[3.12] PoE Heist Assassin Blade Vortex Shadow Endgame Build (PC,PS4,Xbox,Mobile)

Poison is a damaging ailment, that is applied by both physical and chaos damage. This PoE 3.12 Shadow Assassin Blade Vortex build can be used as a league starter, as it requires very little initial investment. But it can also carry you through the whole content and it is extremely versatile.

Quick Jump

Pros & Cons

Try avoid running 60% chance to avoid bleed and poison maps, as the damage on bosses and metamorphs just isn't great. Phys reflect is doable but slow, same as 90% chance to avoid ailments.

Mechanics

POISON - Blade Vortex is the best way to stack a high number of poisons on a target. With no limits in how many poisons you can apply at one time, you can expect some very strong damage ramp up (If your target has enough life to withstand more than a few seconds of the damage)

ELUSIVE - Increases your dodge and movement speed. This keeps you alive. If you feel you need 100% uptime you can easily integrate Withering step to gain permanent elusive. I don't feel I need it at this stage, but it's an option.

Skill Tree

Ascendancy

1. Noxious Strike (Phat Poison DPS)
2. Mistwalker (Grants Elusive, one of the nicest defensive buffs in the game right now)
3. Toxic Delivery (Scales our crits and gives even more Poison DPS)
4. Opportunistic (Nice QoL for Mapping with the mvspeed and rounds out our damage against tougher unique enemies)

Pantheon

Major: Soul of Lunaris - Run the upgraded version of this to cap your dodge chance
Minor: Soul of Ryslatha - Very nice defensive choice, helps with upkeep of life flasks

Bandit: Kill All

Passive Tree & PoB

Path of Building Link (Community Version): https://pastebin.com/Dd9rVfbr

Gems Setup

Early game into maps

CHEST

Either have a +2 Duration /AoE Gems Tabula or Skin of the loyal

Vaal Blade Vortex . Unleash . Deadly Ailments . Vile Toxins . Unbound Ailments . Poison

HELM

Auras before we have Impresence with Despair reservation Amulet

Herald of Agony . Malevolence . Blasphemy . Despair

BOOTS

Cast when damage taken level 1 . Steelskin level 10 . Stone Golem MAX LEVEL . Blood Rage

GLOVES

Whirling blades . Fortify . Faster Attacks

WEAPONS

Wither . Spell totem . Multiple totems

More geared maps and endgame

(acquired impresence amulet)

CHEST

Vaal Blade vortex . Unleash . Awakened Deadly Ailments . Awakened Unbound Ailments . Poison . Vile Toxins

HELM

Malevolence . Enlighten 4 . Herald of Agony . Skitterbots

WEAPON

Blasphemy . Despair . Plague Bearer

Beastcraft or buy a belt/ring with Apsect of the spider

Gear Setup

Weapons

Cold Iron Point Dagger

These are very affordable without a corruption. There are several corruptions to choose from, but the "Increased Damage over Time" mod is just too strong.

For the most insane Single target you would run two Cold Iron Point daggers, but this isn't necessary in 99% of situations

Bino's Kitchen Knife

Bino's is just super nice for making your clear that little bit smoother. It spread poisons across the pack, and the prolif easily kills straglers on the edge of packs.

Helmet

Devouring Diadem

Get this on as soon as you hit 54. This is where you socket your most important Auras (Malevolence - Herald of Agony - Despair - Blasphemy). This helmet also lets you reserve all of your mana as it gives Eldritch Battery.

Body Armour

Budget Chest

Tabula Rasa (Buy with Cheap!) with either a +2 Duration or +2 AoE Gems corruption.

Expensive DPS only option

Skin of the Loyal

BiS if you are only chasing damage. Offers little in terms of defense, this is only for the very rich. Our damage is so big without this chest, it's almost overkill.

Mid range defensive and offensive chest

Sporeguard

This chest offers some life, chaos res, and utility with the fungal ground, but you only really feel it when fighting bosses, as Asenath's gloves still do most of the work when clearing packs. Also nice because you can annoint a skill tree point with oils.

Endgame Setup

Sacrificial Garb

+25 to Dexterity
+17% to Fire Resistance
+45% to Cold Resistance
You can apply an additional Curse
Enemies you Kill Explode, dealing 3% of their Life as Physical Damage
+85 to maximum Life

Rare Chest with Life, +1 Curse, and Explosions

Additional curse on chest means you can drop the annointed 'Whispers of Doom' and replace it with 'Corruption'. The explosions also make the clear super buttery smooth, but isn't completely necessary while still running Asenath's

Amulet

Impresence Onyx Amulet

This is a huge DPS boost. It means we can take the despair out of the Diadem and add some more Auras into the helmet. Once you have this your new helm aura setup will be (Malevolence - Herald of Agony - Enlighten - Summon Skitterbots)

Rings

Circle of Nostalgia

13% increased Fire Damage
+19 to all Attributes
Adds 19 to 23 Chaos Damage
+23% to Chaos Resistance
+36% to Chaos Resistance while affected by Herald of Agony
Herald of Agony has 91% increased Buff Effect

You ideally want one with both "(40-60)% increased Chaos Damage while affected by Herald of Agony" AND "Herald of Agony has (70-100)% increased Buff Effect". To start, just buy a ring with one or the other, they do provide the same DPS boost

Rare ring to cap res

Ruby Ring

+28% to Fire Resistance
+36 to Intelligence
+45 to maximum Life
+37% to Fire Resistance
+30% to Cold Resistance

Mine is currently trash, lots of room to upgrade here.

Boots

Two-Toned Boots

+12% to Cold and Lightning Resistances
+86 to maximum Life
+39% to Lightning Resistance
25% increased Movement Speed
24% increased Stun and Block Recovery
+33% to Cold Resistance

Rare boots to cap Res

Gloves

Asenath's Gentle Touch

These are your endgame gloves for the built in temp chains. THe blind and corpse explosions are also nice.

Rare gloves to cap resistance

Hydrascale Gauntlets

Socketed Gems have 16% more Attack and Cast Speed
+26 to Dexterity
Adds 6 to 9 Physical Damage to Attacks
Adds 1 to 23 Lightning Damage to Attacks
+32 to maximum Life
+7% to Fire Resistance

user rare gloves in the meantime. Insanity gloves are also a nice QoL for your Whirling Blades, but not needed.

Belt

Leather Belt

+34 to maximum Life
+170 to Armour
+44% to Fire Resistance
+29% to Cold Resistance
+44% to Lightning Resistance
+55 to maximum Life

Rare belt to cap Res

Flasks

Atziri's Promise

Really nice Flask. Gives big DPS, and provides access to more than enough leech to keep you going. Drop this for Sin's rebirth later and pickup an extra life flask.

Coralito's Signature

One of our biggest DPS boost, makes our poisons last for a very long time. Perfect Agony is also a DPS boost, and having it on the flask is enough (Although you can spec into the point if you need more consistent damage).

Sin's Rebirth

Grants Unholy might, which is a nice boost to our poison damage. (Can replace this once you get 'Overwhelming Malice' on a Cluster Jewel. See below)

Utility Flask

The last two slots are up to you. Aim for freeze and bleed removal on whatever you have in these slots. Can also use a life flask if you want, but I didn't find it necessary ever. Your Diadem keeps you topped up on health, and it was more valuable for me to have phasing and some extra dodge chance.

Cluster Jewels

Generally, it's better to buy the cluster jewel bases and craft them to have your desired mods. Make sure when buying cluster jewels you are getting the correct number of added passive skills and meet the minimum iLvl requirements for the notables you are aiming for. (The wiki is your friend!)

1x Large Cluster Jewel

Implicit: 12% increased Chaos Damage
Number of added Passive Skills: 8
iLvl: MINIMUM iLvl 75 for 2 Jewel Sockets. iLvl 84+ will give you a chance for the highest defensive affixes. (not needed unless min-maxing)

Notables to aim for on a large cluster jewel:
- 2 Jewel Sockets [Mandatory]
- Overwhelming Malice [Mandatory] (Gives us access to basically permanent Unholy might and means we can drop Sin's Rebirth flask)
- Grim Oath (Basically free 10% more Damage)
- Wicked Pall (Lots of Skill effect duration and some damage)

2x Medium Cluster Jewels

Implicit: +5% Chaos Damage over Time Multiplier
Number of added Passive Skills: 4-6 (I prefer 6)
iLvl: No minimum, but 84+ will give you a chance for the highest defensive affixes

Notables to aim for on a medium cluster jewel:
- 1 Jewel Socket [Mandatory]
- Circling Oblivion [Mandatory] (Single biggest damage node on a medium cluster notable for us. This node has perfect synergy with Poison BV.)
- Wasting Affliction (Dealing our poison damage 10% faster is very powerful, this is a great node)
- Haemorrhage (Good damage multi on crit. Scales with the more crit you have)
- Wicked Pall (Lots of Skill effect duration and some damage)
- Low Tolerance (Nice boost for clearing faster. Negligible damage boost for single target
- Brush with Death (If you are struggling to survive in Delirium, this can help)

2x Small Cluster Jewels

Implicit: 4% increased Maximum Life
Number of added notables: 3
iLvl: No minimum, but 78+ will give you a chance a higher defensive affixes, and 84+ for the highest defensive affixes

Notables to aim for on a small cluster jewel:

- Fettle (Biggest % life increase on a jewel, very nice)
- Surging Vitality (Slightly less %, but gives you a nice regen boost every 5 seconds)