Pure Physical Impale Spectral Shield Throw Deadeye Build Guide (PoE Metamorph 3.9)
Guide Format
This build guide is split over multiple pages, both to prevent it from getting too long, as well as to help you better find the information you are looking for. In addition to the current page, which presents general information about the build and also contains a Leveling and FAQ section, we have the following pages:
Introduction
The Spectral Shield Throw Deadeye is a type of character that excels at reaching exceptional clear speed with the potential to also deal great amounts of single target damage. In this particular build guide, we focus on building around pure Physical damage in combination with strong Impale effect. Since we do not build around Critical Strikes, getting Resolute Technique is very efficient.
When it comes to survivability the build reaches a very respectable Life pool along with great amounts of Armour, which can result in more than 15k Vaal Molten Shell.
Build Summary
Overall, the build can be very cheap to start and only requires the threshold jewel of the skill – Divide and Conquer. Besides that, getting a decent Shield with respectable amount of Armour will carry your damage needs. Other item pieces can be well rolled rares, which allows you to play the build even in a SSF environment as long as you have the jewel.
Pros & Cons
Pros
+ Hardcore viable
+ Fast and satisfying clear speed
+ Great damage mitigation
+ Very few map mods you need to avoid
Cons
- Single target can feel clunky if the boss does not have any adds
Playstyle
Offensively, a single Spectral Shield Throw will be enough to chain and kill the whole screen, even offscreen monsters sometimes. Keeping up
Blood Rage will ensure faster clear speed and more reliable Life Leech.
Shield Charge will allow you to move around extremely fast.
Defensively, keeping up defensive flasks like Granite and Basalt will result in even better Physical mitigation, capping you at 90% most of the time. Using Vaal Molten Shell wisely can be Life-saving in certain situations, this skill can provide you with great amount of extra Life.
For playstyle, moving forward with Shield Charge and throwing a single Shield should be enough to clear packs of nearby monsters. When you see incoming damage, make good use of Molten Shell or its Vaal version depending on the amount of incoming damage you are expecting. A non-linked
Ancestral Protector can be used for the additional Attack Speed multiplier. Keep in mind the build uses Point Blank, so staying near tough enemies when possible will ensure additional damage output.
Passive tree
Here is an endgame version of the passive skill tree.
We scale the build’s damage by picking up all the efficient Shield nodes along with keystones like Point Blank and Iron Grip. Besides that, the build easily achieves more than 200% increased Maximum Life from the passive tree, which is very respectable and will result in 6,5k+ Life when properly geared in the endgame. Resolute Technique is not recommended in the passive tree simply because we get this keystone from a corrupted Prismatic Eclipse.
For more information, be sure to check out the Passive Skill Tree page.
Ascendancy, Bandits, and Pantheons
Our Ascendancy, Bandit, and Pantheon Power page goes into detail about all the choices you need to make in these regards.
Gems
We go over all of the gem links this build uses in the end-game on our Gem Link page.
Gear Summary / TL;DR
These items provide a good balance between offense and defense and are enough to deal with the endgame, although there is definitely a room for improvement. Please ensure you read the Gear, Jewels and Flasks page in its entirety.
Our recommendation:
Item Slot | Item Name |
Head | Rare Helmet |
Amulet | Rare Amulet |
Chest | Rare Body Armour |
Gloves | Rare Gloves |
Boots | Rare Boots |
Belt | ![]() |
Rings | Rare ![]() |
Weapon | ![]() |
Shield | Rare Shield |
Leveling
As a reminder, we have several guides to help you level up a character.
- Our step-by-step leveling walkthrough, which allows even more experienced players to save time and speed through the leveling process.
- Our guide to Unique Items for leveling, which helps you gear up your characters for the leveling process.
- Our beginner leveling guide, which answers many of the questions new players might have and will set you on the right path.
The character can be leveled by using Spectral Shield Throw since level 12, having the threshold jewel and few unique high Armour Shields will ensure a smooth and easy leveling experience.
Leveling Trees
Here is an example of the early passive skill tree for the build. You can use the jewel socket located east from the Ranger starting area for Divide and Conquer until you reach the Duelist starting area. Picking up Point Blank and Iron Grip in combination with all the Impale nodes will ensure you are dealing good amount of damage in order to get through the levelling content, then simply go to the Marauder starting area for more Life and Armour.
Useful Leveling Unique Items
As you begin a new character, there are few unique items that can boost your power exponentially. Tabula Rasa allows you to have a 6-Linked skill as early as you get the gems.
Wanderlust gives a decent movement speed, which will make your leveling that much more efficient.
Goldrim provides a lot of elemental resistances, this will let you worry less about gearing when approaching certain Act encounters.
If you are a new player (or if this is your first character for the league), then note that obtaining these items will be very difficult, if not impossible. They are rare drops, which you can otherwise only acquire if you have saved up currency, so do not focus on them too much, and instead simply look for items that match the affix priorities listed in the gearing section above.
Gem Progression
Using Tabula Rasa will allow you to have 6-Link gem setups early on, which is why we show such examples below. If you cannot get Tabula Rasa (or another item with a 6-Link), then simply prioritize the first gems in each link provided below.
In order to acquire gems that are not available to your class as a quest reward, simply ask a friend to buy them off vendors for you, or buy them yourself from Sioasa in The Library in Act III Library.
From level 1, you should use the following link.
At level 4, pick Ancestral Protector in order to improve single target damage output.
Dash will help out with the additional mobility it provides.
At level 10, you should add Leap Slam for the additional mobility.
At level 12, you should drop Cleave and start using your signature skill,
Spectral Shield Throw.
Spectral Shield Throw
Maim Support
Added Fire Damage Support
Pierce Support
Onslaught Support
Added Cold Damage Support
By level 18, your Spectral Shield Throw link should look like this.
Spectral Shield Throw
Vicious Projectiles Support
Maim Support
Added Fire Damage Support
Pierce Support
Onslaught Support
At level 24, you should add Dread Banner and an aura based on your personal preference, we recommend using
Grace while levelling.
By level 38 your Spectral Shield Throw link should look like this.
Spectral Shield Throw
Impale Support
Brutality Support
Vicious Projectiles Support
Damage on Full Life Support
Maim Support
FAQ
Why Deadeye and are there any other viable ascendancy choices?
Deadeye provides an amazing balance between speed an overall offense for this particular build. Other ascendancy classes like Gladiator, Champion and Berserker can be played but they pretty much lock you into playing a pure physical version of the build, while the Deadeye has the potential to even do elemental conversion shenanigans if you have enough game knowledge and vast amounts of currency.
What map mods should be avoided?
Physical Reflect, No Regeneration and Cannot Leech are super nasty for the build, besides that everything else should be doable.
Conclusion
The Spectral Shield Throw Deadeye is a character that excels at rapid clearing by swiftly dealing great amounts of Physical damage. The build also achieves very satisfying amount of damage mitigation and great Life pool in order to feel safe for the endgame.
Hi Please help me with this
“Resolute Technique is not recommended in the passive tree simply because we get this keystone from a corrupted Prismatic Eclipse Prismatic Eclipse.”
Ok, how can I get the RESOLUTE TECHNIQUE?
Using a Vaal Orb ?
Thanks and sorry by the noob question