[3.20] 💥 Velyna's Explosive Concoction 💥 Leaguestart | Smooth Clear and Bossing | Deathless Feared
3.20 Updates
A couple of the jewels we used early on got removed, not a big deal. That seems to be it. Drop that boring sword and toss some grenades instead! With Explosive Concoction we weaponize flasks and flask charges, creating ranged projectiles that explode and shotgun on impact. Very fun and unique skill, surprisingly strong as well! Latest PoB updates + Help: https://discord.gg/velyna Path of Building: Leaguestart | Midrange | Endgame Twitch Stream: https://www.twitch.tv/Velyna Build Video: https://www.youtube.com/velyna Crafting Video: https://www.youtube.com/velyna/crafting How to Leaguestart: https://www.youtube.com/velyna/leaguestart 
1. Introduction
1.1. Why EC?
If your looking to do something a little different, that's not too expensive and has endgame viability then Explosive Concoction is a good option. Use 2 of your flask slots to automatically boost the attack whenever you have flask charges. Very fun and unique skill that scales in unusual ways.
1.2. Pros/Cons
Pros
Cons
1.3. Videos
1.4. HC/SSF/Leaguestart Viable?
Absolutely leaguestart viable, slow at first but runs smooth by around act 6. Surprisingly SSF friendly, other than the optimal chest being Skin of the Loyal. Somewhat HC viable but it IS a dodge build.
1.5. Upgraded PoB
Installer
This version is updated faster and has extra features. The PoB links in the guide all use this and there might be differences from the standard one. Uninstall PoB before installing this or you might get errors. 
2. Leveling
Leveling Trees
- The trees for new characters can be found in the Leaguestart PoB at bottom left. -  This section will show my simulated leaguestart tree and gems, once you get through act 10 start using the first PoB as a guide. I used Ice Shot until Concoction, it's available right away and scales mostly the same way. There were a few low DPS points while levelling mostly due to Ascendant not getting us much benefit until second lab. Luckily EC scales with gem level and that will start to carry.
Act 1
---Attack--- ---Auras--- ---Movement/Misc--- First time in town, take splitting steel as quest reward. You can use the onslaught support you already have with it. Keep an eye out for GGR and GGG 3Links for later. You can get Added Cold support to replace onslaught in the green socket once you reach prison, and then Clarity after brutus dies. When you reach merviels cave, Poison Concoction becomes available on town vendors and you can switch to the setup below. Take off mainhand weapon, make sure "auto equip" option is turned off, and equip a shield in offhand. --Attack-- --Aura-- --Movement/Misc--
Act 2
--Attack-- ---Auras--- ---Movement/Misc--- Herald of agony isnt a quest reward, but you can buy it from vendors after you do the right side of Act2. Cruelty is available after spider cave. Do the quest south of the crossroads, take Survival Secrets jewel reward. Start levelling Elemental Focus and Elemental Damage with Attacks supports in a weapon swap.
Act 3
---Attack--- ---Auras--- ---Movement/Misc--- By the end of Act 3 we're able to swap into EC fully, I usually do this as soon as the library is open so I can buy the gems needed for later at the same time. In this case buy Inspiration and start it levelling.
Act 4-6
---Attack--- ---Auras--- ---CWDT--- ---Movement/DPS--- Unavailable Get the CWDT setup running soon as possible. Don't worry about First lab since you don't get a lot from Ascendant with only 2 points, I did first and second in Act 7. Grab the Berserker nodes first since it's just free damage and makes levelling way easier.
Act 7-10
Once you run uber lab and respec the tree will look better, for now this is what we're working with. https://www.twitch.tv/velyna Last edited by Velyna#6916 on Dec 4, 2022, 3:54:02 PM Last bumped on Oct 18, 2023, 7:31:51 PM
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3. Gear
This is Endgame level gear, for the earlier stages check the PoB imports above.
Helmet
 AoE enchant on an armour/evade base is ideal, pure evasion works also. Both of the implicits here are aimed at fitting in our auras and sustaining mana so don't forget them. Accuracy is important for maximizing DPS, but it doesn't have to be here, it can also be on gloves.
Gloves
 This is a massive slot for DPS in the mid to late game. Both implicits are powerful while being easy to roll yourself with eldritch orbs. Attack speed and open prefix for leech damage, plus high life and however much resist you can get can run quite expensive but it's worth it. Spell suppress is not always needed here.
Chest
 In the early phases, wear a Skin of the Loyal and you will have to path over to Elemental Overload. Once you get a chest with Elemental Overload and either GGRRRB or GGGRRB coloring, you can drop the left half of the tree like what's shown in Endgame PoB. Use either Inspiration or Greater Multiple Projectiles depending on colors, just be aware mana will be tighter without inspiration.
Boots
 Rolling ailment avoid with loathing essences, plus the implicit, gets us halfway to ailment immune. Action speed is massive DPS, as is the lab enchant for 10% penetration.
Jewellery
   The only 2 mods for Circle of Anguish that benefit us are the ones shown here, if you cannot get both just get the reservation efficiency so mana isn't an issue. The rare ring can have either accuracy or intelligence in that suffix depending on what you need more. Both -8 mana crafts may not be needed, and you can also consider getting -3 mana as implicit on the circle of anguish.
Belt
  Life and flask stuff here, plus damage. The flask gain may not be needed, so you can start with life+%life and whatever else you manage to get.
Jewels
 The raider ascend provides more than enough to justify 2 jewel sockets for forbidden flesh/flame. Raider or Pathfinder jewels will work since we take both, just spec into whichever one you don't buy jewels for.  Early on you may not have mana to run precision, so just grab a determination mod of some kind. Flat armour, phys damage reduction, reduced crit damage, vuln immune, all good options. Later on try to find precision attack speed or attack damage combined with one of the above mods.  Giving overleech for just 5 passive points, this jewel easily deserves a slot.  After getting our Skin of the Lords with EO, some of the points we remove from the left side of tree will be placed in the radius of this jewel. It usually isn't expensive.  Make sure it's 8 passives, or you will spend more points pathing through it. Finding attributes or resistances is an extra bonus. Feed the Fury: Not only does this give us our life leech, when combined with Glorious Vanity we always have these 2 DPS mods. Veteran Defender: Helps with resistance and attribute requirements, plus increased shield defense. Very nice, but you can skip this at first to save cash. Martial Prowess: Triple stacked DPS mods, a lot of power in one node.  Can have either 4 or 5 added passives, just leave one node empty on a 5. Both of these are strong double DPS mods, well worth 4 points.  Don't skip this, it's a huge part of your defensive layers.
Shield
 Ideally an armour/evasion base, or pure evasion if you must. Spell suppression plus ailment makes this a huge defensive slot so if you are dying a lot get those covered.
Flasks
  These topaz and sapphire flasks are the reason we stack so much charge generation. We're going to be using about 9 charges per second from each one with 3 attacks per second, and if the charges go empty our DPS falls by a lot. 
4. Misc
4.1 Ascend
Going for the Berserker node first makes for smoothest levelling, especially if you dont have flasks ready to go. First lab isn't super important because all it gives you is one talent point.
4.2 Bandit
Kill all for 2 points.
4.3 Pantheon
Major: Solaris or Lunaris Minor: Gruthkul This is my standard setup, feel free to run whatever you want. https://www.twitch.tv/velyna Last edited by Velyna#6916 on Sep 7, 2022, 5:14:26 PM
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Nice was waiting for this. Thanks for the Build!
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Thank you, this build works great (for SSF leveling, at least).
Some questions: " If it shotguns, Greater Volley and Increased Aoe (gem or tree) could be better. Early on. Or not? I didn't do the math, it just feels better, on a 5-link. While leveling, you could use Summon Holy Relic instead of Vitality. Or both. EC is an attack, after all. Then, I tried to use Trinity support instead of Elemental Focus. Is there any easy way to balance flask-based lightning and ice damage? Last, before someone asks, EC does not count as "any flask effect", such as on Dusktoe boots. Too bad. |
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" Greater volley and AoE is absolutely fine, I just listed what I used! Problem with trinity is you need 2 elements to compete for highest damage in each hit and you wont get that here without a fair bit of tweaking. Gear section finished soon BTW! https://www.twitch.tv/velyna Last edited by Velyna#6916 on Sep 10, 2021, 4:47:51 AM
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My Lady of Velynanien, I hear there is a buff coming in for characters throwing bottles. :)
Although... skin of the loyal might get more expensive... hmmm... still a valid League startet? |
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" Yea, this league is looking like all around buffs for the build! Struggling to choose my starter now. https://www.twitch.tv/velyna
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More flask charge gain from belt mod and flask mods, reflect immune from Awakened Ele Damage, big damage boost from the Skin of the Lords change if you can get one. Base attack speed of the skill increased.
Expect tree and clusters to change, will update ASAP. https://www.twitch.tv/velyna Last edited by Velyna#6916 on Oct 16, 2021, 7:30:34 AM
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Definitely gonna try this out! Never played Scion/Ascendant in general but loved this skill when they released it past League but didn't try it out in Expedition so love to see I can (try to) leaguestart it upcoming league.
How do you reckon the new Unique Belt, Mageblood, is gonna interact with this? Not that it's gonna be affordable in any way probably |
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" I think it will be absolutely wild, since we don't 'use' our 2 main flasks anyway! Can't wait to try it. https://www.twitch.tv/velyna
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