[2.1] "Blocknel Shot" - Offense and Defense synergy

Offensively, it almost exclusively uses Shrapnel Shot (SS) for it's Primary AOE and Primary Single target attacks. It is heavily focused towards Critical Strike, not only for damage, but also core build synergies (more below). It utilises (the improved) Point Blank keystone for increased damage.

Defensively, it uses Iron Reflexes keystone to convert evasion into armour for very strong physical mitigation, since we'll be in amongst the action. On top of this, it focuses on Block (and some situational Dodge from Vaal Grace) to provide a multi-layered defence.

Block + Shrapnel Shot = Blocknel Shot :)

It is all about the Crit and Block

• Crits boost DPS with added Point Blank
• 10% chance for Endurance Charge when you Crit
• Endurance Charges provide further phys/ele defence
• Endurance Charges provide longer Immortal Call
• Cast When Damage Taken linked to Immortal Call and Molten Shell
• Molten Shell provides more base armour
• Molten Shell procs based on damage absorbed from Armour, Block and Immortal Call... OK this killed me in the end (see below)
• The Anvil provides life/mana and refelcts damage when blocking
• Poachers Mark provides Frenzy Charges for more DPS and speed
• Poachers Mark provides greater chance to hit and crit by lowering monster evasion
• Poachers Mark provides life/mana on hitting, sustains our mana
• Poachers Mark refills our flasks quickly, including Rumi's for more block, more often
• 10% chance for Power Charge when you Block
• Power charges increase your Crit Chance... which takes us back to the top of this list

Also

• Vaal Grace provides extra layer of Dodge defence when we need it
• Blink Arrow, Siege Ballista and FFlame Golem provide other distractions and DPS... help for reflect mods
• Elemental reflect... move to longer range (less DPS via Point Blank)... or switch out Physical to Lightning for Added Chaos Damage... or Weapon Elemental Damage for Life Gained on Hit if required
• 20% Herald of Thunder for more Shrapnel Shot DPS
• Herald of Ice for Freeze/Chill crowd control
• Hybrid flask for Curse Immune mobs... build relies on Poacher's Mark, so re-roll curse immune maps

Rearguard Quiver - best in slot defensive quiver. Provides the bulk of the block (attacks and spells) for the build... plus a stack of base Armour.

Rat's Nest - best in slot offensive item for attack based Critical Strike builds. Provides very high Crit Chance, very high Attack Speed and movement speed needed to compensate the next item.

The Anvil - downsides can turn people off, but it makes an amazing difference to this build. Extra block (global), increased max block chance, life/mana on block, reflect on block and more base armour. There are a number of Vaal Orb corrupted mods that can assist (Block %, Attack Speed, Movement Speed), because it is cheap you can burn through a few to get a mod that suits.

Lioneye's Fall - jewel that converts melee passive modifiers to bow modifiers. Place this in the socket above Resolute Technique. This enables offense and defense clusters: Disemboweling - crit cluster now applies to bows, Whirling Barrier - block cluster now provides 10% additional block and 10% chance for power charge on block, and Smashing Strikes - crit cluster now applies to bows and 10% chance for endurance charge on crit.

Rumi's Concoction - unique Granite Flask that boosts your Block (up to the capped 78% for attacks) and your armour.

Prioritise: Point Blank, Iron Reflexes, Life (derr), Crit Chance/Multi, Attack Speed, Armour and/or Evasion.

Also needed some INT (hard to come by) and resists until your gear supports it.

Level 86 - RIP
https://www.pathofexile.com/fullscreen-passive-skill-tree/AAAAAwQBAF4A7gSzBS0ILgqbDF8UdRUgGNsZjhm0GjgcpyFgI_Yk_ScvKaUqTSzpLYMwfDH6Mok1kjnUOtg8LT8nQKBBckd-Si5KyE2SUUdTpVb6V-JZ81uvXzllTWhYaPJuqm_ycql07XTxdvd313fleu99dX8rgpuDX4PMhrOJ2IrwjX2QCpBVkn2Yb5stoJ-iAKTCp6WsqrCrtfK3PryavTa-p8QVxILE9sauyWfTftWL15bYvdwj3Q3hc-XP5wrnVOlG7SDtRO2D73rwH_aj9zL-Cv6P_rr_3g==?accountName=Kaysee&characterName=Kaysee_Anguy


Level 95
https://www.pathofexile.com/fullscreen-passive-skill-tree/AAAAAwQBAF4A7gSzBS0ILgiJCpsMXxR1FSAY2xmOGbQaOBynIWAj9iT9Jy8ppSpNLOktgzB8MfoyiTWSOdQ62DrhPC0_J0CgQXJHfkouSshNkk3jUUdTpVb6V-JZ81uvXWhfOWVNaFho8m6qb_JyqXTtdPF293fXd-V67311fyuCm4Nfg8yGs4nYivCNfZAKkFWSfZUFmG-a8ZstoJ-iAKTCplenpayqsKu18rc-vJq9Nr6nxBXEgsT2xq7JZ8qp037Vi9eW2L3cI90N4XPlz-cK51TpRu0g7UTtg-968B_yRfaj9zL-Cv6P_rr_3g==?accountName=Kaysee&characterName=Kaysee_Anguy

BANDITS
OAK-KRAYTIN-KILL for the extra attack speed due to need to use slower CRIT bows... otherwise I would go OAK-KILL-KILL.

I was very fortunate to get this OP bow (from a friend) at later levels, but the build works well with a cheap 4 link. GOAL IS TO CRIT as this is integral to the build, so find a right balance between Base Crit % (~7% to 9%), Attack Speed (1.3 to 1.5) and Physical Damage (200+).

The 6 link isn't required, just a 4L with: SS + PPAD + WED + PtL... if your Crit % is low add Incresaed Critical Strikes as the 5th link, otherwise Faster Attacks.


Took me about 5 vaal orbs to corrupt this useful implicit. You can also corrupt increased movement speed and attack speed to offset the downsides.

I like to level with my main skill ASAP to get a feel for the build from go to whoa. Shrapnel Shot is available early and some early game unique bows make leveling a breeze: at level 18 use Roth's Reach and at level 28 switch to Doomfletch, which will last until the mid 50s. Then you can look at Thicket, Decimation or Steelwood bows.

Passive Tree wise - I started with a Duelist for more life options early and to grab Iron Reflexes quickly. After IR, I worked up towards the Scion life wheel, over to Devoiton and into the Templar life sections... essentially getting most of my life early. I then grabbed Lioneye's Fall and Whirling Barrier for defences (being HC based). Before starting build up my crit chance clusters: Disemboweling, Smashing Strikes, Lethality and Heartseeker. Finally, then moved into the Ranger tree for more life/evasion, attack and movement speed.

STRENGTHS:
- This is by far the tankiest bow character I have played, and one of the tankiest characters ever. At around 4.6k life I survived slams from Carange (Kole) in Colonnade Map, face tanked (~71 map) Na'em Beyond Boss and other hard hitting mobs.

- Most trash is absolutely harmless. You mitigate most of the smaller hits, you "heal" on block or gain life on attacking. On harder hitting trash, pop your Rumi's as you engage and they'll be dead in no time.

- Rather cheap (ie 3ex-5ex): Rat's Nest and Rumi's will cost around 1ex each. The Anvil and Rearguard are cheap. Similar rares are affordable too. Your bow will be the most expensive item and can range from 10c to 4ex.

- Solo play... the build is great for solo players. Everything you need wrapped up in this one build.

WEAKNESSES:
- Chaos damage hurts... gearing might improve this (or pathing to Purity of Flesh, which I considered)... so Beyond mobs, Chaos snakes, degen clouds will hurt.

- Big Slams... Vaal, Voll, Malachai, Dominus... you know the drill, move out of the way. With a relatively low life pool, (about 190% from the tree by level 90) of around 5k-5.5k for being in the "thick of it", you will need to avoid this slams. Sure you might survive some of them, but one unlucky one will RIP any HC character. Best to avoid.

- Curse Immunes... it relies heavily on Poacher's Mark (see synergies above), so avoid these map mods, but mobs are easier to deal with.

- Ranged Parties... SS and Point Blank rely on getting into position for strong DPS. With ranged party members most mobs might be dead by the time this happens.


TALISMAN HC RIP
So how did I RIP when I was so tanky? TBH I never saw this coming (so it was an "acceptable" RIP).

Basically, running a T6 Arachnid Nest map, cleared most of it and started a Tora mission (kill packs of monsters). It was the Ape/Gorilla boss, that uses fire skills. I was DPS him in a narrow section of the map, in his face and as I landed my killing blow he summoned two Molten Shell Totems either side of me. As I tried to move away, something procced (either my CWDT + Molten Shell or the totem Molten Shell)... either way it started a very fast loop mechanic where: my MS popped and damaged the two totem MSes, which popped causing damage to me, which popped my MS again... rinse and repeat about 6 times in the space of 1 second until "RESURRECT" appeared. I was like a pinball trapped between 2 bumpers, with it all over in the blink of an eye. :(

I've played around with a few passive tree configurations, and am probably leaning towards one that specs into the Ranger section more at the cost of the elemental damage nodes in the Templar.

I think more DPS would be required for higher level maps. Achieved either through the above tree change, or by swapping out Increased Critical Strikes for Lightning Penetration or Increased Critical Damage.

You could consider using Bringer of Rain for more block, and DPS, but I prefer to use the chest slot.

An even more TANKY setup is possible (at the cost of damage), if you were to use Enfeeble instead of Poacher;'s Mark and a Chaos Golem instead of a Flame Golem. The issue then is obtaining extra INT and mana resourcing... probably via the Ranger and Duelist mana nodes and/or jewels with mana on hit.

https://www.pathofexile.com/fullscreen-passive-skill-tree/AAAAAwQBAF4B5wUtCC4KmwxfDjwUTRRxFHUVIBiRGNsZjhm0Gjgb-hynIWAj9iT9Jd8nLymlLYMwfDH6Mn41kjnUOlI64TwtQKBBckd-Si5Nkk3jUUdTpVb6WfNbr14TXzlhUmVNaFhoZW_ycql07XTxdqx293fXeu99dX8rggeDX4PMhmCJ2IrwjX2QCpBVkc6SfZhvmy2gn6QZpMKmV6elrKqtjbCrtiy3PrvtvJq8n702vqfEgsT2xq7JZ89-037Vi9eW2L3ZfNwj3Q3lz-cK51TpRuoY7UTtg-9O73ryRfPd9qP3Mvjr_Ev-Cv6P_rr_3g==?accountName=Kaysee&characterName=Kaysee_Anguy