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

This PoE 3.12 Heist Shadow Assassin Blade Vortex guide is a starter friendly build that uses Blade Vortex, with the use of multiple buffs, debuffs, aura effect, crits, conversion, penetration and decrease to enemy resistances, this build gets very deadly as you upgrade.

Quick Jump

Pros & Cons

 

Skill Tree

Ascendancy: Unstable Infusion -> Deadly Infusion -> Opportunistic -> Mistwalker

Pantheon: Abberath and Soul of Lunaris. (Dont forget to fully upgrade them)

Bandit: Help Alira

Passive Tree & PoB

Path of Building Link: https://pastebin.com/uDUU9dtq

 

 

 

 

Gems Setup

Leveling Gems Setup

Gem links and remove by order Add/Remove/Replace [level] (action order) COLOR:

Add [1-18] (1) BGBG: Stormblast Mine => Swift Assembly => Added Lightning Damage => Trap and Mine Damage
Add [4] (2) BBB: FrostBlink => Orb of Storms => Frost Bomb
Remove [8] (3) B: FrostBlink
Add [8-31] (4) BBG: Flame Dash => Arcane Surge Lv.1 => Second Wind
Add [8] (5) G: Smoke Mine
Add [12-31] (6) BGGB: Icicle Mine => Swift Assembly => Pierce => Charged Mines
Add [12] (7) GBGBRG: Blade Vortex/Vaal Blade Vortex => Power Charge on Crit => Hypothermia => Unleash => Inspiration => Cold Penetration (Note: add to empty socket or use weapon set 2, this is only to level the gems as much as possible until we start using them at level 38, same with all the supports even if you dont have access to a 6-link which is a likely situation in leaguestart, preparing them to when you do get it.)
Add [16] (8) BB: Herald of Thunder => Summon Skitterbots
Add [16] (9) G: Herald of Ice (note: add to empty socket or use weapon set 2, this is only to level the gem as much as possible until we start using it at level 38, remove this gem once you allocate Supreme Ego)
Add [24] (10) G: Hatred (note: add to empty socket or use weapon set 2, this is only to level the gem as much as possible until we start using it at level 38.)
Replace [28] (11) B>B: Pyroclaster Mine > Stormblast Mine
Add [34] (12) G: Summon Ice Golem (note: not required and can be removed in maps, however while doing acts the crit chance buff is very helpful.) => Phase Run => Enhance
Remove [38] (13) BGBG: Stormblast Mine entire link.
Replace [38] (14) BB>B: Curse on Hit => Assassin's Mark > Orb of Storms
Replace [38] (15) BGGB > GBGB: Icicle Mine link > Blade Vortex Link
Replace [38] (16) GG > BB: Hatred => Herald of Ice > Summon Skitterbots => Herald of Thunder
Add [whenever possible] (17) BG: Vaal Righteous Fire => Vaal Grace
Replace [after 2nd lab] (18) B>B: Controlled Destruction > Power Charge on Crit

Final gem links after act 10/ maps:

Vaal Blade Vortex => Controlled Destruction => Hypothermia => Unleash => Inspiration => Cold Penetration [Last 2 gems if using tabula or any other 6-link]
Flame Dash => Arcane Surge Lv.7 => Second Wind
Frost Bomb => Assassin's Mark (for boss DPS)
Phase Run => Enhance [Enhance might not be a high priority but im just putting it here as a reminder, perhaps buy level 1 early on for cheap and keep it linked as you're mapping]
Hatred
Smoke Mine
Vaal Righteous Fire
Vaal Grace
CWDT Lv.14 => Steelskin Lv.18

Endgame Gems Setup

Body Armor - Frost Bomb => Empower => Enhance => Phase Run => Awakened Hextouch => Elemental Weakness

Weapon - Smoke Mine => Awakened Cold Penetration => Vaal Righteous Fire

Weapon 2 - Flame Dash => Second Wind => Arcane Surge Lv.7

Gloves - Herald of Ice => Hatred

Boots - Vaal Grace => Empower

Boots - CWDT => Steelskin

Helmet - Vaal Blade Vortex => Awakened Controlled Destruction => Inspiration => Awakened Unleash

 

Gear Setup

Ideal League-starting Equipment

Aside from resistances and life rare gear, there are a few uniques and specific rare mods you should be looking for early on(common) / ASAP(uncommon):

Common Uniques:

• Tabula Rasa
• Hrimsorrow
• Perandus Blazon (IIQ + fire resistance)
• Thief's Torment (IIQ + elemental resistances)
• Atziri's Promise

Uncommon Uniques:

• The Pandemonius
• any 6-link chest swap for boss-DPS with +2 AOE +2 Duration (or a tabula with 1 of these implicts will be alot cheaper)
• Any good helmet (Can be rare, but it will be easier to find a decent unique) with the corrupt implict: "+1 to Maximum Power Charges"
• Taste of Hate / Rumi's Concotions
• Mark of the Shaper
• Watcher's Eye with cold conversion mod

Wands with the following modifiers

• #% increased Spell Damage OR #% increased Cold Damage
• +1 to Level of all Physical Spell Skill Gems
• +#% to Global Critical Strike Multiplier

Open suffix for - #% chance to deal Double Damage (Veiled)

If you can get the same mods on a shield, with +# to maximum life, that would be great (shields can't roll crit multi, use suffixes to help cap resists)

Rare Jewels (Cobalt for access to caster mods) with the following modifiers:

• #% increased maximum Life
• Corrupted Blood cannot be inflicted on you (corrupted implict, only need 1 jewel with this implict)
• for the rest just look for global crit multi, or crit multi to spells

Uncommon Rare modifiers to look for:

• Body Armor with the mod: "Enemies you Kill Explode, dealing 3% of their Life as Physical Damage"
• Rare Shaper-influenced(+Elder double-influence if using Mark of the Shaper) Ring with the mod: "Curse Enemies with Level 12 Assassin's Mark on Hit"

 

Endgame Sample

Weapons

This build uses a wand and shield combination, while dual wands can be used for more DPS, I prefer having the flat +100-109 t1 life on shield instead.

Wand: Opal Wand (the best base, giving up to 42% increased spell damage) with the following modifiers:

1. +1 to Level of all Spell Skill Gems
2. +1 to Level of all Physical Spell Skill Gems
3. +(35-38)% to Global Critical Strike Multiplier
Can multimod with open 2 suffixes and prefix, for the following 2 mods:
1. (4-5)% chance to deal Double Damage [Suffix]
2. (55-66)% increased Spell Damage [Prefix]
Divine it up to a desirable value.

Shield: Fossilised Spirit Shield (the best base since we are life based build, giving up to 20% increased spell damage) with the following modifiers:

1. (65-109)% increased Spell Damage OR (65-109)% increased Cold Damage [Tiers 1-3]
2. +(90-109) to maximum Life [Tiers 1-2]
3. +1 to Level of all Physical Spell Skill Gems
4+5. Elemental and Chaos resistances
6. With open suffix, you can craft - (4-5)% chance to deal Double Damage

Body Armor

Vaal Regalia (Corrupted)
6% increased maximum Energy Shield
5% reduced Fire Damage taken
-----------------------------------------
+128 to maximum Life
Recover 4% of Energy Shield on Kill
10% chance to gain a Frenzy Charge on Hit
20% increased effect of Non-Curse Auras from your Skills
Enemies you Kill Explode, dealing 3% of their Life as Physical Damage
8% increased maximum Life
7% increased maximum Mana

Double-influenced Body Armor for explosions and more damage (frenzy charges).

With the Crusader influence, you can get the mod "Enemies you Kill Explode, dealing 3% of their Life as Physical Damage"

With the Redeemer influence you can get the mod "10% chance to gain a Frenzy Charge on Hit"

combined with an awakener orb, look for life modifiers and resistance modifiers (and dont forget they can also be crafted), Recover % Energy shield on kill can also be helpful with laggy HH gameplay. or you can also buy one that already have them.

Gloves

Synthesised Slink Gloves
13% chance to Avoid being Stunned
+2% to Quality of Socketed Melee Gems
---------------------------------------------
32% reduced Attribute Requirements
+15 to Evasion Rating
+108 to maximum Life
+43% to Fire Resistance
+47% to Cold Resistance
50% increased Damage with Hits against Chilled Enemies
25% of Physical Damage Converted to Cold Damage

Fingerless Silk Gloves, with the Incrusion Suffix modifier "+(46–48)% to Cold Resistance
(30–50)% increased Damage with Hits against Chilled Enemies", and the crafting bench Prefix "25% of Physical Damage Converted to Cold Damage"

If possible, look for one that also have life prefix, and Chaos or/and Elemental resistances suffixes.

Boots

Two-Toned Boots
+12% to Fire and Lightning Resistances
--------------------------------------------
+87 to maximum Life
+48% to Fire Resistance
+45% to Cold Resistance
35% increased Movement Speed
Gain 8% of Physical Damage as Extra Cold Damage
You have Tailwind if you have dealt a Critical Strike Recently

Hunter influenced Two-Toned boots are the best for boots-slot. these boots will give us up to 24% to total elemental resistances just because of their implict modifiers.

With the Hunter influence, you can get the mod "You have tailwind if you dealt a critical strike recently" increasing our action speed by 10%.

If you can craft a prefix, craft + to maximum life, or movement speed if you don't already have them on your item, and if you can craft a suffix instead, use it to cap elemental and chaos resistances.

Helmet

Bone Helmet
Blade Vortex has +3% to Critical Strike Multiplier for each blade
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Minions deal 20% increased Damage
-------------------------------------------------
Socketed Gems are Supported by Level 18 Concentrated Effect
Socketed Gems are Supported by Level 20 Hypothermia
Socketed Gems deal 30% more Elemental Damage
Socketed Spells have +3% to Critical Strike Chance
+79 to maximum Life
22% increased Area Damage
17% increased Effect of Cold Ailments
+1 to Level of Socketed AoE Gems
10% increased Area of Effect

Double-Influenced Helmet will massively increase our DPS, it is on par on using a +4 corrupted implicts chest swap for bosses prior to obtaining that helmet.

First make sure to use an equippable base that is either Shaper or Elder influence, and has 1 of the following Helmet Enchantments with decending preference:

1. Blade Vortex has +3% to Critical Strike Multiplier for each blade
2. 40% increased Blade Vortex Spell Damage

After you have your base, you will need to use an awakener's orb to turn it into both Shaper and Elder influence, and spam Essence of Horror until you nail the following 3 modifiers (otherwise you can buy one from another player, but it will not have a lab enchant):

1. Socketed Gems are Supported by Level 16-20 Concentrated Effect
2. Socketed Gems are Supported by Level 20 Hypothermia
3. Socketed Spells deal 30% More Elemental Damage (this is the essence modifier)

Another good modifier to look for, but it is not required is - Socketed Spells have +3% to Critical Strike Chance

Look for life prefix modifier, and use the following bench craft: +1 to Level of Socketed AoE Gems, (8-10)% increased Area of Effect

Amulet

Citrine Amulet
Allocates Discipline and Training
---------------------------------
+24 to Strength and Dexterity
---------------------------------
+37% to Global Critical Strike Multiplier
+106 to maximum Life
+37% to Fire Resistance
+43% to Lightning Resistance
+1 to Level of all Dexterity Skill Gems
+1 to Level of all Physical Skill Gems

Double influenced Citrine Amulet.

With the Hunter influence, you can get the modifier "+1 to Level of all Dexterity Skill Gems"
With the Warlod influence, you can get the modifier "+1 to Level of all Physical Skill Gems", greatly increasing our DPS.

other then that, look for the following modifiers on your Amulet:

1. +# to Maximum Life
2. #% to Global Critical Strike Multiplier
3+4. Chaos and/or Elemental resistances modifiers.

Add intrinsic catalysts if you need more dex/str, or add fertile catalysts instead.

Annoint your amulet with “Discipline and Training”.

Rings

Opal Ring
25% increased Elemental Damage
-----------------------------------------
Trigger Level 12 Assassin's Mark when you Hit a Rare or Unique Enemy
42% increased Spell Damage
+20% to Global Critical Strike Multiplier
+77 to maximum Life
+13 Life gained for each Enemy hit by your Spells
16% increased Damage

1. Mark of the Shaper is an Opal ring that provides up to 10% increased maximum life, and up to 80% increased spell damage if your other ring is an elder item, and both these modifiers can be increased with the use of catalysts. With our other ring being both Shaper and Elder influenced, we will be immune to stuns from spells which is a great survivability improvement.

2. Double-influenced Opal ring will give us access to a powerful curse, and massively increase our DPS.

With the Shaper influence, we can get the mod "Curse enemies with level 12 Assassins mark on hit" increasing our critical strike chance against cursed enemies and making cursed enemies take increased damage from critical strikes, in 3.12 this curse got a nerf and a buff, the nerf being that only 1 enemy can be marked at any given time, and the buff being that this mark will not have reduced effectiveness. This mod on our ring will now only mark Rare or Unique monsters.

With the Elder influence, you can get the mod "+% to Global Critical Strike Multiplier"

Both modifiers are suffixes, and can be further crafted with "Suffixes cannot be changed" exalt crafting if you wish to maximize the DPS your ring provides.

Belt

Headhunter because why not, it will fix the build DEX and STR issues to save passives on the tree.
Otherwise look for a stygian that provides similar attributes modifiers (to save passives on the tree) and life, with access to an abyssal jewel to grant even more life and DPS.

Flasks

Assuming you have Corrupted Blood immunity, go for the following flasks:

1. Divine Life Flask with the modifiers "50% reduced Amount Recovered, 135% increased Recovery rate, 50% of Recovery applied Instantly" and "Immunity to Freeze and Chill during Flask effect, Removes Freeze and Chill on use"
2. Quicksilver Flask with the modifiers: "(30-40)% increased Duration" and "(20-30)% increased Movement Speed during Flask effect"
3. Diamond Flask with the following modifiers: "(30-40)% increased Duration" and "Immune to Curses during Flask effect, Removes Curses on use"
4. Taste of Hate (Unique Sapphire Flask)
5. Rumi's Concoction (Unique Granite Flask)

Replace Rumi's with Bottled Faith for boss DPS.

Since the build has no Base Physical Damage Reduction, you have to use something to counter this or you'll get random 1-shots while mapping, using Rumi's and Taste of Hate is a great combination to address this issue if you have a jewel with corrupted blood immunity, otherwise you can use Rumi's with a magic Basalt flask.

Abyssal Jewel

If you are using Stygian, look for the following 3 modifiers: + to maximum life, + to global critical strike multiplier and chance to gain onslaught on kill.

Normal Jewels

Cobalt Jewel
16% increased Global Physical Damage
+10% to Global Critical Strike Multiplier
+15% to Critical Strike Multiplier for Spells
7% increased maximum Life

A Watcher's eye jewel with the following dual Hatred modifiers: "(25-40)% of Physical Damage Converted to Cold Damage while affected by Hatred" and "Damage Penetrates (10-15)% Cold Resistance while affected by Hatred" will increase our DPS by a massive amount.

8 Rare jewels with the modifier 5–7% increased maximum Life, and at least 3 of the 4 following modifiers:

1. +(9–12)% to Global Critical Strike Multiplier
2. +(12–15)% to Critical Strike Multiplier for Spells
3. (14-16)% increased Global Physical Damage
4. (14-16)% increased Spell Damage while holding a Shield

Have one of the jewels contain the corrupted implict "Corrupted Blood cannot be inflicted on you" even if it means not having the 4 desirable mods. (easier compared to watchers or clusters.. but you get the idea)

Cluster Jewels

2 Large Cluster jewels with the following modifiers:

Adds 8 Passive Skills
2 Added Passive Skills are Jewel Sockets
Added Small Passive Skills grant: 12% increased Cold Damage
1 Added Passive Skill is Blanketed Snow
1 Added Passive Skill is Doryani's Lesson
1 Added Passive Skill is Vengeful Commander

Adds 8 Passive Skills

2 Added Passive Skills are Jewel Sockets
Added Small Passive Skills grant: 12% increased Cold Damage
1 Added Passive Skill is Blanketed Snow
1 Added Passive Skill is (any notable, will not be allocated)
1 Added Passive Skill is Vengeful Commander

8 Medium Cluster jewels (4 DPS, 4 AOE, switch between them as you see fit) with the following modifiers:

Medium Cluster jewel #1-4 (DPS):

Adds 4-5 Passive Skills
1 Added Passive Skill is a Jewel Socket
Added Small Passive Skills grant: 6% increased effect of Non-Curse Auras from your Skills
1 Added Passive Skill is Precise Commander
1 Added Passive Skill is Vengeful Commander

Medium Cluster jewel #5-8 (AOE):

Adds 4-5 Passive Skills
1 Added Passive Skill is a Jewel Socket
Added Small Passive Skills grant: 10% increased Area Damage
1 Added Passive Skill is Assert Dominance
1 Added Passive Skill is Vast Power