Icicle Miner
Shadow/Saboteur Build

Updated for Patch 3.8

The Best Crafty Guides by Odealo

Estimated budget: medium

Saboteur is the second most popular Ascendancy Class as of Patch 3.8 with big buffs and new features introduced alongside the Blight League. The entire Miner/Trapper build archetype has been significantly buffed with a lot of Quality of Life changes. Miners are now allowed to throw Traps instead of only planting them beneath. We also have Skitterbots which are a new type of Minions, which will Detonate Mines automatically for additional explosions and increase your Mine and Trap Damage. You could say that with Patch 3.8 Saboteur became a complete Class with no disruptive downsides. This build offers pretty much everything there is to offer: insane DPS, good AoE, good mobility, clear speed, defensive mechanics, and more!

You may also want to check our other Path of Exile builds here: Best PoE Builds by Odealo

1. Gameplay

As a Miner you will throw Mines that once detonated, will trigger powerful Spells. Saboteur Ascendancy Class is heavily focused on Mines and Traps, and its Passives increase Mines Damage and Throwing Speed for much smoother gameplay experience. When using this build, you will also Summon Skitterbots, which will periodically detonate your Mines for additional explosions, since Mines detonated by Skitterbot will automatically re-arm. This build used the Icicle Mine Spell which is an extremely powerful AoE/Projectile Spell which offers insane clearing capabilities, and its Aura greatly increases the chance to Critically Hit affected enemies. 

0:06 Tier 16 The Eradicator 0:42 Tier 16 Purifier 1:10 Tier 16 Tower 1:42 Uber Elder This video was recorded on a level 90 Saboteur on Standard Softcore

For the defenses, this build utilizes several defensive mechanics which include:

1. Born in the Shadows Passive - which Blinds nearby enemies and reduces their damage and Accuracy Rating;
2. Demolitions Specialist Passive - which Hinders enemies on Hit, reducing their Movement Speed by 40%;
3. The Pandemonius - applies a Chill Effect to enemies that Hit you, reducing their Action Speed by 30%;
4. High Life Pool - with approximately 5,000 total Life with just casual gear;
5. Dodge - from Acrobatics and Phase Acrobatics Passives;
6. Curse - for even more enemies Action Speed or Accuracy/Damage reduction, depending on if you choose to take Temporal Chains or Enfeeble

2. Build's PROS & CONS

3. Leveling tips

Leveling with a Miner Saboteur is very easy. Mines deals insane amounts of damage regardless of your equipment and will allow you to quickly progress through the campaign. At first, you should use Stormblast Mine which is available at level 1, and when you reach level 12, you should switch to Icicle Mine, which is your primary end-game Skill. Mines alone will do enough damage to carry you through anything the game can throw at you, so you should prioritize defensive Stats on your gear; Life and Elemental Resistances, and possibly get as much Movement Speed bonuses as you can, to progress faster. Below you will find the base Skill Gems setups for the leveling phase, and several useful Uniques which will make the process so much smoother.

Suggested leveling Gem setups:

Stormblast Mine
	Stormblast Mine - the first Mine Spell which becomes available for the Saboteur Class
	Added Lightning Damage Support - adds extra flat Lighting Damage to your Stormblast Mines explosions
	Swift Assembly Support - gives you a chance to Throw more Mines with each cast

Icicle Mine setup
	Icicle Mine - primary Spell in this build. Just replace the Stormblast Mine Gem when you reach level 12 and try adding the following Support Gems for more DPS
	Trap and Mine Damage Support - increases the damage of your Mines
	Controlled Destruction Support - greatly increases Spell Damage at the cost of slightly reducing your Crit. Chance

Utility Gems
	Clarity - increases your Mana Regenerated per second which is extremely useful during the leveling Phase
	Frostbite - this Curse will increase your damage output. We recommend picking up defensive Curse when you reach higher Tier content though
	Summon Stone Golem - one of the best Golems for this build which greatly increases your Life Regeneration Rate
	Herald of Ice - will add Cold Damage to your Spells and cause AoE explosions when you kill Frozen enemies

Bandits:

We recommend helping Alira for the increased Critical Strike Multiplier, Mana Regeneration Rate and Elemental Resistances

Leveling Skill Trees:

36 Points Skill Tree
Priorities: 1) Trickery 2) Saboteur 3) Blood Siphon 4) Written in Blood 5) High Explosives

65 Points Skill Tree
Priorities: 1) Volatile Mines 2) Successive Detonations 3) Quick Recovery 4) Discipline and Training

Recommended leveling items:

Lifesprig - very popular leveling Wand which grants high Spell Damage bonus and increases your Life and Mana
(8-12)% increased Spell Damage +1 to Level of Socketed Spell Gems (20-28)% increased Spell Damage (5-8)% increased Cast Speed +(15-20) to maximum Life +(15-20) to maximum Mana Regenerate (6-8) Life over 1 second when you Cast a Spell

Axiom Perpetuum - one of the best leveling weapons for Spell Casters which should work fine for at least 30 levels
12% increased Elemental Damage Adds (2-3) to (5-6) Fire Damage to Spells Adds (2-3) to (5-6) Cold Damage to Spells Adds 1 to (10-12) Lightning Damage to Spells (4-6)% increased Cast Speed (100-140)% increased Critical Strike Chance for Spells

Praxis - helps greatly with Mana Management, which is the biggest issue you may come across during leveling
+(20-25) to maximum Mana +(30-60) to maximum Mana (3-6) Mana Regenerated per second -(8-4) to Mana Cost of Skills 8% of Damage taken gained as Mana over 4 seconds when Hit

Victario's Flight - this pair of Boots grant high Movement Speed bonus and extra Mana Recovery mechanic
+15 to Dexterity +15 to Intelligence (100-150)% increased Evasion Rating 15% increased Movement Speed (5-10)% of Damage taken gained as Mana over 4 seconds when Hit 10% increased Movement Speed for you and nearby Allies

Tabula Rasa - one of the most popular leveling items in the Path of Exile. If you have solved the Mana problems, Tabula Rasa will be the best pick for your Icicle Mine setup. Tabula can be used until Low and Mid Tier Maps as well
Item has no level requirement and Energy Shield (Hidden) Item has 6 White Sockets and is fully linked (Hidden)

4. Final Skill tree, Ascendancy Points, and Pantheon

Final Skill Tree:

117 Points Final Skill Tree
117 Points Path of Building(PoB) link

Ascendancy points:

Preferably in that order:

1. Bomb Specialist
2. Demolitions Specialist
3. Pyromaniac
4. Born in the Shadows

Pantheon:

Major God: Soul of Lunaris 1% additional Physical Damage Reduction for each nearby Enemy, up to 8%, 1% increased Movement Speed for each nearby Enemy, up to 8%

Minor God: Soul of Garukhan +5% chance to Evade Attacks if you've taken a Savage Hit recently

5. Final Gems links

[DPS] Icicle Mines setup
	Icicle Mine - the core Mine Spell used in this build. Icicle Mines fire Cold-based Projectiles which will pierce enemies and deal very high Cold Damage. Icicle Mines also have an Aura which greatly increases your chance to Critically Hit affected targets
	Mine and Trap Damage Support - grants a very high bonus to Trap and Mine Damage
	Swift Assembly Support - gives you a chance to throw more Mines with each cast
	Controlled Destruction Support - greatly increases Spell Damage of supported Skills
	Hypothermia Support - greatly increases your damage against Chilled enemies
	Charged Mines Support - greatly increases your Mine Throwing Speed and generates Frenzy and Power Charges when they are detonated

[UTILITY] Immortal Call
	Cast when Damage Taken Support - auto-casts Supported Spells after a certain amount of damage is taken. Keep this Gem at level 4
	Immortal Call - grants potent defensive buff for a short duration. Keep this Gem at level 6
	Increased Duration Support - increased the duration of Immortal Call

[MOBILITY] Flame Dash
	Flame Dash - the recommended Mobility Spell which will be used in this build. It will trigger Arcane Surge with each cast
	Faster Casting Support
	Arcane Surge Support - grants increased Spell Damage and Mana Regeneration Rate. Keep this Gem at level 7 so that Arcane Surge buffs gets triggered with each cast of Flame Dash

[UTILITY] Skitterbots
	Summon Skitterbots - a mandatory addition to this build. Skitterbots will increase your DPS output by occasionally detonating Mines

[UTILITY] Frost Bomb
	Frost Bomb - used to increase Chill Effect on enemies and apply Cold Exposure, reducing their Cold Resistance. Use this Gem at level 10
	Bonechill Support - increases your Chill effectiveness and the damage against Chilled enemies
	Cast when Damage Taken Support - use at level 1 for most frequent Frost Bomb casts
	Less Duration Support - reduces the Duration of Frost Bomb, making it pulse faster, applying new layers of its debuff

[UTILITY] Golem
	Cast when Damage Taken Support - just for QoL improvement. Will resummon your Golem automatically
	Summon Ice Golem - increases your chance to Critically Hit. You can also use Stone Golem for extra Life Regeneration if you feel that you don't need the mere 30% Crit. Chance Increase here

[UTILITY] Zealotry (in Essence Worm)
	Zealotry - the best DPS Aura for this build. It grants you more Spell Damage and increased Spell Crit. Chance. It has to be Socketed in Essence Worm so that you can easily use Mines and Skitterbots

[UTILITY] Curse setup
	Temporal Chains - the recommended Curse for this build. It slows down enemies even further, making them extremely slow and easy to avoid
	Cast when Damage Taken Support - will automatically cast Arc, which is used to apply your Curse. Keep this Gem at level 1
	Arc - amazing Spell for this particular purpose. Arc will chain between nearby enemies applying your Curse
	Curse on Hit Support - makes Arc apply your linked Curse

5. Gear Setup

Now let's get to the most interesting part of our guide - the gear selection. Below you will find all the required and recommended equipment for our Icicle Miner Saboteur Build. We have focused on easily accessible gear, so that you can easily obtain all the items which are listed below, without excessive spendings.

On the other hand, if you are desperate to get the BiS equipment, make sure to visit our Path of Exile Marketplace, where you can buy PoE Currency and Orbs from other players. The link to this section can be found on top of this page.

(Helmet) The Brine Crown - very solid and inexpensive Helmet which grants high Life bonus and Freeze immunity

(240-300)% increased Armour and Energy Shield +(80-100) to maximum Life +(30-50)% to Cold Resistance Cannot be Frozen 5% reduced Cold Damage taken +1500 Armour while stationary 60% increased Mana Regeneration Rate while stationary 15% chance to create Chilled Ground when Hit with an Attack

(Helmet) Maw of Conquest - another decent pick. It grants high Life, Spell Crit. Chance, and Poison immunity. If you go for this Helmet, I would recommend getting Dream Fragments as one of your Rings

(60-80)% increased Critical Strike Chance for Spells (200-250)% increased Energy Shield +(50-70) to maximum Life Unaffected by Poison (10-20)% of Damage taken gained as Life over 4 seconds when Hit

Helmet enchantment: Icicle Mine has +30% to Critical Strike Multiplier 40% increased Icicle Mine Damage

(Body Armour) Rare Body Armour - any Intelligence/Dexterity six-linked Armour will do. A Shaper one with the extra Spell Critical Strike Chance added to Socketed Gems would the BiS

Min. requirements: 90 maximum Life 50 maximum Mana 50% Total Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Socketed Spells have +#% to Critical Strike Chance Chaos Resistance

(Weapon) Rare Spectre - aim for high Elemental/Spell Damage bonus, Spell Crit. Chance, and Added Cold Damage to Spells. The higher stats combined the better

Min. requirements: 60% increased Cold Spell Damage 80% increased Critical Strike Chance for Spells 25 added Cold Damage to Spells Optional affixes: maximum Mana increased Cast Speed Gain % of Cold Damage as Extra Chaos Damage

(Weapon) Doryani's Catalyst - solid Sceptre which should be easy to obtain and grants all the important stats we need for this build

32% increased Elemental Damage Socketed Gems are Supported by Level 20 Elemental Proliferation Adds (65-85) to (100-160) Physical Damage (11-15)% increased Attack Speed (6-10)% increased Cast Speed (30-40)% increased Global Critical Strike Chance 0.2% of Elemental Damage Leeched as Life (80-100)% increased Elemental Damage

(Shield) Rare Shield - used mainly for defensive Stats and some extra Spell Damage bonus

Min. requirements: 80 maximum Life 60% Total Elemental Resistances 30 Dexterity 60% increased Spell Damage Optional affixes: Gain % of Cold Damage as Extra Chaos Damage

(Boots) Rare Boots - again, aim for high Movement Speed and defensive stats

Min. requirements: 60 maximum Life 28% Fire Resistance 28% Cold Resistance 28% Lightning Resistance 25% increased Movement Speed Optional affixes: Chaos Resistance

Boot enchantment: Adds 45 to 68 Cold Damage if you've been Hit Recently Regenerate 2% of Life per second if you were Hit Recently 10% increased Movement Speed if you haven't been Hit Recently

(Belt) Rare Stygian Vise - you can use any base, but Stygian Vise with the extra Abyssal Socket will be the best option

Min. requirements: 70 maximum Life 35 Strength 40% Total Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Chaos Resistances maximum Mana increased Damage (Crafting Bench)

(Amulet) Rare Amulet - will do just fine until you can afford The Pandemonius

Min. requirements: 60 maximum Life 40 maximum Mana 20% increased Global Critical Strike Multiplier Optional affixes: Elemental Resistances Attributes Mana Regeneration Rate

(Amulet) The Pandemonius - the BiS Amulet we can use for this build. It grants high DPS bonus, and insanely potent Chill effect to enemies that Hit you

+(20-30) to Dexterity (20-30)% increased Cold Damage +(35-40)% to Cold Resistance Chill Enemy for 1 second when Hit, reducing their Action Speed by 30% Blind Chilled Enemies on Hit Damage Penetrates 20% Cold Resistance against Chilled Enemies

(Ring) Rare Ring - any base will do. Just make sure to get high Life, Resistances, and other bonuses to meet all your needs

Min. requirements: 65 maximum Life 40 maximum Mana 35 Strength Optional affixes: Elemental Resistances

(Ring) Essence Worm - mandatory in order to efficiently use Zealotry Aura

Has 1 Socket +2 to Level of Socketed Aura Gems Socketed Gems Reserve No Mana 40% increased Mana Reserved

(Gloves) Rare Gloves - prioritize defensive stats including high Life and Elemental Resistances here

Min. requirements: 70 maximum Life 40 maximum Mana 30% Fire Resistance 30% Cold Resistance 30% Lightning Resistance Optional affixes: Spell Damage (Fingerless Silk Gloves only)

(Jewels) Abyss Jewels - with flat Life and Added Cold Damage to Spells

Recommended affixes: maximum Life added Cold Damage to Spells while holding a Shield Critical Strike Multiplier Optional affixes: increased Damage if you have Killed recently

(Jewels) Rare Jewels - should also provide increases to Life and Damage

Recommended affixes: maximum Life Mine/Projectile Damage Critical Strike Multiplier Optional affixes: Attributes

(Flask) Atziri's Promise - grants avery high DPS bonus and at the same time it's very cheap

+35% to Chaos Resistance 2% of Chaos Damage Leeched as Life during Flask effect Gain (15-20)% of Physical Damage as Extra Chaos Damage during effect Gain (10-15)% of Elemental Damage as Extra Chaos Damage during effect

(Flask) Dying Sun - increases the number of your Icicle Mine's projectiles

+50% to Fire Resistance 20% less Fire Damage taken (-10-10)% increased Charges used Skills fire 2 additional Projectiles during Flask Effect (15-25)% increased Area of Effect during Flask Effect

Other suggested Flasks: Bubbling Divine Life Flask of Staunching (Bleeding immunity) Experimenter's Basalt Flask of Warding (Curse immunity) Ample Diamond Flask of Adrenaline (increased Movement Speed)

We hope that you will enjoy playing our Icicle Mine Saboteur build, and as always, we are looking forward to your feedback. We would love to hear your suggestions about which build should we work on next. Let us know in the comments below. 

Pictures used in this article are the intellectual property of Grinding Gear Games