[3.0] The Azure Knight, Assassin version (Blade Flurry/Frost Blades/Life/Crit/Conversion)

Good build and guide, Bristoling. Thanks for the work.

I'm using this build as my 2nd character on SSF (standard) which came from Legacy league. Fortunately, my first character was life based, so I have some good gear options in stash.

Using just random uniques and rares (crafting claws as I level), I've been able to smash all content so far. I'm edging closer to completing the new acts. No issues, most things die in 1 hit.

Suggestions to add to leveling info. These three uniques are amazing for leveling and can be used into maps and beyond. Each give huge DPS boost:

Good suggestion, will keep this in mind with the next update.

I had a breakdown of build specific leveling gear before, but kind of removed it at some point (my reason was that I thought people don't really trade while they level, which might be wrong as it is just my way of doing things).

Seconded on the prismweave. Before that I was using the strength belt (can't remember the name of it now) but after resigning myself to just res-rushing the tough bosses I switched to prismweave and have enjoyed the substantial damage boost.

Jooksone, how are you finding boss fights? I'm in a similar position where basically any mob, white, blue, or yellow, is just melting without issue. But when a thing has a lot of life, I just can't survive long enough. I'm getting better at positioning (and I've played tons of Dark Souls so I'm good at learning how bosses operate) but sometimes I just get hit, and more often than not it's almost a one-shot. Doedre was especially obnoxious with that tiny arena and constant area attacks.

The bosses are getting harder in the last 2 (3?) acts where they can actually kill me if I let them. I rely on flasks to boost dps to burn through bosses before they become an issue. Notably:



If you don't have this flask, and you can obtain it, do it. It's GG.

Aside from that make sure your resists are capped and you have a good claw for your level.

Man, that would definitely make a difference. I checked Poe.trade and unfortunately I can't afford it. Can you get it by Chancing a regular granite flask?

Even if not, I suppose at this stage I should be using a granite anyway. I've been using Jade up till now.

Great build by a great person. Bristoling not only helped me with my questions about the build but even gave me very expensive items to help me complete it. This build is awesome I know mow through enemies like grass.

"

StandardFiend wrote:

Can you get it by Chancing a regular granite flask?

I believe the answer is yes. I think that flask is the best in slot (BiS) for this build. It's worth saving for.

I forgot to add one more recommended unique for leveling. Edited my post above.

"

But when a thing has a lot of life, I just can't survive long enough. I'm getting better at positioning (and I've played tons of Dark Souls so I'm good at learning how bosses operate) but sometimes I just get hit, and more often than not it's almost a one-shot. Doedre was especially obnoxious with that tiny arena and constant area attacks.

I would say that Doedre is very hard for most builds, and I myself res-rushed her while leveling in a league.

I don't know how many more respec points will you get from quests, but if you could afford Ornament of the East or the Wasp Nest (these are very cheap and can get you very far, level 60 req) and somehow reach Soul Raker, your survivability would increase thanks to LGoH and normal leech. Warlord's Mark is working only at 40% effectiveness against bosses, meaning that you are only left with 0.8% leech.
In fact, if I were you, I would now work towards going for these claw nodes and don't move any further to the left side, and clean up the tree a bit on the right side :)
When you get another connecting path above the Acrobatics, and don't need Survivalist node, then you can safely unspec 5 points at once. In fact I can help you out with a few Regret orbs, as it might be hard to level with a tree which is half-way converted from another build.

"

I believe the answer is yes. I think that flask is the best in slot (BiS) for this build. It's worth saving for.

Seconded. But first I would get Atziri flask and Diamond, both very cheap and provide great dps boost.

"

Bristoling not only helped me with my questions about the build but even gave me very expensive items to help me complete it.

Heh no worries man, after Harbinger I'd have just another set of gear in Standard for the exact same build anyway, at least you can have fun with it :)

I'd also like to give a quick shout out to Bristoling for his generosity. Right as I was about to come post here he whispered me in game offering free Regrets to fix my mangled build while at the same time mourning his own lack of chaos haha. A real bro.

But instead of trying to fix what was certainly broken, I decided to delete my guy and start over, following this guide and saving up all my refund points until I hit 68 and can actually use Cospri's.

So, just a quick update for anyone thinking of starting this build on how I geared. I'm still a noob, but this isn't my first rodeo, so I had some currency to spend. I'm not up on all the exchange rates, but I'm certain I paid no more than a chaos for all this stuff.

First, I bought a pair of Last Resort Nailed Fist. They can be used from level 1 and have very good DPS. The best available, from what I saw on poe.trade. And they were dirt cheap.

I also bought a cheap Crest of Perandus (they range quite a bit in price, so you can be as thrifty or greedy as you want with it) and dropped a claw for it as soon as I hit level 8. You lose dps over two claws, but the boost in survivability is so worth it.

I happened to have already a Thousand Ribbons robe, but they are also dirt cheap and can be worn from level 1. Get your Frost Blades into it and watch your DPS go insane. It's a great alternative to Tabula Rasa if you're poor like me.

I also equipped an Elreon amulet to make my attack free and a Blackheart and another rare iron ring as my jewellery from level 1. Blackhearts are cheap and I would have bought a second one, but I couldn't get anyone on poe.trade to reply.

A cheap Goldrim also has sat on my head since level 1, very good piece of gear.

At level 8 I put on Meginord's Girdle and at level 9 I put on Hrimsorrow Gloves, both of which are, again, inexpensive to acquire.

With all that I face-tanked my way through all of Act 1 before I even spent my first passive point, and without even popping a life flask.

So those are my recommendations for just starting out. None of the items I bought cost more than a chisel or an alch. One of the Last Resorts was a chromatic 3L and cost me exactly one chromatic. So it was essentially free lol. If you've played another character for any length of time these will be easy buys.

"

Jooksone wrote:

"

StandardFiend wrote:

Can you get it by Chancing a regular granite flask?

I believe the answer is yes. I think that flask is the best in slot (BiS) for this build. It's worth saving for.

I forgot to add one more recommended unique for leveling. Edited my post above.

No way, Vinktars/Taste of hate will make that flask look silly. They do go nice together.