Every new expansion brings a change in Path of Exile, and they almost always affect almost all PoE builds. The same is true in Heist with the Discharge Assassin build, as Grinding Gear Games has deployed a few tweaks to the core skill. Get your POE Currency ready–it’s time to rebuild the infamous build!
Dis-change
Players that have been using the skill as their bread and butter for quite some time now have also been clamoring for changes for almost just as long. Finally, they got what they’ve been asking for.
Before, the skill used to be reliant on PoE uniques that allow you to get charges within a short span of time in order to deal consistently high damage. To remedy that, the skill’s base damage has been tripled, and its area of effect gets bigger the more charges are used up for it.
This, however, comes at a PoE trade-off, as the skill now has a lengthier cooldown, and you can’t bring this down through PoE item effects. Also, the chances of the skill being activated are down to four times from seven. The sheer damage, which in turn means you’ll need fewer charges more than makes up for it anyway.
But if you miss the old Discharge play style, you should get the Endless Misery cluster jewel. If you have 40 Intelligence within the radius, this unique jewel reduces cooldown back to the 250ms. At the same time, it also lowers the damage and area of effect by 60%. If you’re not too hung up on nostalgia, don’t use it. And even if you are, it’s not recommended, as the cluster jewel doesn’t increase the skill’s proc rate back to pre-Heist frequency.
Having said everything you must know about the new Discharge, we now move on to gear and gem setups.
Gear & Gem Setups
First things first: gems and gear that enhance Discharge. For your helm, have a Rare helmet that has a modifier that gives Discharge a 30% chance to deal damage without eating up the charges. Other mods should have bonuses to accuracy, critical strike chance multiplier, life, +1 to maximum power charges, and increased elemental damage.
As for the gem links for Discharge, have it with Increased Critical Strikes, Concentrated Effect, and Power Charge on Critical support gems.
For the other gear and gems, they are as follows. With the exception of the body armor, boots, and amulet, most of your gear will be rare. Either look for them or use your PoE Currency to get one.
- Weapon: increased spell damage, critical strike chance and multiplier, and attack speed
- Off-hand: spirit shield with increased spell damage, life, chaos resistance, +2 to minimum frenzy charges, and fire resistance
- Gloves: with bonuses to spell damage, dexterity, energy shield, and elemental resistances
- Belt: with bonuses to endurance charges, life, and elemental resistances
- Rings: with bonuses to elemental damage, spell damage, dexterity, and life
Next up are the necessary PoE uniques:
- Body: Voll’s Protector for increased damage, energy shield, power charge for each critical hit, and Inner Conviction
- Boots: Inya’s Epiphany for increased intelligence, life, movement speed, and 25% chance to gain maximum charges just for getting 1 power charge
- Amulet: Voll’s Devotion for strength, intelligence, energy shield, life, elemental resistances, and gain endurance charge when losing a power charge, but reduced endurance and power charge duration
Last but definitely not the least are the PoE build’s other skill gems and their links:
- Whirling Blades with Faster Attacks, Fortify, and Blood Magic support gems.
- Herald of Ice and Summon Ice Golem
- Cyclone
- War Banner, Zealotry, and Precision with Enlighten support gem
- Immortal Call and Vortex with Cast When Damage Taken and Increased Duration support gems.
There you have it, the new Discharge Assassin. So, do you like the changes or prefer the old one instead? Tell us in the comments section.
