Rolling Magma Miner
Saboteur Build

Updated for Patch 3.26

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Saboteur, despite the changes, is still one of the best classes for a Mine build. Allocate Bomb Specialist to deal more and take less AoE Damage, and Shrapnel Specialist for Projectiles to have a 50% chance of returning to you. You will take advantage of both if using an AoE Projectile Spell, such as Rolling Magma, linked to a Support Gem that turns it into a Mine. The Spell deals damage each time it bounces off the ground. When Returning and Chaining, the fiery balls will bounce once again for more value out of each cast. It has a unique interaction with Chain that doesn't require it to Hit an enemy. Chain can be sourced from Gem Quality and the new Infamous Gloves' Suffix "Skills used by your Traps and Mines Chain 2 additional times". Add to that more Projectiles and some additional AoE for better clearing, and the framework of the build is pretty much ready.

There's not much complexity going on behind it. It's one of the easiest-to-assemble builds out there. You don't need any uncommon or unique items for it to work. It's only important to know where the damage comes from. It deals on-hit Spell Fire Damage with a high Critical Strike Chance. Combine it with increases to the Gem Level of Rolling Magma and Critical Strike Multiplier. You may even add some flat Fire Damage with Anger and Flame Wall. We've also implemented some Cluster Jewels, most notably the Medium ones with Guerrilla Tactics and Expert Sabotage. The durability stems from Maximum Life, Evasion, and Spell Suppression; recovery is gained via Pyromaniac and a Life Flask. Born in the Shadows Blinds nearby enemies and reduces damage taken from them, which pairs well with high Evasion.

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1. Gameplay

Rolling Magma Mines are the only source of damage. When fighting bosses, throw one Bear Trap and cast the Arcanist Brand. It will trigger Sniper's Mark, Flame Wall, and Wave of Conviction. Frostblink and Shield Charge are your movement abilities. Immortal Call, your Guard Spell, and Detonate Mines are Triggered automatically with Automation. Your Mana-Reserving Skills are Anger, Grace, Clarity, Skitterbots, and the Mines, of course.

2. Build's PROS & CONS

3. Leveling tips

Start as a Pyroclast Miner. Much like Rolling Magma Mine, Pyroclast Mine is a Fire Projectile Spell. One that doesn't require turning it into a Mine, thus saving you a socket. If you have a Tabula Rasa/a 5-link, Rolling Magma at a high level or quality, and you've done the first lab, proceed with shifting toward the final version of the build. The transition is very smooth; there are no sudden upgrades. Because of that, you can even play it on a league start.

Bandits:

Help Kraityn for 8% increased Movement Speed or kill all for a Skill Point

4. Final Skill Tree, Ascendancy Points, and Pantheon

Final Skill Tree:

90 Points Final Passive Tree (doesn't include Unique and Cluster Jewels)
120 Points Path of Building (PoB) link

Ascendancy points:

Preferably in that order:

1. Shrapnel Specialist
2. Bomb Specialist
3. Born in the Shadows
4. Pyromaniac

Pantheon:

Major God: Soul of Solaris: 6% additional Physical Damage Reduction while there is only one nearby Enemy, 20% chance to take 50% less Area Damage from Hits

Minor God: Soul of Tukohama: 3% additional Physical Damage Reduction per second you've been stationary, up to a maximum of 9%

5. Final Gems links

[DPS] Rolling Magma setup
	Rolling Magma - A Fire-damage-dealing Projectile Spell. It bounces off the ground when Chaining. We want to use a Spell that deals Area Damage but is also a Projectile due to Saboteur's passives.
	Blastchain Mine Support - Turns Spell into a Mine. They will deal more damage for each Mine detonated in sequence. It can be replaced with High-impact Mine Support for chance to deal double damage instead.
	Charged Mines Support - Gain Throwing Speed and Crit Chance per Frenzy and Power Charge. It also grants Frenzy and Power Charges.
	Minefield Support - Makes you throw 4 additional Mines and extends the limit of placed Mines by 3, but reduces your Throwing Speed.
	Volley Support  - Additional Projectiles for Rolling Magma for better area coverage. Greater Volley may be better for clearing maps.
	Elemental Focus Support - More Elemental Damage. Rolling Magma won't Ignite, but that's not where your damage is at all anyway. If you have Elemental Overload, replace it with Fire Penetration.

[UTILITY] Reservation setup
	Grace - Added and increased Evasion Rating to avoid Attack Damage. Good with Blind.
	Anger - Added Fire Damage to Spells and Attacks.
	Summon Skitterbots - Skitterbots Detonate your Mines, Chill, and Shock. With The Arkhon's Tools, Chill and Shock will affect you too (this can be negated), but the effect of these Ailments is much improved. It also summons a third Skitterbot for Scorching.
	Enlighten Support - Linked Spells Reserve less Mana.

[UTILITY] Arcanist Brand setup
	Arcanist Brand - It will trigger the three linked Spells for you with just one button press.
	Flame Wall - Projectiles passing through Flame Wall will deal additional Fire Damage.
	Sniper's Mark - Marked enemies take increased Projectile Damage. The Projectile won't Split.
	Wave of Conviction - Exposes the enemy to Fire, which reduces their Fire Resistance.

[MOBILITY] Shield Charge setup
	Shield Charge - The movement skill that makes you go faster in a straight line.
	Lifetap Support - Shield Charge costs Life instead of Mana, most of which has to be Reserved.
	Faster Attacks Support - Increases the Movement Speed of Shield Charge to move even faster.

[UTILITY] Automation setup
	Automation - Linked Skills are Triggered automatically; you don't have to cast them.
	Detonate Mines - Detonates your Mines.
	Immortal Call - Reduces Physical and Elemental Damage taken for a short moment. It can consume Endurance Charges to extend its Duration.

[UTILITY] Bear Trap and Frostblink setup
	Bear Trap - Immobilizes the enemy, which will take 25% increased Damage from Mines.
	Frostblink - Your second movement Skill. It's optional.
	Lifetap Support

[UTILITY] Clarity
	Clarity - Mana Regeneration Rate, which will probably be needed.

6. Gear Setup

The build uses almost exclusively Rare Items; it's what makes it good in SSF. However, be aware that The Arkhon's Tools, Sandstorm Visage, and Replica Dragonfang's Flight are most likely the best Uniques for their slots. They're not mandatory, and don't change the overall build in any major way, but we'll assume you have them. Another key nuance is the new Gloves modifier that can be found only on Infamous Mercs, one that causes your Mines' Projectiles to Chain two additional times. Rolling Magma deals damage each time it bounces, so it's very desirable. It's a Life build with Evasion and Spell Suppression Chance as its main defensive layers, try to get these stats for better durability. For Damage, prioritize Gem Level and Crit Multiplier for your Spell. Mana Reservation Efficiency will be needed.

(Helmet) Sandstorm Visage - Rolling Magma has a very low base Crit Chance. It's just 5%. You can increase it by another 5% with the most basic Wand and this Helmet.

(8-10)% increased Cast Speed (200-250)% increased Energy Shield Ignore Stuns while Casting Base Spell Critical Strike Chance of Spells is equal to that of Main Hand Weapon Cannot deal Critical Strikes with Attacks

(Weapon) Rare Weapon - Something with Fire Spell Damage, Critical Strike mods, and Level to Pyroclast Mine. Get a wand that has a high base Crit Chance, like the Prophecy Wand.

Min. requirements: 100% increased Spell Critical Strike Chance +1 to Level of all Fire Spell Skill Gems Optional affixes: Increased Spell or Fire Damage +1 to Level of all Spell Skill Gems Global Critical Strike Multiplier increased Critical Strike Chance (for the weapon) Adds # to # Fire Damage to Spells

(Off-hand) Rare Shield - You want some type of ES-shield with damage-oriented modifiers like increased Spell Damage and Gem Level for Fire Spells.

Min. requirements: 100% increased Spell Critical Strike Chance +1 to Level of all Fire Spell Skill Gems Optional affixes: Increased Spell Damage Increased Fire Damage Resistances Maximum Energy Shield Spell Suppression Chance

(Body Armour) Rare Body Armour - Here, go for a high mix of Maximum Life, Evasion, and ES on Prefixes, with Resistances or Spell Suppression on Suffixes. For the Eldritch mods, we recommend a portion of Physical Damage to be taken as Fire and Critical Multiplier for Spells.

Min. requirements: +100 to Maximum Life high Maximum ES and Evasion +40% to Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Resistances Spell Suppression Chance Additional Physical Damage Reduction (crafted Suffix)

(Boots) Rare Boots - Here, go for Maximum Life, Resistances, and Movement Speed. For the Eldritch mods, pick Brittle Ground with Chance to avoid Bleeding or Cooldown Recovery for Travel Skills.

Min. requirements: +90 to Maximum Life 25% increased Movement Speed +80% to Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Resistances Spell Suppression Chance Chill avoidance (crafted) Freeze immunity (crafted)

(Gloves) Rare Gloves - You need the Infamous Gloves, found only on Infamous Mercenaries. There is a chance for a mod granting two additional Chains for your Rolling Magma Mines. Other than that, just the basic Maximum Life, Resistances, and Dexterity. For the Eldritch mods, get Fire Exposure on Hit with increased Mine Throwing Speed.

Min. requirements: +90 to Maximum Life +40% to Elemental Resistances Skills used by your Traps and Mines Chain 2 additional times (infamous Suffix) Optional affixes: Dexterity

(Belt) The Arkhon's Tools - Skitterbots' Chill and Shock are much more effective, but will also affect your character. They will also Scorch you. You can try to reduce the effect of Chill or Elemental Ailments on you with Pantheon, Flasks, and Jewels if that's an issue. You are Shock-immune with Pyromaniac. The Belt grants other great bonuses as well.

(15-25)% increased Stun and Block Recovery +(20-30) to Dexterity and Intelligence (10-20)% increased Mana Reservation Efficiency of Skills (15-25)% increased Trap and Mine Throwing Speed Summon Skitterbots also summons a Scorching Skitterbot Summoned Skitterbots' Auras affect you as well as Enemies (50-75)% increased Effect of Non-Damaging Ailments inflicted by Summoned Skitterbots

(Amulet) Rare Amulet - Try to get an Amulet with a Gem Level to Fire Skills and some Global Crit Multiplier to increase your damage. Other affixes to aim for are Maximum Life, Resistances, and Attributes.

Min. requirements: +90 to Maximum Life +40% to Elemental Resistances +1 to Level of all Fire Spell Skill Gems Optional affixes: Global Critical Strike Multiplier Atributes

(Amulet) Replica Dragonfang's Flight - Excellent in all builds that scale off of Gem Level, like this one. Remember to acquire the Rolling Magma version.

+(10-16) to all Attributes +3 to Level of all <Random Skill> Gems +(5-10)% to all Elemental Resistances (5-10)% increased Reservation Efficiency of Skills Items and Gems have (10-5)% reduced Attribute Requirements

Recommended Anointments: Heart of Flame

(Ring) Rare Rings - Rings will grant you additional global Crit Multiplier only via Essence Suffix, try to get one if you want more damage. Maximum Life, Resistances, and Attributes will be fine too.

Min. requirements: +90 to Maximum Life +40% to Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Non-Channelling Skills have -7 to Total Mana Cost Global Critical Strike Multiplier (Essence Suffix) Attributes increased Mana Regeneration Rate

(Jewel) Rare Jewels - Jewels can reduce the effect of Chill on you, even via Corrupted Implicits; it can be beneficial in our case. For damage, get Crit Chance or Crit Multiplier for Fire Spells. They should also increase your Maximum Life.

Recommended affixes: increased Maximum Life Elemental Resistances Attributes Critical Strike Multiplier Critical Strike Chance Reduced Effect of Chill on you

(Jewel) Watcher's Eye - Your Auras are Grace, Anger, and maybe Clarity. Critical Strike Multiplier and Fire Penetration while affected by Anger are the best ones. Grace has good defensive mods, but keep in Mind you already Blind nearby enemies.

(4-6)% increased maximum Energy Shield (4-6)% increased maximum Life (4-6)% increased maximum Mana <Two or Three random aura modifiers>

(Jewel) Large Cluster Jewel - Fire or Spell Damage Large Cluster Jewels should give you some extra Fire Damage and Area of Effect via their notables. We've used two such Jewels.

Recommended Affixes: 1 Added Passive Skill is Prismatic Heart 1 Added Passive Skill is Cremator 1 Added Passive Skill is Widespread Destruction 1 Added Passive Skill is Smoking Remains

(Jewel) Medium Cluster Jewel - Guerrilla Tactics and Expert Sabotage are the best notables on Medium Cluster Jewels. We've used 4 of these Jewels for a lot of extra damage and swiftness.

Recommended Affixes: 1 Added Passive Skill is Guerrilla Tactics 1 Added Passive Skill is Expert Sabotage

(Jewel) Megalomaniac - We've used one Megalomaniac with Sublime Form and Volatile Presence to vastly increase the Reservation Efficiency of Grace and Anger. Normally, these are obtainable only on Small Cluster Jewels.

Adds 4 Passive Skills Added Small Passive Skills grant Nothing <3 Random notable mods>

(Flask) Cinderswallow Urn - The Urn will increase the Fire Damage taken by Ignited enemies. It can also recover a portion of your Life or Mana on kill.

Onslaught +(10-20) to Maximum Charges Recharges 5 Charges when you Consume an Ignited corpse Enemies Ignited by you during Effect take (7-10)% increased Damage Catarina's Veiled (prefix) <Random recovery on kill modifier>

(Flask) Bottled Faith - It's a big damage boost against bosses. They will take increased damage, and you'll be more likely to deal Critical Strike.

40% increased Damage Creates Consecrated Ground on Use (30-15)% reduced Duration Consecrated Ground created by this Flask has Tripled Radius Consecrated Ground created during Effect applies (7-10)% increased Damage taken to Enemies (100-150)% increased Critical Strike Chance against Enemies on Consecrated Ground during Effect

Suggested Flasks: Life Flask with Bleed Immunity Jade Flask with increased Evasion Quartz Flask with Increased Movement Speed Diamond Flask with increased Critical Strike Chance Quicksilver Flask with reduced effect of Curses on you

6. Mercenary Setup

There are several options to choose from. You may go for the Flamehand Merc with Flame Wall, Flammability, and Anger so that you won't have to use them yourself. Kineticist can too roll Flame Wall but with a Haste Aura. Smoulderstike can be great as well; they often have Anger Aura too. We've chosen Eruptor because they can wield the 2-h Axe - a Kingmaker, one of the best weapons for Mercs. They can apply Fire Exposure with Ashen Fissure, but their Auras are not particularly useful. Give them items that would improve your survivability or damage, and be sure their Elemental Resistances are capped.

[UTILITY] Mercenary Skills
	Anger - Available on Flamehand, Smoulderstike, and Flaming Charlatan. It reserves a lot of Mana, that's why it's a great idea to put it on a Merc.
	Flame Wall - Available on Flamehand and Kineticist. Adds Fire Damage to Projectiles passing through it. It's not very important, as you have it on your Arcanist Brand.
	Consecrated Path - Available on Warpriest, Smoulderhand, and Eruptor. A source of Consecrated Ground to reduce the effect of Curses and Regenerate Life.
	Flammability - Available on Flamehand and Flamequiver. Pick it only if you, or your Merc's Curse limit, is two. It can be done by equipping items or Anointing their Amulet with Whispers of Doom.
	Enfeeble - Available on Reanimator. The best defensive Curse for this build. It can be found as a Blasphemous Skill on the Mercs, as a Gloves' Corrupted Implicit, or on Chernobog's Pillar.

(Helmet) Rare Helmet - Get them a Warlord Helmet that reduces nearby enemies' Fire Resistance.

Min. requirements: Nearby Enemies have -9% to Fire Resistance (Warlord Suffix) +80% total Elemental Resistance Optional affixes: Chaos Resistance

(Weapon) Kingmaker - Crit Multiplier, Item Rarity, Culling Strike, and Fortification for you. All great. Be careful, not all Mercs can wield it.

(300-360)% increased Physical Damage (7-12)% increased Attack Speed (30-40)% increased Critical Strike Chance Nearby Allies have 30% increased Item Rarity Nearby Allies have Culling Strike Insufficient Mana doesn't prevent your Melee Attacks Nearby Allies have +50% to Critical Strike Multiplier Nearby Allies have +10 Fortification

(Weapon) Dreadarc - It has the Flammability on Hit, so be sure the enemies' Curse Limit is two.

Adds (5-15) to (20-25) Physical Damage Adds (5-15) to (20-25) Fire Damage (7-10)% increased Attack Speed +(15-25)% to Fire Resistance 5% increased Movement Speed Curse Enemies with Flammability on Hit

(Body Armour) Kaom's Heart - A lot of Life, keeping your Merc alive.

Has no Sockets +1000 to maximum Life

(Body Armour) Garb of the Ephemeral - Prevents your Action Speed from falling below 100%, and disables nearby enemies' Critical Strikes.

(180-230)% increased Energy Shield +600 Strength and Intelligence Requirement Gain a Divine Charge on Hit +10 to maximum Divine Charges You gain Divinity for 10 seconds on reaching maximum Divine Charges Lose all Divine Charges when you gain Divinity Nearby Allies' Action Speed cannot be modified to below Base Value Nearby Enemies cannot deal Critical Strikes

(Boots) Windscream - Additional Curse that can be applied on top of your own Snipers' Mark without overriding it.

(50-80)% increased Armour +(10-15)% to all Elemental Resistances 50% increased Area of Effect of Hex Skills 20% increased Movement Speed You can apply an additional Curse

(Gloves) Rare Gloves - Gloves can be corrupted to apply selected Curses on Hit, but what we're more interested in are the Eldritch mods: one to apply Exposure on Hit and the second with a chance to Unnerve enemies on Hit. Available on Rare Gloves only.

Min. requirements: +80% to Elemental Resistances chance to Unnerve Enemies for 4 seconds on Hit Inflict Fire Exposure on Hit Optional affixes: Resistances Maximum Life

(Belt) Kaom's Binding - "Nearby Enemies Convert 25% of their Physical Damage to Fire" is very strong. It reduces the Physical Damage you take. You have little to no Physical Damage Reduction.

+(25-35) to Strength +(30-40) to Strength +(300-500) to Armour Take no Burning Damage if you've stopped taking Burning Damage Recently Nearby Enemies Convert 25% of their Physical Damage to Fire

(Amulet) Xoph's Heart - Covers nearby enemies in Ash. They take increased damage and move more slowly. It's cheaper and more reliable than the Polaric Devastation Ring.

+(20-30) to Strength +(20-30) to Strength 25% increased Fire Damage +(25-35) to maximum Life +(20-40)% to Fire Resistance Nearby Enemies are Covered in Ash

(Ring) Rare Rings - Rings are for Resistances. Warlord or Corrupted Rings may also cause the wearer to inflict Flammability on Hit, which is desirable.

Min. requirements: +80% to Elemental Resistances Curse Enemies with Flammability on Hit Optional affixes: Maximum Life Chaos Resistance

(Ring) Anathema - If your Merc is able to inflict two Curses, give them the Anathema to extend their Curse limit to at least three.

+(15-25) to maximum Energy Shield +(30-40) to Intelligence (10-15)% increased Cast Speed (10-20)% chance to gain a Power Charge when you Cast a Curse Spell Your Curse Limit is equal to your maximum Power Charges

If you have any other build requests please leave that in the comments below. We are always open to suggestions and constructive feedback.

Pictures used in this article are the intellectual property of Grinding Gear Games.