[3.25] 41+ million DPS perma-flask Poisonous Concoction | Pathfinder

I managed to clear acts OK kinda following the build, or the passive tree mostly and trying to fit in skill gems where I could...

https://pobb.in/rmoDXx9Jbqnr

Though, is the passive tree truly updated for the latest update? I didn't understand fully some of the choices made, like skipping so many masteries, like life mastery or poison mastery... but taking the accuracy mastery for +1 accuracy rating per dexterity. Not sure what's up with that...!

Anyway, it worked this far at least even with only 4L and probably suboptimal choice of skills (PC + GMP + Vicious Projectiles + Unbound Ailments - I feel I probably shoulda used Greater Volley instead of VP.)

Affliction feels a lot better than last league. The narrow and in-map nature of the league mechanic suits PConc well, and everything just feels less of a battle. The league itemization (tinctures and charms) will also give the build a boost - how much is yet to be seen, but it looks nice.

I'll be taking the pre-Frenzy version as far as I can, and although there were a few deaths during the campaign, it was nowhere near as bad as last league. It's currently scaling nicely through maps, and generally a lot of fun to play.

Endgame bossing isn't rewarding enough to justify the effort required to get the build to it's final Frenzy-empowered form for me, but that may change if the availability and pricing of necessary items aren't both prohibitive.

So good news so far. I can recommend the leveling experience of the build this league.

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Though, is the passive tree truly updated for the latest update? I didn't understand fully some of the choices made, like skipping so many masteries, like life mastery or poison mastery... but taking the accuracy mastery for +1 accuracy rating per dexterity. Not sure what's up with that...!

It's bit early to comment on your build. I will say that you need to get a shield with block and spell suppression on it to take advantage of the shield nodes - I recommend the unique Oppressor as a cheap leveling option.

Re. the passive tree choices, bear in mind you are not tied to what to take while leveling (as I said in the notes), and should take what you prefer, and matches your itemization etc. The guide is just a fast, clean path to the end version without any respeccing of nodes.

I encourage you to PoB as you go, to check your choices.

Re. Poison Mastery, there's nothing there that helps us much. Other nodes give us more value. Life Mastery +50 Hp is always worth taking, if the chest you have doesn't have any life you can pick up the +15%. When or if you take anything there is totally up to you.

The Accuracy Mastery node is the only way we get anywhere near 100% hit chance - and that directly impacts our DPS (you'll need to run a Precision gem as well unless you can get enough +accuracy on gear).

3.23 Red Maps+

The pre-Frenzy version worked well up to moderately juiced T16's. It is a bit slower, less tanky, and significantly less powerful than the Frenzy version, but it was a smooth league starter, and enough to farm through further to endgame if that's how you want to go.

This league *most* of the necessary items for the full build are amazingly cheap. There are a few that are also ludicrously expensive. But overall, getting the full build up and running is easier than in past leagues.

Also, there are a few charm mods that really help us. For example, I am now running the following 3 charms:



These represent a boost to our damage, and solve a few pain points in the build - Frenzy Charge Duration, Chance to Block Attack Damage, and resists. We also get easy access to some needed mana reservation efficiency (or increased AoE). Solving those with charms makes gearing a bit simpler, and saves a few passive skill points which can be used for more damage or health at max level.

Combined with the generally narrow nature of the league mechanic and the easy juicing of maps, Affliction is overall a really good league for the build.

Can recommend.

3.23 Endgame

It's possible to hit poison damage cap (41.5 million DPS and change) with a slightly different version of the build this league. Due to the focus on damage rather than survivability with the league mechanic - as wisp empowered mobs that will one shot will do it whatever your defense, and health empowered mobs are absurdly tanky - it's better to load up on damage and kill them faster.

GGG have also stealth nerfed defense again this league, so it probably doesn't serve to invest too much in that direction beyond the bare necessities.

The result is I'm running Malevolence instead of Determination for the first time since 2.18. The added benefit is getting access to bleed immunity through a Watcher's Eye mod. Most of the deaths this league have been from bleed, so I suspect some malevolent tweaking has been done in that area (see what I did there). Having bleed immunity is thus a big deal.

Our rings are stupidly rare and expensive, and the gloves remain a completely obnoxious price gouge (a pox on all Flicker Strike builds that push prices into the stratosphere). The good news is that we no longer require an always expensive Awakened GMP to hit damage cap, which saves another projectile slurping at our life flask.

So all in all, the endgame build at 97 is looking pretty good, and is nicely suited to the rigors of the league mechanic.

Hi, I've been following the guide from league start and it is a pretty fun build, but I have just switched over to frenzy version and I am a bit confused as to which buffs I should have on.

Currently I have 3% mana reservation efficiency from a jewel and 6% mana reservation efficiency on 2 charms, totaling 15%.

With the diadem and enlighten level 3+1, I can have grace, haste (w/ frantic aspect from small cluster jewel), herald of agony, purity of element and vitality on, but not clarity or malevolence, and if I were to switch to forbidden flame/flesh I'd lose the frantic aspect.

If my guess is correct, are we suppose to only use vaal grace and vaal clarity, never actually using them for reservation? And if so, the buff setup would be haste, herald of agony, malevolence, purity of elements and vitality? I feel like I'd get hit a lot more without grace buff though.

Thanks for sharing the guide!

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jasondusk wrote:

If my guess is correct, are we suppose to only use vaal grace and vaal clarity, never actually using them for reservation? And if so, the buff setup would be haste, herald of agony, malevolence, purity of elements and vitality? I feel like I'd get hit a lot more without grace buff though.

Yes, you are correct. Grace, Clarity, and Haste all are run as Vaal versions. Only Haste is used as a normal aura as well.

So, I'm now running HoA, Haste, Malevolence, Aspect of the Cat (which is free because of Farrul's Fur), Vitality, and Purity of Elements. When I enter a crucible/arena of some kind, I hit my Vaal gems and suddenly become extra fast/tanky/powerful. I have 4 unreserved mana after all of that.

You can choose Determination or Malevolence. Usually I go with Determination, but this league I've chosen Malevolence because of the league mechanic. I've explained it a bit more in the latest updates on the main post, or you can look at the latest version of my build this league in PoB. Not that my version is necessarily the best, or the only way to go obviously. There are lots of ways you can go.

Note that Vitality is run as a level 1 gem (or 2), as is Clarity if you choose to run that. Those two auras are only used to activate their relevant Watcher's Eye mods. There's no point running them if you don't have a relevant Watcher's Eye.

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Thanks for sharing the guide!

YW! Feel free to drop any further questions here. If I don't answer them quickly, someone else will!

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You can choose Determination or Malevolence. Usually I go with Determination, but this league I've chosen Malevolence because of the league mechanic. I've explained it a bit more in the latest updates on the main post, or you can look at the latest version of my build this league in PoB. Not that my version is necessarily the best, or the only way to go obviously. There are lots of ways you can go.

Yeah I am already referring to the latest PoB. I haven't tested determination, though I might try it out. It's true that the empowered rares and uniques are very tanky, but dying left and right without even knowing why kinda sucks. It feels a lot better now with the frenzy version since farrul's have some armor, aspect of the cat and endurance charges. Prior to the switch to frenzy I was dying left and right on rare maps lol (partly due to user error, since I haven't touched PoE in a while).

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Note that Vitality is run as a level 1 gem (or 2), as is Clarity if you choose to run that. Those two auras are only used to activate their relevant Watcher's Eye mods. There's no point running them if you don't have a relevant Watcher's Eye.

I did managed to snag a cheap-ish watcher's with phasing during haste and life leech during vitality. For the bleeding and corrupted blood I'm using 'immunity during the effect' on my quicksilvers (shortens the flask duration, though I feel that the build is already pretty fast without quicksilvers).

On a side note, what mods would you say are priorities on the charms? The pricing for 11-12% mana reservation efficiency is very expensive now, hence why I split the reservation into 2 charms. There are some pretty good mods, like the one with % increased damage based on the amount of times we poisoned recently, the increment of the effect of withered as well as increment of the effect of onslaught which all seems to be pretty nice for pconc. Do you think the chance to block is better than these mods?

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jasondusk wrote:

On a side note, what mods would you say are priorities on the charms? The pricing for 11-12% mana reservation efficiency is very expensive now, hence why I split the reservation into 2 charms. There are some pretty good mods, like the one with % increased damage based on the amount of times we poisoned recently, the increment of the effect of withered as well as increment of the effect of onslaught which all seems to be pretty nice for pconc. Do you think the chance to block is better than these mods?

I've linked my 3 charms in the latest update, but I've gone the 3% increased poison duration (big damage boost) + elemental resists, 11% mana reservation + chaos resist per endurance charge, and increased charge duration + chance to block attack damage. I'd love to fit in AoE as well, but there's no room.

Chance to block is actually huge for us, as it rolls over into chance to block spell damage (which you want to push up to 50% if at all possible to get the most out of the Versatile Combatant node we take). I found the mods I've mentioned better than increased effect of withered/onslaught, as I'm already damage capped. It's not that those two mods aren't good, it's just the others are better IMO.

Re. dying before the Frenzy version, yeah for sure. The Frenzy charges give us a lot of defense as well as everything else, due to the itemization we use. It's really a different build, and necessary for serious endgame content.

The pre-Frenzy version is great for mid-range mapping though. I used it to farm the currency needed to transition.

P.S. your Spell Suppression is a bit low, because you need 18+ or so on your shield. It would be worth looking for a shield that has both spell suppression and block on it. You will get one shot a lot less. Don't underestimate maxing the basic defenses - spell suppression, block/spell block, chaos resistence etc.

Also, while the Forbidden Jewels are stupid expensive at this point in the league, they also make a big difference. The build feels "complete" once you equip them. Everything is faster, snappier, and more durable.

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P.S. your Spell Suppression is a bit low, because you need 20+ or so on your shield. It would be worth looking for a shield that has both spell suppression and block on it. You will get one shot a lot less. Don't underestimate maxing the basic defenses - spell suppression, block/spell block, chaos resistence etc.

Also, while the Forbidden Jewels are stupid expensive at this point in the league, they also make a big difference. The build feels "complete" once you equip them. Everything is faster, snappier, and more durable.

Ah yeah, the shield is what I've bought when I was in early to mid tier maps and I have been using it for quite a while. Definitely needed to upgrade the shield alongside a proper belt. Beyond that though, rings with +1 frenzy charge seems to be rare, and the set of forbidden jewels are like 150 div now, so that will likely take a while since I'm mainly focusing on challenges for now haha.

I'll try to look for block chance charms then. I still have an extra unutilized charm slot since I have strength and intelligence stats on them that I can ideally let go after getting a better belt / abyss jewel combo. Thanks for the tips!