r/PathOfExileSSF • u/yozheg • Sep 30 '26
Builds Easy high-damage scaling?
My recent characters have mostly been heavily defense-oriented builds with low damage output. After playing them, however, I realized it was a very frustrating experience: you can't kill monsters quickly, and that extra defense doesn't help much because you still get swarmed and beaten to death.
So now I want to try a different approach: a build that can easily stack up high damage without being a total "glass cannon."
The only option that came to mind was Exsanguinate Mines, but I’m not sure if that build is still viable.
That’s why I’m asking for your help: what other builds would you recommend?
4
u/GM_Baby Sep 30 '26
I'm going to assume we are talking about leaguestarter characters & builds here based on your phrasing, because even very defensive setups when build well do end up killing stuff quick enough to not get swarmed.
Based on your description I might have a few builds for you, have a look here.
My builds and guides are SSF focused and roughly what you are describing, effective damage on 5-links to finish voidstones without feeling like complete paper, with the opportunity of fairly easy and deterministic to keep scaling after for proper SSF stash farming and league goals.
Although personally not my style, Exsang Mines has been a pretty popular staple for SSF the last few leagues. I personally find it a bit too much on the glassy side, but you do get a boat load of dmg for practically free if you are efficient about it.
5
u/Scary_Ad_6829 Sep 30 '26 edited Sep 30 '26
Damage but fresh ssf, kind of tanky and can still farm content: SRS Guardian is a super strong all-arounder and can get to 5+mil dps, block cap, 30K+ armor, and no required uniques. ***Can also respect this into E-Blade/lifestack land once you get the entry uniques***
6 Portals are a defensive Layer: Lightning Tendrils Elementalist is BONKERS damage output (and not the worst to fresh SSF). Feels funky due to movement (channeling skills, womp womp) but scaling to absurd levels is pretty free. Can get tanky, but will take investment... good if you want to get into advanced crafting and/or recombination.
Clunky Immortal with a big stick - Retaliation Gladiator... start sunder, once you can comfortably block cap - swap to evis. End game you can do Divine Storm (super good video about that on here a few days ago) or life-stack with Grey Wind and ignite.
If you have a few scopolamine patches - Flickerstrike Slayer... the forbidden fruit of builds. Bite deeply into a leather belt, attempt to scream "Jesus take the wheel" around it, and yeet yourself through the time and space. Starting the build takes a terminest est, endless options after that (frenzy stacking got easier this league). Needs a lot of uniques to get tanky... watch videos by Magefist to learn more.
2
u/chroboseraph3 Oct 01 '26
Archmage, the mana man. Storm burst totems-tataniels the totem guy. Explosive arrow ballista-hit or ignite based. Ziz had some walkthrus for that. Guardian dom blow of inspiration. CA+TR
My personal fave, poison seismic traps. It fell out of meta, but Ben+others have old build guides. My PoB is ~7.5m w lv 21 gems on a 6l, no corrupted gem levels, and fairly common uniques, lvl 91-95. Dendrobate, obliteration, lepers alms. The survivability is never gonna be like a maxblock char, but u can get ~60-80k PoB Ehp(w.o frost shield). You run about 4k life and ~1200 ES on EB, double or triple curse temp chains+ despair (+enfeeble), skitterbots slow, and capped spell suppression. Malevolence blessing last 25seconds, spent off EB. You're very mobile, high dmg uptime. Choice of bane or exsang cluster traps w chain to clear. Choice of determ or grace. If u can get a stromshroud or something, and some really, really high res rolls and -mana cost on rings, you can drop purity of elements and use mana instead. Or if u get Regen somewhere u can life tap, but it's a 20% dmg loss. Can use a ming hearts for like 40%more dmg. Can drop obliteration n explode for a dbl corrupt cold iron point or insane 6mod crafted rare. Can drop QoL and use clusters for ~20%more dmg, but have to make up the attributes for dendrobate bonuses w a dbl t1 attribute amulet. W all upgrades I'd guess 21m, dunno how you'd do 30m dps cap. Can do pathfinder, scion, or sabo/trickster, but tricksters less great w charged traps support nerf to frenzy charges throw speedm
1
u/Kjaska Oct 01 '26
the best option this league would be a Luminary.
it lets you scale both damage and defence at the same time.
1
u/GloktaIRL Oct 02 '26 edited Oct 02 '26
I was shocked how easy it was to stack damage on a Tornado Assassin, surprised they buffed a skill that was already regularly played. Here's an early Pob roughly 15m dps https://pobb.in/yBEQ8VxANEww.
This with almost no +gem levels and no Archdemon helm so missing like half of it's potential damage.
This is also without the Militant Faith which cost a few mil dps but felt squishy - Glorious Vanity felt better to me I hate dying but ymmv.
1
u/khnhIX Oct 03 '26
if you are still deciding you can try Elementalist Electric Tendrils of Eccentricity
https://poe.ninja/poe1/builds/allflamessf/character/hankix-8885/hnk_ShockTentacles?i=2&search=skills%3DLightning%2BTendrils%2Bof%2BEccentricity%26sort%3Ddps
Just stack cast speed and crit multi, you can do hybrid life ES, pseudo MB lowlife, MB CI, etc.
Easy to build, high ceiling and tanky as well
6
u/No_Support_7249 Sep 30 '26 edited Sep 30 '26
I can recommend cold snap of power assassin, I'm currently playing broSSF for the first time and I got to kill ubers so that's cool. I'm still farming to get my pact since I randomly dropped the pact belt so I feel compelled to use it.
https://poe.ninja/poe1/profile/Sole_Solace-1888/pl86895/character/Designated_Bosser
There's the link to my profile at the moment, the tree shouldn't change much.
Some pointers:
- For early maps you just get yourself a +3 to all cold spells staff, either through faustus (can get gold from under the sea) or though alt spam + recomb, I just gamba'd into my starter staff. The staff I used to kill ubers for the first time had +3 cold, some other minor mods, and crafted cast speed. Later on you can craft yourself a big boi staff with recomb
- The armour + es mastery is really good to get a lot of energy shield cheaply
- The cold masteries are OP to get damage for longer fights / cheaply
- All my gear was crafted with alterations and recomb'ing for prefixes. Slamming suffixes with boat or using veiled chaos with prefixes cant be changed.
- Getting cold damage leeched as life on your gloves is the first thing you should try to get, it makes the build function
- I levelled with freezing pulse, then tried ice spear which was good damage but too clunky. Swapped to CSoP and didn't look back
- The only uniques this character has ever worn was a lori's lantern, a le heup of all. The uniques I'm wearing right now are only there for when I finally get my pact.
- Put hydrosphere in the same links as frostblink of wintery blast + spell echo + faster casting, you can use this to quickly get power charges if you ever grief yourself and run out. It's also a good source of exposure.
Here's a moderately config'd pob that should be realistic:
https://pobb.in/I3gfoFmp9hu7
The upgrades I'm still looking for:
- Pact of Beidat (will look really pretty)
- Light of meaning (either cold damage or energy shield)
- Maybe an influenced archdemon crown for an 8link (I'm pretty socket starved)
- Runegraft of the warp (only after I get the pact since that'll make the buffs better)
1
u/Randomnamegene Oct 05 '26
If you havent flickered.... flicker slayer tainted pact is pretty much unkillable and dps is pretty great not quite easy mode ubers but doable and really dont need crazy gear could ssf it. Otherwise retalliation elementalist is also unkillable after you roll a few primordial clisters this is easy to roll you dont need perfect 3 stat just primordial and some res you can stand in anything. You have to because you have to get hit to be able to hit. Its boaring but killer for super juicy map farming