Best Saboteur Crucible League build for Path of Exile

Path of Exile’s April expansion has introduced changes that affect some of the popular builds in the game. Poisons, in particular, received strong nerfs alongside the Saboteur Ascendancy in patch 3.21, prompting players to explore more build options. Although still a viable choice among Saboteurs, the Poison Seismic Trap Saboteur build has not been performing as well as in the previous patch.

Ice-based spells are currently a common choice with their beginner-friendly build strategies and gameplay. These builds require less budget and skill to follow until the end game. However, if you are an experienced player with a solid grasp of the game’s fundamentals, you might want to check this damage-heavy build.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and reflect the opinions of the writer

Path of Exile: Crucible guide - Best Saboteur build

Path of Exile - Class Build (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Among the various Shadow builds in Path of Exile, the Explosive Trap Shadow Saboteur has gained immense popularity for its ability to unleash devastating damage upon enemies.

This build revolves around the explosive trap skill, harnessing its destructive potential to obliterate foes with precision and efficiency. If you're seeking a playstyle that combines strategy, explosive power, and swift elimination of enemies, this build is for you.

The Explosive Trap Saboteur is a high-impact and costly Path of Exile build, tailored for seasoned players who have invested time into developing their Shadow character. This build focuses on the art of stacking multiple traps to unleash a devastating chain of explosions, making it particularly effective against bosses and single targets.

What sets this build apart is its versatility in handling both map clearing and challenging boss encounters. It offers a well-rounded character that excels in various scenarios. However, it's important to note that this build requires a substantial budget of at least 50 Divine Orbs, making it more suitable for experienced players.

Skill Tree + Gem

Path of Exile - Skill Tree (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

When constructing the skill tree and selecting gem setups for the Explosive Trap Saboteur build, it is imperative to prioritize the Saboteur subclass. This offers invaluable benefits, such as increased trap-throwing speed, enhanced damage output, improved regeneration, and reduced trap cooldown. By focusing on these, you can maximize the effectiveness of your trap-based gameplay.

In addition, allocating points to passive skills that amplify area damage, critical strike chance, and elemental damage is highly recommended. These passive skills synergize harmoniously with the Explosive Trap skill, providing substantial damage potential.

When it comes to gem setups, the core skill for this build revolves around the Explosive Trap. To optimize its performance, it is crucial to support it with gems that augment damage, critical strike chance, and area of effect. Consider incorporating additional support gems that enhance survivability, mobility, and crowd control.

Recommended Gear

Devouring Diadem

Its enchant significantly increases the damage of your explosive traps, allowing you to inflict greater damage on your enemies. The helmet provides a substantial amount of mana regeneration, ensuring a steady and reliable resource pool for continuous trap deployment.

Gameplay

When preparing for combat, strategically plan the placement of your traps to optimize your damage output and ensure that your intended targets are effectively hit. Make use of skills like Shield Charge with Faster Attack Support and Flame Dash to swiftly navigate through maps and evade potential dangers.

As a build that thrives in boss fights, it is advisable to prioritize these encounters whenever possible. To maximize your damage output and expedite the defeat of bosses, leverage curses and traps effectively.

It is also important to maintain active auras and buffs. These crucial enhancements not only maximize your damage output but also contribute to your survivability. By keeping your auras and buffs consistently active, you can significantly improve your performance in combat.

While this build is versatile enough to handle various types of enemies, it is essential to adjust your strategy based on the specific enemy you are facing. Against bosses, utilizing skills like Bear Trap can prove particularly effective. On the other hand, when clearing maps, other skills may be better suited for the task at hand.

By adapting your approach and selecting the most appropriate skills for the situation, you can navigate the challenges presented by different enemy encounters.

That’s it for the Explosive Trap build. While this may not be the best build for beginners, seasoned players will find it fun to use with its heavy damage output.