[3.21] 🌿Ultimate Claw Poison Pathfinder - Untouchable Viper - Molten Strike update by FEL

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trolley wrote:
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ArkamHatchet wrote:
anyone has any tips to fast leveling it at league start (SSF style)

I tried a few runs and firstly you have to buy most of the gems because you don't get them as rewards and secondly I lacked a lot of damage, especially early on, anyone has any tips?


I did a SSF test run to 60 with this leveling tree and Pestilent Strike. Damage doesn't start to feel good until after normal lab, and even then bosses are still very slow. I had to farm for a 4 link at Docks to kill Dominoes, which you never have to do for top tier league starters. Spell Totem and Wither help, but the totem dies very quickly to some bosses.

I don't think this build is suitable for league start, unless you're happy to go slow and farm on the way. By the time I got to Blood Aqueducts (and level 60) the clear was excellent and the damage was really starting to ramp up.

If there is a magic bullet to fix early boss killing speed please let me know, I'm happy to be proven wrong and would really like a quick start with this build. Pending patch notes of course :)


so far just doing act one, because as you said, it starts to get better later on.
It feels that it's best to level with cobra lash and take the ranged dmg nodes and respec those later. A mule might be a good idea as well to be able to grab 2x iron rings and pray for a g-g-g item, ideally helmet or gloves for skill - onslaught - dmg skill (poison, void manipulation or other) and level viper strike in the offhand in the meantime.

One thing that sucks about this is that you have to buy a lot of gems for both of the builds and level them in the offhand but then you can just swap it out easily once you hit Blood aquaduct and get your wasp nest's, which were good even for T16 last league when I played the build, so that should be a plus
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YoshitsuneCR wrote:
Hello, i was looking for a build to start 3.10, i never played a Poison build (Played Chaos caster builds before, never melee chaos build), this one (with Pestilent Strike) can be starter? what Unique cheap weapons can be used meanwhile i farm to get the currency to craft the big ones?

really liked the guide :)


"
trolley wrote:
"
ArkamHatchet wrote:
anyone has any tips to fast leveling it at league start (SSF style)

I tried a few runs and firstly you have to buy most of the gems because you don't get them as rewards and secondly I lacked a lot of damage, especially early on, anyone has any tips?


I did a SSF test run to 60 with this leveling tree and Pestilent Strike. Damage doesn't start to feel good until after normal lab, and even then bosses are still very slow. I had to farm for a 4 link at Docks to kill Dominoes, which you never have to do for top tier league starters. Spell Totem and Wither help, but the totem dies very quickly to some bosses.

I don't think this build is suitable for league start, unless you're happy to go slow and farm on the way. By the time I got to Blood Aqueducts (and level 60) the clear was excellent and the damage was really starting to ramp up.

If there is a magic bullet to fix early boss killing speed please let me know, I'm happy to be proven wrong and would really like a quick start with this build. Pending patch notes of course :)


Hi all :)

It's viable as a starter just don't expect to level early as fast as with spell starters.
Ill tune up more leveling section to make your life easier. Ill test it myself.
By the time you get to Dominus, 4L is kinda expected to have and since it's attack build upgrading weapons as you go (just get what you can from vendors/drops) is mandatory for successful run.
Ill post my findings as well after I do more runs, gotta do my apex dailies 1st though. planning on doing a few act 1 till act 5 runs
Last edited by ArkamHatchet on Mar 7, 2020, 6:13:19 PM
ok, seems leveling as Cobra lash is the way. Level it like you would a bow but with cobra lash. The start is kinda bumpy, you want a 3g item and cobra lash to start, ideally 2 iron rings as well. Take the ranged damage nodes and then proceed with the build as normal.

If you wanna go viper strike I suggest you level it in offhand slot, you will probably need to make a mule or 2 to be able to buy all this stuff, which will slow you down by about 6 minutes but that is about it.

Make sure your filter is highlighting daggers/claws and be on a lookout for evasion armor items with a lot of Green slots to equip all your shit while leveling

during The Caged Brute Reward I would pick whirling blades over LMP, LMP is not really needed due to chain on Cobra lash

Grab Void Manipulation Support - Smoke Mine before Mervail for a smoother fight and movement and you should be set.

You will need a lot of items with green sockets so look out for those

Act 2 you wanna have around 6-7 alterations to buy Arctic Armour - herald of agony - Blood Rage and prolly herald of thunder or herald of ice if you can equip them.
as you progress you wanna grab Faster Attacks Support as a reward and Vicious Projectiles Support - Deadly Ailments Support + Melee Physical Damage Support for offhand leveling

Act 3 you are looking for a 4ling 3g1b and after you finish siosa quest you wanna get your added chaos dmg and if you have the links and colors Spell Totem Support - wither + Unbound Ailments if you are going the Cobra lash build

Don't forget to grab Plague Bearer to help with damage and pestilent strike

Act 4 will give you:

Greater Multiple Projectiles Support
Multiple Totems Support
Multistrike Support
Vile Toxins Support
Cast when Damage Taken Support setup if slots allow it

from this point on you should be set gem wise and just need to keep your levels up around the zone level.

If you upgrade your weapons you will have decent clear at this point on a 4 link and work on upgrading your weapons to have the most dps while securing proper helmet, gloves and boots links

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ArkamHatchet wrote:
Spoiler
ok, seems leveling as Cobra lash is the way. Level it like you would a bow but with cobra lash. The start is kinda bumpy, you want a 3g item and cobra lash to start, ideally 2 iron rings as well. Take the ranged damage nodes and then proceed with the build as normal.

If you wanna go viper strike I suggest you level it in offhand slot, you will probably need to make a mule or 2 to be able to buy all this stuff, which will slow you down by about 6 minutes but that is about it.

Make sure your filter is highlighting daggers/claws and be on a lookout for evasion armor items with a lot of Green slots to equip all your shit while leveling

during The Caged Brute Reward I would pick whirling blades over LMP, LMP is not really needed due to chain on Cobra lash

Grab Void Manipulation Support - Smoke Mine before Mervail for a smoother fight and movement and you should be set.

You will need a lot of items with green sockets so look out for those

Act 2 you wanna have around 6-7 alterations to buy Arctic Armour - herald of agony - Blood Rage and prolly herald of thunder or herald of ice if you can equip them.
as you progress you wanna grab Faster Attacks Support as a reward and Vicious Projectiles Support - Deadly Ailments Support + Melee Physical Damage Support for offhand leveling

Act 3 you are looking for a 4ling 3g1b and after you finish siosa quest you wanna get your added chaos dmg and if you have the links and colors Spell Totem Support - wither + Unbound Ailments if you are going the Cobra lash build

Don't forget to grab Plague Bearer to help with damage and pestilent strike

Act 4 will give you:

Greater Multiple Projectiles Support
Multiple Totems Support
Multistrike Support
Vile Toxins Support
Cast when Damage Taken Support setup if slots allow it

from this point on you should be set gem wise and just need to keep your levels up around the zone level.

If you upgrade your weapons you will have decent clear at this point on a 4 link and work on upgrading your weapons to have the most dps while securing proper helmet, gloves and boots links




Tnx for your work. :)

Ill just correct you to skip Arctic Armour because it will reserve 25% mana while your mana sustain is kinda bad, no need for it that early. You just need to focus on damage.
Heralds, just get Agony. It will decently help with the clear early.
In Lioneye's Watch sell blue junk from Twilight Strand and buy 2x Iron Ring + Rustic Sash.


I test ran this build three times on SSF up to act3. Trying to use the suggested skilltree I found that G-R-R: Viper Strike - Melee Splash - Ancestral Call was the best start for me.

I run the lab only once, but I would guess that you can drop melee splash after getting the prolif. ascendancy.
Then my guess is Deadly Ailments and Added Chaos would be the 3rd and 4th link.

Pestilence Strike probably needs a more specific setup to start to shine.
Cobra Lash with the recommended tree was underwhelming on my test.

so TL;DR I will go VS as a starter.

PS: Nice guide btw :)
Last edited by JaegerMeister_CL on Mar 8, 2020, 12:51:48 PM
If people are having problems killing bosses with Pestilent Strike, I recommend switching to Viper Strike, and swapping out Ancestral Call with Multistrike or Melee Physical Damage. I recommend levelling those gems as you go along, because you will always need them for bosses.

Woohoo, got my first elder guardian kill! In fact, killed all elder guardians and shaper guardians. On such a tight budget and with lvl 19 gems, lvl 88 character! Meanwhile my soulrend trickster with more expensive gear couldn't do do an Elder guardian even with preparation, swapping out pantheons, flasks, and reading a guide.

After I level my gems and my character I'll try Shaper, Elder and Sirus, all for the first time.
Last edited by Velizar_ on Mar 8, 2020, 3:22:43 PM
Any tips on blighted maps for Pestilent Strike? Any gem/gear swaps that are for the best? Any particular towers/annointments that help?

I was testing it on standard with some thrown together gear and it could get halfway through the time limit before it'd start to fall apart.
Personally I took somewhat alternative approach. Acts 1 to 3 I was using Frost Blades as my clearing skill linked with Onslaught and Ancestral Call. For ST I used Viper Strike, Lesser Poison, Added Cold into Deadly ailments (lvl 18).

I also spent my first points towards the proj dmg nodes (Ballistic Mastery) and then straight into the claws (Poisonous Fangs). Once I hit HoAG from act 2 killing stuff with frost blades is easy, it hits everything around you and stacks poisons fast. Venom Gyre almost does the same thing but does not have that clear speed.

Key take away from multiple Act1-3 runs was that if you postpone upgrading your weapons the damage quickly starts to be lackluster. I guess this is applicable for all melee builds.

I do not have much data post Normal Lab but I guess this would be the time when a ranged skill (Cobra Lash/VG) will become best due to the poison prolif.
Last edited by tolbert on Mar 9, 2020, 9:49:44 AM
On an alternative note. How concerned are you about the fact that Delirium monsters are not going to be proliferating ailments?

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