The Trickster’s Speed and Subterfuge build is a fast-paced, high-mobility build in POE2 that focuses on evasion, energy shield, and damage over time (DoT). This build is perfect for players who enjoy darting around the battlefield, dodging attacks, and dealing consistent damage through hit-and-run tactics. Below is a comprehensive guide to creating and optimizing this build, including ascendancy choices, skill gems, gear recommendations, and playstyle tips.
1. Introduction to the Trickster’s Speed and Subterfuge Build
The Trickster’s Speed and Subterfuge build is centered around the Trickster ascendancy, which excels in mobility, evasion, and energy shield mechanics. This build leverages skills like Blade Vortex, Essence Drain, and Contagion to deal damage while staying highly mobile. The Trickster’s unique ability to recover energy shield and evade attacks makes it a durable and versatile choice for both mapping and bossing .
2. Ascendancy Choices
The Trickster ascendancy offers unique nodes that synergize perfectly with mobility and DoT builds. Here are the key nodes for this build:
| Ascendancy Node | Description | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Swift Killer | Grants Frenzy and Power Charges, increasing damage and attack/cast speed. | Boosts damage output and mobility. |
| Escape Artist | Converts evasion rating into energy shield and grants energy shield recovery. | Enhances survivability and sustain. |
| Polymath | Grants increased damage and recovery for each different type of mastery you have. | Provides versatility and scaling potential. |
| Soul Drinker | Grants life and mana leech based on energy shield. | Improves sustain during prolonged fights. |
3. Skill Gems and Links
The Trickster’s Speed and Subterfuge build relies on a combination of mobility skills, DoT skills, and support gems to maximize damage and survivability.
Primary Skills
- Blade Vortex: A fast-hitting skill that deals physical and elemental damage in an area around you.
- Essence Drain: Deals chaos damage over time and heals you based on the damage dealt.
- Contagion: Spreads chaos damage over time to nearby enemies.
Support Gems
- Controlled Destruction: Increases spell damage at the cost of critical strike chance.
- Efficacy: Boosts damage over time and skill effect duration.
- Swift Affliction: Increases damage over time but reduces skill duration.
- Increased Duration: Extends the duration of skills like Blade Vortex and Essence Drain.
Utility Skills
- Flame Dash: Provides mobility for repositioning.
- Phase Run: Grants increased movement speed and phasing.
- Discipline: Aura that increases energy shield for survivability.
4. Trickster’s Speed and Subterfuge build Gear Recommendations
Gear is crucial for maximizing the build’s damage and survivability. Below is a table of recommended gear:
| Gear Slot | Item | Modifiers to Look For |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon | Cane of Unravelling | +Chaos Damage, +Spell Damage, +Energy Shield |
| Helmet | High Energy Shield Helmet | +Energy Shield, +Chaos Resistance |
| Body Armor | Shavronne’s Wrappings | +Energy Shield, Chaos Damage does not bypass Energy Shield |
| Gloves | Voidbringer | +Spell Damage, +Energy Shield, +Curse Effectiveness |
| Boots | Sin Trek | +Energy Shield, +Movement Speed, +Dexterity |
| Amulet | Presence of Chayula | +Energy Shield, +Chaos Resistance, Prevents Stun |
| Rings | Opal Rings | +Spell Damage, +Energy Shield, +Resistances |
5. Trickster’s Speed and Subterfuge build Passive Skill Tree
The passive skill tree for this build focuses on:
- Chaos Damage: Boosts the damage of chaos-based skills.
- Energy Shield: Enhances survivability through energy shield stacking.
- Evasion: Increases your chance to evade attacks.
- Damage Over Time: Improves the damage and duration of DoT effects.
Key nodes include Whispers of Doom, Heart of Darkness, and Soul of Steel .
6. Playstyle and Tips
- Mapping: Use Blade Vortex and Contagion to clear packs of enemies quickly. Maintain Flame Dash and Phase Run for mobility.
- Bossing: Focus on Essence Drain and Blade Vortex for sustained damage. Use Vaal Blight for burst damage during critical moments.
- Positioning: Stay mobile with Flame Dash and Phase Run to avoid enemy attacks. Keep Discipline active for energy shield sustain.
- Sustain: Rely on energy shield regeneration and life leech from Essence Drain to stay alive during prolonged fights.
7. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the best weapon for this build? | Cane of Unravelling is ideal for boosting chaos damage and energy shield. |
| How important is energy shield? | Energy shield is crucial for survivability, as it provides a buffer against incoming damage. |
| Can this build handle endgame content? | Yes, the Trickster’s Speed and Subterfuge build excels in both mapping and bossing due to its high damage and survivability. |
| What are the best defensive layers? | Energy shield, evasion, and mobility skills like Flame Dash are the core defensive layers of this build. |
This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the Trickster’s Speed and Subterfuge build in Path of Exile 2 (POE2).
you can also check out other POE2 builds.