Intro

This is a more advanced build than the other builds currently on this website. If this is only your first or second league playing PoE and you are not overly experienced, I would not suggest starting with this build (but make sure to take a look at the other guides available). It involves respeccing and changing playstyles during the levelling process – but is otherwise fantastic for slightly more experienced players. If you’re a seasoned player and just want the POB link, you can find it below, but you’ll want to make sure you understand how the build works first; it isn’t your run-of-the-mill totem build.

This build is capable of all content, including all bosses with minimal investment, and is able to clear T16 maps on nothing more than a Tabula Rasa and around 10c worth of other unique items. All maps mods can be run (with room to swap flasks around for no regen etc).

It is fast, tanky, and thoroughly enjoyable to play. Further investment will allow it to push deep into the end game for a total cost of 10 to 20 exalts. See the advanced section at the end for details on how to push the build further.

How does it work?

Explosive Arrow is a projectile attack skill, with an interesting mechanic. Every time a mob is hit it will leave a fuse behind with a 1 second cooldown (do NOT get quality on EA unless it’s a divergent version). Multiple hits will stack the fuses together, and when either 1 second expires or 20 fuses are reached, a large explosion occurs (the radius of this explosion increases per fuse, maxing out once 12 fuses are reached). This build focuses around causing these explosions as many times per second as possible, by utilizing 8 totems and stacking as many arrows as we can. Totems go Brrrrt!

Important: Any sort of projectile modification can potentially ruin the damage output. This is because EA will only leave a fuse in the last mob hit, and not every mob. Therefore sources of Chain, Fork, Pierce, and Split are all BAD and should NOT be used whatsoever.

Important: This build uses Elemental Equilibrium and you must be incredibly careful to NOT have added Fire Damage to attacks on any pieces of gear. We do, however, want added cold or lighting damage somewhere. This will apply to the arrows (which do barely any damage) and will make the target weak to fire – perfect for the explosion damage. The explosion will then flip the enemy to being resistant to fire… right until the next arrow hits, an instant later.

Important: We will be levelling this build as Spells until such time that we can acquire all the gems needed at level 28. Attempting to level this as totems until that point will likely feel quite horrible.

How do you play it?

This build will require a little adjustment to get used to. Despite appearances, especially with the 1 second fuse, this build is actually a fast mapper. You need to adopt a ‘cool guys don’t look at explosions’ mindset and just trust that the totems are killing behind you. 3-4 totems per room/pack is more then enough. A good loot filter (click here for Balor’s filters) will let you know whenever something good has dropped via sound; otherwise you can continue zooming through the maps. As for bosses, well, see for yourself

Videos

Some quick snippets of Balor running this build for the first time:

• In an Awakening level 6 Atlas, with a 4-link Tabula Rasa setup at level 65: Click here
• Same character, same level, in a T7 and still in a 4-link : Click here
• T11, same setup, to push the build to its limit on a league start setup: Click here
• Sirus 6 fight, in the end game gear at lvl 94 (with a little bit of gear removed because it was supposed to be Sirus8.) Oops.
• Catarina Fight in end game gear but without chainbreaker (due to the 3.14 nerf). She didnt stand a chance.

Changelog

v1.01 – 15/04/2021

• 3.14 Tree finalized to make room for flesh and stone mana reserve increasing, -mana cost crafting change, and the loss of chainbreaker.

v1.0 – 14/04/2021

• Guide created

Path of Building

Don’t have Path of Building? You need it.

Pastebin Import: POB Link

Gem Setup

Main Skill:

Explosive Arrow – Levelling and early end game

Explosive Arrow –Ballista Totem Support – Barrage Support – Elemental Damage with Attacks – Combustion Support

with any of these as a 6th link:

Hypothermia | Fire Penetration | Point Blank | Damage on Full Life

Explosive Arrow (crafted End Game bow)

Explosive Arrow –Ballista Totem Support – Barrage Support – Elemental Damage with Attacks – Combustion Support – Empower

4 Link: Frenzy and curse

Frenzy – Greater Multiple Projectiles – Flammability – Hextouch Support

Other skill gems (any link):

Precision | Skitterbots | Cast when Damage Taken (lvl 4) + Molten Shell (lvl 12)

Movement

Dash + Second Wind

Other (Optional)

Flesh and Stone

Levelling

Act 1

Got	Gem	Source	Quest
	Freezing Pulse	Nessa	Opening The Gates
	Onslaught	Reward	Mercy Mission
	Arcane Surge	Nessa	Mercy Mission
	Holy Flame Totem	Reward	Breaking some Eggs
	Dash	Nessa	Breaking some Eggs
	Molten Shell	Nessa	Breaking some Eggs
	Combustion Support	Reward	Caged Brute
	Added Lightning Damage	Nessa	Caged Brute
	Flame Dash	Reward	Caged Brute Part 2
	Storm Brand	Reward	Siren’s Cadence

As mentioned previously, we will be levelling this build as spells until such time that we can complete the library quest and reach level 28. This guide will use Storm Brand from level 12 with Freezing Pulse before that, combined with Orb of Storms and Frost Bomb. Other options such as Flamewall and Holy Flame Totem can also be used to further boost damage if you have the sockets for it

Don’t forget to check Tarkleigh for movement speed boots each time you level up and return to town, and keep an eye out for 3-links (both as loot and in Nessa’s inventory).

Ideally by the end of Act 1 you will want the following setup:

Storm Brand + Added Lightning Damage Support + Onslaught Support

Flame Dash + Arcane Surge Support (Lvl 1)

Vitality

Dash | Precision (Just level these gems for now – and only if you have the currency to spare)

Plus any or all of the below:

Orb of Storms + Added Lighting Damage Support

Frost Bomb + Added Lighting Damage Support

Holy Flame Totem + Combustion + Summon Phantasm Support

Flame Wall + Efficacy Support

Act 2

Got	Gem	Source	Quest
	Wave of Conviction	Reward	Intruders in black
	Herald of thunder	Yeena	Intruders in black
	Ele Dmg with Attacks	Reward	Sharp and Cruel
	Faster Casting	Yeena	Sharp and Cruel

During Act 2 we will be killing all bandits for the 2 passive points. Skills won’t change much, just an updated link for Storm Brand and a couple of rewards to be picked up.

• Storm Brand – Onslaught Support – Faster Casting Support
• Herald of Thunder

Act 3

Got	Gem	Source	Quest
	Flammability	Reward	Lost in Love

Act 3 is a time to start keeping an eye out for 4-links, and we’re going to need a bow and quiver soon. We try to not use the bow itself for the main skill, so we can replace it with any unique bow (ideally a Quill Rain) that we acquire without also having to link it. We’re looking for a RED RED GREEN BLUE to begin with, but will switch to RED GREEN GREEN RED OR RED GREEN GREEN BLUE later on, so nabbing one of these is good too.

The bow needs to be the fastest firing bow you can get your hands on (1.4 attacks per second or better).

Notable gems to acquire from the quests are Flammability with the rest of your gems to be acquired from the library or from Act 6

If you acquire enough links to do so, you can add a Concentrated Effect Support to your Storm Brand setup (purchased from Act 2)

Important: You will need to complete the library quest or wait until Act 6 before you can switch to EA. Ensure the gems are levelling as soon as you can, especially Ballista Totem Support so the totems don’t die

Act 4

Complete your Normal Labyrinth and ascend to Heirophant, grabbing the Pursuit of Faith notable before moving on.

Sometime during Act 4 you should be able to acquire all the gear and have the gems required to switch over to EA. This will require 2 respec points to swap over to ancestral bond and divine fervor on the tree and a visit to the library to pick up any missing gems.

Explosive Arrow –Ballista Totem Support – Elemental Damage with Attacks Support– Combustion Support to begin with

swapping Barrage Support in once you reach level 38. Combustion Support would be the best one to drop for the time being

Your Frenzy generation and curse on hit setup can go on at the same time:

Frenzy – Greater Multiple Projectiles Support – Flammability – Hextouch Support

Next stop.. Maps! (no seriously you’re ready to basically zoom as fast as you want from here on in)

Act 5

From here on out, not much changes. Full speed ahead, just grabbing links and improving gear as things drop.

Act 6

After you complete the quest ‘Fallen from Grace’ , Lily Roth sells all skill gems (apart from the few drop only gems).

Make sure you have all the end game gems required and level them as appropriate.

Act 7

Nothing changes in act 7. Keep an eye out for linked gear with the right colours if you are missing any.

Act 8

Nothing changes here. Again, aim to pick up any left over socket links that you’re missing and start looking out for decent life/res gear as we move closer to maps.

Complete the Cruel Labyrinth at some point during this act, and choose the Conviction of Power ascendancy node.

Act 9

Again, no changes at this point. If you have managed to find a 5-link chest by this point, then add in any of the support gems you have the colour for: Combustion Support, Fire Penetration Support, Point Blank Support, or Damage on Full Life Support (this last one requires you to not be getting hit).

Act 10

This is our last chance to fix up resistances, so keep an eye out for more gear – particularly jewellery. Important stats are:

• a higher movement speed roll on boots
• elemental resistances
• life

Complete your Merciless Labyrinth and choose the Ritual of Awakening nodes before killing Kitava.

Make sure to check and fix your resistances, then proceed to maps and the end game story line! Refer to the POB for End Game tree progression into clusters etc.