[3.11] THE PURIFYING FLAME MINER | LEAGUE STARTER | AWAKENER DOWN!

Well, a few things have happened.

NERF: Critical Strike Multiplier was reduced on nodes in Shadow area, causing us to lose 42% crit multi. This translates to around 30k damage loss.

NERF: We lost around 40% inc mine damage from two nodes on the tree: Destructive Apparatus (Anoint) and Volatile Mines.
Around 30k damage loss.

NERF: Circle of Anguish ring now has reduced buff effect. (40-60, from 70-100). Only affects Anguish variant of build.

BUFF: Purifying Flame now has 180% added damage effectiveness from 140%. Doesn't really benefit us in that we don't scale added damage from other sources, but this might change depending on what we can craft on Bows for Harvest.

Herald of Purity was also changed to grant 12% more Physical Damage at level 20 instead of granting flat phys for both attacks and spells. This can result in around 50k damage increase.

Overall, this build is still fine but definitely weaker.
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HARVEST DAY 3 PROGRESS: T11 MAPS
Total investment: 15c




Whew. This league was fun to start. Turns out High-Impact is pretty good for leveling and on a budget.

This build is completely fine melting bosses before T11. Afterwards its gonna be a lot harder. Need more investment for that like 6l, better bow, etc.

Since its still too early on in league, level 21 Purifying Flame costs.. a lot. (40c - 1ex). I'm leveling it in offhand weapons right now.

So far, so good. Can't wait to kill Sirus.
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DAY 5 PROGRESS: FIRST A5 SIRUS KILL
Total investment: 70c+




Oh man, that was thrilling.

I upgraded a few things like my body armor, which I turned into a 6l. Costed around 35c and slapped on a Shrieking Greed essence.
I also bought a few more things such as chaos res rings, a hunter helmet with added fire and physical damage to spells, new gloves, etc.

Sirus dropped some pretty cool things too, like an Awakened CWC and a Hands which I had the most fun time turning it into a 5-implicit. In only 6 vaals too!

I also made most of my money by doing low tier blighted maps and slapping 3x teal oil on them. Teal oils are cheap and make 2 blighted chests "Lucky" per oil. If you run a lot at a time (10 - 15 in an hour) you'll start seeing the money come flowing in.

Bought an intuitive leap too.
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DAY 8 PROGRESS: Final build
Total investment: 4-ish ex





Only after 4 exalts, this build has reached its peak!

You can still do a few more things to make this build even better.

A helmet with a Purifying Flame enchant, either the 40% increased damage one or "Consecrated ground from PF makes enemies take 9% increased damage". As of now there is none on market that's a hunter base, so you might have to craft your own.

Alternatively, you can use Crown of the Inward Eye. Putting it in POB yields more life at the cost of 2k dps (which is not a lot, mind you). As of writing this post there are 2 Crowns with Purifying Flame enchants, both costing 2ex+.

Next is the bow. You can use better essences like Deafening Woe to maximize that spell damage, and then add crafted mods such as multimod and "+2 to level of Support Gems", and add a level 4 Empower.

The quiver can have a bit more res/life on it, but overall should be cheap and easy to make.

The rings could be better, or even a Vermillion Ring base to take our life higher. Aim for high chaos res so we don't die easily to chaos damage.

Our boots can easily be replaced with Atziri's Step for the 16% spell dodge, or be replaced by an Elusive on crit boots when you can spend a bit more money. (10 or even 20+ ex, idk)
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Conclusion

This build performs very well on tight budgets. Even a regular 6l is enough to take on all content, which should just cost around 20 - 30c as of writing.

The clear is fantastic, and deals around 10 - 20mil dps with 46 mines thanks to Blastchain stacking!

Overall, a very well-rounded build and off meta, so as the days pass during league the prices should drop even further making this build cheaper!

I burnt out of this game mid 3.9. I promised to update this guide for 3.10, but I needed to learn all the new mechanics such as clusters, new items, etc. Eventually I never got to update this build.

Since there's no more time left for Delirium, I shall update this guide as soon as possible when 3.11 patch notes are released.

Two new variants were added. A LL variant, and a Life + Dodge variant.

Seeing that the game got harder thanks to Delirium, we didn't reach life numbers that we reached before. (9K MOM EHP). Due to this, I had to spec into options such as Dodge + Evasion(Life Variant), and Block (LL Variant).
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I also made use of 2x Circle of Anguish with buff effect and damage. These rings costed around 3 to 6 ex at time of purchase (2 months into league).

Obviously these rings will be expensive at league start, so using 2x Vermillion Rings with generic life and resists is enough.

We also now stack throwing speed to remain at comfortable mine throwing speeds. (.30). Rest is on damage. This is further explained in the POB's "NOTES" section.

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I started to use flasks such as Cinderswallow with a crit veiled mod, but this can easily be swapped for a max rolled Wise Oak.
If you have more money, you can also get yourself a Bottled Faith and use it with the LL setup.

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I made use of the new 3.10 Clusters. Clusters are too good, so many good mods like throwing Speed, fire exposure, arcane surge, etc.
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And of course, a new guide must come with a new MS paint.

The way Blastchain Mine works is that for each prior mine in the Detonation Sequence, that mine deals 5% more damage and stacks per prior mine in the sequence.

Whenever you Detonate your mines, you start a Detonation Sequence. This sequence allows your mines to begin stacking 5% more damage per prior mine with Blastchain. Detonating your mines again starts a new sequence, and thus ends the previous.

The proper way to play this is to throw all your mines during the sequence, and to not detonate since that starts another new sequence effectively ending the more multiplier you stacked with previous mines.

Say you have 10 mines, pressing Detonate and letting 5 mines detonate yield a 20% more damage multiplier.
When you press detonate again and let your other 5 mines detonate in a separate sequence, it will only stack up to 20% more multiplier instead of stacking to 45%.

The detonation sequence also continues detonating mines after the 23rd mine. Usually you can throw up to 20 thanks to our high mine throwing speed. The % more damage multiplier also stacks. Keep in mind this is all done before detonation sequence ends.

On your 1st mine, you have 0% more damage multiplier. On your 23rd mine(last mine), you have 110% more damage multiplier.

On the 43rd mine, you'd have a 210% more damage multiplier.
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Thanks to Blastchain, we can throw however many mines we want to before detonating, and all we have to do is throw more during the sequence to atleast hit our goal of 23 mines, or even better, 46+ mines.

Its also important to note how DETONATE SHOULDN'T BE SPAMMED, and only pressed once for the sequence to properly work and scale its % more multipliers properly.

In bosses, you can throw up to 23 mines say during their invulnerable phases (e.g shaper at the start of each phase), and then throw at least 20 more for juicy damage.

If you're fighting actively against a moving target, throwing up to 10 is perfectly acceptable, just make sure to throw at least 10 - 20 more so you can still benefit from Blastchain.

For mapping, just lay down 5 mines and detonate in a pack and move forward. Doing it this way you can zoom zoom through maps and clear t16s in 1 - 2 minutes!

Notice how the additional mines past 23 during detonation sequence detonate based on your cursor.

I have a rough spreadsheet which calculates the damage your mines (+ Blastchain) will do. Simply make a copy of the sheet, and paste your POB AVG HIT below the cell named "1st".

NOTE: This doesn't take into account of mine throwing speed and other similar factors, just your damage * the more multiplier of any mine in a Blastchain sequence.

https://bit.ly/2XDj5gB

Definitely not as tanky as other builds, like a herald stacker or a 15k ehp Necromancer.

While life is high (5,7k+), you still rely on dodge + evade to not die.

While Purifying Flame is powerful, it won't stand to the likes of Ball Lightning in terms of boss dps. Both very different skills with different mechanics.

You can't see the ground since PF just covers it with Consecrated Ground + its initial hit. This can matter in fights like Sirus or Shaper.

Mines aren't for everyone. It can still feel clunky to some despite high throwing speed.

Since Delirium is leaving, Cluster jewels might not be as easy to get next league.

Because of that, the POB contains a life tree with and without medium clusters.
Please read what I've written in the "Notes" section of POB as well.

https://pastebin.com/2PQLXh4Q

KILL. THEM. ALL.

2 extra points gives more benefit compared to Alira.

You can still get Alira early on though for res and mana regen, and just spec to 2 bandits in the late game.

Weapon

Quiver

Body Armour

Helmet

Gloves

Boots

Amulet

Rings

Belt

Jewels

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LL VARIANT GEAR

Ever since 3.10 came out, Cluster Jewels were added. Cluster Jewels added some interesting nodes such as applying Fire Exposure on hit, inc mine throwing speed, and etc.

Cluster Jewels might not be as easy to get in 3.11, so all these jewels are optional.

For the Large Cluster, we're interested in 5 nodes. (You can only get up to 3 on one.)
Get 8 passives only on Large Clusters. Any more then we're spending unnecessary points.

Corrosive Elements (required)
Cremator or Prismatic Heart (can only have one of em)
Disorienting Display
Doryani's Lesson
Widespread Destruction

2 LARGE JEWEL SOCKETS ARE REQUIRED.

Corrosive elements gives us 25% chance to apply Fire exposure on hit. While Fire exposure is just -10% fire resist compared to WOC's -25, its a QOL option since we wouldn't have to cast WOC every 4 seconds to reach our max dps.

While it will be less dps in the long run, we are now able to keep it up consistently, and spend that time throwing more mines.

When you have Corrosive Elements, you can throw away WOC and self-cast Flammability to save 3 extra links. You can then put Vaal RF, portal + faster casting, or even inc duration to support Flammability's curse duration.

Cremator gives us 30% increased Fire damage and corpse destruction. Corpse destruction can get rid of corpse related effects such as Porcupines. Allowing you to zoom through maps without worrying about their spines.
Prismatic Heart gives 30% increased Elemental damage and resists. You can use this over Cremator if you have trouble maxing your resists.

Disorienting Display and Doryani's Lesson are similar in that their secondary effects don't benefit us. The only use for these nodes are for the 25% increased Elemental damage.
Disorienting Display gives us 10% chance to blind NEARBY enemies. Useless since we have Born in the Shadows to blind.
Doryani's Lesson gives us life leech. Useless cause we can't leech life from mines.

Widespread Destruction gives 20% increased Elemental Damage, but gives 10% increased AOE. Overall good node if you want more AOE.

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ALTERNATIVELY...
You can still self-cast WOC + COH Flammability before you begin your mine bursts, and use nodes such as:

Smoking Remains
Cremator
Doryani's Lesson
Disorienting Display
Widespread Destruction

I already explained 4 of these above.

Smoking Remains is 30% increased Fire damage, and 10% chance to leave Smoke Cloud on kill. While Smoke Cloud doesn't really help us (inflicts blind, even though we already blind), its still 30% increased fire.
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And for Medium Clusters. You can only get 2 in one jewel.
Make sure to get either 4 or 5 passive Medium Clusters. 4 or 5 passive still has the same amount invested to get all notables + jewel socket (4)

Guerilla Tactics (required)
Arcane Pyrotechnics (required)
Surprise Sabotage

1 JEWEL SOCKET ON EACH MED CLUSTER REQUIRED.

Guerilla Tactics is really good cause it gives us 10% inc mine throwing speed on top of 20% increased mine damage.

Arcane Pyrotechnics gives us 20% increased mine damage, and allows us to have permanent level 1 Arcane Surge as long as we keep detonating mines against enemies. You only need 1 of this node.

Surprise Sabotage gives us 15% crit multiplier and 5% elemental penetration with mines. Good node overall.

If you can only use 1 medium cluster, get Guerilla Tactics and Arcane Pyrotechnics.

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And for the Small Clusters, we're interested in 2 nodes but we only use one of them.

Get Small Clusters with only 2 passives. 3 is one extra point to invest, so no go.

Enduring Composure
No Witnesses

(you cant roll jewel sockets on small clusters.)

Enduring Composure gives us Endurance Charge production on hit. This enables us to use a level 2 Immortal Call, coupled with a level 4 CWDT.
Level 2 Immortal Call + the 3 endurance charges gets us a 2 second long buff, which is enough to withstand most bursts.

No Witnesses gives us 10% chance to gain Elusive on kill, with 25% increased Elusive effect. This node can substitute Enduring Composure if you want Elusive for its juicy buffs.
You'd have to replace lvl 2 Immortal Call and lvl 4 CWDT for lvl 20 Steelskin and lvl 20 CWDT though. Immortal Call is just bad without Endurance Charges.

6L PURIFYING FLAME, in order from most to least important.
During league start, we most likely only have a 4l by the time we reach white maps. Go for this setup:

Take the two frenzy charges in tree as well.
NOTE: If your damage is too low per mine, just swap out Charged Mines for Trap and Mine Damage, then take Charged Mines later on in a 5l once you get your Frenzy Charges.

When you get a 5l and have 50% phys - fire conversion, either from Blackgleam/Signal Fire or pathing to AOF, add Combustion to your setup.
Without another source of phys to fire, just get Trap and Mine Damage.

When you finally get a 6l, either by farming Porcupine or Humility(vanity works as well) cards, add Trap and Mine Damage.

When you get a bow with +2 to Support gems craft, add a lvl 3 Empower. Lvl 4 is a huge damage boost so try and get it if you have the money.
(Quality doesn't matter on Empower if you aren't leveling it yourself)

Purifying Flames gains the most damage through levels, so try and get a level 21 gem early on in league.

Every other gem should be level 20. 20 quality is nice too if you can add/afford it.

Since PF is an off-meta skill, it should be cheap to find a lvl 21 gem.
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4L AURA SETUP

You don't need Level 3/4 Enlighten. Enlighten just gets us higher levels of Precision, so more damage.
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3L CWDT SETUP[
Its important to note that Immortal Call must be kept at the same level that CWDT can cast skills.

For example, lvl 2 Immortal call requires LEVEL 40.
To cast this, you'd need to have CWDT at lvl 2, since it can cast skills that are LEVEL 40 OR BELOW.

The extra link can be for Vaal RF or Flame Dash.

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4L CURSE SETUP / WOC SETUP + CURSE ON HIT

Wave of Conviction gives enemies -25% Fire resist to enemies. This debuff lasts 4 seconds, so you'd need to recast this every 4 seconds to get max dps.

This, coupled with Curse on Hit allows us to both give the enemy -25% fire resist, and Flammability.

The last slot can be Portal, Vaal RF, or Flame Dash. Increased Duration is fine as well for longer WOC debuff and longer Flammability curse.

When you have Corrosive Elements (Read Cluster Jewels section), you can remove WOC and self-cast Flammability.
From there you can add Increased Duration, and have 2 extra slots for Portal + Faster casting, or Portal and Vaal RF.

You should always have the following:
A Seething Divine Life Flask. Suffix mod can be Warding, Heat, or Staunching.

An Enduring Eternal Mana Flask. Suffix mod can be Warding, Heat, or Staunching.

An Experimenter's Quicksilver Flask of Adrenaline.

An Experimenter's Diamond Flask. Suffix mod can be Warding, Heat, or Staunching.

The last slot is up to you. Usually I have a Cinderswallow with crit veiled mod here, but a Quartz Flask, Wise Oak, Bottled Faith, are all good options here.

3.11

Deathless Awakener 5 Sirus. (Life Variant)
https://youtu.be/0vp5q6DKOW8
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3.10
Deathless Awakener 8 Shaper. (Life variant)
https://youtu.be/EKnd3aBOwiM

Typical T16 Mapping. (Life variant, 40% monster life map)
https://youtu.be/3Z0WnD-8XJI

All A8 Conquerors in 6 minutes. (LL variant)
https://youtu.be/1Bn1W59Wsqo

Awakener 8 Sirus kill. (2 deaths, LL variant)
https://youtu.be/5g02Ff2oTTA
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3.9

Typical T16 Map Clear
https://youtu.be/lvTgVw9UdL0

T14 Baran Kill
https://youtu.be/Vds6_5-CzjE

T14 Drox Kill
https://youtu.be/BDFMIg0R21w

T14 Al-Hezmin Kill
https://youtu.be/NYF6ocx_LrI

T14 Veritania Kill
https://youtu.be/sn0EQz8gJYQ

Awakener Kill, Awakening Level 1
https://youtu.be/sIToDoa1zHU

PRE TIDAL ISLAND
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Kill Hillock.

Go to vendors and check for the following items. (Do this every time you enter town.)
3 Linked item with 3 blue sockets. (Preferably a wand.)
3 Linked item with 2 green sockets and 1 blue sockets. (Preferably a wand.)
3 Linked item with 1 green socket and 2 blue sockets.
"Runners" boots. (Found from Tarkleigh. Go to him and look at his wares and do CTRL + F and type in Runners. 10% MS is huge in early acts.)
Then look for any other item with blue sockets and green sockets.

Take Stormblast Mine. Equip your two wands and link Stormblast Mine + Lesser Poison.
Go through the Coast and take the waypoint.
Go to Mud-Flats and do the objective.
Go to Submerged Passage and warp back to the Coast waypoint and go to Tidal Island.
Do the objective and go back to town and claim your Quicksilver Flask.
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PRE-BRUTUS
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Take Orb of Storms and Frostblink from Tarkleigh.
Go to Nessa and buy (from most needed to least) Frost Bomb, Onslaught, Arcane Surge, Swift Assembly. (Better if you can get them all.)

Once you reach level 4, do the following:
Link Frost Bomb and Onslaught together. (Important. This is your clear skill when moving past mobs. Onslaught provides you an MS buff as well.)
Link Arcane Surge and Frostblink together. (If you have it)
Link Swift Assembly to Stormblast Mine + Lesser Poison. (If you have an item with 2 green and 1 blue sockets.)

(During this time, you're looking for items that can sell for wisdoms and items that sell for alt shards and trans shards.

Blacksmith Whetstone and Armor Scraps all sell for Wisdoms. Sell items that are unid for Transmutes, and identified for alts (based on what you need.)

Any Transmutes you found should be used immediately on your wands of choice. Save at least up to 1 alteration orb for a craft we'll do later.

Move through Submerged Passage and onto The Ledge.
(When you find a bridge on the path to the Ledge, use your portal scroll and leave your portal there. We'll use this later.)
Move through The Ledge to the Climb. Kill the big goat boss at the end and set Navali free. (Just do this once per league.)
Move to the Prison. Take the waypoint and go back to town, and go to the portal we left behind back in Submerged Passage.
Find the Flooded Depths within the Submerged Passage. Kill the boss at the end of it.
Warp back to town. If you have no portals scrolls just log out and log back in. Take the skill point from Tarkleigh.

If you have:
A magic wand
An Iron ring + any green gem (4 wis scrolls, or Nessa might have Topaz ring by default for sale)
an Alteration Orb
You can do the added lightning damage vendor recipe to boost your Stormblast Mine's damage.

Simply sell a Magic wand, along side a Topaz Ring. (You can create one by selling an Iron Ring + a green gem of any kind)

Warp to the Prison. Do your trial in the first level and move to the second level.
Move to Brutus. Kill him.
(The way you fight him is you set your Stormblast Mines to "Always attack without moving". The way you can do this is to click the skill and enable the option.

Then lay 10+ mines on his feet. Move and lay a Frost Bomb and OOS and when he's on your mines, Detonate. You should kill him very quickly if you start the fight out like this.)
Warp out. Can always logout if you got no portals.
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PRE-MERVEIL
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When you're home after killing Brutus, take Flame Dash from Tarkleigh, and replace your Frostblink with it when you can use it.
Go to Nessa and buy Smoke Mine. (This costs a Trans orb so you don't need it if you can't afford it. Don't need to link this to anything too.)

Focus on buying 2x Iron rings(with 2 blue gems) or 2x Sapphire Rings.
Sapphire Rings give you good cold resist that you'll need if you aren't really good at dodging during the Merveil fight.
You can sell an Iron Ring + a blue gem to get a Sapphire Ring.

Warp to Prisoner's Gate and follow the path.
Get angry cause Piety blocked you to ez act 2.
Move to The Ship Graveyard. This is found at a hidden path on the sides of the main one.
Find the waypoint there and take it. Move until you see an entrance to the Ship Graveyard Cave.
Rush through the area and rob some corpse and take the Allflame. There will be a boss that most likely is going to cast Frost Wall on you, so just dash out.

Trek forward till you find the entrance to Merveil's Caverns. From here, take the waypoint and warp back to the Ship Graveyard.

Find some weird looking ghost pirate(Fairgraves) nearby the waypoint and give him the Allflame. Then kill him and warp back to town to claim your skill point from Bestel.

Warp back to Merveil's Caverns. Proceed till you find another entrance, and proceed to the next entrance after that.
Kill Merveil.

PROCEED TO ACT 2.

PRE-KRAITYN
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Move through the forest killing small monkeys on the way. (Nothing personal btw)
Once you go inside the hub of Act 2, you don't need to talk to anyone and can get started at the Old Fields. If you have items just talk to Gruest and sell it to him.

Whenever you warp back to town, look for the following:
2x Topaz Rings. You can craft these yourself with 1 Iron Ring and any green gem.
You don't really need these but Fidelitas can one shot you sometimes and Vaal Oversoul has lightning attacks.

In the Old Fields, follow the main path going to the Crossroads. While you are doing so, you're also trying to find an entrance to the Den (Assuming you don't have a second Quicksilver Flask).
If you found the Den, leave a portal near the entrance.
If you can't find it just proceed to the Crossroads.

Move through the Crossroads and wonder why the hell its already night when you could've sworn the sun was out a minute ago. (pls fix ggg)
Find the waypoint and warp back to town.
If you found the Den and left a portal, proceed to your portal.
If you didn't find it, go back to the Old Fields and find it.
Enter the Den and kill the Great White Beast.
Go back to town and talk to Yeena and take your second Quicksilver Flask.

Warp back to the Crossroads and move North West from waypoint to find the entrance to the Chamber of Sins. Enter.
You're at the first level.
Move and find the waypoint which is at the center of the map.
When you do find the waypoint, follow the path across it to find the entrance to the second level.
Once you're at the second level, find your trial and proceed until you find Fidelitas.
Kill him and take the Baleful Gem.
Warp back to town. No need to talk to Helena.

Once you're back at town, take the following:
Skitterbots (From Gruest as a quest reward for rescuing Helena.)
Herald of Thunder (buy from Yeena for an alt. If you don't have one, try and get one before Act 3.)

Warp back to the Crossroads, and move Southeast from waypoint going to the Fellshrine Ruins.
Once you're at Fellshrine Ruins, go to the end and look for the entrance to the Crypt.
At the crypt, move until you find your trial and complete it.
Warp back to town.

Warp back to the Crossroads and proceed to the path to the Broken Bridge.
Once you're there, follow the path till you find Kraityn.
Kill him and take his weird 1/3 of a triangle.W
Warp back to town.
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PRE-OAK
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To be honest, you don't really need to do anything special here.

Go to the Riverways from your hub.
Meet Einhar. Be weirded out at first and then talk to him to find out he's a pretty chill dude and how he's willing to help you to find magical beasts.
(The beasts can drop some pretty good stuff to sell to vendors if you ever need alts/trans shards, or even for your own use.)
Follow the path until you find a waypoint, then go North/Northwest from waypoint to find the entrance to the the Wetlands.

At the Wetlands, find and kill Oak. Take his 1/3 of a triangle and enjoy Shadow's cheeky one-liner.
After killing Oak continue looking around until you find a waypoint. Take it and warp back to the Riverways.
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PRE-ALIRA

At the Riverways, follow the path till you find an entrance to the Western Forest.
Once you're inside follow the path as you're thinking how the hell did it turn to night so quickly again. Take the waypoint and find Alira.

You can find Alira based on the what side of the road is the waypoint on. Wherever the waypoint is, its pointing towards the rough location of Alira.

Kill Alira and take her part of a triangle.

After killing Alira, go back to the main path and follow it.
You'll find the blackguards at the end of the path. Kill them and take the quest item.
Open the blocked pass. You'll find that you can now go back to Act 1 and Bestel will be waiting with a skill point. Don't go back yet, though.

Go back to the waypoint and find the entrance to the Weaver's Chambers.
Once inside, look around until you find the boss. Kill it and take the spike (Quest item).

Warp back to town, talk to Eramir and ask him to solve your 3 piece jig-saw puzzle and take your 2 skill points.
Talk to Silk and claim your Trap and Mine Damage Support. Replace your Lesser Poison for this.
Warp to Act 1 and talk to Bestel to claim your skill point.
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PRE-VAAL OVERSOUL
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You should have 2 alts, another magic wand (using transmute orb), and 2 Topaz Rings.

Enchant the Topaz Rings with a transmute, or if you can with an Essence/Alch. Do the recipe for both of your wands. (Sell the magic wand + topaz ring + alt).

The rarities of the Topaz Ring will give you a different tier of added lightning damage based on its rarity.

Normal will give you the t8 mod
Magic will give you the t7 mod
And rare will give you the t6 mod.

Of course if you don't have all this you can just do it to one wand. This is just the BIS before killing Vaal Oversoul.

Warp to the Wetlands. Enter the Vaal Ruins by plunging the spike you got from Weaver and the Baleful Gem from Fidelitas onto the roots blocking the entrance.

In the Vaal Ruins, look for a long bridge with a quest marker. This can appear southeast, southwest, northwest from door. Don't be afraid to take too long in here.

When you do find it, push away the huge sphere and suddenly turn Wraeclast into a dark mess. (But hey, at least you won't see the day and night anomalies now.)

Exit to the Northern Forest. You don't need to take the waypoint nor warp back as long as you've done everything in this list in order.

(If you have any unfinished business though, warp back to town and sell your gear, talk to everyone in town and get berated for why everything suddenly went dark.)

Move through the Northern Forest. You'll find the entrance to the Dread Thicket, but you don't need to enter it.
Keep moving till you find the entrance to the Caverns.

Once you're there, navigate your way through the cave and find a waypoint at the end. There's a crafting recipe near the waypoint.
Continue walking through till you find stairs that lead to the Apex of the Pyramid.

Keep walking up the stairs and subsequent floors till you arrive at the final floor, with an altar in the middle of it. Place your jig-saw puzzle inside to spawn the Vaal Oversoul.
Kill the Vaal Oversoul. Warp back to town after its done. (You don't need to, but the door leading to Act 3 takes too long to open. You can simply warp to Act 3 after killing Oversoul.