[3.12] SCOURGE ARROW POISON PAHTFINDER - A SHITTY SSF "GUIDE" FOR MIDGAME

Hello and welcome to my "guide". After playing SSF and Scourge Arrow for the first time and pathfinder for the second league in a row, i thought i wanna share my progress and knowledge so far. I personally think that there are too many endgame guides and a lack of midgame guides, that more causal players can actually reach. I wanna talk abit about the leveling setup and how i progressed into early red maps with bad gear. I will propably read comments for a bit and try to add improvments, but i dont think, that i will keep this guide updated. I use nothing special, so everything should work for the next few leagues.

EDIT:
20.10 fixed the Pastebin

At what level is this character and what can he do?
- We are at 12 Watchstones (so i am starting with red maps)
- We are lvl 90, which isnt too hard of a grind with higher yellow maps.
- We are kinda tanky and better players could propably play this in HC.
- DPS feels good with bad gear.
- everything is working without uber lab
- no fancy gear or gems (just reached lvl 20) used (SSF gear)
- 4link till mid yellow maps, cause RNG. Now on a 5link
- under 2 days playtime as a mediocre player

Pastebin
https://pastebin.com/552jWYtv

For endgame, these guides have alot of great tipps:
https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2551841
https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2851574

Things to know about SA
SA is a channeling skill. Each stage gives huge dmg multipliers. If you dont shoot it at max charges, its dps sucks. Thats why you need huge attack speed to actually use the skill (i am at 10 attacks/s, other guides recommend 11).
Because you stand still and charge the skill, you are not really ranged, while mapping. Monsters will walk up to you and try to hit you, you need to be tanky.
SA needs +1 additional arrows to deal its full dmg against single targets, so i am am missing around 30% of my dps against single targets.
Wither improves your DPS by alot, you need to apply it somehow.

So how did i adjust to these problems?
I took a ton of AS nodes and tried to get a fast hitting bow. I use Blood Rage for Frenzy charges and even more AS and DMG. Stone Golem and Vitality deal with the degen.
I dropped Malevolence to grab Flesh+Stone (blind) and Dread Banner (lower Accuracy for mobs)
I use Rain of Arrows with Mirage Archer and Withering Touch + Blind Support to get the wither stacks up and blind those ranged monsters (looking at you Vaal Pyramide) (other guide used Blast Rain instead of RoA, no clue whats better)

How to Level?
SA without high attackspeed and a bad bow is bad. Dont use it for leveling or even early maps. Just use Caustic Arrow and Toxic Rain. Toxic Rain does work fine with poison and has great base dmg. You only need a fast attacking bow and you are set till early maps. CA needs nothing and does great dmg, just shoot it on the rare mob and then spam Toxic Rain. Once found an okish bow in early maps (Thicket Bow is the best base to unID i guess) you can swap to SA. Propably level the gem in your off hand already.

Current Skillsetup
Scourge Arrow - Deadly Ailments - Void Manipulation - Vile Toxins - Unbound Ailments
Rain of Arrows - Mirage Archer - Withering Touch - Blind (For wither + more defense)
Blood Rage (Frenzy + extra attack speed. Important for better mapping)
Herald of Agony (nice DPS)
Flesh and Stone (Sand Stance) + Dread Banner (to surrive close packs)
Dash + Second Wind (to get out of those packs)
Cast When DMG taken + Steelskin + Golem (cause i would forget them otherwise. Other Guardskills could be better)
Despair (+20% dmg against bosses)
Vitality + Stone Golem (for more regen, less deaths to dots)

Gear
High AS + DPS bow (I found a Lioneye's Glare, which is nice)
High Life + Resist Body Armor + Belt + Boots
High Life + Resists + Strength/Intelligence Amulet + Rings. Craf flat chaos dmg if possible
High Life + Resist Globes, try to craft more Attack Speed on them.

Flasks
Hybrid Flask with "Enduring" prefix, so it doesnt stop if full life or mana.
Silver Flask for Onslaught, to get the AS up.
Quicksilver, Jade, Life, Bismuth, Stirbnite, Amethyst, Quartz, Basalt Flasks in whatever combination you prefer/your character needs the most. Craft the usual Anit Curse, Freez, Bleed, extra evasion/AS/movmentspeed on it.

Generell tips
I did some chaos recipe so i could upgrade some gear faster. Spam some chaos on the first decend Two-Toned Boots you find, they are relativly easy to craft.
Do some Delve and just randomly spam your fossiles on any item that could work, keep your Jagged Fossiles for the Bow.
Incursions and Zana missions are great to get some extra maps. Do current league mechanic for some extra chaos, alcs and scourings.
Add quivers to your loot filter, try to currupt high life/resist quivers for the +1 Arrow implicit. I guess thats the best chance of getting that for your char.
Just have fun. In SSF there is no right and wrong. All currency and C/h are worthless pixels, so just use them and hope for better items :D
Can anybody tell me, if its worth it to add imperial bows to chance a Lioneyes Glare?



Thx for "reading" my short status update on my character. I hope i am able to share a normal progress of a not perfect character after not too much playtime. I am open for stuff i could do better and will try to add it.
Have fun exiles!

reserved, in case i wanne post a T16 update, if i even push that far.

your pastebin is down dude

"

wowa1990 wrote:

your pastebin is down dude

fixed the pastebin. Should work now without problems.

Thx im going to do this for my next character

Farm The Lion Card Act 6 if you really cant get a decent Bow it will get you a lioneyes glare and possible The fall Jewel which is good for other things