Spark of the Nova
Trickster Build

Updated for Patch 3.25

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Spark is a peculiar Skill that scales up with Projectile Speed, Skill Effect Duration, and extra Pierce, so that a single Spark can bounce around multiple times and damage an enemy multiple times as it does. That's why it performs the best in closed spaces, not in open areas where there is nothing to bounce off of. These factors make it the best Skill for specific content or maps, like Delirium or Toxic Sewer. We'll stay with the original Lightning Damage; it's easy to increase it with Gem Level. Reaching a 100% Critical Strike Chance with a high Critical Strike Multiplier is another excellent way to gain more damage. Any class could do that effortlessly, so selecting Trickster seems wise - go for the Polymath for damage with resource recovery, One Step Ahead for Action Speed, Escape Artist to get more Evasion and ES, and Soul Drinked for Leech and overleech. It's a good defensive layer that when combined with Ghost Reaver keeps your character on Full Energy Shield.

Your main defensive layers are: high Maximum Energy Shield, Chaos Inoculation, Evasion Rating, and Spell Suppression Chance. With the top-of-the-line recovery rate for all your resources, you're only vulnerable to big Physical Damage Hits. Even so, the character can take hits larger than most. This version of the build uses many Rare Items so there is a lot of legroom for adjustments; we've included Ralakesh's Impatience combined with Inner Conviction for the powerful Charges of all types, the Anathema Ring and a Helmet that will let you cast 4 Curses with a press of one button, and Mageblood, because the build is pricey anyway, and this belt may not even be your biggest expense. In addition to that, we recommend the Transfigured Spark of the Nova. It deals much more damage, and the only obstacle you have to overcome is its high Mana Cost, but there are tools to mitigate that problem.

You can also check our other Path of Exile builds right over here Odealo's Crafty Guides - Full List

1. Gameplay

Dash around with Forsblink and use Spark to kill enemies around you. As you stumble across the enemy that won't die as quickly as you'd like them to, Cast Sigil of Power and Focus. It triggers all your Curses. If you feel unsafe, cast Frost Shield. With your Leech it will be easy to sustain its ES drain. Tornado, Immortal Call, and Wave of Conviction are all linked to a Level-1 Cast when Damage Taken. Your Auras are Zealotry, Discipline, Wrath, Grace, and Level-1 Clarity.

2. Build's PROS & CONS

3. Leveling tips

Spark is a Skill that's only good after you obtain some very specific gear pieces, so there is no point in leveling with anything else but the most efficient skill, which as of 3.25 is probably Frost Blades. Here is our Starter build guide for this Skill. You can, of course, use any other Skill you're accustomed to. Switch to Spark at level ~95, only after you have enough Projectile Speed, Pierce for Projectiles, and Skill Effect Duration.

Bandits:

Killing all Bandits for two additional Passive Points is the best option

4. Final Skill Tree, Ascendancy Points, and Pantheon

Final Skill Tree:

102 Points Final Skill Tree (doesn't include Unique or Cluster Jewels)
122 Points Path of Building (PoB) link

Ascendancy points:

Preferably in that order:

1. Polymath
2. Escape Artist
3. Soul Drinker
4. One Step Ahead

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 Abberath: 60% less Duration of Ignite on You

5. Final Gems links

[DPS] Spark setup can be socketed in Rare Gloves
	Spark of the Nova - A Spark Skill that's slightly better than the regular Spark, but costs more Mana and has lower Cast Speed. It deals Lightning Damage with Projectiles.
	Inspiration Support - Increases Critical Strike Chance and Elemental Damage while also reducing Mana Cost.
	Energy Leech Support - More Damage while Leeching and when on Full Energy Shield. With Soul Drinker, you're always Leeching.
	Spell Echo Support - Much better cast rate and a bit less damage dealt per cast.
Support Gems found as Affixes on Elder-Shaper Gloves
	Faster Projectiles Support - The faster the Projectiles are, the higher your DPS. Look for this Support Gem on your Gloves.
	Faster Casting Support - Another Support Gem to be found on the Gloves. It increases Cast Speed.

[UTILITY] CwDT setup
	Tornado - Hinders enemies and deals damage to them. Spark can interact with it to boost its damage. Keep it at level 1.
	Wave of Conviction - Keep it at level 1 too. It should inflict Lightning Exposure on Hit.
	Immortal Call - Reduces Elemental and Physical Damage taken. It can stay at level 3.
	Cast when Damage Taken - Level 1 CwDT Triggers all linked Spells whenever you take damage.

[MOBILITY] Frostblink setup
	Frostblink of Wintry Blast - Your Cast Speed is already good, so using this version of Frostblink is recommended.
	Arcane Surge Support -  You should keep it at a level low enough so that a single Cast of Frosblink will activate it. Arcane Surge grants Mana Regeneration and Cast Speed.
	Faster Casting Support

[UTILITY] Auras setup
	Wrath - Use it for more Spell Lightning Damage.
	Grace - More and increased Evasion Rating.
	Zealotry - More Spell Damage and increased Critical Strike Chance for Spells.
	Discipline - Additional Maximum Energy Shield and increased ES Recharge Rate.
	Clarity - Keep Clarity at level 1 if you have a specific Mod on a Watcher's Eye that reduces the Mana Cost of Skills.
	Enlighten Support - Lowers the Reservation Cost of all linked Spells.

[UTILITY] Duration Spells
	Frost Shield - Drains your ES to make it protect you from incoming damage. Enemies outside of the dome deal even less damage to your character.
	Sigil of Power - Adds Lightning Damage to Spells as you spend Mana while inside the Sigil.
	More Duration Support - Linked Spells last longer.

[UTILITY] Curse setup socketed in a Trigger-on-Focus Helmet
	Sniper's Mark - Marked enemy receives increased Projectile Damage. Projectiles Split on impact with the target.
	Punishment - Enemies that are on Low Life receive increased damage.
	Conductivity - Reduces Lightning Resistance.
	Elemental Weakness - Reduces all Elemental Resistances.

6. Gear Setup

The Unique Items you're looking for are Ralakesh's Impatience, Anathema, and Shavronne's Revelation. There are some more, but you can assemble the build without them. Your other gear pieces are also specific, but to sum it up, seek mostly Energy Shield and Intelligence on them. Your Elemental Resistances can be easily capped with a single Flask and a Mageblood, and given the build is expensive anyhow, that's how recommend solving this issue. The main damaging setup should be socketed in Rare Gloves with two built-in Support Gems. Having two Wands is also a big damage boost, which is the main selling point of the build. You don't need the defences from a Shield that much. Prioritize Gem Level for Spark, Cast Speed, Spell Lightning Damage, Elemental Penetration, and Critical Strike Chance with Critical Strike Multiplier. Also, make sure your Spark has high Projectile Speed, Skill Effect Duration, and that it Pierces enemies. Your defensive layers are Spell Suppression and Evasion Rating.

Our recommended items will:

1. Cap your resistances at 75%
2. Provide you with enough DPS and Life to start mapping

(Helmet) Rare Helmet - Here, prioritize the two Suffixes - one to Trigger socketed here Spells (4 Curses) on Focus, and the other one with Reservation Efficiency. Then, try to gain as much Energy Shield as possible. For the Eldritch mods, get more Reservation Efficiency and increased Cast Speed.

Min. requirements: 400 Energy Shield Trigger Socketed Spells when you Focus (Veiled Suffix) Optional affixes: Attributes 10% increased Mana Reservation Efficiency of Skills (Essence Suffix)

(Weapon) Rare Wands - You're using two Wands because of the extremely valuable Essence Suffix that increases Projectile Speed by over 50%, and because Shields are not that good here. Gem Level for Spark, Cast Speed, Spell Damage, and Critical Strike mods are required.

Min. requirements: 100% Increased Spell or Lightning Damage increased Cast Speed +1 to Level of all Lightning Skill Gems 50% increased Projectile Speed (Essence Suffix) Optional affixes: +1 to Level of all Spell Skill Gems Global Critical Strike Multiplier (can be Crafted) increased Critical Strike Chance for Spells Adds Lightning Damage to Spells

(Body Armour) Rare Body Armour - Aim for high Evasion and Energy Shield to benefit from the Escape Artist passive. For Suffixes get Spell Suppression and Attributes. The Eldritch mods should improve the effect of your Auras and redirect some of the Physical damage to be taken as Chaos, which you are immune to.

Min. requirements: 3000 Evasion Rating 600 Energy Shield Spell Suppression Chance Optional affixes: Attributes Elemental  Resistances

(Boots) Ralakesh's Impatience - You have no easy way to generate Charges, but they do grant tons of bonuses; that's why Ralakesh's Impatience Boots are so popular. These are especially great with Inner Conviction Keystone.

+(15-25)% to Cold Resistance +(15-25)% to Chaos Resistance Count as having maximum number of Endurance Charges Count as having maximum number of Frenzy Charges Count as having maximum number of Power Charges

(Gloves) Rare Gloves - Gloves can be very hard to craft on account of the few very specific mods from both, Shaper and Elder, Influences, an Essence, and a Veiled Orb. Socket your Spark setup here.

Min. requirements: Socketed Spells are Supported by Faster Projectiles; increased Projectile Speed (Elder Prefix) Socketed Spells are Supported by Faster Casting; increased Cast Speed (Shaper Suffix) +2 to Level of Socketed Projectile Gems; Projectile Pierce an additional Target (Veiled Prefix) Optional affixes: Socketed Gems have +3.5% to Critical Strike Chance (Essence Suffix) increased Damage while Leeching (crafted Prefix)

(Belt) Rare Belt - ES, Strength, and Resistances are the only mods worth looking for on a Belt. Try to get a lot of Elemental Resistances here. You will have to replace it with a Mageblood at some point because of the Suffix pressure, so before that, just get something that's relatively cheap.

Min. requirements: Maximum Energy Shield +120% to Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Strength increased Damage

(Belt) Mageblood - It's the best Belt in the game, especially in this build, where your rare gear's Suffixes are extremely valuable.

+(25-35) to Strength +(30-50) to Dexterity +(15-25)% to Fire Resistance +(15-25)% to Cold Resistance Magic Utility Flasks cannot be Used Leftmost (2-4) Magic Utility Flasks constantly apply their Flask Effects to you Magic Utility Flask Effects cannot be removed

(Amulet) Rare Amulet - A Focused Amulet from Heist could be extremely good, but these are usually far beyond the reach of a regular player. Instead, focus on Critical Strike mods and Gem Level for Lightning Spells. Be on the lookout for influenced mods too, these can be useful.

Min. requirements: +1 to Level of all Lightning Skill Gems Global Critical Strike Multiplier Optional affixes: +1 to Level of all Skill Gems Damage Penetrates #% Lightning Resistance (Crusader Prefix) Reservation Efficiency for specific Auras increased Projectile Speed (Veiled or crafted Prefix) Elemental Resistances increased Global Critical Strike Chance Non-Channelling Skills have -7 to Total Mana Cost (crafted)

(Amulet) Replica Dragonfang's Flight - The Spark version of this Amulet is usually expensive, but the extra Levels and Reservation Efficiency are equally desirable.

+(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: Sovereignty Arcane Potency

(Ring) Anathema - You have 4 Maximum Power Charges, and with this Ring, you'll be able to apply 4 Curses.

+(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

(Ring) Shavronne's Revelation - You don't Recharge or Regenerate ES - you Leech it. Put it on your Left Ring Slot to gain tons of Maximum ES and Mana Regeneration with no drawback.

+(15-25) to maximum Energy Shield +(60-75) to Intelligence Right ring slot: You cannot Regenerate Mana Right ring slot: Regenerate 6% of Energy Shield per second Right ring slot: +250 to maximum Mana Left ring slot: You cannot Recharge or Regenerate Energy Shield Left ring slot: Regenerate 40 Mana per Second Left ring slot: +250 to maximum Energy Shield

(Jewel) Rare Jewels - There are a bunch of various Crit Multiplier mods to be found on Rare Jewels, and these will get you the most damage.

Recommended affixes: Maximum Energy Shield Critical Strike Multiplier Cast Speed

(Jewel) Stormshroud - With this Jewel, Mageblood, and a Magic Flask with Shock Avoidance you will always Avoid all Elemental Ailments.

+(10-15)% to Lightning Resistance Modifiers to Chance to Avoid being Shocked apply to all Elemental Ailments

(Jewel) Militant Faith - Get the Dominus variant for Inner Conviction, and as for the minor mods, Reduced Mana Cost of Skills and increased effect of Auras are your best options. Be sure that none of the notables are conquered. Socket it near Sentinel notable.

Carved to glorify (2000-10000) new faithful converted by High Templar (Avarius-Dominus-Maxarius) Passives in radius are Conquered by the Templars Historic <two random mods of devotion>

(Jewel) The Light of Meaning - Get the Energy Shield version and socket it near Supreme Ego. It's not mandatory, but that's the most ES you can get from a single Jewel by a large margin.

Passive Skills in Radius also grant 3% increased Energy Shield

(Jewel) Unnatural Instinct - Socket it near Herrier notable, so that it shares some of its radius with that of Militant Faith. It will boost its Devotion mods. If you don't have good Devotion mods, switch the places of Militant Fait and The Light of Meaning.

Allocated Small Passive Skills in Radius grant nothing Grants all bonuses of Unallocated Small Passive Skills in Radius

(Jewel) Impossible Escape - You're looking for the Necromantic Aegis version of this Jewel. That will let you allocate 5 very good notables. These are: Foresight, Path of the Savant, Potency of Will, Ash, Frost and Storm, and Dreamer.

Passive in Radius of <Keystone> can be Allocated without being connected to your tree

(Jewel) Watcher's Eye - You're using Wrath, Zealotry, Grace, Discipline, and level-1 Clarity. Elemental or Lightning Penetration and extra Crit Multiplier or Crit Chance from Wrath and Zealotry are the best choices damage-wise, but if you struggle with Mana, look for the reduced Mana Cost mod from Clarity's pool.

(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 - There are enough points left for two 8-passive Large Cluster Jewels. Increased Spell Damage and increased Lightning Damage Jewels have both notables you're interested in.

Recommended affixes: 1 Added Passive Skill is Prismatic Heart 1 Added Passive Skill is Practiced Caster 1 Added Passive Skill is Essence Rush 1 Added Passive Skill is Burden Projection 1 Added Passive Skill is Widespread Destruction 1 Added Passive Skill is Disorienting Display 1 Added Passive Skill is Scintillating Idea 1 Added Passive Skill is Storm Drinker

(Flask) Bottled Faith - It increases your Crit Chance, Damage, and grants the boons inherent to Consecrated Ground. Use it only during boss fights.

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 Flask effect

Other suggested Flasks: Bismuth Flask with added Elemental Resistances Silver Flask with additional chance to avoid Shock Diamond Flask with increased Critical Strike Chance Quicksilver Flask or Jade Flask with increased Evasion Rating

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.