How do you survive higher levels?

[nattsurf]

I played a Scion and it got harder and harder to survive the bosses. At approx level 60, I got killed almost instantly and the only way to beat the bosses was to spam with respawn and getting killed over and over until I beat the boss.

I couldn't deal with it so I watched a youtube video on how to work with the skill tree to make the build more resilient. Find the nodes with life and shield was the main idea.

So I did this. I created a new character Scion and went to the marauder path and witch path. Now I'm at level 43 and the character feels weak when fighting normal monsters.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I feel also a bit limited to what gear I can use because I can only take those that have preferably four or more nodes and are linked. I can't afford to buy orbs to do that so I have to scan every loot I get.

Appreciate your help

[DSideDaemons]

From what I can infer, you aren't experience with creating your own build. Many players are not, and choose to follow a build guide. That is the path I suggest you follow. Creating your build can require a lot of research and knowledge of the game mechanics. And typically, people don't have the patience for that. If you want to continue with your build, then we'll need the full rundown. A passive tree, current gear, expected end-game gear, endgame skill arrangements, and the general intent of what you want to achieve with this build.

[Phobos]

@op link your build via poeplanner.com

1. Capped resistances: They should be 75 and more seeing you are going to suffer a permanent penalty later on twice.
2. Lots of HP / Regen + HP: If you are still on 1k then you will suffer.
3. Defence of two or more: ES + Regen, Dodge + evasion + block. etc
4. Proper synergies: Meaning you build, weapons, damage etc exploit each other to have a proper chain of events and damage. On hit > slow expiring > bleeding / chaos
5. Your gear: Linked and correctly rolled for no 4.

You have few options here
1. Trial and error: This takes long and I'm only now starting to enjoy latter content with my 2nd and 3rd generation.
2. Follow a build: You can learn and see why things work they way they do
3. Combination of 1 and 2
4. Post your build here and ask for help :}
5. If you are really suffering try to group up with someone

If you can't finish the The Lybarinth on your own at normal you are really playing around with a bad build. It's a good place to go and fine tune your damage vs survivability. To be honest you should actually be able to clear the lab on cruel at one stage...

[nattsurf]

Thanks for all the help.
Let's start with small steps on what I know so far. I can't handle so much information at once. I only know a fraction of what you know and I need as much general direction as possible. Hopefully, this can be applied on all classes and builds.

I have found this armor that is very rare to find for me:
{LINK REMOVED}https://snag.gy/Bv7KWy.jpg
Now I realize the link benefit may not be as good as I think.

What I would like to use is this one:
{LINK REMOVED}https://snag.gy/nHD3gr.jpg

The thing with chaos damage does not bypass energy shield is very interesting to me.
Because I have so far chosen almost solely life and energy shield I get much more if I find items with life+ and energy shield+

For example, this item seems great:
{LINK REMOVED}https://snag.gy/t1WZl6.jpg

I have a lot of energy shield there.

What do you think and what should I change. Only small steps, please :)

[DSideDaemons]

Above anything else, we need to know you general build direction. Else we risk steering you in the wrong direction.

As for those armours. Solaris Lorica isn't a good item. It is closer to a gimmick armour for low level use. As a life build, you would rely more on Chaos Resistance, life regen, and life leech to deal with chaos damage. Though, you could say the same about any other damage type. As long as you have an adequate method of recovery, chaos is no more threatening than any other damage type.

[Drake]

There is no small steps there.

Step 1 : don't make a scion. Scion is the hardest class to build, even guys that know how to make builds need good planning to make a scion. You trying to make one with no knowledge is just asking for free rips.

Step 2 : instead of trying to make some buidl mixing stuff and using uniques when you don't know anything about synergy, you should do something more simple. Like a life only build, with simple skills, simple mechanics, simple stats.

Then the most important thing, and why we can't tell you anything general, is becasue a build in poe in everything but general stuff. Your weapon depends on your main skill, your main skill is related to the tree, the defence type you use depends on where you go on the tree, everything is specialized.

I don't actaully know everything about your build, and for general purposes, I'm going to tell you, in 99% of the cases, solaris lorica is trash tier. Its only purpose is to be a temporary fix until you get shavronne, which only purpose is to make a low life build. If you're not making a lowlife build (which is one of the most expensive build to pull, definitly not a beginner build), that item should never be used.

Doedre's scorn is good, yes, if you have a curse build, like 4 curses or more, which is a very specific build. If you don't, pick something else, that helm has no life and almost no resist, it's a build enabler item, it should never be used outside of the type of build it's made for (as are many items).

Now, let's get serious.

First, you need to choose a main skill and a way to play it (crit or no crit, damage type, if totem etc.), you can't do a tree and pick your stuff without a main skill. Then you need to pick a class and an ascendancy to go with that skill. You then need to choose which keystone you're going to use (if you use one). If you do use one, trace a route to it, pick every life node in between. Then look for the nearest most efficient damage clusters. Pick 2 or 3 damage clusters related to your skill (one should always be the inner damage cluster, which is directly in front of the starting area, it's usually on the best).
Then you pick support gems and a 2 or 3 defence types that synergize well with the tree and your stats (the armour you choose should match the color of your gems, if possible, hybrid armours are there for a reason), for example, life, block and lifeleech works fine.

You'll need to study guides, no just build guides but item guides. While leveling there are items, gems, mods you want to craft to help you level faster.
For example, a rare item with 5 mods but bad rolls is not better than a blue item with 2 good rolls, quite the opposite.

Also, get path of building, all other planners are not as complete, with path of building you can do everything (tree, stuff, gem linking, buff and debuff checking, get numbers against bosses, trashes, effective dps etc.) and get real numbers and do real simulation against different types of dangers.

[J's]

As a general tip, you'll need some good defense... but I'd say an even better offense (ennemies that die quickly do less damage overal and it helps clearing maps faster)... but don't neglect defense.

Unless you're planing on specializing in energy shields, you should avoid armor that provide them since it drasticaly lower armor or evasion (or both). Personaly I'm around 60%-60% estimated damage reduction and evasion AND I have permanent fortify (wich act both as defense and offense with nodes synergy). Take care to get your elemental resist to 75% (or higher) and keep them there.

You'll want some health, but how much will depend on how you play your character. My current build has a very low amount according to most people (2,1K atm, lev79)... but I invested in some decent life leach nodes and my DPS is high AND I hit everyting around me fairly rapidly.

You'll also want a movement skill that work with your weapon of choice. If you're getting swarmed and it seems you may get overwhelming damage, just move away (or in some case through or toward) to manoeuver the ennemies so they can be killed more easily. Personnaly I've grown found of whirling blades, but there are a lot of good options out there.

Finaly, get buffed with auras and such. Most of the time you won't notice the mana reserved if you've invested at least one node or two in mana regeneration and/or leech (or if you get it from items). There are also some very good non-mana reserved buffs that are temporary (they can be increased with support gem). Some of those buffs could also benefit from design choices you made (such as Tempest Shield that has it's duration refreshed on block, obviously characters with strong blocks will benefit a lot from that buff).

As other said, you have to learn what goes well with what from experience or from reading.

Here's my planned build that I may tweak a little as I progress further. I use fencing weapon + shield as you'll see a bleeding specialisation. Main skill at the moment is Cleave + Increased Physical Damage + Maim + Multistrike (as soon as I invest in more link, I'll either add vulnerability curse on hit or add Bleeding Support and maybe Ruthless Support). The vulnerability curse could also end-up being an aura with Blasphemy, either way.

https://www.pathofexile.com/fullscreen-passive-skill-tree/3.0.1/AAAABAQDAQHnBIcFPAkzEPAUIBRNFHEUdRUgGJEY2xo-GlUbqhutG_ohYCXfKCopLixkLJQtMC_MMfsyTjboOSU94j38QKBDMUSeRZpFqUZpRrdHfkh4SO5NRlBHU7tan1uvXzlfP2EhYVJiF2LsYxdlTWa2a9RvJ3LDdPF4rnk5e9R8uH7if-OBOoIHhJSE2YTvhmCI7Ylxi0-Mz49gj5mQCpd5mmqbLZtqns2kGacwqqSqzasLsKuxs7aKvJ-9Nr6nv9XAv8EHwYLEuMVTzAbRNtIh02_TftX4137ZfNrB3DLdDd3j4e_iLORR6Xbp1exc7nrvDu968i_yQfJa9Ob2SPaj-hj8Sw==

[Zi]

Why you guys not telling the most important thing: throw tons of currency into gear! Huh? ;)
Is scion can go higher than story without couple of dozens exalts spent on her fit? Really?

Also, OP, you need to cap your resistances first, just for sure you`ll be fine. Usually this is the issue #1 after someone got to cruel and merciless difficulties. And hp, ofc.

[J's]

Originally posted by Xi:

Why you guys not telling the most important thing: throw tons of currency into gear! Huh? ;)
Is scion can go higher than story without couple of dozens exalts spent on her fit? Really?

Also, OP, you need to can your resistances first, just for sure you`ll be fine. Usually this is the issue #1 after someone got to cruel and merciless difficulties. And hp, ofc.

I haven't seen a single exalt so far in this game. But I agree that when you're near or at end-game it may be worth your while to spend some armorer shard and try your luck with alchemy on end-game armor pieces that fit your build (you can always fill a blank mod spot at the Master's benches).

[Zi]

Oh, so true.. ;)

Just spend some shards, get 6l 40% belly, boots with 120res, 100life and 30speed, tukos, somth like this really.

[CaptainNebulous]

Most important thing IMO is elemental resistances.