[2.5] Lightning Warp Nine... Engage - CI Assassin Lightning/Cold

Graveyard Tier 8
Museum Tier 9

Lightning Warp has two delays, in order: cast and movement. Once the spell finishes casting, a delay occurs before you teleport. This delay is the time it takes you to run to the location modified by skill duration modifiers. This means increased movement speed from any source (gear, flasks, skill tree) reduces this delay.

For example, if it would take you 2 seconds to run to a location and you have 50% less skill duration, the delay would be 1 second.

As far as the damage, one cast of Lightning Warp can hit the same target twice. Increased AoE is essential for this reason.

Originally the idea was a joke. But as I thought it through and experimented I arrived at a build that actually works. This is the fourth iteration of the build. The first iteration was quite fragile. The second iteration added Alpha's Howl and Discipline for extra ES. The third iteration added Ghost Reaver and changed up gems in LW (replaced reduced duration, cold pen, and faster casting with life leech, hypothermia, and innervate). The fourth iteration added Doedre's Damning an Rumi's Concotion for extra defense.

In general: warp in, react, warp again. Quickly calculate the next warp location after every warp. Since you're constantly warping into melee range, you need to be quick to react with the next warp and usage of flasks. Power charges will take a few seconds to build up through the assassin ascendency.

Against an easy pack: warp to the middle, warp to the next pack or to the edge of current pack and repeat.

Against a hard pack: warp between edges of the pack. Warping to the middle of a pack will get you meleed by everything at once and will make it more difficult to escape.

Single target or bosses: use Vaal Storm Call and Lightning Tendrils.

Movement flask is used to reduce the warp delay. Use a Stibnite flask when arriving at a pack to blind them and provide additional evasion. Use Rumi's Concoction for additional defense when needed (breaches).

Pros:
- Good clear and loot speed
- Great for most breaches (causes server lag sometimes)
- Moderate ES and good defense

Cons:
- CI. Stuns and degens can be pretty annoying against some bosses, such as the Cells boss.
- Bosses. An alternate ability must be used on most bosses. Get a friend to help with Uber Izaro.

20% Lightning Warp (quality provides 20% cast speed)

Bronn's lithe


Singularity or other spell/elemental damage weapon w/ high cast speed


Call of the brotherhood


Doedre's Damning

Rainbowstride or ES boots with movement speed


Alpha's Howl with Discipline or a 400+ ES Helm


Belt, gloves, amulet, shield: High ES, stats (need 113 str and 144 dex), mana, mana regen, life (for stun/degen/status effect rolls)

1. Lighting Warp + Increased AoE + Life Leech + Innervate + Hypothermia

Innervate and Hypothermia can be changed for faster casting, controlled destruction, crit damage, etc. as you see fit. Innervate grants Onslaught. The cast and move speed both increase the warp speed.

2. Lightning Tendrils + Controlled Destruction + Concentrated Effect + Life Leech

This is for single target. Lightning tendrils can be replaced with whatever skill you like.

3. CWDT + Enfeeble

For single target encounters, remove CWDT and cast enfeeble manually.

4. Cast when stunned + Shock Nova + Controlled Destruction + Life Leech

As CI, this is critical for survival. With half its damage converted to cold it will hopefully freeze enemies and provide an opportunity to warp out.

5. Blasphemy + Elemental Weakness

Since our damage is half lightning/cold and we don't link penetration to our skills, this is essential.

6. Discipline (in Alpha's Howl)

I opted for an Alpha's Howl instead of finding a good ES helm. The immunity to freeze is nice, which frees up a flask. Level 22 Discipline + passives grants 435 ES, so if you find a helm with 435+ ES you may decide to use that and drop Discipline.

7. Herald of Ice

This adds to our AoE

8. Vaal Storm Call + Controlled Destruction

This helps to make up for lack of single target damage. Works well in breaches, too.

Elemental flask w/ ignite removal
Rumi's Concoction
Quicksilver flask w/ increased movement speed
Stibnite flask w/ increased stun and block recovery <- Important!
Mana or other flask w/ bleed removal

https://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAABAYBAAceDXwN0Q5cEHsQkhEvEVAV1xewGyUdTx2DHaod2R_HIG4i9CM2KgsqUysKK3gsnCymLL8tiy9vMFsyMjQKNbk3Zj1fQZZCS0NURXxFfkZxSVFJsUqLS65Ms1AwUEJSU1MQUzVWY1yKXfJfamNDZJ1q-mwLbRltbHBScLt_xoXFhq6IQonTjDaP-pDWkyeVLpWHl5WXl5f0oS-nK6yXrrOycLQMtDi1SLxvvjq-isHFytPQH9DQ0PXXz9kT2VvZhtsa217fit--4YjjhOUZ53TpAuq662Pr9ewY74jv6_DV8h30cfk3-_U=?accountName=1Dave&characterName=Warp_Nine

Act 2 rewards: Skill point, Skill point, Power Charge

6k ES
5k Evasion (8.7K with Stibnite)
50% crit with LW (100% against full or low life)
1350 Mana
75 Mana/s (111 when hit w/ boot enchant)
25/13 block (51/30 with Rumi's)