  • - Requires a lot of key spamming for flasks + single target + detonate

Leveling 1 - 28+

POB found under the skill-tree category.

Note 1: Always path right side first of the skill-tree towards the trap damage points: Blast Cascade, High Explosives etc. I suggest getting the trap throwing speed points ASAP (Expeditious Munitions).
Note 2: These are tree's for full ES. Adjust them with some life if you feel the need while leveling, however mostly i'd just suggest using gear with life stats until you can switch to either low life or CI and then low life.
Note 3: As you progress from Lvl 28+ take a peek at budget items in this guide to know what you should look out for/set trade filters for while you are leveling.

From level 1, you should use Explosive Trap in a Lifesprig, or whichever wand or sceptre you have.

If you're in a Fresh league start, consider doing the vendor recipe for a lightning wand, it's a nice damage boost early on.

1x Magic Sceptre/Wand/Dagger
1x Topaz Ring(for Lightning Damage)
1x Orb of Alteration

At level 4, you should add Bear Trap for single target damage (use it on bosses or difficult rares, it helps a lot).

At level 8, your Explosive Trap link should look like this.

✔️ Explosive Trap ➡️> Swift Assembly ➡️> Added Fire Damage Support(optional if you have the STR for it)

At level 10, you should add Flame Dash for additional mobility or when it's available for you - until then, you should use frostblink.

At level 12, you can finally transition to your signature skill, it's available after the quest; the siren's cadence. Replace Explosive Trap with the following Lightning Trap link.

✔️ Lightning Trap ➡️> Multiple Traps Support ➡️> Added Lightning Damage Support ➡️> Pierce Support

By level 16, your Lightning Trap Lightning Trap should look like this (gems placed in order of priority, so remove based on how many links you've got).

✔️ Lightning Trap ➡️> Multiple Traps Support ➡️> Trap and Mine Damage Support ➡️>
Controlled Destruction Support ➡️> Added Lightning Damage Support ➡️> Pierce Support

At level 24, you should add Wrath Wrath for additional damage.

At level 28, you should add a Lightning Spire Trap gem setup, this will improve your single target damage by a great deal.

✔️ Lightning Spire Trap ➡️> Trap and Mine Damage Support ➡️> Lightning Penetration Support ➡️> Elemental Focus Support.

While you continue from lvl 28 and onwards, remember to check the GEM section to get the proper setup going when your levels meet the requirements.
Pierce is an optional gem, decide on your own if you prefer it or rather want more raw damage.

 

Ascendancy: Pyromaniac -> Perfect Crime -> Born in the Shadows -> Chain Reaction

Pantheon: For Sirius boss-fight, get upgraded Arakaali and Shakari.

Bandit: Help Alira for the 5 mana regen/s, 15 to all resists, and 20% crit multi

Path of Building Link

(lvl 75 & 100 tree with NOTES!) https://pastebin.com/rLGvPyZS

Note: Always only pickup jewel sockets LATE in the game - they require good jewels to be worth picking.

Note2: The gear in the POB is from my Ritual league character, which I super min/max'ed to reach 3.5mil dmg per lightning ball (so like 18mil+ dmg per throw) - I've cleared all of the atlas and bosses with just 350-500k dmg per lightning ball.

For where to put your early skill points >> check lvl 1-28 section of the guide.

A super min/max tree is available here also ( https://pastebin.com/1Kzz2wmr ), but please do NOT follow this unless you are rich and know what you're doing and are using POB to determine which exact clusters and points are worth the investment with your own current gear setup. This POB is my Ritual league character which I super min/max'ed with harvest.

 

 

[Expedition] PoE 3.15 Shadow Glacial Cascade Mine Saboteur Boss Killer Build

  • + one-shots most bosses (map bosses, guardians)
  • + 3 minute uber elder KILL with trash gear very early into the league
  • + great AOE
  • + need only ONE six-link
  • + immune to reflect
  • - 4.5k life (like any DPS shadow, literally)
  • - survives on dodge alone
  • - can’t really delve deep because no physical mitigation
  • - getting Shaped Essence Worm rings is expensive

Main Skill

5L Glacial Cascade: Glacial Cascade-Blastchain.Mine-Trap&Mine.Damage-Hypothermia-Minefield
6L Glacial Cascade: Glacial Cascade-Blastchain.Mine-Trap&Mine.Damage-Hypothermia-Minefield-Cold.to.Fire

For the gear i would prioritize:

1) PoE Tabula Rasa and any levelling gear
2) lvl.10: Axiom's Perpetuum X2
3) lvl.30-40: 5L Chest
4) lvl.38: Essence Worm
5) lvl.41: Tremor Rod
6) lvl.67: https://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Machina_Mitts if you want
7) lvl.70+: good +1 cold/physical wands & SHIELD
6) lvl.80-90+: crafting a multimodded Dagger

 

Path of Building Link: https://pastebin.com/6wwjTEfh