Poison Spectral Throw
Assassin-Shadow build

Updated for Patch 3.5

The Best Crafty Guides by Odealo

Estimated budget: moderately high

Poison is a very powerful status ailment, which scales very well with end-game gear. Certain items or abilities may cause hits with physical and chaos damage to apply poison, which is a negative status ailment that deals additional portion of that damage over a short duration. Poison can be applied multiple times, and each hit can apply a maximum of 1 stack of poison (but attacks can hit multiple times). With skills and items used in this build, the damage output of your character is greatly increased with each additional stack. This makes this type of poison builds reliant on high Physical/Chaos weapon damage and very high attack speed, to keep as many poison stacks active at a time. It also increases the overall damage output.

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1. Gameplay

This build is based on Assassin Ascendancy class, which is one of the few classes that affect Poison directly. As a Shadow, you get easy access to plenty of Claw and Attack Speed nodes which greatly benefits this build DPS. It is also a Dexterity-based class, which makes it easy to cap the 300 Dexterity requirement on the Dendrobate unique Body Armour. We have picked Spectral Throw as your main active Skill because of good AoE, and more importantly how it Hits enemies. The spectral copies of your weapons follow a "boomerang" path, hitting enemies along the way, then stopping for a brief moment and returning to your character, hitting enemies again several times. Spectral Throw can apply multiple instances of poison with every attack because of:

1. The "boomerang" path that Spectral Projectiles follow
2. 100% Spectral Throw's Projectiles Pierce Chance
3. Lycosidae shield that makes your Attacks unevadable (you may also try to increase Accuracy Rating to as close to 95% as possible if you can't afford Lycosidae)
4. 100% chance to apply Poison on Hit (Wasp Nest, Passive Nodes, and Lesser Poison on Dendrobate sum up to exactly 100% Chance to Poison on Hit)
5. Good AoE coverage with Greater Multiple Projectiles Support Gem

2. Build's PROS & CONS

3. Leveling tips

Leveling with Poison is quite easy. You pick up a lot of Chaos Damage nodes in your Skill Tree, which makes it a natural choice to level up with Poison/Chaos active skills. It is recommended to use Viper Strike for applying Poison and as single target DPS. We also suggest using Blight to help out with AoE and clear bigger packs.  

Suggested leveling Gem setups:

Viper Strike setup
	Viper Strike - melee attack that applies poison on hit
	Melee Physical Damage Support - good DPS buff
	Multistrike Support - allows the supported attack skill to hit several times, applying a few stacks of poison

Blight setup
	Blight - area spell that deals chaos damage. Since we take the chaos/damage over time nodes, this will be an excellent choice for the leveling phase
	Increased Area of Effect Support - grants better area coverage
	Faster Casting Support
	Void Manipulation Support - increased the chaos damage dealt by Blight

Utility Gems
	Despair - this curse will greatly increase your chaos damage
	Clarity - grants additional mana regeneration
	Shield Charge - your main mobility skill

Bandits:

Kill all the Bandits for two additional Passives Points, or you may as well help Kraityn for some extra Attack Speed and Dodge Chance

Leveling Skill Trees:

33 Points Skill Tree
Priorities: 1) Coordination 2) Entropy 3) Fangs of the Viper 4) Claws of the Pride

60 Points Skill Tree
Priorities: 1) Fatal Toxins 2) Soul Raker 3) Poisonous Fangs 4) Claws of the Magpie 5) Toxic Strikes

Recommended leveling items:

Blackheart - the best Phys. DPS leveling Ring. You can get it starting at level 1, and it can be reasonably powerful until you swap it for Voidheart rings
Adds 1 to 4 Physical Damage to Attacks 5% increased Physical Damage Adds 1 to 3 Chaos Damage to Attacks +(20-30) to maximum Life (2-4) Life Regenerated per second 10% chance to Cause Monsters to Flee

Voidheart - the upgraded version of Blackheart Rings
Adds 1 to 4 Physical Damage to Attacks 5% increased Physical Damage Adds 1 to 3 Chaos Damage to Attacks +(20-30) to maximum Life (2-4) Life Regenerated per second 10% chance to Cause Monsters to Flee Melee Attacks have (30-50)% chance to cause Bleeding Melee Attacks have (20-40)% chance to Poison on Hit

Meginord's Girdle - powerful Belt, which grants a lot of additional DPS
+(25-35) to Strength Adds 5 to 15 Physical Damage to Attacks +25 to Strength 10% increased maximum Life +(10-20)% to Cold Resistance 25% increased Flask Life Recovery rate

Crest of Perandus - this shield grants a lot of life, chance to block and life regeneration. The most significant impact the shield makes is during the early stages, and you can use it starting at level 8
Chance to Block: 31% Evasion: 51 +(60-80) to maximum Life (5-7.5) Life Regenerated per second +30% to Lightning Resistance 0.6% of Physical Attack Damage Leeched as Life +5% Chance to Block

4. Final Skill tree, Ascendancy Points, and Pantheon

Final Skill Tree:

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

Ascendancy points:

Preferably in that order:

1. Noxious Strike
2. Toxic Delivery
3. Opportunistic
4. Ambush and Assassinate

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 Gruthkul 1% additional Physical Damage Reduction for each Hit you've taken Recently up to a maximum of 5%

5. Final Gems links

[DPS] Spectral Throw (in Dendrobate Armour)
	Spectral Throw - your main DPS skill. Throws out a spectral copy of your Melee Weapon that hits enemies multiple times
	Vicious Projectiles Support - increases the Damage of Spectral Throws Projectiles and also the Damage over Time effects they inflict
	Greater Multiple Projectiles Support - increases the number of Spectral Throw's projectiles
	Deadly Ailments Support - increases the Poison Damage you deal with Supported Skills
	Withering Touch Support - adds additional Chaos Damage, and applies "Withered" debuff on enemies, increasing Chaos Damage they take
	Vile Toxins Support - increases Poison Damage and your "on Hit" Damage for every stack of Poison on the enemy
	Lesser Poison Support - grants increases Chance to Poison. This Gem is granted by Dendrobate Body Armour

[UTILITY] Phase Run and Blood Rage
	Phase Run - grants increases Movement Speed and makes you less visible to enemies (making them more likely to attack your Minions/Allies etc.)
	Blood Rage - increases your Attack Speed, Life Leech, and generated Frenzy Charges
	Cast when Damage Taken Support - will auto-cast Phase Run and Blood Rage
	Lightning Golem - recommended Golem option for this build

[UTILITY] Immortal Call and Vaal Haste
	Cast when Damage Taken Support - will auto-cast Immortal Call. Keep this Gem at level 1
	Immortal Call - grants brief immunity to Physical Damage. Keep this Gem at level 3
	Vaal Haste - increases your Attack and Movement Speed for the duration
	Increased Duration Support

[MOBILITY] Shield Charge
	Shield Charge - very fast movement skill
	Faster Attacks Support - linked to Shield Charge increases its movement speed
	Fortify Support - hits with Shield Charge will grant you the Fortify buff which reduces the damage you receive from Hits by 20%

[CURSE/AURAS] Enfeeble
	Enfeeble - the best defensive Aura in Path of Exile. Will greatly reduce the chance for monsters to Hit you (on top of your high Evasion Rating and Dodge Chance)
	Blasphemy - makes your Curse work as an Aura around your character

[UTILITY] Vaal Grace
	Vaal Grace - grants increased Chance to Dodge for a brief duration

[UTILITY] Wither Spell Totem
	Wither - a spell that causes monsters to receive increased chaos damage
	Spell Totem Support - will spawn a Totem that casts the Wither spell
	Faster Casting Support
	Increased Area of Effect Support

5. Gear Setup

Poison Spectral Throw can be played with at least several Weapon choices, but we recommended using Claws, as they provide high Attack Speed (which makes it easier to stack more Poison). Also, Wasp Nest gains a terrific DPS buff when attacking monsters that have 5 or more stacks of Poison applied. It also comes at a meager price. This build can also be fairly powerful with a low budget, however, it scales extremely well with endgame gear, so this is what we have decided to cover in this guide. With the recommended unique items, it's crucial for the Amulet and Rings to provide high Life, Elemental Resistances, and required Attributes.

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Our recommended items will:

1. Cap your resistances 
2. Give you enough DPS/Life to start mapping successfully

(Helmet) Rat's Nest - budget-friendly Helmet option for this build. Grants high DPS bonuses

15% increased Attack Speed (60-75)% increased Global Critical Strike Chance 150% increased Evasion Rating (20-25)% increased Rarity of Items found 10% increased Movement Speed 10% reduced Character Size

(Helmet) Abyssus - the best in the slot for this build. Grants the highest damage bonus, and provides Attributes which are extremely important for this build

Adds 40 to 60 Physical Damage to Attacks +(20-25) to all Attributes +(100-125)% to Melee Critical Strike Multiplier (100-120)% increased Armour (40-50)% increased Physical Damage taken

(Helmet) Lightpoacher - a nice alternative that was introduced in Patch 3.1 and the Abyss League. You will need to find one with 2 Abyss Sockets (number of Abyss sockets on this item can be altered with a Divine Orb) and socket Abyss jewels with flat Physical Damage and preferably life. Grants lower damage buff than Abyssus, but provides higher clear speed

Has 2 Abyssal Sockets Trigger Level 20 Spirit Burst when you Use a Skill while you have a Spirit Charge +(10-15)% to all Elemental Resistances Recover (4-5)% of Life when a Spirit Charge expires or is consumed (15-20)% chance to gain a Spirit Charge on Kill +1 to Maximum Spirit Charges per Abyss Jewel affecting you

Helmet enchantment: 40% increased Spectral Throw Damage

(Weapon) The Wasp Nest - a great weapon for this build. It gains amazing buff to DPS when attacking monsters with five stacks of Poison applied

+40 Life gained for each Enemy hit by Attacks (150-170)% increased Physical Damage (20-25)% increased Attack Speed (20-25)% increased Critical Strike Chance +(180-200) to Accuracy Rating 20% chance to Poison on Hit Attacks with this Weapon deal 80-120 added Chaos Damage against Enemies affected by 5 or more Poisons

(Weapon) Rare Claw - rare Claws can provide the highest DPS in this build. They are much more expensive though

Min. requirements: 340 Physical DPS 20% increased Attack Speed Optional affixes: Life gained for each Enemy hit by Attacks

(Body Armour) Dendrobate - the best in the slot for this build. Provides great DPS bonus

3% reduced Movement Speed (Hidden) Socketed Gems are Supported by Level 10 Lesser Poison (130-150)% increased Evasion and Energy Shield +40 to maximum Energy Shield +(15-25)% to all Elemental Resistances (75-100)% increased Damage with Poison if you have at least 300 Dexterity (15-25)% increased Poison Duration if you have at least 150 Intelligence

(Shield) Lycosidae - mandatory Shield for this build. It makes your attacks unevadable, which allows stacking of the maximum number of Poison and maximizing your DPS

3% reduced Movement Speed (Hidden) +(10-20) to maximum Life +(120-160) to Armour +(30-40) to maximum Life Your hits can't be Evaded +(3-5)% Chance to Block Adds 250 to 300 Cold Damage to Counterattacks

(Boots) Atziri's Step - grant amazing mobility, spell dodge chance and some extra Life. They are also inexpensive so that you can save up some currency for the most important jewelry items

180% increased Evasion Rating +(55-75) to maximum Life 30% increased Movement Speed (14-16)% chance to Dodge Spell Damage

Boot enchantment: 16% increased Attack and Cast Speed if you've Killed Recently

(Belt) Rare Belt - preferably a Rustic Sash base for the extra Physical Damage bonus

Min. requirements: 80 maximum Life 30% Fire Resistance 30% Lightning Resistance 30% Cold Resistance Optional affixes: increased Physical Damage

(Amulet) Rare Amulet - recommended Amulet for this build, and very important piece of equipment in terms of adding required Attributes for Dendrobate and Abyssus requirements

Min. requirements: 70 maximum Life 12% All Elemental Resistances Attributes (to match Abyssus and Dendrobate requirements) Optional affixes: increased Global Critical Strike Multiplier Added Physical Damage to Attacks Elemental Resistances

(Ring) Rare Rings

Min. requirements: 60 maximum Life 25% Fire Resistance 25% Cold Resistance 25% Lightning Resistance Optional affixes: Added Physical Damage to Attacks Attributes (to match Abyssus and Dendrobate requirements)

(Gloves) Rare Gloves - preferably with increased Attack Speed

Min. requirements: 60 maximum Life 8% increased Attack Speed 25% Fire Resistance 25% Cold Resistance Optional affixes: increased Projectile Attack Damage

Glove enchantment: Commandment of Blades Commandment of Force

(Jewels) Rare Jewels - all jewels should provide additional Life and Damage bonuses

Recommended affixes: increased maximum Life increased Generic/Physical/Projectile/Damage over Time Optional affixes: increased Global Critical Strike Multiplier increased Attack Speed

(Flask) Atziri's Promise - one of the most popular Flasks in Path of Exile. Grants additional chaos damage and extra life leech

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) Coralito's Signature - great utility Flask which increases your Poison Damage

Your Critical Strike Chance is Lucky Take 30 Chaos Damage per Second during Flask effect 25% chance to Poison on Hit during Flask effect Your Critical Strikes do not deal extra Damage during Flask effect (50-75)% increased Duration of Poisons you inflict during Flask effect Grants Perfect Agony during Flask effect

Other suggested Flasks: Bubbling Divine Life Flask of Staunching (Bleeding immunity) Ample Silver Flask of Heat (Freeze and Chill immunity) Experimenter's Quicksilver Flask of Reflexes (additional Evasion Rating)

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

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