Splitting Steel
Trickster Build

Updated for Patch 3.25

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Splitting Steel is a ranged Attack that requires a Sword or an Axe. It adds some of its own Physical Damage but that's not important. Almost all damage it will deal is of Lightning type due to the Ephemeral Edge Sword that adds Maximum Lightning Damage equal to that of 20% of your Energy Shield. That's why we went with Trickster. It's great with Energy Shield with its overleech from Soul Drinker and added ES from Escape Artist. The overabundance of Energy Shield is best combined with Chaos Inoculation for a complete Chaos Immunity and Ghost Dance to Recover this ES instantly on-Hit. It requires quite a bit of Evasion to do so, but that's what this build has tons of as well - over 60k of Evasion is rather easily achievable. This evasion is sourced again from the Escape Artists, in huge quantities at that if your Helmet has decent ES. All these defensive layers fit together nicely - it's a lot of rapid recovery and a vast Life Pool, but it can be improved further. 100% Spell Suppression Chance, 25% Block Chance, and Endurance Charges supported by Immortal Call to reduce even the dreaded by all Tricksters Physical Damage will elevate this build to one of the most durable ones we have tested.

Ephemeral Edge is an unconventional weapon with low Crit Chance and no bonus Attack Speed whatsoever. It's only good with a lot of Maximum Energy Shield - over 8k of it for sure is needed. Note that it's only Maximum Damage that is added, the Minimal Damage stays as low as it gets. Use Voice of the Storm to make your Hits Lucky, meaning the damage gets rolled twice and only the better outcome is selected. This only applies to non-critical damage, but there are just not that many opportunities to improve this low Critical Strike Chance anyway, so going for the Precise Technique will be a wise thing to do. Splitting Steel is also a peculiar skill that is more complex than it may initially give away. Its Projectiles explode, but they also Split on impact so these explosions almost never overlap. That is unless you use Nimis and make them return to you before they Explode. If you position yourself well you can deal a big damage centered right where your character stands. Splitting Steel inherently Splits towards 5 enemies, but with Sniper's Mark and increased effect of Marks it will create many more Projectiles - that's why the Effect of Marks and Curses in general is so good here.

For patch 3.25, we had to update Flasks, Tinctures, skill setups, items, and the Skill Tree. Not by much, but many minor changes in each category were needed. We had to get rid of The Adorned and Thread of Hope, there is no place for them now in this build.

You can also check our other Path of Exile builds right over here Odealo's Crafty Guides - Full List

1. Gameplay

You will use Splitting Steel to deal with most of the enemies you encounter. If in need of more damage, use Smite. Curses are applied automatically when you Focus or on-Hit in the case of Sniper's Mark. Your Auras are Grace, Haste, and Discipline. Maybe Precision. Immortal Call is triggered automatically.

2. Build's PROS & CONS

3. Leveling tips

To level up efficiently, start as a Shield Crush Trickster. It's also an Elemental Damage Attack build that relies mostly on Energy Shield and Evasion. This Splitting Steel build requires a lot of Energy Shield to function and we recommend gathering all the required items before you start. You will struggle with Strength, Accuracy, Resistances, and damage if you switch too early.

Bandits:

Kill all three bandits and be rewarded with two additional Skill Points

4. Final Skill Tree, Ascendancy Points, and Pantheon

Final Skill Tree:

104 Points Final Passive Tree (doesn't include Cluster Jewels or Thread of Hope)
123 Points Path of Building (PoB) link

Ascendancy points:

Preferably in that order:

1. Polymath
2. Escape Artist
3. Soul Drinker
4. Spellbreaker

Pantheon:

Major God: Soul of Lunaris: 1% increased Movement Speed for each nearby Enemy, up to 8%; 1% additional Physical Damage Reduction 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] Splitting Steel setup
	Splitting Steel - Fires a Projectile that Splits and explodes. It can "shotgun" with Nimis. It has base Physical Damage, but due to the added Lightning Damage sourced from Ephemeral Edge, the terminal damage is mostly Lightning.
	Volatility Support - Increases the Maximum Damage and lowers Minimum Damage, which is nearly 0 to begin with.
	Energy Leech Support - Grants more Damage when Leeching. With Soul Drinker this bonus stays on nearly permanently.
	Elemental Damage with Attacks Support - More Elemental Damage with Attacks.
	Damage on Full Life Support - With Chaos Inoculation the character is always on Full Life. Use this Gem for more Damage.
	Lightning Penetration Support - Damage Penetrates Lightning Resistance. Use the level 5 Awakened Version to apply Exposure.

[UTILITY] Various Gems socketed in a Trigger-on-Focus Helmet
	Elemental Weakness - Lowers Elemental Resistances, including Lightning Resistance.
	Conductivity - Lowers Lightning Resistance of the cursed opponent.
	Punishment - Enemies on Low Life receive increased Damage from all sources.
	Hex Bloom Support - Hex Bloom proliferates your Curses, but it probably won't be needed. Instead, you can use  Empower or  Inspiration Support Gems.

[UTILITY] Auras setup
	Haste - Here it is used only for increased Attack and Movement Speed.
	Grace - Adds and increases Evasion for a chance to avoid Attack Hits.
	Discipline - Grants additional Energy Shield and increases ES Recovery Rate.
	Enlighten Support - linked Spells Reserve less Mana.

[UTILITY] Mark setup
	Sniper's Mark - Enemies Marked with Sniper's Mark take increased Projectile Damage and the Projectiles Hitting them Split on impact. Every "50% increased effect of your Marks" will add another Splinter. It's a breakpoint that can be pushed with passives and Tattoos of the Tasalio Scout.
	Mark on Hit Support - Mark is applied automatically against tough enemies.
	Enhance Support - Increases the Quality of Sniper's Mark so that the damage enemies take is further increased.

[UTILITY] Immortal Call setup
	Immortal Call - Causes you to take less Damage but only for a second. It can consume Endurance Charges from Enduring Cry to last longer and reduce even more incoming Physical Damage.
	Cast when Damage Taken - Immortal Call is triggered automatically after taking a certain amount of damage.

[UTILITY] Smite setup
	Smite - Use it once to gain Smite Aura. It adds Lightning Damage to Splitting Steel.
	More Duration Support - Increases the buff effect duration of Smite.

[MOBILITY] Shield Charge
	Shield Charge - Allows you to move much faster in between attacks.
	Faster Attacks Support - Faster movement with Shield Charge. It's not terribly important, so if you struggle with Accuracy, replace it with  Precision.
	Rage Support - Grants 3 Rage on Hit with Shield Charge.

6. Gear Setup

A lot of the items that are simply the best-in-slot are Unique, but a Helmet, Body Armour, Gloves, and Boots are of Rare Rarity. Because of Ephemeral Edge, all your Damage is sourced from Energy Shield, so you naturally have to look for this stat the most as it's also your primary defensive layer. Intelligence also improves your ES, so if you don't need that much Elemental Resistances (because of Mageblood which we recommend), seek Intelligence instead - they're both Suffixes so accommodating both is hard. To improve your damage further seek mainly Attack Speed. With Precise Technique and Chaos Inoculation, you won't deal Critical Strikes and no extra Accuracy will be needed to meet the Requirement for 40% more Damage. With Resolute Technique you also won't need Accuracy to land your Hits. Evasion is only crucial on Body Armour - combined with Magic Flask, Grace, some passives, and Escape Artist, you're going to have around 70k of it, maybe more.

Our recommended items will:

1. Cap your resistances at 75%
2. Provide you with enough DPS and Life to start mapping

(Helmet) Rare Helmet - Gather as much Energy Shield and Intelligence as possible. Craft the mod that would trigger socketed here Curses when you Focus. It's a Suffix so we can afford that QoL. For the Eldritch mods get Reduced Mana Cost of Skills and increased Mana Reservation Efficiency.

Min. requirements: 300 Energy Shield 50 Intelligence Trigger  Socketed Spells when you Focus, with a 0.25 second Cooldown Optional affixes: more Intelligence and ES

(Weapon) Ephemeral Edge - It adds extra Maximum Lightning Damage equal to that of your Energy Shield. Corrupt it to get Resolute Technique - your Accuracy is low but your Hits still have to land.

40% increased Global Accuracy Rating +10 to Intelligence 50% increased Global Critical Strike Chance (40-50)% increased maximum Energy Shield 25% reduced maximum Life Adds 1 to 75 Lightning Damage Attacks with this Weapon have Added Maximum Lightning Damage equal to 20% of Player's Maximum Energy Shield

(Off-hand) Atziri's Reflection - Has a lot of Evasion Rating and Energy Shield, the values of which are improved via three "Veteran Defender" Cluster Jewel Notables. It also grants tons of Intelligence, Elemental Resistances, increased effect of Curses, and Curse immunity.

6% increased Movement Speed +(40-60) to Intelligence (180-200)% increased Evasion Rating +(180-200) to maximum Energy Shield +(20-30)% to all Elemental Resistances Hex Reflection Unaffected by Curses (15-20)% increased Effect of your Curses

(Body Armour) Rare Body Armour - Get the mixed ES/Evasion base and focus on Evasion Rating. It will result in additional ES from the Escape Artist passive. For Suffixes seek Suppression and Intelligence. For Eldritch mods get increased Effect of Auras and less damage taken per Intelligence. Use Tailoring Orbs to improve its Defence.

Min. requirements: 400 Energy Shield 2000 Evasion Rating 50 Intelligence Optional affixes: Spell Suppression Chance

(Boots) Rare Boots - Movement Speed, Intelligence, and a lot of Energy Shield. You may want to add a Crafted Suffix for Attributes or Chance to Avoid Elemental Ailments. With an Eldritch mod for another 25% chance to Avoid Elemental Ailments and Ancestral Vision, you can reach 100% of it.

Min. requirements: 200 Energy Shield 25% increased Movement Speed 50 Intelligence Optional affixes: Spell Suppression Chance

(Gloves) Rare Gloves - The usual Energy Shield with Intelligence should be sufficient. Attack Speed or Spell Suppression can be added too. For Eldritch mods get Rage on Hit and an additional Pierce for Projectiles.

Min. requirements: 50 Intelligence 100 Energy Shield Optional affixes: Spell Suppression Chance increased Attack Speed increased Attack and Cast Speed while Focused

(Belt) Rare Belt - This guide is tailored around Mageblood with Topaz, Sapphire, and Ruby Flasks so we didn't bother with Resistances on other Rare items - Suffixes are reserved for Intelligence. If that's not the case, get the Resistances from Rare items and this Belt. You can select a Crystal Belt or Stygian Vise.

Min. requirements: 40 Intelligence +110% to Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: increased Damage Attributes increased Elemental Damage with Attack Skills

(Belt) Mageblood - It's an especially convenient piece of equipment. It solves your Elemental Resistance issues and provides tons of other various powerful boons sourced from Flasks.

+(25-35) to Strength +(30-50) to Dexterity +(15-25)% to Fire Resistance +(15-25)% to Cold Resistance Magic Utility Flasks cannot be Used Leftmost (2-4) Magic Utility Flasks constantly apply their Flask Effects to you Magic Utility Flask Effects cannot be removed

(Amulet) Voice of the Storm - Almost all your damage is of non-critical Lightning type with nearly 0 minimum damage, so this Amulet is the only sound option.

+(20-30) to Intelligence 50% increased Lightning Damage +(10-15) to all Attributes (10-20)% increased maximum Mana Lightning Damage with Non-Critical Strikes is Lucky

Recommended Anointments: Arcane Focus

(Ring) Anathema - Use it to apply four Curses instead of one - Elemental Weakness, Conductivity, Punishment, and Sniper's Mark. You will have to allocate Infused Notable which costs you only one Skill Point.

+(15-25) to maximum Energy Shield +(30-40) to Intelligence (10-15)% increased Cast Speed (10-20)% chance to gain a Power Charge when you Cast a Curse Spell Your Curse Limit is equal to your maximum Power Charges

(Ring) Nimis - Splitting Steel Projectiles return to you after they're done Piercing and Splitting and whatnot. They will converge at your location so make sure you stand on top of your target for maximum damage output.

+(20-30)% to Lightning Resistance +(30-50) to Dexterity (25-35)% increased Projectile Damage Projectiles Return to you Projectiles are fired in random directions

(Jewel) Rare Jewels - Increased Maximum Energy Shield and Intelligence are the best options. Due to your high, but not yet capped, Maximum Elemental Resistances, you should look for them too. Attack Speed is the second-best offensive mod.

Recommended affixes: increased Attack Speed increased Maximum Energy Shield Intelligence Maximum Elemental Resistances

(Jewel) Large Cluster Jewel - Veteran Defender is very important, be sure to have it on all of your three Large Cluster Jewels. Feed the Fury is nice with your Overleech, and Smite the Weak increases Damage. Additional Strength or Attributes in general will probably be needed as well.

Recommended affixes: 1 Added Passive Skill is Feed the Fury 1 Added Passive Skill is Veteran Defender 1 Added Passive Skill is Smite the Weak

(Jewel) Lethal Pride - You will probably need its Strength. Some of the notable upgrades, such as Intimidate on Hit, are great additions.

Commanded leadership over (10000-18000) warriors under (Akoya-Kaom-Rakiata) Passives in radius are Conquered by the Karui Historic

(Jewel) Ancestral Vision - You can reach a 100% Chance to Avoid Elemental Ailment with proper Boots and a capped Suppression Chance.

+(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) The Light of Meaning - Seek the "Passive Skills in Radius also grant 3% increased Energy Shield". Socket it near Infused.

Passive Skills in Radius also grant <random stat>

(Jewel) Watcher's Eye - Your Auras are Haste, Discipline, perhaps Precision, and Grace. Aim for ES on Hit from Discipline and Attack Damage or Attack Speed from Precision.

(4-6)% increased maximum Energy Shield (4-6)% increased maximum Life (4-6)% increased maximum Mana <Two or Three random aura modifiers>

Other suggested Flasks: Prismatic Tincture with Elemental Penetration Silver Flask with reduced effect of Curses on you Ruby Flask with increased Movement Speed Topaz Flask with increased Evasion Rating Sapphire Flask with increased Chance to Avoid being Stunned

If you have any other build requests please leave that in the comments below. We are always open to suggestions and constructive feedback.

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