Kinetic Blast of Clustering
Dexterity and Mana-stacking
Whisperer Build

Updated for Patch 3.27

The Best Crafty Guides by Odealo

Whisperer ascendancy for a Ranger is perfectly adapted to make use of Wand Attack Skills. It's also a class that will greatly benefit from Mana-Stacking. There are two abilities that are tailored to fit this archetype - Kinetic Blast of Clustering and Power Siphon of the Archmage. The "an infinite pursuit" passive grants one Maximum Mana per one Dexterity, but causes Intelligence to grant no Mana at all, which is a great exchange rate since we didn't plan to gain any more Intelligence than is required. You'll be able to reach as much Maximum Mana as contemporary Mana-stacking Hierophant builds this way. The two Transfigured versions of Wand Attacks we've mentioned have built-in Mana scaling - they deal added damage equal to a fraction of your total Maximum Mana. That's where all your damage comes from. Mana also plays the role of a protective shield after allocating Mind over Matter and putting the Arcane Cloak on. All you need now is a rapid Mana Recovery tool. In case of Attacks, you can simply go for the Mana Leech from the Clever Thief notable and its instant Leech mastery.

The Kinetic Blast of Clustering is an insanely powerful Skill for several reasons. It fires a single Projectile that explodes upon contact with the target, creating multiple damaging areas. Thanks to Fork, Returning Projectiles, and automatic Tornado slinged by the Spellslinger, you will create a death zone all around you with overlapping explosions. This Skill also has a very powerful way of scaling the Damage of each individual Hit. By stacking Dexterity, you will gain a lot of flat Mana, which translates to added Physical Damage for your Attacks. You can increase the Mana with Foulborn Choir of the Storm to insane levels. You should also pair it with the Indigon Helmet, which grants tons of Spell Damage, further applying to your Attacks at 200% rate. The Physical Damage of the Kinetic Bolt can be converted to a different Element, left as it is, or converted to Chaos. Each aspect has some advantages and options to scale it further, but we decided to convert it fully to Chaos Damage in order to greatly benefit from Wither Debuff. At lower investment levels, the "we know all" Notable comes in handy, adding plenty of Lightning Damage to your Attacks, which can also be paired with the much cheaper Mind of the Council, although this method should be only used as a temporary step until you can afford the Indigon Helmet. Lastly, Mana is also serving as a protective layer that absorbs Damage, so you can hyper-focus on one particular aspect to boost all the important sides of your character. 

You can also check all our Guides for the ongoing Event right here: Best Builds for Legacy of Phrecia

1. Gameplay

Use Kinetic Blast to slay most of the monsters. If the opponent is particularly tough, place down the Power Siphon Ballistas, activate Sigil of Power, and stand near the enemy you want to have killed. Don't stand too close or too far; the majority of overlaps will be missed. Keep in mind that Arcane Cloak will periodically or conditionally boost your damage, leading to slower moments when it's not active. To move faster, use Shield Charge. Blood Rage, Clarity, Vitality, and Precision should be up constantly.

2. Build's PROS & CONS

3. Leveling tips

We recommend starting as a Classic Bow Elemental Damage starter build. It's a proven method that fits the ranger archetype. After finishing the first lab, take advantage of Frenzy and Power Charges to enhance your damage. Then, take the passive for an additional Fork. The question of switching to Wands and Mana-stacking/Dex-stacking depends entirely on your gear. The default Bow starter build will carry you to yellow or even red maps; then, you'll need to start putting on the gear we've listed below. Begin with a good Wand and a Helmet since these are the most expensive.

Bandits:

Picking the Alira Bandit makes stacking Dexterity easier and cheaper, but later on, it should be replaced with the additional Passive Point.

4. Final Skill Tree, Ascendancy Points, and Pantheon

Final Skill Tree:

120 Points Final Skill Tree (doesn't include Cluster or Unique Jewels)
120 Points Path of Building (PoB) link

Ascendancy points:

Preferably in that order:

1. there is more/don't panic yet
2. have you forgotten?
3. an infinite pursuit
4. wait a little

Pantheon:

Major God: Soul of the Brine King: You cannot be Stunned if you've been Stunned or Blocked a Stunning Hit in the past 2 seconds

Minor God: Soul of Shakari: 50% less Duration of Poisons on You, 5% reduced Chaos Damage taken

5. Final Gems links

[DPS] Kinetic Blast setup
	Kinetic Blast of Clustering - A Wand Attack. This version deals added Physical Damage based on your Maximum Mana, the bread and butter of this build.
	Withering Touch/Lightning Penetration Support - this Gem choice depends on your overall setup.
	Vicious Projectiles Support
	Returning Projectiles Support
	Sacred Wisps Support
	Increased Critical Damage Support

[UTILITY] Sigil of Power & Arcane Cloak setup
	Sigil of Power - Place down the sigil and spend Mana while inside of it for Added Lightning Damage.
	Arcane Cloak - Consumes most of your Mana to form a defensive layer that absorbs damage. It also instantly triggers all the features that benefit from spending a lot of Mana.
	Automation - Arcane Cloak is Triggered whenever it's possible.
	More Duration Support

[UTILITY] Sniper's Mark setup
	Assassin's Mark - improves your Crit Chance and generates Power and Frenzy Charges for you. If you pick the "there is more", you can use Sniper's Mark instead.
	Mark on Hit Support

[UTILITY] Spellslinger setup
	Spellslinger - Linked Spells are Triggered whenever you Attack with a Wand. They Reserve Mana so we'll use just one such Spell.
	Tornado - Your Projectiles can interact with Tornado, which results in a much better clear speed and damage, as they Fork from it.
	Blind Support

[MOBILITY] Shield Charge setup
	Shield Charge - A boost to your mobility, if you plan to travel in a straight line.
	Faster Attacks Support
	Momentum Support

[MOBILITY] Frostblink setup
	Frostblink - an instant teleport that can be used for better mobility or repositioning. It also Chills Enemies caught in its area.
	Unbound Ailments Support

[UTILITY] other gems
	Clarity - Clarity Regenerates Mana.
	Vitality - Vitality Regenerates Life.
	Precision - Precision adds Accuracy and increases Crit Chance. These three Auras Reserve almost no Mana.
	Berserk - improves the effect of your Rage, but drains it at an accelerating rate. You can sustain it for a long time thanks to the "wait a little" Notable.

5. Gear Setup

Your priority is Dexterity, from which you will source Maximum Mana - this stat alone is important too. Dexterity will also provide you with Spell Suppression Chance via Magebane. Mana translates directly into damage (via the transfigured Skills you're using) and life pool (via Arcane Cloak and Mind over Matter), so accumulating it is your main priority. Normally, in such builds, you would want to stack Intelligence, but with "an infinite pursuit", Intelligence grants no Mana. Your Dexterity, however, reclaims this feature and makes it twice as efficient. That's why this build works so well. To get more damage, look for Attack Speed, increased Spell Damage (it affects the Attack Damage of your main damaging skills at 200%; it makes the Indigon great), Critical Strike Multiplier, Critical Strike Chance, and Chaos Penetration. Your defensive stats are pretty much only Maximum Life, maybe a bit of Evasion and Spell Suppression if it ain't capped with Magebane and Dexterity alone. Be sure you have enough Attributes, Accuracy, and Crit Chance. You will Conver all Physical Damage to Chaos with just a single Notable on the Cluster Jewel, which also grants you a Chance to inflict Withering Debuff with each Hit. 

(Helmet) Mind of the Council - your starting Helmet. It offers a lot more Maximum Mana and Lightning Damage. Be sure you have some kind of Shock protection and good Mana Recovery.

(230-260)% increased Evasion and Energy Shield +(15-20) to maximum Energy Shield (20-30)% increased maximum Mana 10% chance to Shock +20% chance to be Shocked 30% of Lightning Damage is taken from Mana before Life Attack Skills have Added Lightning Damage equal to 6% of maximum Mana Lose 3% of Mana when you use an Attack Skill

(Helmet) Indigon - The best, and most expensive, Helmet. It's a major boost to your damage, up to 4000% increased Damage for the Kinetic Blast, thanks to its enhanced Damage ratio. Sustaining Mana Costs can be problematic even with heavy investments into Leech.

(150-180)% increased Energy Shield (6-10)% increased maximum Mana Recover (8-10)% of Life when you use a Mana Flask Non-instant Mana Recovery from Flasks is also Recovered as Life (50-60)% increased Cost of Skills for each 200 total Mana Spent Recently (20-25)% increased Spell Damage for each 200 total Mana you have Spent Recently, up to 2000%

(Body Armour) Rare Body Armour - Here look for Maximum Life, Resistances, and Dexterity, ideally on Energy Shield and Evasion base. For the Eldritch mods, try to get the generic Damage mitigation per Dexterity.

Min. requirements: +100 maximum Life +45 Dexterity +100 total Maximum Mana Optional affixes: Elemental Resistances % ​increased Dexterity % to Critical Strike Multiplier for Attack Damage 1% less Damage Taken per 200 Dexterity

(Weapon) Rare Wand - Look for a Wand with high base Crit Chance. The Attack Speed is useful but detrimental for Mana Recovery. You will want lots of maximum Mana, Spell Damage, and Crits modifiers. You can also get plenty of Penetration or a chance to deal Double Damage.

Min. requirements: +100 to maximum Mana +10% Critical Strike Chance 100% increased Spell Damage Optional affixes: Global Critical Strike Multiplier Attacks with this Weapon Penetrate #% Chaos Resistances  % chance to deal Double Damage

(Off-hand) Rare Shield - here you can get a bit of Damage or Mana, but proper defense is much more useful. Try to get an Influenced Shield with a high chance to Block Attacks and Recovery on Block.

Min. requirements: Recover (3-5)% of Life when you Block 35% Chance to Block Attacks Optional affixes: % increased Spell Damage maximum Life Elemental Resistances Maximum Mana Dexterity Attack Speed

(Gloves) Shaper's Touch - those Gloves grant you tons of maximum Life, Accuracy Rating, and plenty of Mana and Evasion Rating. They are very cheap, so it is easy to get a useful Corrupted Implicit on top of that.

(80-120)% increased Armour and Energy Shield +4 Accuracy Rating per 2 Intelligence +1 Life per 4 Dexterity +1 Mana per 4 Strength 1% increased Energy Shield per 10 Strength 2% increased Evasion Rating per 10 Intelligence 2% increased Melee Physical Damage per 10 Dexterity Recommended implicits: Attacks have +(0.5-0.8)% to Critical Strike Chance

(Boots) Rare Boots - Boots will supply you with Maximum Life, Movement Speed, Resistances, Dexterity, and Maximum Mana. For the Eldritch mods look for Action Speed and chance to Avoid Ailments.

Min. requirements: +90 maximum Life +45 Dexterity 30% increased Movement Speed Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Maximum Mana

(Belt) Rare Belt - Prioritize Maximum Life, Maximum Mana, and Resistances. Later on, try to get a Synthesised Belt that increases your Dexterity. Use Essence of Sorrow to force a Dexterity modifier, which is usually not possible here.

Min. requirements: +100 maximum Life +40% to Total Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Chaos Resistance Maximum Mana Dexterity (crafted) increased Dexterity

(Amulet) Astramentis - It has tons of Attributes, even Intelligence and Strength that are very much required. Getting more Dexterity while fulfilling the other Attribute Requirements is technically possible, but it is very expensive.

+(10-16) to all Attributes +(80-100) to all Attributes -4 Physical Damage taken from Attack Hits

Recommended Anointments: Force of Darkness

(Ring) Rare Rings - the Rings are as basic as possible, although if you somehow manage to get enough Resistances, you could try to fit in minimum Endurance Charges for extra survivability.

Min. requirements: +60 to Maximum Life +60 to Maximum Mana 80% total Resistance Optional affixes: Dexterity +1 to minimum Endurance Charge

(Ring) Ming's Heart - this Ring takes away plenty of Life and Energy Shield, but grants tons of Damage in return, especially if you boost it with Catalysts. It also offers plenty of Chaos Resistance.

+(17-23)% to Chaos Resistance 25% reduced maximum Energy Shield 25% reduced maximum Life +(40-50)% to Chaos Resistance Gain (40-60)% of Physical Damage as Extra Chaos Damage

(Jewel) Brutal Restraint - Its main role is to get you more Dexterity, but you can also get many other useful bonuses, such as Onslaught on Kill, blinding Enemies on Hit, or plenty of Critical Strike Chance. Socket it near the Fervour notable.

Denoted service of (500-8000) dekhara in the akhara of (Asenath-Balbala-Nasima) Passives in radius are Conquered by the Maraketh Historic

(Jewel) Rare Jewels - you can get lots of basic modifiers here, but also plenty of increases for your maximum Mana and Critical Strike Multiplier. It can also boost your Block Chance or prevent Corrupting Blood.

Recommended affixes: Maximum Life Maximum Mana Attributes Resistances Critical Strike Multiplier Corrupted Blood cannot be inflicted on you +#% Chance to Block Attack Damage while holding a Shield

(Jewel) Watcher's Eye - your primary objective is the minor Mind over Matter effect available for the Clarity Aura modifier. If you need more Mana Recovery, try to get a chance to gain Mana on skill use or a better Recovery Rate, but it will be very expensive.

(4-6)% increased maximum Energy Shield (4-6)% increased maximum Life (4-6)% increased maximum Mana <Two or Three random aura modifiers> (6-10)% of Damage taken from Mana before Life while affected by Clarity (15-20)% of Damage taken while affected by Clarity Recouped as Mana (10-15)% increased Mana Recovery Rate while affected by Clarity (10-15)% chance to Recover 10% of Mana when you use a Skill while affected by Clarity

(Jewel) Ancestral Vision - Your Suppression Chance is supposed to be capped at 100%. This Jewel, combined with an additional Chance to Avoid Elemental Ailments on Boots and Shield, will make you immune to Elemental Ailments, including those from ground effects.

+(5-10) to Dexterity Modifiers to Chance to Suppress Spell Damage also apply to Chance to Avoid Elemental Ailments at 50% of their Value

(Jewel) Large Cluster Jewel - the Wand Notables are exceptionally powerful; they grant you tons of Critical Strike Chance, plenty of Extra Chaos Damage, a chance to explode Enemies on kill, and improve your Accuracy Rating.

Recommended affixes: 1 Added Passive Skill is Explosive Force 1 Added Passive Skill is Martial Prowess 1 Added Passive Skill is Opportunistic Fusilade

(Jewel) Medium Cluster Jewel - the Overwhelming Malice grants the Chaos Conversion, but the Build and itemisation don't change a bit if you can't get it yet, with an exception for one Support Gem and Crafted modifier on your Wand.

Recommended affixes: 1 Added Passive Skill is Overwhelming Malice 1 Added Passive Skill is Pressure Points

Other suggested Flasks and Tinctures: Mana Flask with Bleeding immunity/removal Quartz Flask with reduced Effect of Curses on you Jade Flask with increased Evasion Rating Quicksilver Flask with increased Movement Speed Diamond Flask with increased Critical Strike Chance

If you have any other build requests, please leave that in the comments below.

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