[3.15] Crimson Bow Gladiator, RoA + Puncture | Pure Bleed Build | All Content | In-depth
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Maybe the best build I've played - first time Uber Elder and Uber Atziri. Admittedly at this point in the league I had a solid amount of currency and managed to acquire and craft some reaaaally solid stuff including a synthesysed faster bleed bow and ring, and onslaught boots.
Will try to push it as a league starter. |
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hey,looks like a pretty solid build and well written guide. I personally enjoy dot based bow builds so i have this at the top of my legion builds to play list so far. Hopefully theirs a nice buff to bleed in the upcoming patch notes. Only thing that looks kinda "meh" is the last 2 ascendancy points. Guess well have to wait and see what these "tweaks" to bleed look like.
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3.6 Guide Archive Post #1
Spoiler
 For a longest time bleed was in a rough spot, a mechanic that couldn't be used as a standalone... but is it still the case? Over time, new and more powerful toys were added to the game. Stronger ascendancies, influenced items, fossils, new crafting system. After everything, bleed finally became a force to be reckoned with. This build features a reasonably tanky and well-rounded character capable of tackling all of the content this game has to offer. It uses unique combination of Tornado Shot for map clear and 2 Siege Ballistas for single target damage, with bleed being the primary damaging mechanic. Pros + Good clear speed and single target + Quite tanky thanks to dodge, evasion, corpse removal and Purity Sentinels (bodyguards) + Bleedsplosion popcorn sound + Relatively cheap to get started + Decent but not great for beginners, SSF and league start + Almost hardcore viable, almost Cons - Requires few key items to really start rolling - Siege Ballista might feel clunky/annoying - End game gear is very expensive - Only 5000 to 6000 life 
Passive Tree and Bandits
Level 94 - Base passive tree
Passive tree with all the essential nodes, that makes total level 92 + 2 for extra jewel slot. Besides of scaling life and bleeding damage, the tree focuses on: * Crimson Dance to have reliable damage in all situations. * Resolute Technique keystone is great QoL and effective dps increase. * Frenzy charges for more attack speed and damage. * Dodge/evasion as a secondary defence. For levels above 94, just pick up jewel slots. They're way too good. Pierce nodes can respec in favour of jewel slots, but only if you have suitable replacement in your gear (amulet with Pierce and/or +1 chain quiver). Bandit Reward: Oak (recommended) OR 2 passive points Ascendancy: Gratuitous Violence -> Outmatch and Outlast -> Painforged Other Ascendancy Classes:
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If Gladiator doesn't suit your tastes, then there are other ascendancies you can use instead. Just keep in mind, they're not nearly as good in a league start scenario and require Haemophilia gloves to clear quickly. Passive trees are designed with these gloves in mind.
Starting with the best one:  Champion Ascendancy: Conqueror -> Worthy Foe -> Unstoppable Hero -> Fortitude Base passive tree (level 94) If there's one ascendancy as strong for this build as Gladiator, it's Champion. Slightly lower damage, but INCREDIBLY tanky thanks to permanent fortify and taunting totems. Total ~40% less damage taken if your totems taunt first. Doesn't have to use Resolute Technique thanks to Worthy Foe passive.  Raider Ascendancy: Way of the Poacher -> Avatar of the Chase -> Avatar of the Slaughter Base passive tree (level 94) Incredibly fast and tanky, but really low damage numbers. Should use Malevolence aura with 15% faster ailments Watcher's Eye to make up for it. Once you have all key parts, it feels amazing to play. Doesn't have to use Blood Rage, but still can for little bit extra attack speed. Great candidate for standalone, non-totem version of this build.  Trickster Ascendancy: Patient Reaper -> Prolonged Pain -> Ghost Dance -> Escape Artist Base passive tree (level 94) Great all around ascendancy with high sustain. Lower damage, but stronger defensively. Shouldn't use Blood Rage to take advantage of energy shield bonuses, other source of frenzy generation on kill is recommended. You can take Swift Killer and Weave the Arcane instead of ES/Evasion route.  Deadeye Ascendancy: Gathering Winds -> Rupture -> Powerful Precision -> Fast and Deadly Base passive tree (level 94) Perfect Agony tree (level 97) An oddball compared to all other viable ascendancies. I don't recommend using it, but it can be built in multiple different ways. Lots of quality of life and some speed, in exchange for incredibly poor defences. Similarly to Raider, low damage output and should use Malevolence aure with 15% faster ailments Watcher's Eye. This is only ascendancy i would dare going crit based bleed, thanks to all crit nodes. Great candidate for standalone, non-totem version of this build. 
Pantheon
Major God: Soul of Lunaris
All around best god for evasion based builds. Extra speed is avoidance is always welcome. Solaris and Arakaali can be used too, but Lunaris is what i recommend. Minor God: Soul of Ryslatha OR Ralakesh Minor one are more preference based, you can pick almost anything, really. Ryslatha is always a good option for builds that use instant flasks to quickly heal up a big hit. Also really useful for labs. Ralakesh is very viable option. Corrupted blood is one of the most troublesome mechanics i've encountered while playing. Reduced damage and chance to avoid might help in tough situations. 
Gem Setups
Main Skill (GGGRRR):
Tornado Shot - GMP - Chance To Bleed - Brutality - Deadly Ailments - Maim Optional link: Swift Affliction instead of GMP Besides the fact Tornado Shot is one of the strongest skills in the game, it is used primarly for ability to quickly apply multiple bleeding instances with reasonable damage. With +2 TS projectiles helmet it's amazing for clearing. GMP damage penalty doesn't lower bleed damage and the build doesn't need much to clear well. It takes only 1 monster to start bleedsplosion chain. This setup can as both clearing and single target, however you need additional projectiles on the gear (+1 arrow quiver+Dying Sun) to reach it's maximum potential. Single Target Setup (GGGRRB): Siege Ballista - Chance To Bleed - Brutality - Deadly Ailments - Unbound Ailments - Swift Afflict Siege Ballista is hardest hitting physical bow skill, making it the best skill for single target damage. The problem is low attack speed, making it unreliable tool for bleed application. The issue is solved with not 1 but 2 totems (Skirmish quiver) and Unbound Ailments for more and longer bleed stacks. If you have elder bow with Vicious Projectiles, this setup should be socketed inside it. Cursing Setup (GGBR): Frenzy - Greater Multiple Projectiles - Curse on Hit lvl 5 - Vulnerability Use it to curse tanky rares, bosses and whenever you need to refresh your frenzy charge duration. Unfortunately you'll have to refresh the curse duration quite often against bosses, as this build doesn't need or have a lot of intelligence to support high CoH gem level. CWDT Immortal Call (RRR): Cast when Damage Taken lvl 3 - Immortal Call lvl 5 - Increased Duration lvl 20 Standard CWDT setup. Immortal Call is useful against random bleeding / porcupines / lab traps. Not a mandatory setup, but very much recommended. Aura: Grace OR Malevolence Grace is a default aura. Gives huge amount of addtional evasion, which translates into much higher defence. Malevolence aura grants up to 20% more damage and remains as an option. The additional dps shouldn't be necessary at all tho. Temporary Aura: Vaal Grace Vaal Grace allows us to cap Dodge / Spell dodge. It's a temporary aura which is best used during abyss/breaches/harbingers etc. Vaal Grace can be linked with CWDT Immortal Call setup for longer aura duration, it will not trigger automatically but still benefit from Increased Duration. Self-buff: Herald of Purity The more physical damage the better, especially when it's almost free. The minions spawned are pretty good meatshield too, draw aggro and stop projectiles for you. Frenzy Generation: Blood Rage - Increased Duration (optional) Natural choice. Attack speed is great, physical leech is perfect for this build and frenzy generation during mapping is insanely easy. Increased duration is great bonus link so you don't have to recast the skill very often. It's also a downside if there's no monsters around, that's why it's optional. Movement Skill: Blink Arrow Used to cross gaps and escape tough situations quickly. Your primary way of moving around is still on foot. That leaves 1 free skill gem of your choice. Just 1. Choose wisely. 
Equipment
My current gear / TL;DR:
Spoiler
Weapon: Bow with Bleed fossil mod, read in-depth explaination for details Quiver: Skirmish OR +1 arrow quiver with life and resistances Armour: Kintsugi OR Loreweave OR rare body armour Helmet: Life and resists, +2 TS projectiles enchantment Boots: Life, resists and movement speed Gloves: Life, resists and added phys OR Blasphemer's Grasp. Belt: Ryslatha's Coil Rings: Life, resists and added phys Amulet: Life, resists and added phys Flasks: 1 Life flasks, 4 utility flasks recommended. Flexible, use what you want. Dying Sun is great for additional clear. Jewels: Life and damage on all of them, very efficient if you have at least 3 good mods. Rain of Splinters is great for Siege Ballista's accuracy/AoE potential One abyss jewel with life and chance to gain onslaught on kill is recommended. Watcher's Eye with Grace/Malevolence mods is also great Below you will find the gear explained in-depth. Piece by piece. Bleeding Bow
Spoiler
The core item of this build. The ideal bow needs 2 mods: * 60% chance for Bleeding inflicted with this Weapon to deal 100% more Damage * Socketed Gems are Supported by Level 20 Vicious Projectiles / (127–134)% increased Physical Damage Both of them combined almost triple your damage with bleed. Only the first mod is absolutely neccessary tho. Only available from Corroded fossils. To obtain both of these two affixes you would need 6-linked elder bow. It also requires a lot of fossil crafting to hit both of them at the same time, so for cheaper version you should craft a normal high ilvl 6-link bow with only 100% more bleeding mod. You won't miss out too much by skipping Vicious Projectiles. Details how to craft it can be found in crafting section. I suggest to begin with starter version and then move on to elder bow after you've acquired other necessary gear. Body Armour
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Kintsugi My personal choice of body armour. I use it to mitigate potential oneshots from bosses, and it saved me multiple times in the past. Additional 50% evasion if you get hit is a really nice bonus for mapping. The "20% Less Damage Taken if you've not been hit Recently" also works against degens (LAB TRAPS!) until you've been hit. It's quite reliable when you need it the most, but doesn't always protect you. Loreweave Amazing chest for DPS and elemental defence. Not my personal favorite since it lacks evasion but it's still great for defence and offence. Requires 105 intelligence to wear. Rare Body Armour High level chests can give you really high amount of life on top of other potential bonuses. Elder armour especially has some really cool mods, plus provides bonuses from Blasphemer's Grasp gloves in case you use them. Quiver
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Skirmish for additional totem. Without it, the Siege Ballista cannot achieve it's maximum potential. You can vaal the quiver for +1 arrow, so the ballista has easier time hitting your enemies. However, with even arrow count it might have opposite effect (missing stationary enemies). +1 chain corruption can be a substitute for pierce nodes. All other corruptions are useless for this build. Before you get to use Siege Ballista, a normal rare quiver with as much life, resistances and added physical damage is the best option. End game option: In case you don't want to use Siege Ballista - a rare quiver with life, resistances and added physical damage/speed mods if possible. Shaped penetrating arrow quiver with +1 arrow is probably what you should be looking for - so you can give up pierce nodes on the tree. You'll end up crafting it most likely. Details how to make one can be found in crafting section. Helmet, Gloves and Boots
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Packed into same category, as you want same thing from all of them: * Life * Resistances * Movement Speed (boots only) Evasion based preferred, especially the helmet (can achieve really high evasion). You should avoid ES based gear due to very low intelligence this build has. On top of that, gear with ES makes end game crafting much more difficult. Haemophilia - non-Gladiator ascendancy gloves If you're using one of the optional ascendancies, then these gloves are mandatory. Passive trees are also designed with them in mind. Bleedsplosions greatly increase clear speed and safety through corpse removal. It's really, really hard to pass them up. End game options: Helmet crafted with Jagged fossil can roll very good mod that increases physical damage taken by nearby enemies. It shouldn't even be too hard to craft. It's worth mentioning Blasphemer's Grasp. These gloves are absolutely BiS if you can manage to obtain a lot of elder influenced rares/uniques. Great if you want to min-max the build. Not recommended unless you have at least ~6-7 elder items equipped. Elder gloves crafted with fossils can also give you nearly as much damage as the unique ones but without forcing you to use multiple elder items. Details can be found in crafting section. Enchantments Helmet: Tornado Shot fires 2 additional secondary Projectiles Amazing for clear speed in general. The difference is incredible, one of the biggest upgrades for the build. In case you want more single target damage, then any of the Siege Ballista enchantments is good. I really liked 45% totem placement one. Boots: #1 - 16% increased Attack and Cast Speed if you've Killed Recently #2 - 8% chance to Spell Dodge if you've taken Spell Damage Recently. #3 - 10% increased Movement Speed if you haven't been Hit Recently All of them are really good, pick based on your preferences. Gloves: +1 Frenzy vaal implicit Glove enchantments are kinda worthless. Vaal implicits are quite awesome tho, with +1 Frenzy being the best. Vulnerability on hit is also an option, just a small QoL thing. Easiest way to acquired them are Blasphemer's Grasp gloves. Belt
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Core item of this build. Ryslatha's Coil is basically a 20-30% more damage multiplier. 50 life on stun is really useful during the map clear, as the bleedsplosions often stun enemies around. It can also be corrupted for one of the very good vaal implicits: * 6-8% increased maximum Life * 14-16% to all Elemental Resistances * 8-12% increased Attack Speed during any Flask Effect * 8–12% increased Movement Speed during any Flask Effect Rings and Amulet
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Like majority of other gear and little bit more: * Life * Resistances * Added physical damage * ~25 Intelligence total Steel rings are obviously the best for additional damage. Coral rings are also great to make up for no health on quiver. You should prioritize life/resistances first and then the damage. You can always mastercraft a little bit of added damage. Assuming you use Skirmish, you need ~25 intelligence total to use level 20 Unbound Ailments and lvl 5 Curse on Hit. You'll most likely have get it on jewellery. End game option: Amulets crafted with fossils can give you A LOT of damage. Added physical and up to 70% increased damage, but at the cost of resistances. Check crafting section for details. Elder amulets can roll "Projectiles Pierce an additional Target" that would allow to drop pierce nodes on the tree and pick up additional jewel slot. Crafting a decent one is going to be challenging tho. Flasks
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1 life flask for emergencies and 4 utility flasks. Standard for most builds. The setups are flexible, use everything to your preferences. I VERY much recommend using Quicksilver flask of Adrenaline since this build doesn't have too much movement speed on it's own. Jade/Stibnite flask also seems like a natural choice since it's easy to get decent amounts of evasion, allowing for relatively high mitigation. That's also why i pick up life/evasion cluster on passive tree. Quartz flask is also one of my favorites due to synergy with acrobatics and phasing. From unique flasks: * Dying Sun - 2 additional projectiles = more clear speed and more bleeds applied by Tornado Shot. Along with +1 arrow quiver/bow, it should allow you to drop GMP for Swift Affliction. * The Writhing Jar - Great flask for end game bosses. Allows you to refresh frenzy charges during waiting phases (like Shaper). Jewels
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There's not much to discuss, you want any 3 out of these 4 mods on your jewels: * 5-7% increased maximum life * 16–20% increased Damage with Bleeding * 14–16% increased Global Physical Damage * 12–16% increased Bleeding Duration / Attacks have 3–5% chance to cause Bleeding Life on the jewel is especially valued, get it if you can. Bleeding duration might seem useless, but it works like a dimnishing multiplier. Good to invest into it once or twice. Rain of Splinter is a great unique jewel for Siege Ballista's accuracy. Also allows to use the totems for more AoE coverage in encounters like breach/abyss/harbingers etc. You also might want a single abyss jewel with chance to gain onslaught on kill, awesome for clearing. Getting a jewel with all 4 good mods is kinda impossible, but finding one with 3 mods at once should be easy. Be sure to look out for other mods that can be beneficial for you: * Totem mods * Attack speed mods * 10–12% increased Damage over Time * 8–10% increased Damage * 0.2–0.4% of Physical Attack Damage Leeched as Mana * 14–18% increased Evasion Rating * Any resistance / intelligence mods Watcher's Eye is an expensive jewel you might want to acquire once you reach the end game maps. It is incredibly strong both offensively and defensively. Depending on the aura you use, you should look out for these (Bolded mods should be prioritized): * (10–15)% increased Movement Speed while affected by Grace * +(5–8)% chance to Evade Attacks while affected by Grace * (6–10)% chance to Dodge Attack Hits while affected by Grace * Damaging Ailments you inflict deal Damage (10–15)% faster while affected by Malevolence * Unaffected by Bleeding while affected by Malevolence * (15–20)% increased Recovery rate of Life and Energy Shield while affected by Malevolence 
Levelling and Progression
Bleed levelling (Act 1-10)
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Gem Progression:
Shrapnel Shot - Chance to Bleed - Mirage Archer Rain of Arrows - Chance to Bleed - Mirage Archer - Vicious Projectiles Your levelling setups for first 3 acts. Shrapnel shot has amazing single target damage in close range. Later should be switched to Rain of Arrows for better clearing. Split Arrow - Chance to Bleed - Pierce - Deadly Ailments OR Brutality Tornado Shot - Chance to Bleed - Greater Multiple Projectiles - Deadly Ailments OR Brutality Your clearing setup after respec to bleed. Split Arrow has amazing AoE coverage. Tornado Shot can also be used starting from level 38, but it's optional until level 55. You can use Deadly Ailments or Brutality depending on your 4-link colors. Siege Ballista - Chance to Bleed - Vicious Projectiles OR Brutality - Deadly Ailments Additional setup for bosses. Summon Ballista in a place from where it can accurately attack and let it do the work. Swap Vicious Projectiles for Brutality when you reach level 38 and have a suitable 4-link. Frenzy - Lesser Multiple Projectiles Frenzy generation against bosses. LMP is used to make it easier to hit. You can upgrade it to final Cursing Setup later, but it's probably too hard to maintain 3 4-links without sacrificing gear upgrades. Vulnerability - Curses enemies to increase damage. Use on bosses, tough packs, rares etc. Blood Rage - Frenzy generation and attack speed against normal enemies Herald of Purity - Additional physical damage and Sentinels for drawing aggro Blink Arrow : Your movement skill Grace : Your aura, grants additional evasion. Purity of Elements : If you really need resistances. Use instead of Grace if necessary. Passive Tree Progression Level ~10 (Act 1) Level ~22 (Act 2) Level ~30 (Act 3) Level ~30 (After Respec), after normal Labyrinth Level ~46 (Act 4-5), Respec 1 Bleed chance and last starting node after taking Heavy Draw Level ~56 (Act 6-7), Respec 2 Bleed chances and take Crimson Dance after cruel Labyrinth Level ~71 (Act 8-10), before Kitava Bandit Reward: Oak (recommended) OR 2 passive points Ascendancy Order: Gratuitous Violence -> Outmatch and Outlast -> Painforged Gem Rewards: * lvl 2 - Shrapnel Shot * lvl 3 - Mirage Archer (Medicine Chest side quest) * lvl 4 - Siege Ballista (buy from Nessa) * lvl 8 - Lesser Multiple Projectiles * lvl 10 - Blink Arrow * lvl 12 - Rain of Arrows * lvl 18 - Vicious Projectiles * lvl 24 - Grace, Vulnerability (buy other one from Clarissa) * lvl 38 - Greater Multiple Projectiles Additional Gem Purchases: * lvl 4 - Chance to Bleed (Act 1) * lvl 29 - Split Arrow, Pierce (Act 1), 2x Deadly Ailments (Act 2) * lvl 38 - 2x Brutality (Act 4) * lvl 55 - Tornado Shot (Act 3) General Levelling Guidelines First and most important to remember - when searching for an equipment, your priority on them is Life and Resistances. Links are equally as important, be sure to look out for correct socket colors. Upgrade potions regularely. This applies to all acts. The exception to the "Life and Resistance" part is your bow. You'll have to upgrade it overtime to maintain high amount of physical damage. In case you cannot find a good rare bow, you can create one on a crafting bench inside your hideout starting from middle of act 8 when you find physical damage recipe. There is also a vendor recipe that gives similar but slightly weaker damage (sell to shopkeeper): Bow + Blacksmith's Whetstone + magic/rare Rustic Sash Any of these two methods should easily carry you through majority of the storyline. There are few very notable bases you should be crafting with this method: Bone Bow (lvl 23, vendor recipe) -> Decurve Bow (lvl 38) -> Citadel Bow (lvl 58) Starting from Decurve bow, use Whetstones on a white bow to increase it's quality. Act by Act Guidelines:
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First 3 acts are trivial. Stack added physical damage early on since there's almost no danger. You'll be using normal attack based build as bleeding isn't very good just yet. Try to find Lapis Amulet before lvl 16, you'll need a little bit of intelligence to use Herald of Purity.
At level 29, after killing Piety and beating normal Labyrinth you can respec to Bleed. You'll have to finish side quests in Fetid Pool and Crypt to be able to respec all but one point. The last point will be respec later at act 5. Once you fully convert to bleed, the playstyle will change massively. Majority of the monsters should die quickly, but those that don't move much will be huge pain in the ass. Make sure to have Siege Ballista setup for bosses. It is absolutely to take them down quickly. In act 4 it's important to have good resistances, especially fire resist. At level 38 after you breach the beast, you can change (but don't have to) your Split Arrow setup to Tornado Shot. You can also buy Brutality support, it's a good idea to link it to your clearing skill. Act 5 is where things get little bit tougher. Monsters out there are quite dangerous and it's recommended to have capped fire and lightning resitances. It's also a time where bleed removal life flask becomes necessary. I suggest to farm Chambers of Innocence until you reach level 45 and then face the Innocence himself. Don't forget to respec Bleed chance nodes after taking Heavy Draw keystone. Next boss is Kitava, 1600 life is enough to tank all of his abilities. Once you arrive in act 6, check your resistances. If they're below 50%, you should pick up Purity of Elements from Clarissa (act 3) - use it instead of Grace aura until you solve the resistance problem. It's recommended to have at least cold and lightning capped before the final boss. Act 7 shouldn't give you any troubles outside of boss fights and spooky ghosts inside Crypt. Progress easily, collect all passive points and before you descend to Temple of Decay - you should face Izaro inside cruel Labyrith. This marks second big setup change during levelling. Allocate 2 more ascendancy points, respec 2 bleed chance nodes, take Crimson Dance keystone and switch your main setup to Tornado Shot if you didn't already. Now you're ready to face Arakaali. Act 8 should be a piece of cake, every single fight (yes, even Doedre). After taking Crimson Dance, your clear speed should be somewhat similar to previous acts but single target is much, much stronger. It's good to have freeze removal flask for Lunaris area, in case you don't have it already. Defeat the final boss of this act and proceed to Blood Acqueducts. The area with a long stream of blood is where you'll spend next 1-2 hours. It's a great place to farm experience, i recommend staying there until level 70. Look for gear upgrades and slowly adjust your gems to recommended final setups. You should start looking out for 5-link body armour OR Tabula Rasa which you can farm in Blood Acqueducts. You'll probably end up buying, either the armour or the remaining Humility cards. The gem setup socketed inside should be: Tornado Shot - Greater Multiple Projectile - Chance to Bleed - Brutality - Deadly Ailment 6th link (Tabula): Maim You should also try to find/craft/buy a bow with higher damage and attack speed than your current one. There are two amazing and cheap unique options: * Reach of the Council * Lioneye's Glare In case they're out of your price range or unavailable at all (first day of the league / SSF), just craft or buy an Imperial bow with at least 200 max physical damage. You cannot find one in acqueducts, but you can buy it from Irasha starting from level 66. Once you're ready, go on and finish the storyline. Act 9 should be really easy. The monsters in act 10 hit quite hard so make sure to have a Jade/Stibnite flask for defence. It is a good idea to finish merciless Labyrinth before Kitava. 4000 life is enough to not get one-shot in both fights, might be a little hard to acquire tho.
Spoiler
If you're here, i'm assuming you have at least a 5-link AND/OR decent physical bow. Preferably both, but just one one them is enough for smooth experience.
White maps: Passive Tree Progression (level 79) - rush Phase Acrobatics They shouldn't be a problem at all. Most map mods are trivial, running them blue is completely viable. No real danger outside of few bosses like Pen, Grotto or Spider Lair. The best of all, the equipment you acquired before Kitava is enough to easily kill everything. You have 2 very simple goals for this map tier * Upgrade your gear that's not a bow or body armour (Life and Resistances) * Level up as much as you can. There's no real goal for this tier, so the best you can do is prepare for what's to come. Yellow maps: Passive Tree Progression (level 88) This is where you'll spend quite a lot of time, recommended level is 80-90. This map tier isn't too risky, but some map mods might be deadly without proper defences/damage. Gear goals for this tier: * 6-linked bleed Bow, crafted with fossils * Skirmish + Rain of Splinters * Ryslatha's Coil * 5-linked Kintsugi / Loreweave / Rare armour * General gear upgrades The bow is primary objective of yellow maps. The cheapest way is to buy the 6-linked base (Imperial/Citadel/Spine Bow) and make it yourself. All details about crafting can be found in crafting section. You should socket Siege Ballista setup inside the bow. Once you acquire the bow, you should also start using Skirmish quiver for the additional totem. Rain of Splinters jewel is also very much recommended as without it, the Ballista might miss the target and effectively lower the damage. Afterwards, a simple yet extremely strong upgrade is Ryslatha's Coil. Gives insane amount of effective damage and decent chunk of life. Try to get one with as much life and maximum physical roll. It is also the time to start looking for one of the unique body armours. Kintsugi is what i always recommend, cheap and prevents oneshots when you need it the most. Loreweave is an offensive option. In case your resists are lacking, you can use a rare armour instead. 5-link is enough, easiest way to get one is with Jeweller's Touch prophecy. Of course, with such major changes to the build you should also adjust your other gear. Never stop looking for upgrades. Red maps: Passive Tree Progression (level 94) That's where mapping becomes tough. Defences has worse effectiveness, monsters can hit hard, map bosses become tanky. Your damage should carry you through most maps easily, but the bosses combined with some map mods can be too scary. The build should be fully functional at this point and all you can do now is improve it to be faster and stronger. There are 4 following goals for map tier: * +2 Tornado Shot projectiles helmet * 7-link elder bleed Bow, crafted with fossils * 6-linked Kintsugi / Loreweave * Min-maxing the build - fossil crafted gear, Blasphemer's Grasp etc. Helmet enchantment will MASSIVELY boost your clear speed. Huge QoL upgrade. It is really expensive tho. Avoid bases with ES, they make crafting harder and intelligence requirement can be really high. You should craft one with fossils, details in crafting section. The bow is the ultimate single target damage upgrade. It will take huge amount of money to craft one, so you can postpone it for as long as you want to. Again, all details how to make one can be found in crafting section. 6-linked body armour is not necessary but still welcome damage upgrade. The important part is that Tornado Shot linked with Maim support will apply the debuff on enemy that also boosts damage of Siege Ballista. Lastly, general gear upgrades. It's all min-maxing at this point. I cannot tell what combination you should run as it all depends on your current and future gear. Overall, fossil crafted gear can massive increase your damage. You should also think about Blasphemer's Grasp, see if you can include it in your setup (requires massive investment). After that, all you can do now is enjoy the build, kill some end game bosses and look for another build you want to play. 
Map Mods
Map Mods you can run but are very annoying/dangerous:
* Monsters reflect #% of Physical Damage If you use Tornado Shot, you'll most likely kill yourself unless Immortal Call saves you. You can run this mod by using only Siege Ballistas for clear. You will have to resummon them very often since they're affected by reflect as well. Avoid if possible, for safety and sanity purposes. * Cannot Leech Life / Mana from Monsters This mod is so rare it might as well not exists. It's really awful tho, doable but you would need to rely on Siege Ballistas for clear a lot. I think it's best to just avoid it entirely. Map Mods you can run but are slightly annoying/dangerous: * Players cannot Regenerate Life, Mana or Energy Shield Build mostly relies on leech so it's totally fine to run. Just make sure to not run out dry by using non-clearing skills. Mana pool is small after all. Blood Rage degen is going to be really awful * Player Dodge chance is Unlucky / Monsters have #% increased Accuracy Rating Scary mod, almost completely nullifies your defences. However you will kill majority of the monsters almost instantly so it's not that big deal. Some tanky rares might be very dangerous tho. * +#% Monster Physical Damage Reduction Absolutely awful. Unlike "Monster Life" mod, this also lowers the damage of bleedsplosions. Lowers clear speed and single target by a lot. Obviously doable but it's best to avoid it. * Monsters have a #% chance to avoid Poison, Blind, and Bleeding Almost the same as Phys Damage Reduction. It's annoying as hell but Tornado Shot with GMP hits so many times it's not that big deal. Makes Ballistas nearly useless for single target. * #% increased Monster Movement/Attack/Cast Speed Problematic for Siege Ballista. The faster and more mobile the monster is, the smaller chance of Ballista hitting it. * Players gain 50% reduced Flask Charges This build has no flask nodes on the tree and cannot have flask mods on belt, so this map mod is very annoying in low density maps. It's OK for the most part tho. Other than that, it's standard. Too many damage mods are dangerous, curses are scary for bosses etc. https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/3053600 - My Guides
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3.6 Guide Archive Post #2
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 3.5 Build Videos Uber Elder deathless Guardians: Constrictor / Eradicator / Enslaver / Purifier Grand Architect Ahuatotli, Depth 283 Abyssal Lich Kurgal, Depth 318 Grand Architect Ahuatotli, Depth 332 (50% speed) 3.4 Build Videos (still relevant) Shaper kill Guardians: Minotaur / Phoenix / Chimera / Hydra Uber Elder Guardians: Constrictor / Purifier / Eradicator / Enslaver T16 Scriptorium (No regen) T16 Scriptorium on 5-link T15 Siege on 5-link (45% monster life) T10 Belfry, low level and gear T4 Gorge (SSF league start) 
Path of Building
PoB code:
https://pastebin.com/dEJPY5eu This PoB is based on my character from Delve HC. The gear is mostly life/resistances focused, with all crucial equipment pieces equipped. No mirror tier bullshit here. It features 6 different passive trees - default Gladiator tree with all optional ascendancies. You can change them at any time for quick comparison. Have in mind that you need to manually change configuration if you want to compare them. Number indicates required level for that tree. Ryslatha's Coil and Bleed fossil mod don't work in PoB, so the DPS is much lower than it is in reality. For levels above 90, i socketed typical bleed jewel inside all nearby jewel sockets. Shaper/Guardian config is enabled by default. Build can reach up to 1 million realistic single target DPS with VERY good gear and high level. It's closer to ~650k with reasonable gear and 7-link bleed bow. ========================================= = CALCULATING EFFECTIVE DPS - PLEASE READ THIS = ========================================= PoB is really awful at calculating bleed dps, even more if you use Crimson Dance. For actual accurate DPS numbers, i've created google doc specifically for it. Bleed DPS Calculator. All the necessary info can be found in the document. To quickly estimate the damage, go to "Calcs" tab and find Bleed: #1 - Take max roll of MH Source Physical #2 - Multiply it by 8 to match Crimson Dance stacks #3 - Multiply by ~260% - To take Ryslatha's and fossil bleed mod into account #4 - Multiply by Effective DPS Mod - you get theorethical max DPS #5 - Multiply by ~75% - now you get realistic maximum dps 
Synthesis League
What Synthesis brings to the build:
* Few very powerful crafts that boost damage * New end game gear alternatives * Extremely expensive and/or random way to craft items like these * I do NOT recommend it for beginner players. Proceed with caution, don't waste your money if you don't understand synthesiser/crafting mechanics. This section focuses on synthesised items and how to craft them. Other content of synthesis doesn't really differ from usual mapping, so i won't be covering it. Additional resources: Full list of ALL synthesised mods Synthesiser calculator Synthesiser Mechanics:
Spoiler
* You sacrifice 3 fractured items to get 1 synthesised item.
* Synthesiser TRANSFORMS a random mod into implicit. The implicit value/mod is based on combined values of that mod from all 3 items. The higher total mod value, the better the implicit becomes. * Synthesised implicit/s are randomly chosen from all available explicit mods from all 3 items, not just fractured mods. Implicits cannot be transformed. * Fractured items must be rare in order to create synthesised item. * Item level of synthesised item is based on highest ilvl fractured item. * Base of synthesised item is randomly chosen from the three fractured items. * One fractured base chosen at random determines amount of implicits. Amount of fractured affixes equals amount of implicits. * Very few mods have no implicit outcomes. * Fractured affixes cannot be changed in any way, including mod values. * If mod has two variable rolls, only the higher one is taken into account. Example: Adds 5 to 9 Physical Damage to Attacks - implicit threshold is based on 9 only. * Hybrid mods count towards single mod progressions. Example: +28 max life (hybrid) and 97 max (single) will count as 125 maximum life. * Some mods / mod tiers have more than 1 outcome. Synthesiser can pick multiple implicits from the same mod, but each one counts as a single implicit. Example: Total +350 to maximum Life can give you +(25–30) to maximum Life OR 4% increased maximum Life. It can also give you both of them if you rolled 2 implicits. In case you cannot understand the points above, you should watch ZiggyD's video instead. Almost everything is random and it is up to player to decide if they want to gamble, or if they want to gamble at all. There are ways to reduce or completely eliminate the rng factor. Synthesised Implicit List:
Spoiler
NOTE: The list showcases info in following way:
* Synthesised implicit mod <-- minimum combined mod value to create implicit It also shows average minimum item level required to reach mod threshold and amount of possible outcomes from that mod if there's more than one. Chase Implicits - Rings, Boots, Gloves:
Spoiler
Rings:
* Bleeding you inflict deals Damage (7–10)% faster <-- 106% increased Damage with Ailments (4 outcomes, Corroded fossil) * You gain Onslaught for 4 seconds on Hit <-- +161 to Dexterity (2 outcomes, ilvl 82) * (7–8)% increased maximum Life <-- +231 to maximum Life (ilvl 44) Faster bleeding is a chase mod. Incredibly hard to get since it requires fossil (no easy alt spamming), so your best bet would be spamming corroded fossils and praying to hit the right mod. Anything else is just a bonus. Boots: * You have Onslaught <-- 96% increased Movement Speed (2 outcomes, ilvl 86) * (5–10)% chance to gain an Endurance Charge on Kill <-- 96% reduced Attribute Requirements (2 outcomes, ilvl 60) Movement speed is an absolute priority, it should solve one the biggest issues of this build which is lack of speed against bosses. You can also get up 8% extra MS from the second outcome. Endurance charges are amazing boost to defense during clear, especially thanks to extra 10% physical damage reduction at max charges. Gloves: * +1 to Maximum Frenzy Charges <-- +161 to Dexterity (2 outcomes, ilvl 82) * Curse Enemies with Level 8 Vulnerability on Hit <-- Adds # to 29 Physical Damage to Attacks (3 outcomes, ilvl 28) * (15–16)% increased Global Physical Damage <-- Adds # to 31 Physical Damage (Jagged Fossil) * (14–15)% increased Damage with Bleeding <-- Adds # to 46 Physical Damage against Bleeding Enemies (2 outcomes, Corroded fossil) Lots of possible damage. Frenzy, global phys and bleed damage. Then you can craft explicits again for insane boost. Lower damage than Elder gloves, but frees up 1 suffix. Should be relatively easy to craft, just spam Corroded+Jagged fossil, maybe divine for higher top rolls and pray. Vulnerability on Hit is mostly quality of life, one of the three outcomes is another boost to damage. Optional Mods - Bow, Quiver, Helmet:
Spoiler
Bow:
* Bleeding you inflict deals Damage (30–35)% faster <-- 91% increased Damage with Bleeding (ilvl 60) (2 outcomes, ilvl 82) * Bow Attacks fire an additional Arrow <-- 136% increased Projectile Speed (2 outcomes, ilvl 82) * Killed Enemies Explode, dealing 5% of their Life as Physical Damage <-- 36% increased Light Radius (2 outcomes + 1 if you have flat accuracy mod, ilvl 30) * +(45–50) Life gained for each Enemy hit by Attacks <-- +11 Life gained for each Enemy hit by Attacks (ilvl 30) * (5–6)% increased Attack Speed <-- 31% increased Attack Speed (ilvl 22) The mods are listed in order of importance. Bleeding mod is obviously necessary for the bow to be worth anything at all. Additional arrow is always amazing, but it's very hard to get as you need three maximum rolls (minus 2% at best) of T1 Projectile speed. Exploding enemies implicit allows to drop Haemophilia gloves for other ascedancies. Also useful for Gladiator since it makes explode enemies who die without bleeding. Life gained on hit should solve some problems with sustain against bosses. Overall very strong mod. Attack speed is always welcome. There's also plenty of other mods that increase damage, but they aren't nearly as important. Quiver: * Bow Attacks fire an additional Arrow <-- 136% increased Projectile Speed (2 outcomes, ilvl 82) * Arrows Pierce 3 additional Targets <-- +1001 Accuracy Rating (ilvl 76) Synthesised quiver with additional arrow is superior in every way compared to shaped quiver. It's much, MUCH easier to create good quiver with a lot of life that way. +3 pierce mod is incredibly valuable as you can ditch not very efficient pierce nodes from the passive tree in exchange for better nodes. Also compared to majority of the other mods, very easy to get. If you choose to not use Siege Ballista, don't chase anything else but these 2 mods. Helmet: * +(20–24) to maximum Life <-- +251 to maximum Life (ilvl 54) * 1% of Life Regenerated per second <-- 58,4 Life Regenerated per second (ilvl 83) Helmets are not incredibly interesting, but it's still a nice defensive bonus. Why wouldn't you want life and regen? The primary downside of synthesised helmets is having to run uber lab to enchant them yourself/pay someone else to do it... So for the most part, you won't be crafting them. Crafting Methods:
Spoiler
There's a lot of methods to reduce randomness of synthesiser. I cannot list them all, only the most relevant ones. The key is to reduce amount of potential implicits to minimum. Keep in mind, all methods have risks and costs. Which one you want to use is up to you.
Very low chance, "Faster Bleeding" ring implicit: Step 1: Get three rings with two/three affixes. At least 1 free suffix is required. Step 2: Use Corroded fossils on rings until you craft 30-40% Increased Damage with Ailments on each of them. Step 3: Synthesise all 3 for a leap of faith Moderate chance, "Faster Bleeding" ring implicit: Step 1: Get three rings with their fractured mod being two suffixes. The more similar mods, the better Step 2: Use Corroded fossils on rings until you craft 30-40% Increased Damage with Ailments AND have a free prefix Step 3: Craft "Suffixes cannot be changed" and scour the rings. If you have no free prefix to craft the mod, go back to step 2. Step 4: Synthesise all 3 for a moderate chance of getting desired implicit Moderate chance, increased bleeding damage gloves: Step 1: Get three rings with their fractured mod being two/three suffixes OR a desired prefix Step 2: Use Corroded+Jagged fossil combo on gloves until you craft desired prefixes. Step 3: Synthesise all 3 for a moderate chance of getting two desired implicits Universal Crafting Methods Guaranteed 1 implicit: Step 1: Get three items with their fractured mod being the one required for implicit. (example: three bows with fractured +2 Level to Bow Gems to get +1 Level to Bow Gems) Step 2: Scour the item and then regal it Step 3: Use annuls to remove the regaled mod Step 4: Synthesise all 3 for guaranteed implicit, assuming it doesn't have multiple outcomes Guaranteed 2 or 3 implicits: Step 1: Get three items with their two/three fractured mods being the ones required for implicits. Step 2: Scour the item Step 3: Synthesise all 3 for guaranteed implicits, assuming they don't have multiple outcomes 50% chance, 1 implicit: Step 1: Get three items with the same fractured mod (example: three quivers with Dexterity, tier doesn't matter) Step 2: Scour the item and then regal. Repeat this step until you hit mod required to create desired implicit. Step 3: Synthesise for 50% chance of success, assuming they don't have multiple outcomes ~25-33% chance, 1 implicit: Step 1: Get three items with the same fractured mod that's opposite affix type to your desired mod (suffix/prefix) (example: three quivers with Maximum Life [prefix] if you want to craft +1 arrow [suffix], tier doesn't matter) Step 2: Scour the items Step 3: Use alts and augs to roll mod required to create desired implicit. Step 4: Regal them and synthesise for small chance of success. Low chance, 2 implicits: Step 1: Get two items with a single fractured mod being the one required for implicit. (example: two bows with fractured +2 Level to Bow Gems to get +1 Level to Bow Gems) Step 2: Scour the item and then regal. Repeat this step until you hit another mod required to create desired implicit combo. Step 3: Get another item with two or three fractured mods. Craft it in a way it has two mods required to create desired implicits. Freestyle method, use what you want. Step 4: Synthesise for 33% chance of getting 2-3 implicits. Then you also need to hit correct implicits (small chance to hit them all). 
Crafting Section
How to craft your own gear. To remind:
Magic items can have 2 affixes: 1 prefix and 1 suffix Rare items can have 6 affixes: 3 prefixes, 3 suffixes To check what mod is prefix or suffix, enable Advanced Mod Descriptions in game (Options -> UI) Additional resources: Poeaffix.net PoEDB.tw Fossil Cheat Sheet In case your masters don't have required level for crafting, ask a trusted mastercrafter. You can find them on forums under Trading -> [your league] - Shops. They'll require a small fee for their services. Bleeding Bow crafting
Spoiler
Best bow bases:
* Imperial Bow - highest AS with good max phys * Citadel Bow - highest max phys with low AS * Spine Bow - slightly worse Imperial, but cheaper Normal Bow crafting (starter version): Requires: 6-linked bow, highest ilvl possible (easiest to buy one) Method: Corroded + Jagged Fossil mods: 60% chance for Bleeding inflicted with this Weapon to deal 100% more Damage Step 1: Use fossil crafting method until you hit 100% more bleeding damage mod Step 2: Check if the bow has at least 2 out of 3 following mods: #1 - ~100%+ increased Physical Damage (hybrid and single mod, combined) #2 - ~36+ added maximum Physical Damage #3 - ~10%+ increased Attack Speed Step 3: Mastercraft the remaining affix. If you cannot craft, go back to step 1. Elder Bow crafting (expensive version): Requires: Elder bow, good bow base, ilvl 80+ (ilvl 83+ recommended) Method: Corroded + Jagged Step 1: Use fossil crafting method until you have these 2 prefixes: #1 - 60% chance for Bleeding inflicted with this Weapon to deal 100% more Damage #2 - Supported by Level X Vicious Projectiles Step 2: Check how many following mods the bow has: #1 - X added Physical Damage OR hybrid X% increased physical damage #2 - X% increased Attack Speed Step 3a: 2 affixes - End the crafting Step 3b: 1 affix - Mastercraft the remaining suffix if you can, end the crafting. Step 3c: 0 affixes - Ask me for help in forum thread/in-game. It's very hard to tell you what to do depending on your current mods. Writing it down would be lots of work, but i also don't want you to brick your bow. I have different solution in mind that i'll execute later, but for now, just ask me for help. Shaped Quiver crafting, +1 Arrow & Life
Spoiler
Let's start with a quick look at good exclusive mods:
* Adds an additional Arrow (prefix) * 7–10% increased Movement Speed (prefix, T2: 3-6%) * 9–10% chance to gain Onslaught for 4 seconds on Kill (suffix, T3: 5-6%, T2: 7-8%) Pretty much all of them would be awesome to have. This build lacks movement speed so anything helps. Useful non-shaper mods you might want on the quiver: * +#% to Fire/Cold/Light/Chaos Resistance * #% increased Attack Speed * Adds X to X Physical Damage to Attacks * Projectiles Pierce 2 Additional Targets (Deafening Essence of Misery) Alt -> Regal method Step 1: Spam alts/augs until you hit +1 arrow Step 2: Regal the quiver Step 3: If you regaled life below 50, scour the quiver and go back to step 1 Step 4: Mastercraft 40-55 life Cheapest way to craft one, enough to satisfy your needs. You could also play around with "Can have multiple Crafted Mods" depending on what you got. Fossil crafting Method: Corroded + Metallic + Serrated / Shuddering Fossil mods: * 30–40% increased Damage with Ailments (suffix, Corroded) * 3–5% chance to gain a Frenzy Charge when you Hit a Rare or Unique Enemy (suffix, Shuddering) An option to Skirmish for more life / additional arrow. First two fossils block majority of the prefixes. Serrated fossil should massively increase chances of rolling +1 arrow on top of low prefix pool. Shuddering fossil is optional to Serrated, gives higher chance of hitting good suffixes but isn't nearly as good at hitting +1 arrow itself. Don't get your hopes up tho, hitting both prefixes at same time is still rare, or you might hit low hp roll. In the long run, it's best way to make +1 arrow quiver with over 55 life that you can mastercraft. In case you want elder influenced quiver for Blasphemer's Grasp ailment remove on flask, this method can also be used for that purpose. Damage crafts - Helmet, Amulet, Gloves
Spoiler
Helmet
Method: Jagged + Pristine Fossil mods: * Nearby Enemies take 9% increased Physical Damage (suffix, Jagged) * 1% Life Regeneration (suffix, Pristine) * 2-3% increased maximum Life + 15-25 maximum Life (prefix, Pristine) Crafted mods: * Projectiles Pierce an additional Target / +1 to Level of Socketed Projectile Gems * 7–8% of Physical Damage from Hits taken as Fire Damage * (121–140)% increased Duration of Ailments you inflict while Focussed One of the biggest damage increases you can get, as it's a straight multiplier to the damage dealt. The damage is additive with Vulnerability/Maim debuffs. Focus craft can be useful, but most of the time enemy will die before you actually take advantage of huge duration increase. Amulet Method: Jagged + Pristine (optional) + Corroded (optional) Fossil mods: * 20-30% increased Physical Damage (prefix, Jagged) * 30-40% increased Damage with Ailments (suffix, Corroded) Elder mods: * (1.6–2)% of Life Regenerated per second * (7–13)% increased Attack Speed * Projectiles Pierce an additional Target Crafted mods: * -9 to -8 to Total Mana Cost of Skills * 0.7–1% of Life Regenerated per second I think spamming Jaggeds is the best way to roll the amulet. Highest chance of rolling great damage prefixes. You'll have to be a little lucky with the life tho. You can add Pristine, but it will heavily increase chance of physical leech mod that's not needed at all. Single fossil spam should give you the best results. Corroded fossils blocks elemental resistances so it's purely optional. Marble amulet is really cool base to craft, it's always that little extra regen to mitigate degens (like Blood Rage). Not necessary by any means, only a personal preference. Elder Gloves Method: Jagged/Pristine/Both + Corroded (optional) Fossil mods: * Adds 6–8 to 9–11 Physical Damage (prefix, Jagged) * Adds 7–11 to 12–18 Physical Damage against Bleeding Enemies (prefix, Corroded) * 1% Life Regeneration (suffix, Pristine) * 2-3% increased maximum Life + 15-25 maximum Life (prefix, Pristine) Elder mods: * (31–35)% increased Damage with Bleeding / Socketed Gems are Supported by Level 20 Chance To Bleed Crafted mods: * Projectiles Pierce an additional Target / +1 to Level of Socketed Projectile Gems * You have Onslaught during Soul Gain Prevention * (31–36)% increased Attack and Cast Speed while Focussed * Non-Vaal Skills deal (51–60)% increased Damage during Soul Gain Prevention Gloves can give you A LOT of added physical damage. To make it better, elder gloves have mod that increases damage with bleeding AND gives pseudo 5-link (for Tornado Shot clering). Any approach to fossil crafting is viable pretty much. These gloves are really competitive with Blasphemer's Grasp damage wise. The potential HP is still higher for the unique ones + ability for +1 frenzy charge corruption but if you don't have a lot of elder items... well, that's a very tempting option. Speed mods are extremely useful for bosses, for extra mobility that you lack. Other crafts - Rings, Boots, Jewels
Spoiler
Rings
Method #1: Jagged + Pristine (optional) Method #2: Corroded + Pristine/Jagged/Both (optional) Fossil mods: 30-40% increased Damage with Ailments (suffix, Corroded) Elder mods: * +(16–20) Life gained for each Enemy hit by your Attacks Crafted mods: * -9 to -8 to Total Mana Cost of Skills * 17–20% increased Damage Unlike amulet, rings don't have global physical damage mod. I don't think it's worth to fossil craft the rings overall, chaos spam feels like a better option honestly. I wouldn't advice to use Corroded fossils either. You have to get resistances somewhere. Before crafting rings for damage, you should craft amulet or gloves first. Elder Boots Crafting method: Chaos Orb spamming Elder mods: * (7–10)% chance to gain an Endurance Charge on Kill * (9–10)% chance to Dodge Spell Damage Crafted mods: * All 3 hybrid movement speed crafts * You have Onslaught during Soul Gain Prevention * Non-Vaal Skills deal (51–60)% increased Damage during Soul Gain Prevention Elder boots can roll really great stuff for defence. Endurance Charge on Kill and up to 10% Spell Dodge are simply amazing, especially the first one. Gladiator's Outmatch and Outlast passive gives bonus 10% physical reduction on maximum endurance charges, making it a priority mod. Simple chaos spam is definitely the best. Pristine would make it difficult to have all 3 prefixes or open prefix for movement speed/life craft. Crimson Jewels Method: Corroded + Jagged (optional) + Pristine (optional) Fossil mods: 15–20% increased Damage with Ailments (suffix, Corroded) Jewels have a really high pool of mods, so hitting the right mods might be really hard - especially hitting life. Getting right combination of damage mods should be relatively easy, maybe even all 4 damage mods. If you're seeking 5-7% maximum life mod, it's probably easier and cheaper to simply buy the jewel. Nobody builds around bleeding after all. Crimson jewel is the base with highest chance of rolling physical/life mods. Don't craft any other jewel base. 
FAQ
Q: Is this build good for a new player?
A: It's decent because it's easy to get good damage on a budget. Survivability and versatility is a slight issue tho and overall playstyle is a little unique (totems + self-clearing). If you want a new player friendly build, you should check out my Caustic Arrow Raider guide. Q: How do you level with twink gear? A: There's so many possibilities. Bleed with good bows, good old Sunder, Toxic Rain/Caustic Arrow, elemental bow... I don't know which one is the best. I'm sure you can think of something. Q: How does the bleed work? A: Mechanics are quite simple: #1 - Each hit that applies bleeding is inflicted on the enemy, but only 1 ailment can deal damage (or 8 in case of Crimson Dance). #2 - Bleeding damage is based on source physical damage. That means it also inherits the high or low damage rolls. #3 - Game ALWAYS proritizes stacks with highest damage. #4 - Having previous points in mind, that means hitting target multiple times will increase the damage output since you apply more high damage bleeding debuffs. Q: Why don't you use Vicious Projectiles? A: Lowers AS. Other support gems offer nearly as much damage without any real downside. Plus it's also a goal to have 7-link bow, with Vicious Projectiles being the bonus link. Q: How about Mirage Archer? A: Sure, why not. If that's what you like anyway. You will lose good chunk of DPS tho. Q: Why don't you use War Banner? A: Using it means very low mana pool (15% of max). With small investments to mana consumption or mana reservation, you might be able to use it. Q: Why do you take two handed melee weapon nodes? A: The hit and attack speed based bonuses are exclusive to melee weapons. The ailment increases are not, they only require you to wield two handed weapon - bow fits that category. Q: Are you sure Ryslatha's Coil works with bleed? A: Yes, i'm certain. This video should dispel all your doubt Q: What do you think about Farrul's Pounce gloves? A: They have higher damage potential, no doubt. That doesn't make them worth using tho. You will end up losing damage in plenty of cases where the additional damage matters (immobile bosses) due to long time period between the buffs and short Crimson Dance duration. You can work around them, but it's still quite limiting Q: How do Farrul's Pounce two different bleed types interact with each other anyway? A: They're completly separate debuffs. That means you can have up to 9 bleeds total, 8 from Crimson Dance and 1 standard bleed. Q: How's the hardcore viability? A: On the edge of viability. I managed to get to level 93 on HC somehow, but it's not very good build for it. Once you get enough damage, you shouldn't have many issues with survivability as almost everything dangerous will die quickly. Prepare your gear before you respec, be super careful at levels 70-80 and overall play safe. Q: Why do you link Vaal Grace with CWDT? You can't trigger it! A: It's linked so it can benefit from Increased Duration. You save one gem slot that way. CWDT won't trigger Vaal Grace, and that's for the better. It's best to manually activate it when you need it the most. Q: Is it good for party play? Should be fine overall. Even if you can't kill monsters well, bleedsplosions will contribute greatly. 
Changelog
To do list (for me mostly)
Spoiler
* Low priority: Bleed calculator update
* Proof read every single time there's a new big update. FAQ: * 3 new question added, about Farrul's Pounce and Ryslatha's Coil (yes it works) April 20th, 2019 Synthesis League * Added ring/glove specific crafting methods. * Added two more synthesiser rules. April 18th, 2019 Crafting Section: * Updated damage and other crafts with elder/crafted mods. April 17th, 2019 Overview: * Updated, now a short introduction rather than history lesson. Gem Setups: * Added Malevolence as an optional aura. * Added Blink Arrow commmentary. Equipment: * Minor improvements and changes all around. * Added Haemophilia gloves as a mandatory non-Gladiator gear. * Added Watcher's Eye unique jewel. Path of Building: * New PoB code released! * Updated short info below the code. FAQ: * Added two new questions. April 16th, 2019 Passive Tree * Added other ascedancy classes! Champion and Raider look REALLY good. * Minor changes in base passive tree. Slightly more damage, slightly less hp/evasion. * Apparently two-handed melee nodes work with ailments applied by bows. Levelling and Progression: * Adjusted levelling passive trees to fit new final tree. * No, that one increased 25% dmg node is not taken on purpose - chasing life is more important. * Added passive tree progression in maps. April 15th, 2019 Path of Building * Updated Bleed DPS calculator. Now more accurate than ever! April 8th, 2019 NEW SECTION: Synthesis League * Crafting at synthesiser, explained! * Exact mechanics in brief format, with few examples * List of worthwhile mods and universal crafting methods. Levelling Section: * Fixed lvl 29 pre-respec passive tree * Few minor improvements March 9th, 2019 Passive Tree: * Fixed link to the passive tree Path of Building: * Updated PoB code with newest passive tree March 8th, 2019 Passive Tree: * Updated passive tree to 3.6 version Levelling and Progression: * Updated passive trees to 3.6 version January 22nd, 2019 Videos: * Added Abyssal Lich Kurgal, Depth 318 and Grand Architect Ahuatotli, Depth 332 (50% speed) January 21st, 2019: Videos: * Added T16 Purifier and Grand Architect, Depth 283 January 19th, 2019: * Guide renamed to: Crimson Bow Gladiator, Tornado Shot + Ballista | Pure Bleed Build | All Content | In-depth Pros and Cons: * Minor changes to reflect 3.5 changes and new discoveries Passive Tree: * Tree updated, now picks up Ironwood totem cluster. Requires level 93 * Commentary updated to reflect newest changes, also mentions possibility of respeccing inefficient pierce nodes if you have necessary gear. Equipment: * Updated current gear to my 3.5 BSC character. * Rare body armour added as an option to Kintsugi/Loreweave. Map Mods: * Minor update, physical reflect and no leech can be run by spamming Siege Ballistas. Not pleasant, but works if you need that corrupted rare red map. Videos: * Added Uber Elder deathless * 3 new videos, T16 elder guardians: Constrictor / Eradicator / Enslaver Path of Building: * Updated PoB link * Updated build's passive tree * Minor changes to the gear, mostly properly multicrafted 7-link bow. * Updated estimate dps numbers for the build. December 6th, 2018 Path of Building * Updated PoB link * Updated build's passive tree (super minor change) * PoB now reflects recent item changes to the build * Ryslatha's Coil is updated to 3.5 values (added +95 life mostly) December 5th, 2018 - Betrayal League Pros and Cons: * Build is now considered somewhat hardcore viable. Moved from cons to pros. * Life range is still 5000-6000, but the build can surpass that estimate now. Equipment: * Ryslatha's Coil is now core unique of the build. * Removed any mentions of non-Ryslatha's belts from all sections. Path of Building: * PoB link not updated yet, but will be after Openarl applies 3.5 changes. * Removed the line talking about custom crafted bow (outdated now) FAQ: * Updated questions about hardcore viability and new player friendliness. * Removed the question about my unoptimized gear (outdated now) December 2nd, 2018 Videos: * Added 4 new videos, Uber Elder Guardians: Constrictor / Purifier / Eradicator / Enslaver December 1st, 2018 Videos: * Added Shaper kill November 30th, 2018 General: * Split guide in 2 posts (50k character limit, we meet again) Levelling and Progression: * Mapping Progression (Act 1-10) has been released. * Added 5/6-link setup at map preparation for convenience. Videos: * Two more new videos: T16 Scriptorium (No regen) and T4 Gorge (SSF league start) November 29th, 2018 Pros and Cons: * Added new con - "Siege Ballista might feel clunky/annoying" Equipment: * Updated bow and flask setup * Added Elder amulet with +1 pierce as an end game option to save 3 passive points. * Stygian Vise is now primary option to Ryslatha's Coil. * Fossil crafted Stygian Vise is listed as viable end game option. * Removed elder Rustic Sash as a recommendation (still OK if you can't afford Leather Belt) * Dying Sun is no longer necessary for end game * Added Rain of Splinters jewel as an option (very recommended) Levelling and Progression: * Added recommendation to upgrade bow before leaving blood acqueducts. Videos: * 4 new videos added: Minotaur / Phoenix / Chimera / Hydra FAQ: * Updated "Is this build good for a new player?" and "How do you level" questions. November 25th, 2018 Pros and Cons: * Updated to reflect recent changes to the guide NEW SECTION: Levelling and Progression: * Bleed levelling (Act 1-10) has been released * Early mapping section will be released later as i still need more experience on that. Might finish it before beginning of the new league. Levelling and Progression: * Started work on it, don't pay much attention to it yet. November 23th, 2018 Passive Tree: * Provided actual passive tree for Bleed Gladiator instead of my CA Raider * I know, it's embarrassing that the build had wrong tree for whole 12 days. November 19th, 2018 Passive Tree: * Rewritten to give better understanding of the build. Gem Setups: * Added note that Tornado Shot setup can also be used as single target for end game. * Added optional Increased Duration gem linked to Blood Rage. Equipment: * Removed Bleeding Bow crafting, you can find more detailed version in newly added section. * Rewritten some parts of the gear explaination to be more insightful for basic and end game gear. * Added new options for end game gear, most of them require fossil crafting. * As always, details how to craft can be found in the suitable section. Crafting: * Added another Quiver crafting method, Alt -> Regal * Expanded more on Quiver crafting * Changed optional Pristine fossil in Quiver crafting to Shuddering. * Moved Belt crafting to Damage crafts November 18th, 2018 NEW SECTION: Crafting * As simple as it's named. How to craft your gear. * It's fossil crafting only, as that's the best way to do it for all gear except rings. * Will be updated once we know more about new mastercrafting mods. Assuming they're as broken as they seem to be. November 15th, 2018 Path of Building: * Bleed DPS Calculator remade to be universal for all bleed builds. * As a result, fixed the problem where DPS was too high by ~42% * New PoB code to reflect above changes (custom bleed mods have been removed) November 13th, 2018 Equipment: * Adjusted Ryslatha's Coil more DPS to actual values - 15-20% more damage Path of Building: * Added accurate Bleed DPS Calculator NEW SECTION: Changelog * There was no point having one without any changes, right? November 11th, 2018 * Guide's release * Did you know that i've specifically motivated myself to finish this guide to release it this guide on Poland's indepence day? https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/3053600 - My Guides
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June 5th, 2019 - Legion League
Passive Tree: * Updated main passive tree to 3.7 version of the game. * Other passive trees are going to be updated shortly before new league launches, when official passive tree is available. Gem Setups: * Blood and Sand is a new mandatory gem. Path of Building: * Updated PoB link to 3.7 pre-launch version. * PoB will be updated once again after new gem data is available. REMOVED SECTION: Synthesis League * Synthesis is not going core, so there's no reason to keep it. * It won't be missed. Changelog's... changes: * The changelog has been cleared due to it's length. * You can still find whole changelog prior to 3.7 update on page 8 inside the archived guide. ============================ Bow Gladiator is clear winner of the 3.7 changes. The new tree provides improvements in damage, survivability, speed and most importantly - now includes Druidic Route. They're rather small, but everything adds up. I'm only worried about new evasion mechanics, as that might hurt build's defences quite a bit. This build should be a strong league starter now. It's HC viability also increased substantially due to removal of one of it's core issues which is movement speed (in order to dodge boss attacks). Still "meh" in SSF, as few of the core items are still hard to obtain/require some time. Duelist's starting are is now INCREDIBLY dense with strong bleed nodes. Add updated Puncture on top of that and... bleed levelling starting from level 4 might be entirely possible. It wasn't bad at all already, but the damage was extremely dependant on weapon as well as getting the damage nodes as quickly as possible. The only downside is 70% AS multiplier on puncture. Speaking of Puncture, it's now the strongest ranged skill for bleed. However i'm very happy how build currently works, thematically and damage wise. Changing single target setup would mean losing build's identity as well as having to self-attack the enemy instead of letting the totems do the work (effectively lower defence). However, if you wish then you can play around with it. I could ramble longer, but there's still more stuff to do. Onwards to updating my other guide. https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/3053600 - My Guides
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Thanks for the updated PoB. I will most likely League start with this build. The Puncture changes have me wondering ... will have to play around with that.
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Always a treat to read updates on this guide; was likewise mulling over the new Puncture as a single-target possibility.
Quick FYI - while the PoB has the new ascendancies, you still have " in the 'Passive Tree and Bandits' section. I'm guessing Arena Challenger would be the Merc lab pickup, prior to Outmatch and Outlast? |
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" I didn't mention it in this guide, but i've done most important parts of the guide (so passive tree + PoB). I still have quite a bit to do for both, so for now i'm waiting on 20/20 gems and slowly progress on other stuff that needs updating. I'm actually unsure about the order ascendancy order yet. The problem is low mana pool (thankfully Druidic Route helps quite a bit here), will it be enough to support HoP, stance and aura for 85% reservation? Maybe, i'll actually do some tests tomorrow. Would be lovely to have it as 3rd point for sure tho. https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/3053600 - My Guides
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A few things that might be worth a look:
* Pride's a 50% reservation aura with the effect "Nearby Enemies take at least 19% more Physical Damage, raising up to 39% as they stay in the Aura for 4 seconds" (It's slightly odd in that it feels more like a Blasphemied Curse than an Aura) * Probably can't find the points for it, but the Razor's Edge and Cleaving notables are both within range of a jewel socket for Lioneye's Fall. Eleven passive points to pick up the socket and the notables; IIRC it would convert to " Probably slight overkill on the chance to cause bleeding, eh. |
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" Was thinking the same. I seriously consider going that side of the tree and make some serious changes to defenses. Maybe try block with Rareguard... I'll have to run the numbers. |
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