Poison Seismic Trap Saboteur Build Guide (The Forbiden Sanctum 3.20)

TbXie

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Latest Update

This guide went through a major overhaul, changing it to the Poison variant because of the recent changes to Poison, Hexes & the skill itself. It has received a complete pass going from Gear to Skills to the Tree. It most likely received a buff rather than the expected nerfs. Knowing that it already was being played in almost any competetive scenario, it getting buffed is absolutely ridiculous.

Introduction

Seismic Trap Seismic Trap has been the strongest build in the game, especially in League Start environments, when it comes to absolutely deleting bosses. Because of its fairly mediocre efficiency of clearing maps, it is paired with an Exsanguinate Exsanguinate traps which is used to clear packs more efficiently.

Mechanics

Because of the way poison works, Seismic is a pretty good (ab)user of the poison mechanic. This is because Seismic applies multiple poisons per wave and has multiple waves per cast. Therefore, it ramps up super fast and is a huge poison enabler. Because the damage of the build is so ridiculous, it gets to run a ton of defensive auras, defensive layers and what not and should be very very tanky to play. People have cleared Uber Bosses on virtually no budget because most of the Damage comes from the tree. This makes gearing super easy & non-problematic for any type of players.

Playstyle-wise the build is fairly simple. You use Exsanguinate traps to clear packs and whenever something poses a challenge, you throw your Seismic Trap to deal with them.

Build Viability in Numbers

This is where I’ll rate the build in numbers. The lower the number the worse I actually think the build is in that compartment.

  • Durability : 9/10
  • Damage : 10/10
  • Playstyle : 7/10
  • Gearing : 8/10
  • Complexity : 5/10

Path of Building & Skill Tree

You can find an optimized Path of Building here. Every build I release will use the community fork of Path of Building, which is maintained and updated in a much more regular fashion than the original one. You can find PoB’s Fork, by LocalIdentity, here.

If you are not comfortable with Path of Building, we also have a PoePlanner for you. Do note that PoE Planner does not support Cluster Jewels and some specific unique jewels and it is highly recommended you install Path of Building to follow builds most optimally.

Gem Links – Bandits – Pantheons

Early Game – League start Environment:

Main Link: Seismic Trap Seismic TrapTrap and Mine Damage Support Trap and Mine Damage SupportAdvanced Traps Support Advanced Traps SupportVoid Manipulation Support Void Manipulation SupportDeadly Ailments Support Deadly Ailments SupportUnbound Ailments Support Unbound Ailments Support

Clearing Link: Exsanguinate ExsanguinateChain Support Chain SupportCluster Traps Support Cluster Traps SupportTrap Support Trap Support

Auras + Curse: Herald of Agony Herald of AgonySummon Skitterbots Summon SkitterbotsGrace GraceTemporal Chains Temporal Chains

Defenses + Curse: Vaal Molten Shell Vaal Molten Shell (L10) – Cast when Damage Taken Support Cast when Damage Taken Support (L1) – Despair Despair

Mobility: Flame Dash Flame DashShield Charge Shield ChargeFaster Attacks Support Faster Attacks SupportWithering Step Withering Step

Wither Application: Spell Totem Support Spell Totem SupportMultiple Totems Support Multiple Totems SupportWither Wither

Endgame – Upgrades:

Main Link:
Seismic Trap Seismic TrapTrap and Mine Damage Support Trap and Mine Damage SupportAdvanced Traps Support Advanced Traps SupportAwakened Void Manipulation Support Awakened Void Manipulation SupportAwakened Deadly Ailments Support Awakened Deadly Ailments SupportAwakened Unbound Ailments Support Awakened Unbound Ailments Support

Clearing Link: Exsanguinate ExsanguinateChain Support Chain SupportCluster Traps Support Cluster Traps SupportTrap Support Trap Support

Auras: *Divergent*Herald of Agony Herald of AgonySummon Skitterbots Summon SkitterbotsGrace GraceDetermination Determination

These go into The Devouring Diadem The Devouring DiademThen socket a Defiance Banner Defiance Banner elsewhere.

Aura on Blessing + Curse: Malevolence MalevolenceDivine Blessing Support Divine Blessing SupportDespair Despair

Defenses + Curse: Vaal Molten Shell Vaal Molten Shell (L10) – Cast when Damage Taken Support Cast when Damage Taken Support (L1) – Temporal Chains Temporal Chains

Mobility: Flame Dash Flame DashShield Charge Shield ChargeFaster Attacks Support Faster Attacks SupportWithering Step Withering Step

Wither Application (swap with Exsanguinate for Endgame Bosses): - Wither WitherMultiple Totems Support Multiple Totems SupportSpell Totem Support Spell Totem Support

Bandits:Kill all

Pantheons: Brine King Major and Yugul Minor

Gear Summary

Early Game – Leaguestart Environment:

Item Slot Item Name
Head Rare Evasion or Armour/Evasion based Helmet with Life/Suppression/Resistances
Amulet Rare Neck with Life, Resistances & Damage over Time Multiplier
Chest Rare Evasion or Armour/Evasion based Body Armour with Life, Resistances & a Life/Mana Craft
Gloves Rare Evasion or Armour/Evasion based Gloves with Life, Resistances
Boots Atziri's Step Atziri's Step
Belt Rare Belt with Life & Resistances
Rings Rare Rings with Life, Resistances & Attributes
Weapon Cold Iron Point Cold Iron Point
Shield Rare Evasion/Energy Shield Shield with Life, chance to Suppress Spell Damage and a Physical Damage as Extra Chaos benchcraft

Endgame – Medium Upgrades:

Item Slot Item Name
Head The Devouring Diadem The Devouring Diadem
Amulet Agate Amulet Agate Amulet with Life, Damage over Time Multiplier and Level of Spell Skill Gems
Chest Rare Evasion or Evasion/Armour Body Armour with Life, Spell Suppression, Resistances & a Life / Mana Craft
Gloves Rare Evasion or Evasion/Armour Gloves with Life, Resistances and Suppression
Boots Rare Evasion or Evasion/Armour Boots with Movement Speed, Suppression, Life & Resistances
Belt Stygian Vise Stygian Vise with Life, Resistances and Trap and Mine Throwing Speed
Rings 1 Unset Ring Unset Ring with Life, Resistances and a Ming's Heart Ming's Heart
Weapon Cold Iron Point Cold Iron Point
Shield Rare Energy Shield/Evasion shield with Energy Shield & Evasion, Spell Suppression, Resistances and a Phys as Extra Chaos benchcraft
Jewels Increased Maximum Life, Critical Strike Multiplier, Trap & Mine Damage

Gearing Tips

  • First of all, make sure you maintain a reasonable amount of Energy Shield to make sure you can keep casting. Generally, this is easily solved by running a hybrid Energy Shield / Evasion Shield which can get you a solid amount.
  • This, together with the The Devouring Diadem The Devouring Diadem Capping suppression is obviously super strong and even the slightest undercap will be very impactful.
  • A Ming’s Heart is a huge upgrade for your damage. Pair it with an Unset Ring to make sure you have enough sockets for your skills.
  • Don’t forget that Eldritch Implicits on Gear can be cheap by using the cheaper currency and are very impactful to the strength of the build.
  • Try to Cap your Chaos Resistance – The build is very lenient on suffixes so this shouldn’t be to hard.
  • In endgame 1 skill point can be saved by getting 30 intellect on a gear piece.

Flasks

1 Granite Flask Granite Flask of the Armadillo
2 Jade Flask Jade Flask of the Penguin
3 Enduring Divine Mana Flask Divine Mana Flask of Warding
4 Quicksilver Flask Quicksilver Flask of the Cheetah
5 Bubbling Eternal Life Flask Eternal Life Flask of Staunching

As for Flasks, you’ll be able to swap out the Enduring Mana Flask for a Silver Flask to amplify your Speed. You can also drop the Penguin affix for an Increased Armour affix whenever you either upgrade your Brine King or craft Cannot be Frozen on boots. Since you’re dropping the Warding affix, you’re taking Yugul as a second pantheon to cap out Curse Immunity

Be sure to check out our Flask Crafting Guide to learn everything you need to know about how to set up your non-Unique flasks.

Questions & Support

I prefer you making remarks, suggestions or asking questions through our Discord Channel, there’s a team of people making it their own providing you with an answer to your question. If we have somehow missed your question, you can try @‘ing me on our Discord.

If you enjoy my content to such an extent that you’d like to support me and my work, I have a Patreon you can check out. At no point should you feel pressured to contribute, but if you do, your support means more to me than you will ever imagine.

Changelog

  • Updated for 3.19 Lake of Kalandra

  • Updated for 3.18 Sentinel

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