[3.7] CI Apep's Supremacy Flicker Strike Trickster (BUILD OF THE WEEK)

3.8 Blight UPDATE:

I will no longer be updating this guide. The build is still viable and even received some buffs (i.e., multistrike buff), but it's been way too long since I have played the build for me to feel comfortable providing accurate and thoughtful advice. I can still answer questions if you post them though.


3.7 LEGION UPDATE:

The tree changed a lot. There's a ton of new gems. Flicker got a slight buff. Daggers got a big buff.

I updated the POB/trees. Just keep in mind that daggers are potentially better than claws for this build now. (I'm not saying daggers are better. I'm just saying they CAN be. Dont forget swords are good too.)


3.6 SYNTHESIS UPDATE:

Vaal pact no longer works for ES. Instead, Ghost Reaver gives you the VP effect. However, since ES leech is now 10% of max ES at default (vs 20% of life currently, and 20% of ES before 3.6), doubling will just return the rate to the same as it was before. This means you should no longer travel to VP, which saves about 10 skill points. This is a nerf for the build, but you do save points that you can spend elsewhere.

Because of the leech changes, there is no longer a strong reason to go with claws. Daggers and 1 hand swords are very good too. Just make sure you have sources of life or es leech on a jewel if using a dagger/sword.

WARNING: Apep's shield is expensive but mandatory for the build to work.

New mana/es node on tree: Gain 4% of max mana as ES -- this should give you more ES

Energy leech support (it's a blue gem): Use this for your 6th link if you have a hard time getting 5 red 1 green sockets. Ideally, for max DPS, find a different source of bleed chance (like the phys/bleed hybrid mod on claw) and replace chance to bleed support with this gem.

Swift killer ascendancy node buff: you can now use any channeling skill to get your frenzy/power charges upon entering a new zone

Ghost Dance/Escape ascendancy node buffs: If you use a high Evasion chest, high ES helm, and Jade flask, these might be worth taking. But you still need 5 red sockets on the chest, and not being able to take the other nodes will hurt. Overall, I wouldn't recommend it, but you can try if you want to.

Hatred slightly nerfed. Consider these options for mana reservation: Herald of purity, Dread Banner, and War Banner. You can drop arctic armour, hatred, or herald of ash to try these options. There is no 1 best setup.

CONCEPT
Using Golden Rule + Red Trail, you can self-inflict a bleed on yourself to get frenzy charges on hit. This allows you to Flicker vs bosses. However, using Apep's Supremacy + Chaos Inoculation, we do not take any damage from bleed.

The necessary bleed chance comes from the chance to bleed support (25%). This is not the only possible approach, but it works well. Chance to bleed support is also linked to my shield charge. Also, poison chance is desired because you get +3% all resist from the shield. I took 10% poison chance on the tree. (UPDATE: Poison chance is now on 1 of my jewels, not on tree.)

The main advantage of trickster is the chaos damage, frenzy and power charge bonuses, ES gain on kill, ES recovery rate, and no mana cost for flicker. Flicker has an extremely high mana cost.

SOME DETAILS
Pros
--immune to bleed damage, chaos damage
--can use shield charge
--can sustain frenzy charges vs bosses

Cons
--some gear is expensive
--life-gain-on-hit does nothing
--necessary unique items limits some gear flexibility
--compared to life builds, you can get stunned and frozen easily.

Atziri's Splendor is necessary as we (ideally) need 5 red and 1 green sockets, which would be all off-colors on a rare ES chest. Taking escape artist ascendancy node and using an evasion chest is an option, but we need 5 red sockets, which is still 5 off-colors.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you get the ES Atziri's Splendour as there are multiple versions. To find the right one, search ones with more than 500 ES. And when you color the 6 sockets, don't use Vorici. On average, you'll need 121 chromes.

My claw might be expensive, but it is only about 18% more POB damage compared to a Wasp Nest. So just use a Wasp Nest to begin with. I suggesting corrupting well-rolled Wasp nest for crit chance, atk speed, or crit multi. It will boost your DPS a lot.

Extra single target damage comes from vaal-double strike and ancestral protector, which will literally double your DPS temporarily.

GAMEPLAY VIDEO
Build of the Week https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK2-N_p2ZZI
Build of the Week Bloopers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuvgUa4xCDc

Deathless Shaper (Alternate gear) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuK-J8HLP44
T16 Hydra (New gear) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ8LvFoa07k
T16 Minotaur https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIGFuoO9gxM
T16 Chimera https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGnIhQp9FBY
T9 Shaped Gorge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDZilux9Dzg

PATH OF BUILDING
https://pastebin.com/tusMyXHs

LEVELING
You will have to level a life-melee-phys-claw build. Simply dual wield 2 highest Phys DPS claw that you can find, use blood rage, herald of ash, and any melee skill.

Roughly follow the tree below. Once you hit at least LV70, you can switch into the build using regret orbs. (Shaper gloves requires LV72, Atziri's chest requires LV75).
www.poeurl.com/crQy

PASSIVE TREE
www.poeurl.com/crQv

DEATHLESS SHAPER GEAR (6/28/2018)
Few changes just for Shaper fight:
--Switch Melee Splash with Ruthless
--Switch uncurse Jade flask with Atziri's Promise
--Ralekesh boots to have frenzy charges before every phase
--Swap Vaal double strike with culling strike for last phase











REGULAR MAPPING GEAR
--Use Melee Splash instead of Ruthless
--Different flask set up





OTHER BUILD GUIDES - DELVE
[3.4] Crit Dual-Wield CONSECRATED PATH - Chieftain
https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2201938

Can you post more videos of boss kills or higher level maps?

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Cynegold wrote:

Can you post more videos of boss kills or higher level maps?

Hi, i just posted Chimera

Scion version?

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Hollyphantom wrote:

"

Cynegold wrote:

Can you post more videos of boss kills or higher level maps?

Hi, i just posted Chimera

This is pretty cool, need to get some gear to try this.

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16vor1006 wrote:

Scion version?

Scion will have mana issues and much less ES gain/recovery. So you'll probably have to use a Gemini Claw. But, if Scion takes Jugg/Berserker/Occultist/Trickster, that build will handle stuns a lot better than mine.

(UPDATE)
I think you'll have to drop an aura (hatred/HeraldOfAsh/Discipline) cuz of mana. And you will have 1 less frenzy/power charge, and gemini is slower than imperial claw, and you don't get the trickster chaos damage. But you get crit and accuracy from Jugg/assassin and more skill points...

I updated the POB link to include Scion. I think it's less damage but more sustained damage. Power charges will be sustained vs bosses, and stun immunity will prevent DPS from pausing.

UPDATE: Added Minotaur video

Very interesting, might try this as the only flicker I have done before was Oro's crit with jugg (only works because oskarm is a thing).


Anyway with regards to the chest, how do you think either a 6 off incandescent heart (most likely 6w) or a shadowstich would do? Curious what implicits would be best for a shadowstich.

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Nyarlathotepian wrote:

Very interesting, might try this as the only flicker I have done before was Oro's crit with jugg (only works because oskarm is a thing).


Anyway with regards to the chest, how do you think either a 6 off incandescent heart (most likely 6w) or a shadowstich would do? Curious what implicits would be best for a shadowstich.

Shadowstich doesnt have much ES, so I don't think it will work.

Incandescent heart is definitely nice, and not too hard to get 5 red/1 green. However, to take full advantage of its mods, you want to go full ele conversion, which is simply just a more complicating build. I thought about using a Hatred Conversion Watcher's eye + cold conversion incursion gloves + 40% conversion on tree, and use Vaal Impurity of Ice vs Bosses.

Keep in mind, you need SOME phys damage because you have to be able to inflict bleed.

Interesting take on the build. I've been experimenting with my own version of it for a few days now and it isn't performing to my expectations. Most of all it realy annoys me how much it suck versus the Vaal Omnitect since he apparently deals a crapton of damage when you're in contact with him, so you have to constantly move out of him to recover some ES.
https://pastebin.com/CgwmWU9K
Tried out an Occultist version while theorycrafting because Wicked Ward is such a powerful node but the damage takes such a nosedive with the Ascendancy that it's not worth going for in my opinion. Trickster still has good defenses while providing a lot more damage on top of it.
Using Varunastra with Might of the Meek is a lot of damage thanks to the Claw and Dagger nodes below Ghost Reaver.
The fact that you killed Guardians with the build is reassuring.