Hexblast Miner Saboteur Necropolis 3.24 Guide

March 24, 2024 10 minutes

Build Overview

Welcome to the Hexblast Miner Saboteur Necropolis 3.24 Guide, brought to you by WowCarry. Hexblast has seen a significant rise in popularity within the Path of Exile community, thanks to continuous improvements to the skill and the ingenuity of players who have developed an effective archetype. This build capitalizes on Hexblast's potential in a unique way by incorporating mine mechanics, creating an experience that is less cumbersome than traditional miner builds. It's designed to feel more akin to a caster, with the ability to comfortably assign Detonate to the left mouse button, enhancing its area of effect and speed.

Given its current strengths, combined with strategic ascendancy choices and build optimizations, this guide aims to navigate you through the creation of what could become one of your most triumphant characters. This Hexblast Miner build is versatile enough for both new leagues and seasoned players looking to invest in a robust build for later league stages. It boasts incredible damage output and a relatively safe playstyle, tackling all game content with ease. Enjoy its power while it lasts, as this guide will help you maximize its potential.

Solo Self-Found Viability

This PoE build is exceptionally suited for Solo Self-Found (SSF) gameplay, requiring minimal unique items to be effective. The only essential unique item is the Profane Proxy, a commonly found accessory that enhances your capabilities. In the rare case you can't obtain a Profane Proxy, substituting Skitterbots with a Blasphemy setup offers a viable alternative, albeit with slightly lower damage output. The build primarily utilizes Rare gear, which can be easily crafted or acquired through smart farming and crafting strategies, essential knowledge for successful SSF gameplay.

Pros and Cons

Pros Cons
  • Requires only a single unique item to excel, yet offers a viable alternative pathway without it.
  • Capable of delivering exceptional damage and maintaining impressive clear speed.
  • Effectively operational from day one of a new League, allowing for quick progression.
  • Remains a miner build, which may not appeal to all playstyles.
  • Profane Proxy, a key unique item, can be costly (50c) on the first day, potentially necessitating a temporary Blasphemy setup.

This Hexblast Miner Saboteur build for the Necropolis expansion in PoE is designed to be a powerhouse that can clear all regular content efficiently. Its flexibility allows it to be viable on any budget, making it an excellent choice for players at various stages of the game. Whether you're starting a new league or looking to dominate endgame content, this build offers a path to success without being hindered by common weak points.

Map Modifiers to be Avoided

Certain map modifiers can significantly hinder the build's performance. It's crucial to steer clear of maps with No Regeneration or reduced Energy Shield recovery rates. These modifiers can impact your ability to deploy mines effectively and recover health, potentially compromising your ability to clear content smoothly.

Build Main Mechanics

The Hexblast Miner Saboteur build in PoE's Necropolis expansion presents a unique playstyle by intelligently circumventing the inherent drawbacks of the Hexblast skill. As a miner, this build takes advantage of the Curse on Hit mechanics, allowing mines to detonate sequentially. This clever use of mechanics means that each Hexblast cast not only consumes a Hex for powerful more multipliers against hexed targets but also applies a new Hex, setting up the next mine for increased damage. This synergy enables the build to deliver devastating bursts of damage, especially against bosses.

Mana Management

Mana management is a nuanced aspect of this build. Through the adoption of Eldritch Battery, mana costs are shifted to consume Energy Shield instead of Mana. This modification allows for the deployment of mines without depleting the Mana pool. However, mines still reserve Mana due to their inherent mechanics, necessitating a sufficient Mana pool to accommodate the reservation cost of the maximum number of mines you can place, plus one extra to avoid constraints during combat. Determining your mine capacity can be done by testing in the Hideout or consulting the Calcs tab in Path of Building. Smooth gameplay requires a substantial Energy Shield pool, with 500 being the recommended minimum to ensure your Energy Shield doesn't deplete entirely during engagements.

PoB, Passives and Gem Links

For an optimized experience with the Hexblast Miner Saboteur build in the Necropolis expansion of PoE, we recommend using Path of Building for this build here.

Gem Links

Disclaimer: The gem setups provided are tailored for the midgame stage of this build. For adjustments suitable for high-end versions or early game stages, refer to the specific links in the provided Path of Building or adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Prior to acquiring a Profane Proxy, use a Blasphemy Curse setup (link Blasphemy with Flammability or Elemental Weakness, depending on your Curse on Hit ring availability).
  • Without the Whispers of Doom passive, prioritize Flammability over Elemental Weakness.
  • If a Curse on Hit ring is not yet part of your gear, again, prioritize Flammability.

Main Gem Links for Hexblast (6-Link):

  • Hexblast
  • Increased Critical Strikes Support
  • High-Impact Mine Support
  • Charged Mines Support
  • Minefield Support
  • Awakened Void Manipulation Support

Tip: Quality on Hexblast is less critical due to the build's inherent clearing power. Initially, opt for a level 21/0 Quality gem for a significant damage increase at a low cost.

Aura Setup:

  • Vaal Grace
  • Zealotry (cast periodically to maintain)
  • Divine Blessing Support
  • Inspiration Support

Ensure you have sufficient unreserved Mana for mine placement despite this Aura setup.

Wither Setup (Important for Bosses):

  • Wither
  • Spell Totem Support
  • Multiple Totems Support

Defenses:

  • Cast when Damage Taken Support (Level 1)
  • Immortal Call (Level 3)

Debuff:

  • Bear Trap (increases damage taken by enemies)

Mobility:

  • Shield Charge + Faster Attacks Support + Momentum Support
  • Flame Dash or Frostblink (based on preference)

Profane Proxy & Curses:

With Whispers of Doom, you can apply two Hexes on enemies. Place Elemental Weakness and Flammability into your gear, designating one to the Profane Proxy based on your second ring's Curse on Hit setup.

Ascendancy, Pantheons and Deal with the Bandits

Ascendancy (Shadow – Saboteur)

  • Demolition Specialist: This choice is aimed at bolstering defenses through the Hinder effect and slightly increasing Area of Effect for improved leveling efficiency.
  • Pyromaniac: Focuses on sustain by providing significant regeneration, crucial for maintaining health during late-game encounters where this should be maximized to 10%.
  • Explosive Expert: A powerful node that enhances damage through Critical Strike Chance, Penetration, and Critical Multiplier benefits, particularly effective due to the Chilling effects of Skitterbots and Hexblast's ability to inflict Shock and Burns.
  • Born in the Shadows: A defensive powerhouse that utilizes the Blind mechanic, significantly reducing the likelihood of being hit by attacks when combined with evasion. This Ascendancy point further provides a 15% Damage Reduction, making it an invaluable choice for survivability.

Deal with the Bandits

The optimal choice for this build is to kill all the Bandits in favor of helping Eramir for 2 additional Skill Points, as none of the Bandits offer benefits that align with the build's needs.

Pantheons

Major Gods: Soul of The Brine King is recommended to mitigate Stun effects and, when upgraded, provides immunity to Freeze, significantly enhancing resilience in challenging environments.

Minor Gods: Soul of Abberath is suggested to counteract the effects of Burning Ground, a nuisance for many builds. Upgrading this Pantheon can alleviate the discomfort caused by such ground effects.

Upgrading Pantheons: Pantheon powers can be enhanced through the use of Divine Vessels in the Map Device. This process involves capturing the soul of a specific boss within a map indicated by the Divine Vessel. After defeating the boss and securing the soul, the filled Divine Vessel can be used or delivered to Sin in Oriath, offering additional lore insights.

Gear

The Hexblast Miner Saboteur build for PoE's Necropolis expansion benefits greatly from carefully selected gear. The aim is to balance defense with offense, focusing on survivability, resistances, and, crucially, enhancing mine and spell damage. Below is a summary table of recommended gear:

Item Slot Item Name
Head Rare EV (Evasion) Base with Suppression, Life, Resistances, Mine Throwing Speed
Amulet Rare Amulet with Critical Strike Multiplier, Life, Resistances, Mine Throwing Speed
Chest Rare ES/EV (Energy Shield/Evasion) Base with Suppression, Energy Shield Recharge, Resistances
Gloves Rare EV Base with Damage against Chilled Enemies, Suppression, Life, Resistance
Boots Rare EV Base with Suppression, Life, Resistances, Chill Immunity
Belt Rare Belt with Life, Resistance, Mine Throwing Speed
Rings Rare Curse on Hit Ring & Profane Proxy
Weapon Rare Wand with +2 to Gem Levels, Spell Critical Strike Chance, Mine Throwing Speed, and Damage
Shield Rare Shield with Spell Critical Strike Chance, Chaos Spell Skill Levels, Life, Spell Damage

This selection of gear provides a robust foundation for tackling the challenges of Necropolis. It emphasizes on enhancing the build's strengths while safeguarding against potential vulnerabilities. Prioritize items that offer a balance between damage output and survivability, with special attention to resistances and mine-enhancing attributes.

Summary

So there you have it, the complete guide to the Hexblast Miner Saboteur build for the Necropolis expansion in Path of Exile. This build is all about striking a balance between powerful offense and sturdy defense, making it a top choice for players looking to tackle all sorts of content. Whether you're a newcomer or a seasoned veteran, this guide has got you covered from the ground up, ensuring you can enjoy one of PoE's most dynamic playstyles with ease. And hey, if you find yourself needing a bit of extra help or simply want to turbocharge your journey, remember that we at WowCarry are here for you. We've got a service specifically tailored for this build, perfect for those moments when you could use a helping hand. Whether you need assistance with a tricky part of the guide or want support for the build as a whole, we've got your back. Happy building, and may your adventures in Necropolis be epic and rewarding!

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